Nov 29, 2007 05:45
16 yrs ago
Russian term
мздоимец
Russian to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
The word is referring to a corrupt bureaucrat.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +7 | bribe taker |
Mikhail Kropotov
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| 5 +2 | on the take |
Deborah Hoffman
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| 4 | corruptioner |
Yuri Smirnov
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| 4 | briber |
Vladimir Dubisskiy
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Proposed translations
+7
2 mins
Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Germany
Native in Russian
Works in field
Germany
US-educated, precise & thorough
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
108
Selected
bribe taker
Or are you looking for something more exotic?
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "As always, большое спасибо to everyone for the very thoughtful discussion. I think "bribe-taker" is the best choice. It's accurate and conveys at least some of the colloquial, old-fashioned tone of the original word. I agree with the commenters that "briber" would be universally understood to mean the person giving the bribe, which is not what is needed in this context. And while "graft" is a familiar word, I've never heard the form "grafter" used. Thanks again!"
2 mins
Yuri Smirnov
Native in Russian
Specializes in field
Daily Translation since 1992
Native in: Belarusian 
, Russian
Works in: English to Belarusian, English to Russian, French to Russian, and 10 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
39
corruptioner
Literally 'bribe-taker'
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kirill Semenov
22 mins
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Спасибо
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| disagree |
Oleksandr Yastremskyi
: not really a word, is it?
2 hrs
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Да, оказалось, что употребляется только в CIS English. Спасибо.
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34 mins
Vladimir Dubisskiy
United States
United States
Native in Russian
Works in field
United States
UNSURPASSABLE EXPERIENCE
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
27
briber
this Russian word is old. Therefore I believe it would be better to provide the English equivalent which is closer to the origin of the word.
taken from Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology:
briber (Spanish, bribar; Old French, bribeur; Anglo-Norman, bribour) - one who accepts bribes.
(also, one who gives bribes)
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Note added at 37 mins (2007-11-29 06:22:55 GMT)
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RE: bribe-taker
It is correct but only as "description", i.e. it's just a construct built by using parts of the Russian word rendered in English.
taken from Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology:
briber (Spanish, bribar; Old French, bribeur; Anglo-Norman, bribour) - one who accepts bribes.
(also, one who gives bribes)
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Note added at 37 mins (2007-11-29 06:22:55 GMT)
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RE: bribe-taker
It is correct but only as "description", i.e. it's just a construct built by using parts of the Russian word rendered in English.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jennifer Guernsey
: I think that the old meaning of this word has really been lost, and the reader would immediately interpret it as the bribe-giver, not the bribe-taker.
6 hrs
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So what? Actually, at least in Russian courts both (taker AND giver) are equally punishable. In English 'briber' stands for both and carries the equal negative connotation - see NO problem with the usage of the term 'briber' then. Thanks.
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| neutral |
Alexander Demyanov
: W/Jennifer: in the modern usage, it's the one giving bribes. "Мздоимец" is an old word but it still means "one taking bribes".//How are these meanings helping "briber" fit the context?
6 hrs
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but also "продажная душа" (Даль) and "тот, кто творит суд из корысти" (Даль)
|
+2
14 hrs
Deborah Hoffman
Native in English
also an attorney with AML background
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
on the take
If you're looking to keep it slang. You'd probably have to restructure your sentence, say from "He's a bribe-taker" to "He's on the take."
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Note added at 14 час (2007-11-29 20:09:17 GMT)
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This is more modern. If you wanted to stick with the older slang (which may not be recognizable to a modern audience) grafter is also possible (imho). Depends what you want to do.
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Note added at 14 час (2007-11-29 20:09:17 GMT)
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This is more modern. If you wanted to stick with the older slang (which may not be recognizable to a modern audience) grafter is also possible (imho). Depends what you want to do.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Dorene Cornwell
: officials on the take, bureaucrats on the take
9 hrs
|
| agree |
Mikhail Kropotov
: Thanks, I didn't know this expression before. However, мздоимец is NOT slang! It's borderline archaic, now common purely in literary and journalistic texts. We weren't given much context here, but I bet it's from some kind of magazine or newspaper.
10 hrs
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Spasibo Mikhail! Help me out - how would you characterize the register of the word? I meant to say it was less than formal.
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