Season 1 Episode 5 – Part 3 / Да ты-то тоже, впрочем, не моя
(Watching hockey in bed with Svetlana - continued)
We’ve been watching the two besties just hanging out. Smoking. Talking about hockey. It’s all fun and games until someone brings up your secret situationship.
10:29 (Svetlana): Ты в этом году играешь в одной команде с Холландером, да? ty v E-tam ga-DU ig-RA-yesh v ad-NOY ka-MAN-dye s KHO-lan-dye-ram, da? Subtitles: “You’re playing on the same team as Hollander this year, right?”
This is meant to sound innocent. It is not innocent. That little да – “yeah?” – in the end is a gentle, knowing nudge. She’s not interrogating him. She’s just confirming something she already suspects.
10:33 (Ilya): Он тоже средненький? on TO-zhe SRYED-nyen’-kiy? Subtitles: “Is he also mediocre?”
I should be using my newly acquired knowledge of hockey terms, but watching this feels like watching tennis. Ilya is just returning the serve.
10:36 (Svetlana): Нет, он крутой. Эти руки. И к тому же красавчик. nyet, on kru-TOY. E-ti RU-ki. i k ta-MU zhe kra-SAV-chik. Subtitles: “No, he’s amazing. Those hands. And he’s gorgeous.”
“Amazing” for крутой is close but here it leans more towards “cool” or “badass”. And Svetlana’s enthusiasm about Hollander’s hands is absolutely designed to provoke a reaction from Ilya. So she adds “And on top of that, he is handsome.”
This is the third time we have heard красавчик. The subtitles can’t decide what to do with it. First, it was “pretty boy”, then “fucking hot”, now we get “gorgeous”. Which is a bit too strong and too glamorous for Svetlana’s teasing tone. Ilya probably agrees with all three. Not that he’d admit that.
10:42 (Ilya): Если ты так считаешь. YES-li ty tak schi-TA-yesh. Subtitles: “If you say so.”
No, he would not admit that. In Russian, he says “If that’s what you think”. It’s more formal and a bit gentler than the subtitles.
And of course, Svetlana doesn’t buy any of it, so she gives Ilya a meaningful look.
10:48 (Ilya): Что? shto? Subtitles: “What?”
As if deflecting has ever worked with Svetlana.
10:49 (Svetlana): Ты ведь знаешь, что он красивый, и знаешь, что он хороший игрок. ty vet’ ZNA-yesh, shto on kra-SI-vyy, i ZNA-yesh, shto on kha-RO-shiy ig-ROK. Subtitles: “You know he’s gorgeous. And you know he’s good.”
Fine, she will spell it out. And get another chance to pester Ilya and push him towards honesty. “But you know that he is handsome, and you know that he is a good player.”
Personally, красивый – “beautiful” – feels just too much here. I think симпатичный – “good-looking" – would work better for Svetlana’s banter.
10:54 (Ilya): Он очень хороший. on O-chyen’ kha-RO-shiy. Subtitles: “He’s very good.”
She wins! Not just good. Very good.
10:56 (Svetlana): Мне было бы интересно увидеть тебя на одной линии с ним. mnye BY-la by in-tye-RYES-na u-VI-dyet’ tye-BYA na ad-NOY LI-ni-i s nim. Subtitles: “I would love to see you on a line with him.”
Ooh, I know this one! While линия is absolutely used, it’s a more generic term. A more traditional term is звено, specifically for forward line.
And once more, Svetlana is not dramatic. “I’d be interested to see you on a line with him.” She is curious. Does that make you curious, Ilya? About hockey, I mean.
11:01 (Ilya): Не уверен, что он силен на фланге. nye u-VYE-ryen, shto on si-LYON na FLAN-ge. Subtitles: “Not sure he can play wing.”
Ilya is not so condescending. “Not sure he’s strong on the wing.” Certainly, Shane can play wing. The Russian is not about capability but about proficiency.
11:03 (Svetlana): Но ты силен. no ty si-LYON. Subtitles: “But you can.”
Same as before. “But you are strong.”
11:08 (Ilya): Ты бы поставила его центровать меня? Меня? ty by pa-STA-vi-la ye-VO tsen-tra-VAT’ me-NYA? me-NYA? Subtitles: “You would have him center me? Me?”
And the comedy returns. Меня? Меня?
11:13 (Svetlana): Зрителям бы понравилось. ZRI-tye-laym by pa-NRA-vi-las’. Subtitles: “The people would love it.”
Svetlana calls back on Ilya’s earlier line. “The viewers would like it.”
11:15 (Ilya): Зрители ошибаются! Зрители ошибаются! ZRI-tye-li a-shi-BA-yu-tsa! ZRI-tye-li a-shi-BA-yu-tsa! Subtitles: “The people are wrong! The people are wrong!”
Ilya’s turn for a callback. It’s accompanied by some amateur wrestling moves. “The viewers are wrong!” I cringe every time I watch this – there are just too many limbs and too much jumping. Scary.
11:28 (Svetlana): A! Интересно, сколько нарядов будет у Роуз Лэндри. Такой стиль, нах. a! in-tye-RYES-na, SKOL’-ka na-RYA-daf BU-dyet u RO-uz LEN-dri. ta-KOY stil’, nakh. Subtitles: “Ah! I wonder how many outfits Rose Landry will bring. She has such a good style.”
Yes, this is the most appropriate time to bring up Hollander’s supposed girlfriend. Also, yes, this is not malicious at all.
I wanted to give Svetlana the benefit of the doubt and hear Такой стиль, ах – “such style, ah” – even though it makes her sound like a Disney princess. What I think she is saying is Такой стиль, нах. The last word is a softened, clipped form of нахуй – one of the stronger Russian obscenities. Using it here is somewhat like using "fucking" as an intensifier. “Ah! I wonder how many outfits Rose Landry will bring. She has a fucking great style.”
Yet again Svetlana excels at cursing. And at stabbing Ilya when he doesn’t expect it. He still never confesses anything.
One thing about Svetlana. I didn't quite grasp it at first because I understand both languages equally well – I listened to her without reading subtitles. But if you only rely on the subtitles, it's easy to miss part of her personality. She's blunt, mischievous, practical, emotionally perceptive. She's this wonderfully opinionated, hockey-obsessed woman who swears like a sailor, sees straight through Ilya's nonsense, and is apparently willing to declare war on Matheson over an All-Star selection. Translation choices don't just change her words – they change her character. After all this linguistic digging, I understand her better. And I like her so much more.