?¤????????: the finish line
Cross your fingers, please. My ???°???€?µ???????‚ (major apartment remodeling) is finally coming to an end. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I can move back in. There are still weeks of post-construction unpacking, hooking up of services and essential domesticating — not to mention reading all those user manuals before turning on the stove or hot water. But: ?’???¶?? ?????µ?‚ ?? ???????†?µ ?‚???????µ?»?? (I see the light at the end of the tunnel). ???€?°! (Hooray!)
This happy circumstance has made me think about ways to describe endings in Russian. The basic verb pair for finishing or ending something is ???????‡?°?‚??/???????‡???‚??. But be careful: When unprefixed and used without a direct object, this verb has a sexual meaning. I still blush to recall some gaffes that I’ve made over the years. Request to lexicographers: If you are too prudish to include these meanings in your dictionaries, can’t you at least include a pictograph that tells us foreigners to beware? Why do we have to find this out in really embarrassing ways, like with our future Russian mother-in-law at our first get-to-know-you dinner?
Instead of risking your reputation with the unadorned verb, try using ?·?°???????‡???‚?? or ?????????‡???‚??, which both have the sense of finishing or completing an action but vary a bit in usage. However, some usage preferences are no longer hard-and-fast rules. For example, while grammar books recommend saying: ???? ?????????‡???» ?????????µ?€?????‚?µ?‚ (He graduated from the university) — that is, he completed a course of studies — many people also say: ???? ?·?°???????‡???» ?????????µ?€?????‚?µ?‚.
A third related verb, ???????????‡???‚??, is often used with the instrumental case to mean putting an end to something or someone. In the old days you might have heard: ???‹ ???????????‡???»?? ?? ???»?°?????????‹???? ???€?°???°???? (We eliminated our class enemies). Today, you are more likely to hear this verb in a tragic context: ???? ???????????‡???» ?? ?????±???? (He killed himself).
If you want to say you are finishing a grand undertaking or accomplishing something major, try using the verb pair ?·?°???µ?€???°?‚??/?·?°???µ?€?????‚??. These days, the slightly triumphant connotation of these words makes them my verbs of choice.
Then there are series of phrases using the word ???????µ?† (end). ???????…???????‚?? ?? ???????†?? (to approach the end) can be said of anything that is winding down. ?”???????????‚?? ???? ???????†?° (to carry through with something) often has the sense of completing something well or thoroughly: ?•???»?? ?‚?‹ ?·?° ?‡?‚??-?‚?? ?±?µ?€?‘????????, ?‚?‹ ?????»?¶?µ?? ???????µ???‚?? ???µ?»?? ???? ???????†?° (If you take something on, you ought to do a thorough job of it). ?????»???¶???‚?? ???????µ?† (put an end to) is used with the dative case and has the sense of stopping something, sometimes something unpleasant: ?????? ???????‚?°?€?°?»?????? ?????»???¶???‚?? ???????µ?† ?????»???‚???‡?µ?????????? ???€???·?????? (They tried to put an end to the political crisis).
If you are sports-minded, you can end things with racing metaphors. ?? ?„?????????? (to the finish line) can be combined with a number of verbs, such as ???????…???????‚?? (to approach), ???€???±?»???¶?°?‚?????? (to come close to). ? ?µ???????‚???‹?? ???°?€?°?„???? ???????…???????‚ ?? ?„?????????? (The remodeling marathon is almost at the finish line). If you want a bit of rhetorical flourish, you might say: ? ?µ???????‚ ???‹?…???????‚ ???° ?„?????????????? ???€???????? (The remodeling is heading into the homestretch).
Or instead of finishing something, you can just stop (?????‚?°?????????‚??) or cease (???€?µ???€?°?‚???‚??). This is a good time to recall another Russian adage about repair work: ? ?µ???????‚ ???µ ???????‡?°?µ?‚????, ?° ???€?µ???€?°?‰?°?µ?‚???? (Remodeling doesn’t get finished, it just gets stopped).
Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.
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