\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0435!<\/b><\/p>\nThe lion called all the wild animals to a meeting. They all came, except one. Who was that?
\nThe giraffe — he’s<\/i> in the refrigerator!<\/p>\n
\u0417\u0432\u0435\u0440\u044c<\/b> (diminutive \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0451\u043a<\/b>), in contrast to the generic \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/b>, implies “a wild\/non-domesticated animal.” And \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/b> is usually the best translation for “meeting” if you mean “a group conference” (as opposed to “a chance meeting on the street”). And the particle \u0436\u0435<\/b> is emphatic — in essence, it “italicizes” the word \u043e\u043d<\/b> before it.<\/p>\n
Finally:<\/p>\n
4. \u041a\u0430<\/span>\u043a \u0431\u044b \u0432\u044b<\/span> \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0448\u043b\u0438<\/span> \u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0443, \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u044f\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043a\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044b, \u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0435\u0442?
\n\u042f \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043f\u043b\u044b<\/span>\u043b \u0431\u044b, \u0432\u0435\u0434\u044c \u043a\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044b \u0432\u0441\u0435<\/span> \u0443 \u043b\u044c\u0432\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438.<\/b><\/p>\nHow would you cross a river which is inhabited by crocodiles, if there’s no bridge?
\nI’d swim across, since all the crocodiles are at the meeting with the lion.<\/p>\n
Although the verb \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/b> derives from \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/b>, “to guide,” it does NOT translate as “to guide oneself.” Here, it means “to generally be\/exist”, and in this sense it’s used mainly in the third person, especially about animals. A synonymous phrase would be \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0439 \u0431\u044b\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/b> — also meaning that crocodiles, as a general rule, can be found in this river (whether or not there are crocodiles there at this very minute). Or, finally, you could say \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0439 \u0436\u0438\u0432\u0443<\/span>\u0442 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u043a\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044b<\/b> — “in which crocodiles live.”<\/p>\nAnd in the answer, note that \u0432\u0435\u0434\u044c<\/b> means “since” only in the sense of “after all,” never in the sense of “I’ve been doing this since yesterday.”<\/p>\n
If you’re a little tired of elephants, here’s another example of a Russian joke that’s internationally funny. And by the way, note the extreme “minimalism” of the first line — just grammatical fragments with no complete sentences, and not even an actual verb (except as a participle). That’s quite common in the set-ups to Russian jokes.<\/p>\n
\u0414\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u044f. \u041f\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0440. \u0414\u043e<\/span>\u043c. \u0421\u043a\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043f \u043f\u043e\u0434\u044a\u0435\u0437\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0449\u0435\u0439 \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0433\u0438. \u0421\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u043a \u0432 \u0434\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044c:
\n— \u00ab\u0425\u043e\u0437\u044f<\/span>\u0438\u043d, \u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043c \u0434\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span><\/span> \u043d\u0443\u0436\u043d\u044b<\/span>?
\n— \u00ab\u041d\u0435<\/span>\u0442, \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043a, \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e.\u00bb
\n\u041d\u0430\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span> \u0445\u043e\u0437\u044f<\/span>\u0438\u043d \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u044b\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/span> — \u0430 \u0434\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0432 \u0432 \u0441\u0430\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0435 \u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0442.<\/b><\/p>\nA village. Late evening. A house. The squeak of an approaching handcart. A knock at the door:
\n— “Sir (literally, “master of the house”), do you need firewood?”
\n— “No, buddy, thanks.”
\nThe next morning the owner of the house wakes up — and there’s no firewood in the shed.<\/p>\n
Here, there’s just a little bit of wordplay based on the ambiguity of \u043d\u0443\u0436\u0435\u043d<\/b>\/”needed”, but the wordplay works the same in both languages — it can mean either “I don’t have any and must get some” or “I already have some, but I can’t part with any of it.” (Okay, maybe it’s not exactly laugh-out-loud funny — it’s one where you slap your head after you think about it for a minute.)<\/p>\n
And here’s a joke with the same-but-opposite logic, though I think this one is funnier:<\/p>\n
\u0422\u0443\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u043e, \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u043a \u0438\u0434\u0451\u0442 \u043f\u043e \u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0443<\/span>. \u0412\u0434\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0433 \u0438\u0437 \u0442\u0443\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/span> \u0451\u0436\u0438\u043a \u0438 \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442:
\n— \u00ab\u041f\u0430\u0446\u0430<\/span>\u043d, \u0443 \u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span> \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0451\u0432\u043a\u0430 \u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c?\u00bb
\n— \u00ab\u041d\u0435<\/span>\u0442.\u00bb
\n\u0401\u0436\u0438\u043a \u0438\u0441\u0447\u0435\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442.
