Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Lithuanian term or phrase:
komsorgas
English translation:
Communist Youth Organisation\'s local leader
Added to glossary by
Irena R
Nov 19, 2009 12:24
14 yrs ago
Lithuanian term
komsorgas
Lithuanian to English
Other
History
Jis lipa laiptais į antrą aukštą, kur komsorgas turi kabinetą.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
-1
1 hr
Valters Feists
Latvia
Latvia
Works in field
Latvia
Creative. Analytical. Fluent. Excellent.
Native in: Latvian
Works in: English to Latvian, Latvian to English, German to Latvian, and 8 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
Communist Youth Organisation's local leader
Geriau parasyti ilgiau - skaitytojams bus lengviau suprasti be jokiu papildomu "tyriumu" istorijos knygose.
("Organiser" kartais reiskia "ikurejas"!)
"Pervičnaja organizacija" - "local team" ar panasiai.
("Organiser" kartais reiskia "ikurejas"!)
"Pervičnaja organizacija" - "local team" ar panasiai.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
diana bb
: Very true if, as you say, the reader hasn't got an inkling of soviet history.
1 hr
|
| neutral |
Romualdas Zvonkus
: Per ilgas. Tegul domisi tas, kas skaito. Kai rašo CŽV arba Stasi niekas nesivargina teikti nuorodas į Wikipedia. (Atsiprašau - turėjo būti "neutral").
2 hrs
|
|
The average reader can learn (or recall) A FEW new terms, for example, "Stasi", "KGB" are quite popular. But if you leave too many researchable and nuanced terms, you make it difficult, distracting and valuing style over the purpose: informing the reader.
|
|
| disagree |
Inga Jurkeviciute
: Sort of okay, but ... sutinku su Romualdu. Nedaug liko pasaulyje nacijų, kurios niekada nebūtų girdėję kas yra Komunist ar Komsomol.
3 hrs
|
|
No, most readers of English texts world-wide have no idea about "-mol", "-org" and many other soviet/Russian words and morphemes. Even Romualdas misinterpreted "-org" to mean "organisation".
|
|
| disagree |
Gintautas Kaminskas
: Aš vis tiek rašyčiau "Komsomol (Communist Youth Organisation) organiser". Don't agree that "parenthesis slows down reading" (1 nano-second), nor that the juxtaposition of "Organisation" and "organiser" is a problem, nor that "Organiser" is ambiguous.
9 hrs
|
|
Parenthesis and alliteration might be a matter of our differing tastes and habits. But do you call, e.g., a president an "organiser" of his/her state? "Leader", "boss", "head" etc. is much less oblique (rukovoditel - in the Russian reference by Olga).
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I chose to translate "komsorgas" as "Komsomol local leader" and explained the word "Komsomol" in parentheses where the word appears for the first time in the text. Thanks!"
-2
3 mins
Romualdas Zvonkus
Lithuania
Lithuania
Native in Lithuanian
Lithuania
Volvo, BMW, Sony, Canon, Epson, Samsung
Native in: Lithuanian 
Works in: English to Lithuanian, Lithuanian to English, German to Lithuanian, and 1 more.
Komsomol organization (organisation)
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
diana bb
: komsorgas - tai žmogus, o ne organizacija
3 hrs
|
| disagree |
Valters Feists
: 1) It's a person (unless the original writer made a mistake or chose non-standard usage?). 2) Do you really think "Komsomol" is something memorable, well-known, repeatable? No, it's obscure, distracting and non-revivable. :)
5 hrs
|
|
Jo, jo... Kiek tau metų? Aš tai gerai pamenu... ;) Problema labiau ta, kad "partorgas" buvo gerai žinomas (kaip ir "upravdomas"), o "komsorgas" - nelabai girdėtas.
|
+1
6 mins
Olga Prisekina-Olrichs
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in Lithuanian
Netherlands
Native in: Russian 
, Lithuanian
Works in: English to Russian, Dutch to Russian, English to Lithuanian, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Komsomol organizer
комсорг (= комсомольский организатор) Komsomol organizer (is Ligvo zodyno)
Выборный руководитель первичной комсомольской организации или комсомольской группы; комсомольский организатор.
Atsiprasau, kad rusiskai.
