Victor: Яковлев. Кулвӗр. Ҫӗр пин сӑмах ҫӗр-шывӗ

Victor19.10.2008 11:086551 views

Кристофер Кулвер Америкӑра ҫуралнӑ, Европа культурине, сывлӑшне ӑша хывса ӳснӗ.
Christopher Culver was born in America; he grew up adopting European culture and spirit.

Халӗ 26 ҫулти ҫамрӑк Хельсинки университетӗнче финпа угор чӗлхисен факультечӗн аспирантуринче вӗренет.
Now the 26-year-old young man studies in the grad school of the department of Finno-Ugrian languages in Helsinki University.

"Айванлӑхӗнчен" лайӑхмарланса ... кӗнеке вулама юратнине, автостоп ҫул ҫӳревне кӑмӑлланине пӗлтерет.
Embarrassed of his "naivety" (foolishness? silliness? - v. )... he lets me know that he likes reading books and hitchhiking.

"Ҫылӑхӗсем" капашлах мар пек.
His "vices" (indeed used idiomatically, generally means sin, originally meant religious sacrifice *ҫыр => *ҫырлӑх > r vocalized and dropped > ҫылӑх "for satisfaction", ҫырлах "be satisfied", тур ҫырлах "god be satisfied", excuse my digression :) - v.) don't seem so sensible to him.
> Like his "vices" aren't sensible! (in colloq. English; ironic; in Chuvash not colloquial though).

Каччӑ Шупашкара мӗн сӑлтавпа килнипе кӑсӑкланатӑп.
I'm curious about the reason of his coming to Shupashkar. or rather, I inquire about the reason he came to Shupashkar.
(i think the word сӑлтав may also mean "purpose", but it's bad usage. simply because the word йӳтем "purpose" has so rarely been used in literature, my generation doesn't know it)
> I inquire about the purpose of his coming to Shupashkar.

Кристофера ҫӗр пин юрӑ, ҫӗр пин тӗрӗ ҫӗршывне... чӑваш чӗлхине вӗренес кӑмӑл илсе ҫитернӗ иккен.
It turns out that Christopher is brought to the land of hundreds of thousand songs, of hundreds of thousand embroidery patterns ... by the wish to study the Chuvash language.
(the idiom the land of hundreds of thousand songs, of hundreds of thousand embroidery patterns, of hundred of thousand words originates form the saying of respected and glorified Chuvash educator and Christian missionary Ivan Yakovlev: Чӑваш ҫӗрӗ ҫӗр пин юрӑ, ҫӗр пин тӗрӗ, ҫӗр пин сӑмах ҫӗр-шывӗ. Chuvash land is the country of blah blah... Sometimes, as in this article, it is treated ironically. He's an icon of the Chuvash language, but to some an icon of glorified Chuvash hypocrisy - he actually started the process of russification of the Chuvash, and labeled us as little brothers of the great Russians, who should always look up to them and submit to their will. He forbade his students speaking Chuvash, by lucky chance the poem Narspi survived his authority. There's that huge billboard with Yakovlev's head on it, and quote "I never meant anything but the wellbeing of the Chuvash". I read as his excuse for triggering the death of Chuvash language. You know, Bush meant wellbeing of Americans, too - but somehow the country is in pain. :D Note that the part of hundred of thousand words is dropped in the article).

So,

Christopher Culver was born in America; he grew up adopting European culture and spirit. The 26-year-old young man now studies in the grad school of the department of Finno-Ugrian languages in Helsinki University. Embarrassed by his "silliness"... he lets me know that he likes reading books and hitchhiking. As if his "vices" are insensible! I inquire about the purpose of his coming to Shupashkar. It turns out that Christopher is brought to the land of hundreds of thousand songs and of hundreds of thousand embroidery patterns ... by the wish to study the Chuvash language.

Editorial note: The publication of articles does not mean that the editorial board shares the opinion of its authors.

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Victor: Яковлев. Кулвӗр. Ҫӗр пин сӑмах ҫӗр-шывӗ

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