Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Russian term or phrase:
глаза с червоточиной
English translation:
stink-eye
Added to glossary by
koundelev
Oct 9, 2005 11:30
18 yrs ago
Russian term
United Kingdom
The highest professional standards
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English
глаза с червоточиной
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
This is not a phrase that I have come across before, and so I wonder: first, whether there is any standard/accepted English equivalent and secondly, if there is not then whether anyone has any ideas?
The passage goes as follows:
Меня очень удивило, что у многих сидевших за столом, лица были вполне приятными и симпатичными. В первый момент я даже подумала, что у них добрые лица. Но, приглядевшись, я увидела, как в глазах этих красивых людей, словно маленькие червячки, копошатся их истинные мысли и чувства – и ничего доброго в них нет. В этот момент я поняла значение выражения, слышанного мной когда-то - «глаза с червоточиной».
(The people being described are witches and vampires!)
One thought, although which loses the link to worms/maggots, is 'to give someone the evil eye', but i am sure there is something better.
Many thanks in advance,
Wendy
The passage goes as follows:
Меня очень удивило, что у многих сидевших за столом, лица были вполне приятными и симпатичными. В первый момент я даже подумала, что у них добрые лица. Но, приглядевшись, я увидела, как в глазах этих красивых людей, словно маленькие червячки, копошатся их истинные мысли и чувства – и ничего доброго в них нет. В этот момент я поняла значение выражения, слышанного мной когда-то - «глаза с червоточиной».
(The people being described are witches and vampires!)
One thought, although which loses the link to worms/maggots, is 'to give someone the evil eye', but i am sure there is something better.
Many thanks in advance,
Wendy
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | stink-eye |
koundelev
|
| 3 +4 | worm-eaten eyes |
Yavor Dimitrov
|
| 3 +4 | maggots of corruption in their eyes |
Yuri Geifman
|
| 4 | eyes with wormholes |
Espoc
|
| 4 | snake eyes |
Vladimir Dubisskiy
|
Proposed translations
1 day 15 hrs
Russian term (edited):
����� � �����������
Selected
stink-eye
With consideration to your latest notes, I would offer "stink-eye" or "rotten eyes" ...
…a term meaning ‘rotten eyes, one with rotten eyes, a ghost.’ ...
www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/stink_eye/
Then your text may look like this:
That's how I came to understanding what "stink-eye" meant.
…a term meaning ‘rotten eyes, one with rotten eyes, a ghost.’ ...
www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/stink_eye/
Then your text may look like this:
That's how I came to understanding what "stink-eye" meant.
1 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Having pondered long and hard, I think I will actually go with my original idea of 'evil eye'. I chose George's reply because 'stink-eye' appears to be a synonym of 'evil eye'. It unfortunately loses the maggoty-connotation, but the problem was that in my mind, the other suggestions included other connotations that I did not want. It is therefore not an ideal solution, but research has not shed light on anything else. My thanks, as always, to everyone who contributed, your comments were very helpful.
"
+4
16 mins
Yavor Dimitrov
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Works in field
Bulgaria
A creative flair for words
Native in: Bulgarian (Variant: Standard-Bulgaria) 
Works in: English to Bulgarian, Bulgarian to English
Russian term (edited):
����� � �����������
worm-eaten eyes
How about 'worm-eaten eyes'?
