?—?°???‡????: distance, virtual, off-site, not in person
?—?°???‡???? (literally, “beyond the eye”) is a lovely word that is very satisfying to pronounce. All those big open vowel sounds make it sound like a luxurious, extended yawn, or maybe like something you croon under the moon in June. It’s a very handy word, too, once you get accustomed to its range of meanings.
The word comes from ?????? (eye), an old-fashioned word that you might know from the Biblical quote “?????? ?·?° ??????” (an eye for an eye). You surely know the plural form from the pre-revolutionary torch song “???‡?? ?‡?‘?€???‹?µ” (usually rendered “Dark Eyes”), which students belt out with dubious authenticity in Russian 101. Add the prefix ?·?°- (beyond) and you get the sense of something being done or happening “beyond the eyes,” i.e., not within visual range or in person.
Once you know that, you can usually figure out what people are talking about when they combine it, or its adjective ?·?°???‡???‹??, with other words. In the past when translating the word, you generally had to be more specific in English than in Russian. Today you have to fight your impulse to use the word “virtual” all the time.
For example, someone might say: ?? ?????°?????? ?????°?????????‡?µ?? ???‹ ?±?‹?»?? ?·?°???‡???? ?·???°???????‹, ?±?µ???µ????-???°?»?? ???? ?‚?µ?»?µ?„??????, ?????±???€?°?»?????? ?????‚?€?µ?‚???‚??????, ????, ?????‹, ???°?? ?????µ?????°, ???µ ?…???°?‚?°?»?? ???€?µ???µ????. (I had a long-distance friendship with Ivan Ivanovich. We talked on the phone and planned to meet, but, alas, as usual there wasn’t enough time.) Here you could use the phrase “virtual relationship,” but probably not if the speaker is an 80-year-old gentleman.
You hear and see ?·?°???‡???? often in the context of education: every school in Russia — and the world — seems to be offering ?·?°???‡?????µ ???±?€?°?·?????°?????µ/???±???‡?µ?????µ. This is any kind of schooling where the student doesn’t need to show up in person, which in English might be distance learning, extramural studies, external program, remote learning or home study. ?—?°???‡???‹?µ ?????€???‹ might be extension or corresponding courses, and ???‚?????µ???‚-?·?°???‡?????? might be an off-campus, off-site, online, extension or extramural student. ?—?°???‡???‹?? ???????‚???‚???‚ might be a correspondence institute/school.
?—?°???‡?????µ ?????»?????????°?????µ can be translated as absentee voting, voting by mail-in ballots, or in high-tech countries — online voting.
In the courtroom, processes that take place ?·?°???‡???? are usually described as being in absentia. For example: ???? ?????»???‡???» ?·?°???‡???‹?? ???€???????????€. (He was sentenced in absentia.) If the defendant doesn’t show up for the court proceedings, you can say there was ?·?°???‡?????µ ?€?µ???µ?????µ ???????° ?? ?????»???·?? ?????‚?†?° (judgment by/in default, default judgment in favor of the plaintiff).
In business, companies might advertise for bids on a project and specify: ???????????€?????‹?µ ?·?°???????? ?€?°???????°?‚?€?????°???‚???? ?·?°???‡???? (literally, competition applications are reviewed without the presence of the person). Here the idea is that a bidder doesn’t have to make a personal pitch to the contracting company. In English I think you’d be likely to specify: online bidding, bids accepted in written form, or even: bids reviewed without personal interviews.
In these days of corporate fiscal responsibility — or rather, today when firms have to make a show of corporate fiscal responsibility — companies are announcing: ?????±?€?°?????µ ???€???????????‚???? ?? ?·?°???‡?????? ?„???€???µ. Today most people would say the company holds virtual meetings, but I’d probably say: the company holds meetings via web- or teleconferencing; the company holds meetings online. Because otherwise, with virtual students, virtual education, virtual voting, virtual bidding and virtual meetings, you begin to wonder if there’s anything real anymore.
Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.