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Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

господин случай

English translation:

twist of fate, Dame Fortune, Lady Luck, Mr./Lord Destiny/Fate

Added to glossary by rns
Mar 14, 2013 01:27
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Russian term

господин случай

Russian to English Art/Literary Idioms / Maxims / Sayings Short story about two young women
"Неизвестно, как бы сложилась наша с Анечкой жизнь, если бы не господин случай…"

What happens is a guy enters the picture and their friendship takes an irrevocably tragic turn for the worse. Is this a common expression? Hard for me to think of an equivalent anthropomorphic version in English.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 if it weren't for a twist of fate
4 +5 Lady Luck
4 coincidence
4 opportunity knocks
4 Mr Chance the Almighty
3 mister happenstance
3 Mr. Goodluck
Change log

Mar 15, 2013 05:37: rns Created KOG entry

Discussion

Jack slep Mar 14, 2013:
As common as the term Господин случай is in Russian, the interpretation varies, and rightly so. The French/English movie/comedy of that name, for example, is called, strangely, The Valet. If I were to offer an answer, and if you were to Yandex or Goggle it you find many different mental suggestions, such as Rachel's Lady Luck or rns's twist of fate, but to simplify it I would simply call it Fate, with a capital F (no other intention meant!). That's just how things go from day to day, our Fate is here today and tomorrow brings another Fate/Chance, Mr., Mrs., or, now, Ms. Fate

Proposed translations

+1
3 hrs
Russian term (edited): если бы не господин случай
Selected

if it weren't for a twist of fate

An anthropomorphic version wouldn't sound natural to me in the context.

Unless, of course, "господин случай" is somehow personified, which can be rendered as Lord/Mr. Destiny, Fate or Dame Fortune (госпожа удача) that is a more idiomatic version of "господин случай" [1] due to a once famous song [2] by Okudzhava [3].

[1] http://otvet.mail.ru/question/32991025
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id9iif6PK0w
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulat_Okudzhava
Peer comment(s):
agree cyhul
1 day 4 hrs
Thank you.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I really liked a lot of answers, but given the context, this really was most like a "twist of fate.", and I liked Mr./Lord Destiny and Dame Fortune, as well. "
7 mins

mister happenstance

I don't know why, but this is the first thing that came to mind. Must have heard or read it somewhere... :)

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Note added at 25 mins (2013-03-14 01:53:05 GMT)
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p.s. also -- mister fortune

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Note added at 26 mins (2013-03-14 01:54:15 GMT)
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Mister Misfortune
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+5
3 mins

Lady Luck

Different gender, same idea.

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-03-14 03:04:30 GMT)
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Jennifer, Lady Luck can be quite fatal. Lady Luck is the goddess Fortuna. She may look either way, for good fortune or bad. She can "smile down on" or "desert" somebody. To find a host of negative examples, go to Google Books and try "lady luck turned". You will find that she has "turned away", "turned fickle", "turned her head the other way", "turned her back", "turned a deaf ear", "turned her sour face", "turned against", etc. etc.

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-03-14 03:08:39 GMT)
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Or even simple "turned": "... had Lady Luck not turned..."

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-03-14 03:11:05 GMT)
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cx. simply
Note from asker:
I thought of this, but to me this is 1) associated with gambling and 2)not "fatal" enough (it's a sad story)
You make an excellent case, indeed!
Peer comment(s):
agree The Misha : I am sure you can always make it lady bad luck if need be. Decades ago, translating a poem or something I made it "His Majesty the Chance", but that was way before I knew what I was doing.
24 mins
Thanks, Misha. Yes, Lady Luck is not necessarily "good luck" and also is by no means narrowly associated only with gambling in English writing.
agree Roman M : That was the first thing I thought of too.
3 hrs
Thanks, Roman.
agree Simon Geoghegan : Spot on again Rachel. I immediately thought of the line from Guys and Dolls: "They call you Lady Luck, but there is room for doubt. At times you have a most unladylike way of running out..!"
7 hrs
Thanks, Simon. Great example! I was rooting around in 19th-century novels for examples.
agree Oleksiy Markunin
18 hrs
Thanks, Oleksiy.
agree Ilya Prishchepov : Ваше благородие, госпожа удача, Для кого ты добрая, а кому иначе! Перестаньте черти клясться на крови, Не везёт мне в смерти, Повезёт в любви! Стихи Булата Окуджавы. Фильм "Белое солнце пустыни"
1 day 1 hr
Thanks, Ilya.
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4 hrs

Mr. Goodluck

как вариант :)
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6 hrs

coincidence

Pure coincidence, coincidental.


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23 hrs

opportunity knocks

Предлагаю такой вариант перевода всего предложения: "It is unknown what would become of our life with Anechka if an opportunity did not knock on the door".
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1 day 1 hr

Mr Chance the Almighty

Just an option )))
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