"He briefly considered moving the body to the ground, but it was sure to be in fragile state and he didn't want to risk damaging it anymore than it already was. Magic had slowed the rate of decomposition, but James's worm eaten eyes and drooping, holey flesh, told stories of how quickly that magic was fading. At last he came to a decision, and crawled into the coffin."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2005-10-09 11:48:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"I have dreams about ghosts sometimes. These are unsettling dreams, where the cold, translucent hands of those who have died reach out to the living. Rarely do I sleep well while these dreams flicker in my eyelids. I usually awaken only to stare at a black room at three in the morning. This track is composed of that same eerie feeling; I keep expecting a partially decomposed hand to fall on my shoulder, and sunken, worm-eaten eyes to meet mine. This must be how Scrooge felt when his old partner Marley came rattling into his room so late at night, and how he felt when faced with his own grave and the imposing presence of the Ghost of Christmas Future. "A Christmas Carol" would be a lot starker piece with this haunting music floating in your ears. The fear of mortality is stronger when one witnesses the unwavering and unforgiving face of death presented in this song. The banshees are wailing across the moors for their next victims, and no amount of warmth might make you feel secure from their talons' grasp. But they come for you slowly, letting the fear build, and it is paralyzing."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2005-10-09 11:55:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
or maybe
CANKERED EYES ?
"He briefly considered moving the body to the ground, but it was sure to be in fragile state and he didn't want to risk damaging it anymore than it already was. Magic had slowed the rate of decomposition, but James's worm eaten eyes and drooping, holey flesh, told stories of how quickly that magic was fading. At last he came to a decision, and crawled into the coffin."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2005-10-09 11:48:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"I have dreams about ghosts sometimes. These are unsettling dreams, where the cold, translucent hands of those who have died reach out to the living. Rarely do I sleep well while these dreams flicker in my eyelids. I usually awaken only to stare at a black room at three in the morning. This track is composed of that same eerie feeling; I keep expecting a partially decomposed hand to fall on my shoulder, and sunken, worm-eaten eyes to meet mine. This must be how Scrooge felt when his old partner Marley came rattling into his room so late at night, and how he felt when faced with his own grave and the imposing presence of the Ghost of Christmas Future. "A Christmas Carol" would be a lot starker piece with this haunting music floating in your ears. The fear of mortality is stronger when one witnesses the unwavering and unforgiving face of death presented in this song. The banshees are wailing across the moors for their next victims, and no amount of warmth might make you feel secure from their talons' grasp. But they come for you slowly, letting the fear build, and it is paralyzing."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2005-10-09 11:55:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
or maybe
CANKERED EYES ?
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vassyl Trylis
: Cankered is better. In quotation marks - as a metaphor for "spoiled", "vicious", or "defective". There is no literal meaning in this text!
25 mins
|
|
I'd think 'CANKERED' sounds better too. Спасибо, Васил.
|
|
| agree |
maxiejiu (X)
31 mins
|
|
Thank you, maxiejiu.
|
|
| agree |
David Knowles
: I like "worm-eaten" as a phrase - sounds suitably gruesome!//No, cankered doesn't work here.
5 hrs
|
|
Thank you, David. Yod didn't comment on CANKERED. Obviously, it's not appropriate in this context.
|
|
| neutral |
Vladimir Dubisskiy
: but in your example the eyes were literally 'eaten by worms', 'flesh decomposed' etc. - does not fit the context here. Here it's more about: through their eyes one could see that they were hiding their true [evil] selves...
6 hrs
|
|
Thank you, Vladimir. Yes, I am aware that the meaning is quite literal. I thought that "worm-eaten eyes" might give the impression of something sinister; feelings deeply hidden; the evil lurking inside. :)
|
|
| agree |
Jack slep
: Yeah, I like that. Or maybe "maggot-eaten eyes" 'cause that sounds even more yucky!!!
11 hrs
|
|
Thank you, Jack.
|
|
| neutral |
Elena Ivaniushina
: нет, здесь "с червоточиной" - совсем не то, что "изъеденный червями". Это метафорическое обозначение души "с душком", испорченной, уродливой, неприглядной, и отражения этой безобразной души в глазах. Worm-eaten - это слишком буквально и поэтому неверно
1 day 1 hr
|
+4
3 hrs
Yuri Geifman
Canada
Canada
Native in Russian
&
English
Canada
Taking pride in my work
Native in: Russian 
, English
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 1 more.
