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Орган здравоохранения

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

c мозгами все более-менее в порядке

English translation:

everything was more or less straight in his head

Added to glossary by David Knowles
Jan 15, 2009 16:14
15 yrs ago
Russian term

c мозгами все более-менее в порядке

Russian to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting art collections
Речь его была вполне нормальной, и казалось, что с мозгами все более-менее в порядке.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 everything was more or less straight in his/their head
3 +2 his brain function was more or less normal
5 everything seemed more or less ok upstairs
4 mental faculties seemed to remain intact
4 he seemed to be sane/ reasonable
Change log

Jan 20, 2009 10:10: David Knowles changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/999236">bruniana's</a> old entry - "c мозгами все более-менее в порядке"" to ""everything was more or less straight in his/their head ""

Discussion

boostrer Jan 15, 2009:
Clearly informal colloquial style It reminds to me a well known short story "Красная Пашечка". Who is the author?
bruniana (asker) Jan 15, 2009:
Context Контекст такой: Третьим в их доме, не считая собаки, был внук Нины Николаевны ― Петя. Видимо, создавая его, с природой случилось маленькое затмение, так как Петя был сосредоточением множества болезней. Иному хватило бы и одной. Псориаз, эпилепсия, одна нога не сгибалась, пальцы на руке, наоборот, не разгибались. А росту в нем было около метра и 90 сантиметров. Петя, при всей своей инвалидности, работал в охране какого-то ленинградского завода, по Рощино каким-то образом умудрялся ездить на велосипеде. Речь его была вполне нормальной, и казалось, что с мозгами все более-менее в порядке.
Susan Welsh Jan 15, 2009:
Context? Whether this should be translated as brain function, or something like mental faculties, depends on the context. Is this a person with neurological damage to his brain? Or is it meant more as a joke: that his brain was functioning (because he had had his second cup of coffee for the morning)--in which case Elene's or David's might be better.

Proposed translations

+3
3 mins
Selected

everything was more or less straight in his/their head

Bit bothered by the plural "brains"! Maybe "his head was more or less in order".
Peer comment(s):
agree Mikhail Kropotov : You've never encountered мозги in the plural?! Its connotations are very different from those of мозг, but your translation is actually very close in meaning! ADDED: But now, мозги should no longer boggle your mind ;)
29 mins
You're bringing back memories of a Russian class when the teacher was scornful of us not knowing мозг at all! We knew ум...//Actually this is like English: I had to rack my brains to understand this question!
agree bananariva : just the right style
1 hr
Thanks - must have been instinct!
agree boostrer : Exactly! I only have a queation: I have heard from a native US Engl. speaker that my "more or less" is a Russian calque. Was he wrong?
1 hr
I think "more or less" is native to both languages and Latin has plus/minus. Maybe your usage of it was unusual for English.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+2
2 mins

his brain function was more or less normal

...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2009-01-15 16:17:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.dana.org/news/publications/detail.aspx?id=4246
Peer comment(s):
agree Theodora OB
4 mins
Thanks, Theodora.
agree Julia Wolter
32 mins
Thanks, Julia.
neutral Mikhail Kropotov : Sorry, this doesn't seem appropriate at all. It's not a medical question, but more of a colloquial one.
32 mins
Hard to say for sure from the (lack of) context.
disagree bananariva : too formal, the original phrase is very colloquial
1 hr
neutral boostrer : I would agree with Mikhail.
1 hr
agree Susan Welsh : Given Bruniana's additional text provided in the "Discussion," I would go for this. And, in reply to Boostrer, under David's proposal, "more or less" is straight-out English!
4 hrs
As is often the case with literary translation, bruniana needs to consider what tone is appropriate for the story overall, and not just translate sentence by sentence.
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15 mins

mental faculties seemed to remain intact

The Fatality of Tumors quickly and his mental faculties remained intact, the same good news was not. true for his character, for Elliot was incapable of managing his life. ...
www.springerlink.com/index/u0166wu516796624.pdf - Similar pages
by J Neirynck
Stem Cells Decrease Ischemic Injury And Restore Brain Function 21 Apr 2007 ... Erik Ramsey was left almost totally paralysed after a brain-stem stroke, however his mental faculties remained intact. ...
www.iconocast.com/News08_Files/A3EI0/News9A.htm - 37k - Cached - Similar pages
Depression - Medication helps Your brain and mental faculties remain intact through the course of the disease. IBM does't kill you directly, it just sets you up for some other mechanism ...
www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/43055/49183/medication - 47k - Cached - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):
neutral Mikhail Kropotov : Not a medical question
19 mins
neutral boostrer : Соглашусь с Михаилом.
1 hr
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2 hrs

everything seemed more or less ok upstairs

Just a variant...
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1 day 7 hrs

he seemed to be sane/ reasonable

I would structure the sentence this way.
Or also as a variant: he did not seem to be out of his mind. If it is something very informal, maybe: he did not appear/ seem to be nuts/ to be off his base
Something went wrong...
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