Introduction to Russian-English Translation Bilingual Edition

I've read every book on Russian>English translation I've been able to get my hands on. Yes, I've been working to refashion myself as a professional translator since losing my job in academia. (Sadly, there is no work for those of us trained to teach Russian in today's America, making my doctorate essentially not worth much. Hence, the turn to translation work.) However, not to state the obvious, but despite multiple years in Moscow and said doctorate, I have found it to be much harder to "reproduce" into English Russian texts than to simply understand them. Of course, this is common knowledge to those who practice translation work, but the fact remains that it is very hard, particularly at the beginning, to move from the overly literal translation. Strelkova is a master instructor of the art, and her book is absolutely essential reading for those who wish to improve their abilities. She identifies several problematic aspects of Russian, such as what she calls "props"--certain verbs ''and nouns derived from verbs and many other problematic areas that can constrain the translator. Her suggestions for dealing with these issues are truly helpful and can only come from someone with years and years of translation practice under her belt. I am so very grateful for this book, which, on top of everything else, is easy on the pocketbook! She says in the afterword that she is creating an online course, and I hope this is true! I'll be one of the first to sign up for it!

I think think this book is a great start for those looking into becoming translators. The author does a great job at explaining common mistakes and how to fix them. I highly recommend it!

This book is full of really useful tips and tricks that one can readily apply in situations where a good translation doesn't come immediately to mind. As mentioned in another comment though, the lack of an index is a drawback. The whole book could also have benefited from a good editor (there are some clunky, even incomplete, sentences presented as finished translations, vague examples, and formatting issues).

I am a linguist by education and speak two languages with native fluency and Russian with reasonable fluency.I love this book for its modern sociolinguistic approach which emphasizes translation from Russian within the social and cultural context in which it is spoken.Translation is both an art and a science. In order to translate well, social and cultural differences have to be taken into account. Translation is not merely taking a group of words and rendering them into the target language, English in this case, but translating them into an appropriate cultural context that most closely renders the context in which the words were spoken in Russian.The author has a unique perspective and a unique background which gives her excellent qualifications and makes this book really interesting. If you are interested as an English speaker in translation from Russian to English or simply are an advanced student of Russian wanting to achieve a more advanced understanding of the language, I highly recommend this fascinating book.

A great tool for translators. The author not only discusses several solutions, but she also guides the reader through the translation process.

The title "an introduction to" can be misleading: this book contains a variety of useful tips, even for the more experienced translator working from Russian into English. A must have, and possibly the best book of its kind for the native English translator working from Russian.

Get beyond the trap of literal translation. Strelkova's advice is excellent. It is seriously flawed, however, by the lack of an index.

The book is filled with a wealth of information, examples, and suggestions.