Russian term (edited):
����� � �����������
maggots of corruption in their eyes
I was thinking of the worm of doubt... It doesn't seem likely that there were actual worms involved as these are vampires we're talking about, not zombies, but I don't know whether my version sounds any less literal... Anyways, food for thought :)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jack slep
: Man, I like those maggots stuff!!
8 hrs
|
|
thanks Jack
|
|
| agree |
tanyazst
: sounds good!
18 hrs
|
|
thanks Tanya
|
|
| agree |
Elena Ivaniushina
: reflection of the corrupt souls in their corrupt eyes
22 hrs
|
|
yes, exactly :) Thank you
|
|
| agree |
Blithe
1 day 1 hr
|
|
thanks Blithe
|
4 hrs
Russian term (edited):
����� � �����������
eyes with wormholes
or worm-holes
6 hrs
Vladimir Dubisskiy
United States
United States
Native in Russian
United States
UNSURPASSABLE EXPERIENCE
Native in: Russian , Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, Russian to English, Ukrainian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Russian term (edited):
����� � �����������
snake eyes
I like this expression. Remember the movie and those eyes? I believe that's what it means in a nutshell :-)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs 23 mins (2005-10-09 17:54:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
ill-natured, evil eyes, malicious, malevolent (probably)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs 31 mins (2005-10-09 18:02:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Something about "червоточина"
By the way, this is the first time I hear about the Russian «глаза с червоточиной» - it was always more about "человек с червоточиной" ("душа с червоточиной"). I believe about "червоточина" there was something written by Sholohov either in "Поднятая целина" or "Тихий Дон". It was "in" at the time of Stalinist's represssion: to find in a overall 'impeccable' Soviet citizen that 'trotskist's' or 'buharinist's' ideological "червоточина" an nail the person...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 5 hrs 49 mins (2005-10-10 17:19:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Explanation:
My 'snake eyes' are basically came from the Bible - that big Snake who deceived Adam and Eve, remember?:-)) Deception, corription of the soul that you can read through the person's eyes, because, as per the saying: "the eyes are a mirror for the soul".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs 23 mins (2005-10-09 17:54:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
ill-natured, evil eyes, malicious, malevolent (probably)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs 31 mins (2005-10-09 18:02:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Something about "червоточина"
By the way, this is the first time I hear about the Russian «глаза с червоточиной» - it was always more about "человек с червоточиной" ("душа с червоточиной"). I believe about "червоточина" there was something written by Sholohov either in "Поднятая целина" or "Тихий Дон". It was "in" at the time of Stalinist's represssion: to find in a overall 'impeccable' Soviet citizen that 'trotskist's' or 'buharinist's' ideological "червоточина" an nail the person...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 5 hrs 49 mins (2005-10-10 17:19:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Explanation:
My 'snake eyes' are basically came from the Bible - that big Snake who deceived Adam and Eve, remember?:-)) Deception, corription of the soul that you can read through the person's eyes, because, as per the saying: "the eyes are a mirror for the soul".
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jack slep
: Snake eyes!? You shooting craps! But I do/did love "Тихий Дон". That was great....
5 hrs
|
|
But "my" snake eyes "are based" on the movie and emotions they produced :-))
|
|
| neutral |
Yuri Geifman
: you mean the one with Nicholas Cage? Those snake eyes were 1 1 on a pair of dice... very bad luck.. however I do agree with your thoughts on душа с червоточиной
20 hrs
|
|
yes, that one. They eyes of the bad guy there - can hardly forget it.
|
Discussion
[I'm thinking aloud a bit here]
I am looking preferably for a known phrase in English, as the narrator says: '� ���� ������ � ����� ������� �������, �������� ���� �����-��...'
A phrase which conveys the evil of the characters, but without necessarily being gruesome; these are characters who practice evil sorcery, terrorise children etc, but I don't want to turn them particuarly into 'horror story zombies'.
I'll leave the question open another day, to see if anyone has any other comments to help with this one, as the author is away and I cannot check with her at the moment.
Thanks, Wendy