{"id":3690,"date":"2012-09-05T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2012-09-05T08:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3690"},"modified":"2012-09-05T00:58:40","modified_gmt":"2012-09-05T00:58:40","slug":"could-i-get-a-volunteer-from-the-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/could-i-get-a-volunteer-from-the-audience\/","title":{"rendered":"Could I get a volunteer from the audience?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple months ago, I agreed to do some volunteer work for my sister’s church. I’m not religious, but my sister and her husband are \u043a\u0430\u0442\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/b> (“Roman Catholics”), and they requested some help making art for “Vacation Bible School” — i.e., a week-long summer program of religious education for children at the church, including my \u043f\u044f\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0435<\/u>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u043b\u0435\u043c\u044f<\/u>\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> (“five-year-old nephew”), who was in the youngest group of kids. (He has just entered the \u0434\u0435<\/u>\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u0430\u0434<\/b>, “kindergarten,” at the church’s school.)<\/p>\n

Anyway, my primary task was to create a large \u0437\u043d\u0430<\/u>\u043c\u044f<\/b> (“banner”) illustrating the \u0441\u0435\u043c\u044c \u0442\u0430<\/u>\u0438\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432<\/b> (“seven sacraments”) of Catholicism. To be more specific, the “banner” was a \u0431\u0435<\/u>\u043b\u0430\u044f \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044b\u043d\u044f<\/u><\/b> (“white bedsheet”) \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/u>\u0440\u043e\u0439 \u044f<\/u> \u043a\u0438<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u044c\u044e<\/span> \u043d\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/u>\u043b \u0442\u0438<\/u>\u043f\u0430<\/span> \u0430\u043b\u043b\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/u>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0435\u0439\u0437\u0430<\/u>\u0436<\/span><\/b> (“on which I painted a landscape that was, like, all allegorical and stuff”). So there was a \u0440\u0443\u0447\u0435<\/u>\u0439<\/b> (“tiny river; brook; creek”) standing for \u043a\u0440\u0435\u0449\u0435<\/u>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> (“baptism”), a \u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0451\u0440<\/b> (“campfire; bonfire”) representing the \u0421\u0432\u044f\u0442\u043e<\/u>\u0439 \u0434\u0443\u0445<\/b> (“Holy Spirit”), etc. You get the idea.<\/p>\n

But I bring all this up because, as I said, it was a volunteer effort — and I realized I wasn’t 100% sure how best to say “volunteer” in Russian, at least in this context. In fact, there are various translations, but selecting the best one can be tricky.<\/p>\n

To start with, if you check an English-Russian translation dictionary for “volunteer,” you will often find the adjective \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> and the noun \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u0435\u0446<\/b>. As an adjective for “voluntary,” \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> is often a suitable translation — etymologically it suggests “kind will,” and the English “volunteer” itself comes from the Latin volunt\u0101s<\/i>, meaning “free will.”<\/p>\n

But there’s a problem with the noun \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u0435\u0446<\/b> — it’s a bit too specific, and usually means “someone who voluntarily joins the military (instead of being drafted).” Often it’s even more specific than that, and implies “someone who voluntarily joins the military during wartime<\/i>, when there’s an imminent danger of being sent into combat.” So, although the U.S. military has been all-volunteer since the 1970s, \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u0435\u0446<\/b> doesn’t necessarily apply to peacetime enlistees. In short, if you try to translate “a volunteer” with \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u0435\u0446<\/b>, in most cases you’ll be wrong!<\/p>\n

And there’s another problem: \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> doesn’t have a derived verb. So how do you translate “to be a volunteer” or “to volunteer”? And just how do you render the English noun “a volunteer”? <\/p>\n

In many cases, you can use a different verb modified by some adverb such as \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/b> (“voluntarily”), or by an adjectival clause that functions adverbially. For instance:<\/p>\n

\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\/\u0437\u0430\u043d\u044f<\/u>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0434\u0435<\/u>\u043b\u043e\u043c <\/b> (“to voluntarily engage in an activity”)
\n\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b> (“to voluntarily work”)
\n\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u0430\u0433\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u044c\/\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e<\/u>\u043c\u043e\u0449\u044c \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0443\u0441\u043b\u0443<\/u>\u0433\u0438<\/b> (“to voluntarily offer help or services”)<\/p>\n

And to express “a volunteer,” in many contexts the best solution is to use a construction that means something like “one who voluntarily works” <\/p>\n