\n\u0427\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0437 \u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0447\u0430\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0432 \u043e<\/span>\u043d \u0441\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434 \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0438\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c, \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u044f<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0432\u0435\u0440\u0451\u0432\u043a\u0443 \u0438 \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442:
\n— \u00ab\u041d\u0430<\/span>!\u00bb<\/b><\/p>\nIt’s a foggy morning, and a guy is walking through the forest. Suddenly out of the fog a little hedgehog<\/span> appears and says:
\n— “Hey, dude, do you have a rope?”
\n— “No.”
\nThe hedgehog disappears.
\nIn a few hours, the hedgehog again appears in front of the man, stretches out a length of rope, and says:
\n— “Here ya go!”<\/p>\n(Yelena once told a variant in which an exterminator asks a housewife: “Do you have any cockroaches?”, with the identical punchline \u00ab\u041d\u0430!\u00bb<\/b> — “Here, have some!”)<\/p>\n
And finally, since we’ve been talking mainly about clean jokes for kids, here’s something just a wee bit edgier, as a palate-cleanser.<\/p>\n
\u0412\u0438\u043d\u043d\u0438-\u041f\u0443\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0442 \u043a \u041f\u044f\u0442\u0430\u0447\u043a\u0443<\/span><\/span> \u0438 \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442:
\n– \u00ab\u042f<\/span> \u0445\u043e\u0447\u0443<\/span> \u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u043a\u043e\u043e\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432 \u00ab\u041c\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043a\u00bb. \u0422\u044b<\/span> \u043c\u043d\u0435<\/span> \u043f\u043e\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0448\u044c?\u00bb
\n– \u00ab\u0423\u0445 \u0442\u044b<\/span>! \u041a\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u043e! \u041c\u0451\u0434 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0448\u044c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c?\u00bb — \u043e\u0442\u0432\u0435\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442 \u041f\u044f\u0442\u0430\u0447\u043e<\/span>\u043a.
\n– \u00ab\u041d\u0435<\/span>\u0442, \u043c\u0451\u0434 \u044f<\/span> \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c, \u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u044f<\/span> \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443 \u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0443!\u00bb<\/b><\/p>\nWinnie the Pooh comes to Piglet’s house and says:
\n— “I want to open a cooperative store called \u00abBit O’ Honey\u2122\u00bb. Will you help me?”
\n— “Gosh, are you kidding?! Of course I’ll help! Are you going to sell<\/i> honey?” responds Piglet.
\n— “No, I’m going to buy<\/i> honey, but I’m going to sell pork<\/i>!”<\/p>\n
Take careful note of the Russian word order in the last line. As a general rule of Russian syntax, moving a word to the end of a clause or sentence can serve to emphasize that it’s new or important information<\/b>. (In the English translation, I’ve used italics instead.)<\/p>\n
Piglet has already mentioned \u043c\u0451\u0434<\/b> in line 3, so that’s “old info.” And thus Pooh responds in line 4, with old information in blue and new information in red: \u00ab\u043c\u0451\u0434<\/span> \u044f \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/span>, \u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/span> \u044f \u0431\u0443\u0434\u0443 \u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u00bb<\/b>. Putting \u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0443<\/b> at the end of its clause is not only consistent with the general rules of syntax, but also saves the “punch” for the very end of the punchline!<\/p>\n(Keep in mind that the Soviet-made \u0412\u0438\u043d\u043d\u0438-\u041f\u0443\u0445<\/b> cartoons became eternally beloved cult classics in Russia — a status never really achieved by the Disney version in America. And hence the rather extensive catalog of tasteless jokes parodying Pooh and his friends. Usually cute little \u041f\u044f\u0442\u0430\u0447\u043e<\/span>\u043a<\/b> is the one who suffers, probably because his squeaky voice has a certain Tickle-Me-Elmo quality.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2013\/02\/poor_piglet-350x255.jpg\")
A: An electric elephant. Or, in Russian: \u0427\u0442\u043e \u044d\u0442\u043e: \u041e\u0433\u0440\u043e\u043c\u043d\u043e\u0435, \u0441\u0435\u0440\u043e\u0435, \u0438 \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0438\u0442 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043b\u0430\u043c\u043f\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430? — \u042d\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0441\u043b\u043e\u043d. The Elephant Joke genre occurs in many different languages — generally, these jokes tend to “travel well” because their humor rarely depends on untranslatable puns, or on pop-culture references that quickly go stale. And one finds them…<\/p>\n
Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":4497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4493","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4493","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=4493"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11235,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4493\/revisions\/11235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}