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I also offer personally-tailored, individualized English conversation practice (including etiquette) and coaching in writing techniques. Finally, I edit texts such as magazines, business proposals, memorandums, emails so they are presented in English which does not embarrass you or your organization. For further details, please mail me at: language.etiquette@gmail.com

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13 July 2013

How much would it have cost to have got this sign right? One pint? Two? Three tops! Any more and I might have got it wrong myself.




























This picture comes from my recent trip by train to Siberia (see http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/3048496 ) and continues the theme in the previous post. This was part of the wonderful, expensively modernised station at Kazan, though it could have been a dozen other places, as Russian Railways have spent a lot of money smartening up their main stations in recent years.
       It was thoughtful of the management to try to provide signs in English, perhaps with a view to the forthcoming football championship which I gather from friends who take an interest in that sort of thing is partly to be held Kazan. But why not ask me how to phrase the sign properly? This is such a silly translation, it makes Russia a laughing stock, quite unnecessarily and, in some senses, unfairly.
       Will someone please tell the RZhD management, whoever and wherever they are, that I am just an email away!



2 comments:

  1. Hello! Please tell me how make this sign right? "Exit to city through a tunnel"? And I am not sure about usage articles before nouns in such signs...

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    Replies
    1. I would have written: "The exit to the city is through the tunnel." Articles are one of the hardest aspects of English for Russians as Russian does not have them.

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