Translating a formal exchange notice: deadline, number, and possession
A Marathi-medium student is asked to translate a school notice into Russian for a visiting delegation. The Marathi notice says: «ज्या विद्यार्थ्यांना रशियन देवघेवीत सहभागी व्हायचे आहे, त्यांनी शुक्रवारपर्यंत कार्यालयात पासपोर्ट आणावा.» The student writes: «Ученики, которые хотят участвовать в русском обмене, должны принести паспорт в офис к пятнице.» A classmate says «до пятницы» is better; another says «паспорт» should be plural. The teacher also asks them to translate the shorter sentence «I have no time today» and warns that a word-for-word version «Я имею нет время» is wrong. The class must choose the most appropriate translation for a formal notice and justify the case of «время» and the choice of preposition.
1. Choose between «к пятнице» and «до пятницы» for the formal notice, and justify your choice. Consider whether the office is stating a deadline or a latest moment.
Read the worked answer
Both phrases are possible, but «до пятницы» is clearer for a formal notice meaning «no later than Friday». «До» is followed by the genitive («до пятницы») and presents Friday as the outer limit. «К пятнице» is also used for a deadline, but it often means «by the time Friday comes» and can suggest preparation for a moment. In a notice about bringing documents, the important point is that the action must be completed before the limit, so «до пятницы» is safer. The answer should not claim that «к пятнице» is grammatically wrong; it should explain the difference in emphasis. The whole sentence then reads: «...должны принести паспорт в офис до пятницы.»
2. Should «паспорт» be singular or plural? Explain using the Marathi original and Russian norms.
Read the worked answer
The plural «паспорта» is clearer in this notice because many students are addressed and each one brings a document. The singular «паспорт» is not impossible in Russian official style; it can have a distributive meaning, like «Ученики должны принести паспорт». But in a short translated notice, the plural avoids ambiguity and matches the idea of several students. A very clear version adds «свои»: «...должны принести свои паспорта в офис до пятницы». The Marathi original does not necessarily mark plural in the same way, so the translator must decide from the real situation. A good answer explains the choice rather than simply saying «plural sounds better».
3. Translate «I have no time today» and explain why «Я имею нет время» fails.
Read the worked answer
The correct translation is: «У меня нет времени сегодня.» Russian does not use «иметь» for everyday possession in this way. The construction «у меня нет...» requires the genitive case after «нет»: «время» becomes «времени». «Я имею нет время» fails for two reasons: «иметь» is not the normal possession verb here, and «нет» cannot be followed by the nominative «время». The same pattern appears in «У меня нет паспорта», «У меня нет книги». The student should learn the whole frame «у кого нет чего» rather than translating word for word from Marathi or English.