7/31/2019 "America: Found in Translation" Project (10-11 graders) - III Prize (Darya Fedoseeva)

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America: Found in Translation Project

Translation of an episode from TV series One-Storied America

III prize (10-11 graders)

Darya Fedoseeva (A.G. Schnittke Music Aesthetic Lyceum)

The smell of America is not only the smell of money, but it is also the smell of freedom,

the smell of promises and ability to make dream true. That is what is called the American

dream to fulfill this dream people all over the world are rushing to this country.

Here to this strait the ships were sailing and is sailing in Passing the Statue of

Liberty.

She greets absolutely all the ships. I remember when I was leaving America being

fifteen year boy, I remember very well how I was saying goodbye to her and the wringing

pain in my heart. But I could not even imagine that I would not see this city for many-many

years, but it was farewell feeling, when we were passing by.

Ilf and Petrov as well as all arriving people to America by sea during last one hundred

years were also greeted by miss Liberty, the original name of whom is Liberty Enlighteningthe World.

She was made by Frederic Bartholdi and set on the October, 28 1896 on Liberty Island

which was Bedloe's Island.

The pedestal stands on the foundation, having a starshape, it has eleven rays.

Eleven rays?. Just there was a fort on the island and it had eleven rays.

Right near Liberty Island there is not less but more well-known island Ellis Island, that

opened its gates for the immigrants on January, 1 1892. The gates were closed in 1954. So

during these 62 year 12 million people, who eager to breathe freely as future American

citizens, had passed through the filter post on the island o tears, as this island was often

called.

A man came in and probably his surname was Shostakovich. For the policeman this

name was not clear at all. And he said What? Ok, youll be Covich, the man replied But no,

my name and get the answer Would you like to pass? Then you are Covich. That was the

way how many names were changed.

Is it really so?

7/31/2019 "America: Found in Translation" Project (10-11 graders) - III Prize (Darya Fedoseeva)

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Yes, it is. They were too complicated for pronunciation, so the many names were

changed.

Having been tired of long way people had to spend many painful hours there. They

were standing in the endless queues, there were passing through the humiliating conveyor of

medical examination, thorough studying of papers, had to answer interminable and mostly

incomprehensible questions: Arent you an anarchist?, Arent you going to be

prostitute?, Have you got money? Some hours of fear to get a long-expected permission

to enter the country or to meet the refusal. Escape from the comfortable perch to absolutely

unknown area, lacking any culture, not knowing the language, look at these faces.

There are people of different nationalities such as the Germans, the French, the Irish,

the English, the Jews, the Russians and many others. They have different languages, all of

them having their own characters. Just imagine that all the people of these characters as if

dived into one pot and out of it appeared a new one, which called the American character.

What is it? It is a mixture, where there is everything: greed and generosity, the lust for

adventure and persistence, belief in victory, capacity to work, and may be the main

distinctive feature is optimism.