Impersonal Constructions

Russian uses more passive verbs than English (нами подготовлен проект: we prepared a draft). However, it is not necessary to avoid the passive altogether, as Microsoft's grammar checker seems to think. There are just a few cases to be remembered.

Meetings, etc., can be the subject of the sentence:

• На заседании было уделено внимание вопросам...: The meeting focused on...

• Сейчас в Парламенте обсуждается проект закона о...: Parliament is now debating a bill (draft law) on...

In English, rather oddly, books, reports and letters can actually talk:

• В Стратегическом плане развития Казахстана до 2010 года отмечается, что...: Kazakhstan's Strategic Development Plan to 2010 notes that ...

• В полученных нами предложениях, не были указаны требуемые объемы и источники финансирования.: The proposals we received did not state the required amounts and sources of funding.

The word it is not always required:

♦ Как указывалось выше: As mentioned above (not "as it was mentioned above").

The personal pronoun one should be avoided. It is rarely used nowadays except sarcastically (e.g. in mocking the Queen, who does use it, meaning "I").

• Надо сказать...: It is worth mentioning that... We would like to point out that... It must be said that... (not "One must say...")

• В связи с этим нужно отметить, что...: Here we should note that... (or It should be noted that...)

A common construction in official documents such as постановления, приказы etc. is an infinitive with the responsible person in the Dative case. The best way to render this in English is to make the responsible person the subject of the sentence and use a verb with shall:

• [clearer example??]

• Контроль над исполнением настоящего приказа возложить на заместителя председателя Иванова И.И.: The deputy chairman, I.I. Ivanov, shall be responsible for monitoring the execution of this order.

An interesting case study: the Republic of Kazakhstan Customs Declaration Form. The first three sentences are all impersonal.

♦ Заполняется каждым лицом, достигшим 16-летном возраста.: То be completed (or This form must be completed) by every person aged 16 and over.

The second sentence is best translated by an imperative in English:

♦ Нужный ответ помечается в соответствующей рамке знаком X.: Please mark the answer required by putting a cross in the appropriate box.

And in English we are more likely to refer to "you" than in Russian:

♦ Сохраняется на весь период временного въезда/выезда и предъявляется таможенным органам при возвращении.: То be retained (or This form must be retained) for the duration of your temporary entry/exit and submitted to the customs upon your return.

(N.B. This is my translation, not the official one!)

Here are some common passive constructions that can be difficult to translate: как оказалось: can often be left out; or:

Но, как оказалось, на сегодня Амангельдинский проект не привлекает потенциальных инвесторов: But it has become apparent that the Amangeldy project is not attracting potential investors.

предполагается:

В следующем году предполагается пробурить две скважины: Next year two wells are to be drilled.

Предполагается, что осуществление проекта позволит увеличить годовой выпуск золота с нынешних 800 - 900 кг до 7 - 8 тонн.: The project is expected to increase annual gold output from 800-900 kg to 7-8 tonnes.

The Verb "To Be"

Because the present tense of the verb to be is not used in Russian, various other verbs are instead. A simple be (is, was) is usually the best solution in English.

заключается:

• В этом заключается уникальность подобных памятников.: That is what makes these treasures unique.

• Особенность этого стиля заключается в том, что...: The distinctive feature of this style is that...

наблюдается, отмечается:

♦ В последние три года в Казахстане наблюдается динамичный рост объемов добычи углеводородного сырья: There has been dynamic growth in hydrocarbon production volumes in Kazakhstan over the last three years, (or: The past three years have seen dynamic growth...)

представить собой:

♦ Здание гостиницы «Казахстан» представляет собой уникальное инженерное сооружение.: The Hotel Kazakhstan building is a uniquely engineered structure.

составить:

This is usually best translated be (is, was) when combined with figures, not "make up". Stand at is possible, but it implies that the figure is set to rise.

• Общий объем добычи за 1999 год составил около 9,3 млн. т.: Total output in 1999 was about 9.3 million tonnes.

• Число эмигрантов-казахов в конце XX века составляет более 4 миллионов человек: The number of Kazakh émigrés at the end of the 20th century is (or stands at) over 4 million.

You can use account for or make up if we are talking about percentages or shares:

♦ [Russian?] Textile manufacturing accounted for 62% of Turkmenistan's exports.

Negative in Russian, Affirmative in English

Double negatives like this are common in Russian:

♦ Это не может не влиять на...: This is inevitably affecting... (or Inevitably, this is having an effect on..., or This cannot fail to affect...)

This is more natural than the classic "This could not but..."

Another interesting construction is:

♦ На что люди не тратят деньги!: The things people spend their money on!

Other negatives that can be translated as affirmatives are:

• не учитывать: to ignore, disregard

• не совершать (legalese): to refrain from (doing sth.)