\u0427\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043a, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442.<\/b> (“A person who works voluntarily”)
\n\u0422\u043e\u0442, \u043a\u0442\u043e \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0438<\/u>\u043b \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0438<\/u> \u0443\u0441\u043b\u0443<\/u>\u0433\u0438<\/b> (“One who voluntarily offered his services”)<\/p>\n

But \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/b> isn’t the only way to express the idea of “voluntarily.” You could also use adverbs such \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0430<\/u>\u0442\u043d\u043e<\/b> (“for free”) or \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e<\/b> (“not for the purposes of profit”):<\/p>\n

\u042f \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0431\u0438\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/u>\u043a\u0435.<\/b> (“I’m a volunteer at the library,” lit. “I work unpaid at…”)<\/p>\n

The adjective \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> deserves a closer look. Sometimes it can mean “unselfishlessly,” with the corresponding noun \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0435<\/b>, “unselfishness.” The root noun \u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/b> basically means “profit; gain,” and can be neutral in connotation. But the corresponding adjective \u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> is often very pejorative — meaning not simply “seeking profit,” but something more like “lusting<\/i> for profit”. So \u0436\u0430<\/u>\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“greedy”) would be a rough equivalent, and the adjective “mercenary” could be a good translation for \u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b>. But the antonym \u0431\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> doesn’t necessarily have moral implications; it just means that you’re not expecting to get paid!<\/p>\n

In other contexts, you can express the idea of “voluntarily done for the common good” with an adjective such as \u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“public”) or the compound \u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e-\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0437<\/u>\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“publicly beneficial\/useful”). And, as I said, sometimes using an adjectival phrase adverbially will sound better than using just an adverb.<\/p>\n

One such phrase is the Sovietism \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/u>\u043b\u0430\u0445<\/b>, “on a public\/social basis.” (By itself, \u043d\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/u>\u043b\u0430\u0445<\/b> can often be translated “on the basis [of].”) Alternatively, you could use a phrase with \u043e\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/u>\u0432\u0430<\/b>, which literally means “base\/basis.” So \u043d\u0430 \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0441\u043d\u043e<\/u>\u0432\u0435<\/b> is “on a voluntary basis.” <\/p>\n

In certain scenarios, you could instead use \u0432 \u0446\u0435<\/u>\u043b\u044f\u0445 \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/b>, “for the purpose of charity.” Like \u043d\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/u>\u043b\u0430\u0445<\/b>, \u0432 \u0446\u0435<\/u>\u043b\u044f\u0445<\/b> is a useful construction to know — literally, it’s “in the goals\/aims,” but usually you’d translate it as “for the purpose [of]” or “on the basis of.” But keep in mind that \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/b> does mean “charity” in the “alms for the poor” sense.” So \u042f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u0430\u044e \u0432 \u0446\u0435<\/u>\u043b\u044f\u0445 \u0431\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/u>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/b> is correct if you’re volunteering at a soup-kitchen for the homeless, but perhaps isn’t suitable if you’re a karate champ who volunteers as an unpaid self-defense instructor for middle-class women — which certainly qualifies as \u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/u>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e-\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0437<\/u>\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/b> (“publicly beneficial,”) but it’s not “charity.”<\/p>\n

Finally, no discussion of \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e<\/u>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u0430<\/b> (“volunteer work”) would be complete without mention of \u0441\u0443\u0431\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> — the Soviet institution\/custom of “volunteering” on Saturdays to pick up litter or put a fresh coat of paint on children’s playground equipment. I use the ironic quote marks deliberately, because while the \u0441\u0443\u0431\u0431\u043e<\/u>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/b> practice may have begun with the very best intentions, and in the early years of the USSR, some citizens did it with enthusiasm, many Russians will attest that over the years, it degenerated into a running joke: no one wanted to do it, people found excuses to avoid it, the work was done carelessly — and it was seldom or never “voluntary.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple months ago, I agreed to do some volunteer work for my sister’s church. I’m not religious, but my sister and her husband are \u043a\u0430\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0438 (“Roman Catholics”), and they requested some help making art for “Vacation Bible School” — i.e., a week-long summer program of religious education for children at the church, including my…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,995],"tags":[165047,111747],"class_list":["post-3690","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-language","category-soviet-union","tag-russian-vocab","tag-useful-russian-phrases"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3690"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3699,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690\/revisions\/3699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}