July 14, 2021

Putting the Buzz in Buzzed


Putting the Buzz in Buzzed
Hopefully, these critters will "bee"have themselves this summer.  Photo by Sally Millar via Unsplash

The Forestry Committee of the Moscow region is warning residents to steer clear of any bumbling drunk bees as the weather keeps heating up. No, the bees are not dipping into the country's great supply of vodka, but with such high temperatures due to the heatwave, it's possible that the bee's usual food source, flower nectar, may begin to ferment. 

This isn't an entirely uncommon occurrence and is nothing for residents to be worried about. Not surprisingly, drunk bees aren't more aggressive than they would be in their sober condition, just more clumsy and confused (much like their human counterparts, might we add).

So let's be kind to our small drunk friends so that they can get back to making delicious Russian honey!

Oh, and don't smile at foxes.

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Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
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Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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