8. Word order

The meaning of a sentence in English depends a great deal on word order, because English, having virtually no endings, uses word order to indicate which words belong together.

Noun Phrases

Where you have an explanatory noun followed by a proper name in Russian, the word order is the reverse in English:

♦ Заповедник Алтын-Эмель: the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve

♦ фонд «Бобек»: the Bobek Foundation

♦ ресторан "Старая Англия": the Old England restaurant (no inverted commas)

♦ Международный фестиваль детского творчества «Бозторгай»: the Boztoigai International Children's Arts Festival

If either the proper name or the explanation is very long, I would use the following construction, with commas and the indefinite article:

♦ Международный фестиваль Аранжировки цветов «Цветы и мы - XXI век»: Flowers and Us in the 21st Century, an international flower-arranging festival (,)

♦ национальный конкурс для журналистов и средств массовой информации «Будущее начинается сегодня»: The Future Begins Today, a national competition for journalists and the media (,)

Some exceptions:

♦ пик Туюк-Су: Mount Tuyuk-Su (proper name) But compare:

♦ гранитный пик Туюк-Су: the granite peak of Tuyuk-Su

River and hotel can go either before or after the noun (the River Thames, the Savoy Hotel). [WHAT IS THE RULE??]

It can be difficult to decide on word order when you have a lot of nouns piled up together (as with names of organizations, for example), even if you are a native speaker. There is no rule about this, but generally one word in front of the noun is fine; two are usually OK; three or more should go after the noun, otherwise the construction becomes clumsy.

♦ One word: Национальная комиссия по ценным бумагам: National Securities Commission (not "Commission on Securities")

♦ Two words: Комиссия по ценным бумагам и биржам США: US Securities & Exchange Commission; but Комиссия по делам несовершеннолетних ООН: UN Commission on Juvenile Affairs

[Need much more on this - also constructions with "of'.]

In the following types of construction where two or more nouns relating to the same thing are separated in Russian, they should be placed next to each other in English for clarity:

♦ Ф.И.О. заявителя и его адрес: full name and address of applicant

♦ привлечение кого-н. к ответственности или освобождение от таковой: institution or withdrawal of proceedings against someone

♦ с конфискацией имущества или без таковой: with or without confiscation of property

English cannot pile up phrases in front of a noun in the way that Russian, thanks to its endings, can. Up to 3-4 adjectives may be placed before a noun, but entire phrases must go after it:

♦ первый в Казахстане гольф-симулятор: the first golf simulator in Kazakhstan

♦ в соответствии с подписанным 6 июля 2000 года Меморандумом между Правительством Казахстана и...: in accordance with the Memorandum signed on 6 July 2000 between the Government of Kazakhstan and...

♦ [Russian??]: On 23 April the first meeting since the spring holidays was held.

Word Order within one Construction

In Russian the subject and main verb of a sentence may be separated by a long phrase; in English, we should keep subject and verb together for clarity:

♦ XXI век, несмотря на все сегодняшние проблемы, вызовы, является веком обновления, сближения.: Despite all the problems and challenges of today, the 21st century is a century of renewal and rapprochement.

♦ Нам нужно вместе с Правительством внести изменения в Закон.: Together with the Government, we must amend the Law.

If a verb has an object, the object should follow immediately after the verb, while in Russian it may be further away.

♦ В 1989 году первым посадил на авианосец «Тбилиси» [самолет МИГ-29].: In 1989 he was the first pilot ever to land [a MIG-29] on a Tbilisi aircraft carrier.

♦ 96% родивших посетили a 4% не посетили [узких специалистов]: 96% of the recently-delivered women visited [specialists], while 4% did not.

Phrases of time and place are most likely to go at the end of the sentence:

♦ С 1994 г. компания работает в Казахстане [is this right??]: The company has been operating in Kazakhstan since 1994.

