???µ???€?µ?‚: secret, know-how
One unexpected consequence of having a dog is that you instantly become the go-to person for anyone looking for an address in your neighborhood. You are clearly ???µ???‚???°?? (local) or the more slangy ?·???µ???????? (from around here), so you must know how to get to Polyclinic No. 586 or the much vaguer ???µ???‚??, ?????µ ???»???‡???‹?? ?€?‹?????? ???? ???‹?…???????‹?? (the place where there's a street market on the weekend).
Usually midway through my earnest and detailed instructions for how to get from here to there, it dawns on the lost Russian inquirer that a foreigner is giving them directions. Sometimes that disqualifies me in their eyes and they hurry off to find a real Russian. But sometimes they just grin and thank me, and then ask: ???‚???????° ???‹, ?µ???»?? ???µ ???µ???€?µ?‚? (literally, "where are you from, if it's not a secret?") That, in turn, always makes me grin. I mean, it's not 1937. Why would my nationality be a secret?
But here ???µ???€?µ?‚ isn't really a secret. It's a bit of information that I may wish to keep confidential. In English, we might express this as: Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?
So what exactly is ???µ???€?µ?‚, and how is it different from the native Russian ?‚?°?????° (secret)? As usual, that's a bit tricky — but not exactly secret.
???µ???€?µ?‚ is any piece of information or object that is confidential, private or kept hidden. ???????????? ???µ ?????????€??, ?‡?‚?? ?????° ???????»???????µ?‚????. ??‚?? ???????° ???µ???€?µ?‚ (Don't tell anyone that she's quitting. It's a secret for now.) ???? ?????µ ?????°?·?°?» ?????? ?±???»???????? ???µ???€?µ?‚????, ?‡?‚?? ?±?????µ?‚ ???????€?°?‰?µ?????µ ???‚?°?‚???? (He told me in total confidentiality that there will be staff cuts). ???µ ???µ???€?µ?‚, ?‡?‚?? ?????° ???°?????? ???‰?µ?‚ ???€???????? ?€?°?±???‚?? (It's no secret that she's been looking for another job for a long time). ???µ ???°???? ???µ?»?°?‚?? ???µ???€?µ?‚ ???· ???°???€?????‹?… ???µ?€?µ???‚?°?????????? (You shouldn't make a secret out of staff changes).
???µ???€?µ?‚ can also be some kind of know-how that is the secret to success of anything, from a cake recipe to a company's growth rates. ???µ???€?µ?‚ ?????µ???? ?????????° ?€” ?‡?°?????°?? ?»???¶???° ???????????° (The secret of my sauce is a teaspoon of vinegar).
There's also ???µ???€?µ?‚ ???° ???µ???? ?????µ?‚ (an open secret), also called among the literate crowd ???µ???€?µ?‚ ?????»?????????µ?»?? (the secret of Polichinelle, a standard character in French folk theater who always blabs everyone's secrets).
A mechanical ???µ???€?µ?‚ is some kind of security device. ?—?°?????? ?? ???µ???€?µ?‚???? is a security lock. Those special bolts you put on your car wheels to keep people from stealing them are called ???µ???€?µ?‚???? (disc or wheel locks).
???°?????° is also something that is hidden or should not be disclosed, but it seems to be used for secrets that are more substantial or would have greater consequences if revealed, like ???????????°?€???‚???µ?????°?? ?‚?°?????° (state secret). It can also be secrecy, as in ?‚?°?????° ???????????µ???? (seal of confession) or ?‚?°?????° ???µ?€?µ?????????? (secrecy or privacy of correspondence).
???°?????° can also be used to describe know-how, but it's usually in the plural and sounds a bit lofty: ??‚?? ?‚?°?????‹ ?‚?????€?‡?µ???‚???° (That's the mystery of creation).
Unlike ???µ???€?µ?‚, ?‚?°?????° can be something not just unknown or hidden but unknowable, like ?‚?°?????° ???€???€?????‹ (the mystery of nature).
As far as my nationality goes, it's not hidden, unknowable or even the key to my success. My answer will be: ?§?‚?? ?‚?°???‚??? ?? ?°???µ?€?????°?????°. (What's there to hide? I'm an American.)
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.
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.