?—???»???‚????: made of gold, golden, wonderful, talented, rich
Here in Moscow we went from summer’s smoky inferno to fall’s dreary rain with barely time to switch the fan for the heater. Sodden and chilled, I’m still hoping for ?·???»???‚?°?? ?????µ???? (golden autumn) when the trees turn a brilliant yellow against a vibrant blue sky. In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about the words ?·???»???‚?? (gold) and ?·???»???‚???? (golden), and enjoying the fact that for once, Russian and English seem to be largely on the same page.
In Russian, as in English, ?·???»???‚?? refers to gold metal, a gold coin or sports medal, riches or anything of great value. ???°?? ???????‹?? ?????‚?€?????????? — ?·???»???‚?? (Our new employee is pure gold). You can also say: ???°?????µ ???µ???µ???¶?µ?€?‹ ?? ???°?? ???° ???µ?? ?·???»???‚?° (Our managers are worth their weight in gold).
English and Russian share a number of gold and golden expressions, like ???µ ?????‘ ?‚?? ?·???»???‚??, ?‡?‚?? ?±?»?µ???‚???‚ (all that glitters is not gold), ?·???»???‚???? ???°?»???‡???? (golden boy), ?·???»???‚?°?? ???µ?€?µ???????° (golden mean) and ?·???»???‚???? ???µ?? (golden age). Both English and Russian seem to have picked up the expression ?????»?‡?°?????µ — ?·???»???‚?? (silence is golden) from German. English generally leaves out the first half of the expression, which Russian still sometimes maintains: ???»?????? — ???µ?€?µ?±?€?? (speech is silver).
We also share a belief in golden eggs, although we disagree on what is laying them. In Russian you say ???±???‚?? ?????€???†??, ???µ?????‰???? ?·???»???‚?‹?µ ?????†?° (to kill the chicken that lays golden eggs). This expression is used when someone eliminates a source of income, spelled out nicely in this example: ?—?°?‡?µ?? ???±?????°?‚?? ?????€???†?? (?‚?? ?µ???‚??, ?…???·???????°), ???µ?????‰???? ?·???»???‚?‹?µ ?????†?° (?‚?? ?µ???‚??, ???±?µ?????µ?‡?????°???‰???? ???€???? ?? ?????‚?°?????µ)? (Why would someone kill the chicken — that is, his boss — who lays golden eggs –— that is, who provides food and shelter?)
In Russian ?·???»???‚?°?? ?¶???»?° (a vein of gold) or ?·???»???‚???µ ?????? (literally, “gold bottom”) are what we call in English a gold mine or a mother lode. ?????€???·?? — ???‚?? ???°???‚?????‰?µ?µ ?·???»???‚???µ ?????? ???»?? ???±?»?°???‚?? (Tourism is a real gold mine for the region). Wealth might come more suddenly in ?·???»???‚???? ?????¶???? (literally, “golden rain”). ???° ???µ?????????‚???? ?????°?» ?·???»???‚???? ?????¶???? — ?? ?±?????¶?µ?‚???‹?µ ???µ????????, ?? ???µ???????? ???µ?¶???????°?€???????‹?… ?·?°????????, ?? ?„?µ???µ?€?°?»?????‹?µ ???€?????€?°?????‹ (Money rained down on the agency — from the budget, international loans and federal programs).
If someone is very rich, you can call him ?·???»???‚???? ???µ?????? (a sack of gold). This is now a bit old-fashioned. Today you’d be more likely to call a rich person ???»?????°?€?… (oligarch), ?‡?????????????? (bureaucrat) or ?¶?µ???° ?????€?° (mayor’s wife).
Gold can refer to a skill, regardless of the income produced. ?? ???µ?‘ ?±?‹?»?? ?·???»???‚?‹?µ ?€?????? — ?????° ???‚?»???‡???? ?????»?° (She was a dab hand at sewing; literally, “She had golden hands”). In some cases, you can also add on the second half of the expression: ?? ???µ???? ?·???»???‚?‹?µ ?€??????, ???° ?€?‹?»?? ???????°?????µ (literally, “He has clever hands, but his face is a wreck”). That is, he’s a skillful worker, but a drunk.
Gold can also mean exemplary personal qualities. ?—???»???‚???? ?????? (literally, “my golden one”) is an exclamation of praise and love. Or you can call someone ?·???»???‚???? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?? (kind-hearted) or talk about someone’s ?·???»???‚???µ ???µ?€???†?µ (heart of gold).
And then there’s ?·???»???‚?°?? ?????»?????µ?¶?? (literally, “golden youth”), a calque from the French jeunesse doree. In the Soviet period and now, it’s used to describe rich kids from privileged families. You know — ???µ?‚?? ?‡?????????????????? (bureaucrats’ kids).
Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter. Her collection of columns, The Russian Word’s Worth, will be released by Glas in September 2010.