♦ На Центральном стадионе проведен 5-й фестиваль выпускников школ г. Алматы «Ак Жол».: The 5th Ak Zhol Almaty School-Leavers' Festival was held at the Central Stadium.

Note that the word order for cleaning is the opposite to Russian:

♦ Очистить агрегат от пыли и грязи.: Clean the dust and mud from the unit.

The position of the verb is pretty much fixed in English. More creative and poetic word order, as in these articles, is unlikely to be possible:

♦ Здесь, в этих безбрежных степях, встречались и мирно встречаются люди самых различных этносов, культур и религий.: Here, in these boundless steppes, people of the most diverse ethnic groups, cultures and religions have met and still meet peacefully together.

♦ Можно любоваться видами ущелья Левого Талгара со стремительной рекой, отвесными гранитными скалами и альпийскими лугами, которые венчают великолепные ледники с ослепительной белизной: You can admire the views of the Left Talgar gorge with its swift river, sheer granite cliffs and Alpine meadows, which the magnificent glaciers crown with dazzling whiteness.

(In this sentence the translator had followed the Russian word order and written "which crown the magnificent glaciers...", meaning that the meadows were higher than the glaciers...)

Long Sentences

Where a sentence consists of two constructions, I would be inclined to put the shortest first. The more important information should go first - in other words, action first, explanation second:

♦ [Указом Президента Республики Казахстан от 30 декабря 2001 года № 751] [2002 год объявлен Годом здоровья].: [2002 was declared the Year of Health] [by Decree No. 751 of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 30 December 2001].

♦ [С целью обсуждения конкретных факторов, оказывающих влияние на уровень жизни населения, и результатов исследования] [был проведен ряд семинаров].: [A number of workshops were held] [to discuss specific factors affecting the population's standard of living and the results of the research].

It would not be wrong if the two constructions were the other way round, but the sentence would be more difficult for the English reader to take in.

For the same reason, when the subject of a sentence consists of a long list of people and the rest of the sentence (verb, object etc.) is short, I would put the latter first. The passive voice can be used to achieve this:

♦ В I тыс. до н.э. [на огромных просторах Евразии] [обитали народы, которые в античных и древневосточных письменных источниках упоминаются под именем легендарных скифов, саков, сарматов.]: In the first millennium ВС, [the vast expanses of Eurasia] [were inhabited by the peoples mentioned in antique and ancient Eastern written sources as the legendary Scythians, Sacae and Sarmatians].

♦ [В работе этих семинаров принимали участие] [не только представители центральных и местных исполнительных органов, но и неправительственных организаций, различных ассоциаций профсоюзов, представители научно-исследовательских институтов и других организаций].: [The seminars were attended] [not only by representatives of central and local executive agencies, but also by representatives of NGOs, various trade union associations, scientific research institutes and other organizations].

If the long subject is put first in the sentence, the reader has a lot to wade through and

remember before he or she reaches the verb.

When a very long sentence starts with a verb, do not say "There was completed.

There are other ways to make sure the verb stays at the beginning of the sentence:

♦ [В этом году завершилось строительство] [нового 635-км трубопровода Карачаганак - Большой Чаган - Атырау диаметром 24"], благодаря которому будет...: [This year saw the completion] [of the new 635-km, 24"-diameter Karachaganak-Bolshoi Chagan-Atyrau pipeline], which...

(Again, if we say "the new 635-km, 24"-diameter blah-blah-blah... was completed", the reader will lose track.)

Examples of Strange Word Order in English

Indirect questions.

The subject and verb are inverted (as in questions) after certain adverbs, the most common of which are only by and only then/when:

♦ Только производя и поставляя продукцию за пределы города можно увеличить приток доходов в город.: Only by producing and supplying products outside the town can the flow of income into the town be increased.

♦ В 20 лет я стал членом гольф-клуба и только тогда понял, что...: I joined the golf club at the age of twenty and only then did 1 realize that...

♦ Лишь после этого можно будет определить...: Only then will it be possible to determine...

Part IV