This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere
Oct 6, 2017 14:47
6 yrs ago
Russian term
Волшебная шкатулка
Russian to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
translation of a fantastic novel
How to translate "Волшебная шкатулка" or just "шкатулка"? It contains some magic things but not jewelry or precious stones. So, should it be called a "chest" or "jewel-box" or perhaps something else? I don`t want to call it just a "box".
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +2 | Magic casket | Mikhail Kropotov |
4 | magic bin | Vladimir Dubisskiy |
3 | enchanted/magic pyxis | Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D. |
3 | magic coffret | Andrew Vdovin |
Proposed translations
+2
3 mins
Magic casket
The Magic Casket by R. Austin Freeman - Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5453886-the-magic-casket
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Note added at 5 mins (2017-10-06 14:52:35 GMT)
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I know 'casket' usually means 'coffin' in contemporary US English. Still, it could work if your novel is set in an older period where casket still had its original meaning of 'box.'
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Note added at 6 mins (2017-10-06 14:53:21 GMT)
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casket
/ˈkɑːskɪt/
noun
a small ornamental box or chest for holding jewels, letters, or other valued objects.
"a small brass casket containing four black opals"
synonyms: box, chest, case, container, receptacle, coffer, trunk, crate; rarepyxis
"a small casket containing four black opals"
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Note added at 8 mins (2017-10-06 14:56:00 GMT)
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'Precious box' may be an option if you don't want to mention jewelry specifically.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5453886-the-magic-casket
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2017-10-06 14:52:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I know 'casket' usually means 'coffin' in contemporary US English. Still, it could work if your novel is set in an older period where casket still had its original meaning of 'box.'
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2017-10-06 14:53:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
casket
/ˈkɑːskɪt/
noun
a small ornamental box or chest for holding jewels, letters, or other valued objects.
"a small brass casket containing four black opals"
synonyms: box, chest, case, container, receptacle, coffer, trunk, crate; rarepyxis
"a small casket containing four black opals"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2017-10-06 14:56:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
'Precious box' may be an option if you don't want to mention jewelry specifically.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Jack Doughty
: It still means that inUK English.
6 mins
|
Thanks, Jack!
|
|
agree |
Alexander Grabowski
18 mins
|
21 mins
enchanted/magic pyxis
Very magical.
cccc
A pyxis (πυξίς, plural pyxides) is a shape of vessel from the classical world, usually a cylindrical box with a separate lid. Originally mostly used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewellery, surviving pyxides are mostly Greek pottery, but especially in later periods may be in wood, metal, ivory, or other materials. The name derived from Corinthian boxes made of wood from the tree puksos (boxwood), that also came with covers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyxis_(vessel)
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1. (Historical Terms) a small box used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to hold medicines, etc
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pyxis
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Note added at 2 hrs (2017-10-06 17:10:19 GMT)
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ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
Doesn't this look like a magical vessel?
https://www.ancient.eu/img/r/p/750x750/3534.jpg?v=1485681234
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Py...
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шкатулка
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOaZbJ...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpM4NU...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTE7c_E...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQv8zAQ...
cccc
A pyxis (πυξίς, plural pyxides) is a shape of vessel from the classical world, usually a cylindrical box with a separate lid. Originally mostly used by women to hold cosmetics, trinkets or jewellery, surviving pyxides are mostly Greek pottery, but especially in later periods may be in wood, metal, ivory, or other materials. The name derived from Corinthian boxes made of wood from the tree puksos (boxwood), that also came with covers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyxis_(vessel)
ccccccc
1. (Historical Terms) a small box used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to hold medicines, etc
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pyxis
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2017-10-06 17:10:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
Doesn't this look like a magical vessel?
https://www.ancient.eu/img/r/p/750x750/3534.jpg?v=1485681234
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Py...
ccccccccccccc
шкатулка
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOaZbJ...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpM4NU...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTE7c_E...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQv8zAQ...
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Mikhail Kropotov
: I researched this word and found that a pyxis is usually a round, vase-like container. This really jars (pun intended) with the image of шкатулка, which is box-shaped. Also, шкатулка (in Russian) is not a piece of pottery.
1 hr
|
It is more about magic than the shape. It is even more magical if indeed round. шкатулка can be round, even heart-shaped.
|
10 hrs
1 day 20 hrs
magic coffret
A coffret, or cofferet, is a small chest.
Discussion
I would not mind in the slightest if Zhanna chose your answer over mine, or anyone else's. It's closing questions without points that gets me going.
Obviously, we do not have all the context that the author has. But I think, Mikhail deserves a credit. You just go ahead and give him a kudo, Zhanna. I think it's only fare.
But that's beside the point. Kudoz points are not awarded to "the right answer." They're given as a token of appreciation to the contribution that proved the most helpful for the asker. Whether it was a reference link, a creative idea, a wording suggestion, or anything else that was helpful.
If this discussion was not helpful to you, you can only blame yourself. Grade it any way you like, but don't expect Kudoz contributors to pay attention to your questions in the future.
Zhanna, could you please satisfy our curiosity and elaborate the context for us?
Thank you in advance.