?????‚???€???°: motorboat; boat with outboard motor
Back from a short vacation and looking through the mailbag: Let's see. … "Is there a word to describe the colder-than-usual fall weather in Moscow?" Yes, dear reader, there are actually many words to describe the weather. Unfortunately, The Moscow Times is a family newspaper, and I can't share them with you.
Moving right along … There are a lot of letters about my column on President Vladimir Putin's letter in The New York Times. Most of them make the same point. Take this one from — can't make it out — looks like Peskov? Or is that Surkov? Anyway, it reads ? ?????????°?? ???µ?€?????? ???????????° ?±?‹?»?° ???»?? ???????‚?€?µ?????µ???? ?????‚?€?µ?±?»?µ?????? — ???‹ ?¶?µ ???????????°?µ?‚?µ (The Russian version of the letter was for domestic consumption — you understand, of course).
You know Mr. Peskov, or Surkov or whoever you are, for over a decade people have been telling me that the wildly anti-American propaganda spouted on the Russian news 24/7 is "just for domestic consumption" — just a bit of a show for the hoi polloi, who like their leaders to talk tough. Distasteful, of course, but we're all adults. It's all just part of the political game.
But that show for "domestic consumption" reaches 130 million people, and it's been extremely effective. I don't feel very understanding anymore.
Sorry. I had to get that off my chest.
Let's see what other questions are in the mailbag. Here's one: "What's the difference between ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? (engine) and ?????‚???€ (motor)?"
They are synonyms, of course, but there is a slight, um, well, difference in usage … right? I turn to my Russian-speaking friend. "????, ???°. ???????????????‹. ?? ?€?°?·?????†?° ?? … ???? … ???? … " (Well, sure. They are synonyms. And then there's a difference in … hm … well …)
Actually, if either one of us knew anything about mechanics, this would be easy. It turns out that in this case, Russian and English are in perfect harmony. An engine — ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? — is any machine that turns some form of energy into motion or force. A motor — ?????‚???€ — is a specific kind of engine that uses internal combustion or electricity, although that distinction is not always respected in casual usage. But the thing that lifts your jet is ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? (engine), and the thing that moves your car is either ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? or ?????‚???€ (motor).
?????‚???€ can also be a slang word for a car. ???µ???‡?°?? ???‹ ?? ?‚???±???? ?????·?????‘?? ?????‚???€, ???????°?‚?°?µ??????, ?? ?????????‘?? ?? ?€?µ???‚???€?°?? (Now let's get a car, drive around and go to a restaurant).
?????‚???€?‡???? (motor) is any little motor or motorized thingamajig. ???? ???°?¶?°?» ???° ???»?°???????? ???µ???‚???»???‚???€?°, ?? ?????‚???€?‡???? ?·?°???µ?» ???????? ?¶?°?»???±?????? ???µ?????? (He pressed the button to turn on the fan, and the motor sang its sad little song).
But ?????‚???€???° is a little motorboat, the kind of putt-putt you use for good-weather boating: ???‚?µ?† ???°?‚?°?µ?‚ ???°?? ???µ?‚?µ?? ???° ?????‚???€???µ ???? ?’???»???µ ?? ???????…?»?µ?‚???µ???? ?????·?€?°???‚?°. (My father has been taking us kids out in the motorboat on the Volga since we were two years old).
?????‚???€ can also be slang for a person's heart: ?????‚???€ ???°?»???‚ (My heart is acting up). And it's an important word on the movie set: ???°?? ... ???°?‡?°?»?? … ?????‚???€! ???»?????????»?° ?…?»???????????°. (All right … camera … action! The film slate clapped shut.)
So ?????‚???€ is versatile, but only ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? can move things figuratively. ? ?µ???»?°???° — ?????????°?‚?µ?»?? ?‚???€???????»?? (Advertising is the engine of trade).
Now if we could all just find a kinder engine of human progress.
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.