Выборный руководитель первичной комсомольской организации или комсомольской группы; комсомольский организатор.
Atsiprasau, kad rusiskai.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
diana bb
1 hr
|
|
aciu!
|
|
| disagree |
Valters Feists
: Sort of okay. But, one would assume that most readers do not know the soviet history, so this wording would remain mysterious (is that the intention?).
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Inga Jurkeviciute
4 hrs
|
-1
2 hrs
Inga Jurkeviciute
Italy
Italy
Native in Lithuanian
Italy
www.traduzionilituano.eu
Native in: Lithuanian
Works in: Italian to Lithuanian, Lithuanian to Italian, English to Lithuanian
a local communist functionary
http://www.lituanus.org/1973/73_1_07.htm
Radau šiame tekste ir manau, kad labai geras vertimas:
The Lithuanian language is being invaded by loanwords from Russian, and by other non-Lithuanian elements. Often, one can hear in occupied Lithuania such awkward Russian-Bolshevik constructions as agitbrigada (a team for agitation), deputatas (representative), komsorgas (a local communist functionary), partorgas (local communist party committee). There are many hybrid translations patterned on Russian, alien to the Lithuanian patterns of word formation. Many awkward component-by-component direct loan translations sound irregular and non-native in Lithuanian.
Radau šiame tekste ir manau, kad labai geras vertimas:
The Lithuanian language is being invaded by loanwords from Russian, and by other non-Lithuanian elements. Often, one can hear in occupied Lithuania such awkward Russian-Bolshevik constructions as agitbrigada (a team for agitation), deputatas (representative), komsorgas (a local communist functionary), partorgas (local communist party committee). There are many hybrid translations patterned on Russian, alien to the Lithuanian patterns of word formation. Many awkward component-by-component direct loan translations sound irregular and non-native in Lithuanian.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Valters Feists
: Too approximate; communist party and communist youth organisation are different. Also the sample text misinterprets "partorg" (a person!) as an organisation/committee.
18 mins
|
-1
17 hrs
Gintautas Kaminskas
Australia
Australia
Native in Lithuanian
&
English
Works in field
Australia
«I translate meaning, not just words.»
Native in: Lithuanian , English
Works in: Lithuanian to English, Spanish to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
11
Komsomol organiser
Patarčiau rašyti "Komsomol (Communist Youth Organisation) organiser".
Google Results: 329 for "komsomol organiser". (2,000 for "komsomol organizer").
e.g. "He became a Komsomol organiser, disliked by his fellow students..."
http://books.google.com/books?isbn=0709945191...
"Svetlana studied there from the 7th class and even became chief Komsomol organiser at the school."
http://www.old.khodorkovsky.info/media/136824.html
Google Results: 329 for "komsomol organiser". (2,000 for "komsomol organizer").
e.g. "He became a Komsomol organiser, disliked by his fellow students..."
http://books.google.com/books?isbn=0709945191...
"Svetlana studied there from the 7th class and even became chief Komsomol organiser at the school."
http://www.old.khodorkovsky.info/media/136824.html
Example sentence:
"a soldier, poet and Komsomol organiser, the heroes of famed Ivanovo regiments, and many others"
"the company commander, and the political deputy commander and the Komsomol organiser"
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Valters Feists
: 1) "Komsomol" is obscure for too many readers, and in the future will obsolesce even more. 2) "Organiser" either organises activities, or is the founder of something, while "komsorg" (комсорг) was a leader, local head of the organisation.
7 hrs
|
Discussion
Footnotes are welcomed by scientists, not so much among general readership. Don't you always have to think about your audience?
But! This is not being translated only "for ourselves" or for those having extensive prior knowledge of the USSR history, rather for the general international audience; therefore **smooth and informative readability** (which includes NOT requiring the reader to start a separate research) is the approach that I'd recommend. The soviet terminology could (should?) to be kept only if the publisher wants an "exoticising translation" (a translation theory term, look it up). Exoticising happens either on purpose, or because the translator didn't do his or her job.
Комсорг
Комсомольский организатор - выборный руководитель первичной комсомольской организации
o organizacija = комсомол (= Коммунистический Союз Молодёжи) Komsomol, Young Communist League
2) "Organisation's organiser" doesn't look very good.
3) "Organiser" is ambiguous.