report on Russian site e3e5 says Smyslov died today

[Richard Bates]

Sadly, or mercifully, Simon, Russian is no longer a staple diet of an English education. Can you recommend any decent translation sites?

[Simon Spivack]

I wish I was as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything.

Sadly, or mercifully, Simon, Russian is no longer a staple diet of an English education. Can you recommend any decent translation sites?

No.

I use a dictionary that is even more ancient than I am. It is post 1917, I hasten to add. With my magnifier, I can find a goodly number of words, further recourse is obtained by searching on the Internet. This does leave me rather vulnerable to tripping on tropes. If it is of particular interest to me, I spend a bit longer, perusing rather than jumping to conclusions. If I am stuck, for instance I can't find the word or guess from its roots or the context, and it is of common interest, I am in touch with a kindly soul who is rather abler than I am.

There will be mistakes, which are not orphans, for sadly I am their father.

I appreciate that it is a problem putting into English the language of the aspen trees . However, there is the law of copyright, even if there were not, I'd be reluctant to reproduce without the appropriate permissions. All I can suggest is using several of the Internet's translation engines, one word at a time, rather than entire sentences, and think through what is being discussed. It is usually possible to guess when an expression is a figure of speech, although its meaning may not be apparent. It is certainly alright to quote individual sentences and ask for help, although these are likely to be the most difficult. I find that if I have shown I have made the effort, there is a greater willingness from others to fill in my many lacunae. Of course this requires the element of time, which is scarcer for some than a reliable Wikipedia article. With practise comes greater speed.

... still waiting for the ... Torygraph obit

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... yslov.html

[Simon Spivack]

Bernard Cafferty has been in touch. He recommends Google.

The engine is able to translate a whole page with a 95% accuracy.

It failed on ZASHUSHUK.... 'people at the funeral service " started whispering among themselves"when the Prodigal nephew turned up in the chapel.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Yeah, the Torygraph's effort was somewhat underwhelming IMO. The titbit about Nostradamus sounds like the sort of thing a certain E G Winter likes to get his teeth into

[Paul McKeown]

Yeah, the Torygraph's effort was somewhat underwhelming IMO. The titbit about Nostradamus sounds like the sort of thing a certain E G Winter likes to get his teeth into

I would have said the greatest defect of that obit., was the photograph, which illustrated the young Fischer rather better than Smyslov himself, portraying him rather anonymously as a gent in a dark suit with spectacles. I suppose it shows Smyslov deep in thought, but surely the Telegraph could have afforded to source a better picture than that?

[Ola Winfridsson]

Sadly, or mercifully, Simon, Russian is no longer a staple diet of an English education. Can you recommend any decent translation sites?

In short, Richard, the article basically says that the Smyslovs were living in squalor and abject poverty.

[Simon Spivack]

In short, Richard, the article basically says that the Smyslovs were living in squalor and abject poverty.

Links to three Russian language articles have been provided. If Ola looks at the second and third he may wish to revise what he has written.

[Ola Winfridsson]

In short, Richard, the article basically says that the Smyslovs were living in squalor and abject poverty.

Links to three Russian language articles have been provided. If Ola looks at the second and third he may wish to revise what he has written.

My apologies. I was only referring to the first article. I hadn't been to the forum for a few days and failed to spot your second posting with the two new links (only opened the 2nd page of this thread). I'm very glad to hear that it wasn't true!

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well we are now into May, and it seems as if "quality" newspaper the Independent does not consider that VVS is a sufficiently noteworthy individual to deserve an obituary

[Simon Spivack]

It need not be philistinism: the takeover by Lebedev could have led to behind the scenes friction. It's a shame that a paper controlled by a Russian should downplay chess, but the game no longer carries the same prestige inside Russia.