Russian: translation of "objectification"

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Soffía
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Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby Soffía » Thu Nov 23, 2017 12:39 pm

For some unknown reason, I appear to be writing a novel. I also appear to have written a scene that hinges on the translation of "objectification" (as in, of women) into Russian - a language I don't speak.

So I'm sharing a stripped-down version of the relevant dialogue below and wonder if people can tell me whether it works? The two characters are both Russian and they're speaking in Russian apart from the one English word. (For the finished product I'll probably use transliteration rather than Cyrillic....)

YURI, 16, well travelled internationally and spends a lot of time reading English-language stuff online
LILIA, about 55, also well travelled but spends less time online, speaks English too

"It's objectification, that's what it is," said Yuri, spitting the word in English.

Lilia looked quizzically at him. "I don't know what that means. Say it in Russian, please."

"объективация?" he suggested tentatively.

"Ah," said Lilia. "опредмечивание. овеществление."

"Maybe?"

"Just like political education sessions," she murmured to herself.


Obviously the main question is: does this dialogue work? Really that's all I need to know.

But the questions I'm asking myself are: does it make sense that Yuri might know the word from English-language websites but not confidently be able to call the Russian equivalent to mind? Are all three of these words sensible translations of "objectification"? Am I right that the second and third ones could have Marxist overtones? Are there nuances of meaning between the three of them that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance. I love this forum... and now I want to learn Russian properly :)
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby LinguaPony » Thu Nov 23, 2017 12:46 pm

I"m Russian, and I feel just like Yury :)

So yes, it does make sense. And you are right about everything else, including Marxist overtones. The word "объективация" doesn't exist AFAIK, but a teenager who travelled abroad too much might easily make it up on the fly. I hear similar things done on a daily basis.

The dictionary also suggests another translation - "воплощение". But I have doubts about that one.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby Soffía » Thu Nov 23, 2017 12:48 pm

LinguaPony wrote:So yes, it does make sense. And you are right about everything else, including Marxist overtones. The word "объективация" doesn't exist AFAIK, but a teenager who travelled abroad too much might easily make it up on the fly. I hear similar things done on a daily basis.


Thank you so much! That's extremely helpful to know. I found quite a few hits for "объективация женщин," so clearly someone is using the term, but perhaps it's been made up by people who are in a similar situation. :)
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby LinguaPony » Thu Nov 23, 2017 12:50 pm

You are welcome. It just proves again that we never stop learning any language till the day we die. Even our own language :)
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby aaleks » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:02 pm

As a Russian I didn't get the last line about politics. But I know very little about Marx and his theories, I was just a teenager when the USSR stopped to exist. Except that, the dialogue looks fine to me.

edit: typo
Last edited by aaleks on Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby LinguaPony » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:29 pm

Lucky you. I had to learn all that stuff at school.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby aaleks » Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:51 pm

LinguaPony wrote:Lucky you. I had to learn all that stuff at school.

I was old enough to be a pioneer :D but in my school all that was just a formality. I didn't even fully understand the pioneer oath.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby Soffía » Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:44 pm

aaleks wrote:As a Russian I didn't get the last line about politics. But I know very little about Marx and his theories, I was just a teenager when the USSR stopped to exist. Except that, the dialogue looks fine to me.


Thanks! The idea is that Yuri won't get it either - but back in the day, lots of people had to attend 'political education' classes in their workplace to study Marxist-Leninist thought. Or so I understand.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby LinguaPony » Thu Nov 23, 2017 3:29 pm

Soffía wrote:Thanks! The idea is that Yuri won't get it either - but back in the day, lots of people had to attend 'political education' classes in their workplace to study Marxist-Leninist thought. Or so I understand.


That's right, he wouldn't. His parents are about the youngest people who still would. Not sure about political education classes in the workplace, but every schoolchild and every adult student at university or at college was force-fed tons of it from day one.

But not anymore. Most of the young people of today have no idea who Lenin was. I wouldn't change a single line, even a single word in that dialogue you've written. It's perfect from the cultural point of view.
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Re: Russian: translation of "objectification"

Postby Dragon27 » Thu Nov 23, 2017 3:42 pm

LinguaPony wrote:The word "объективация" doesn't exist AFAIK

The Russian Wiki seems to have both "Объективация" and "Сексуальная объективация" articles, corresponding to the English ones (Objectification and Sexual objectification). So it is the appropriate translation.
I never heard of the Russian counterpart of "Objectification" either (being more familiar with this... terminology from the English part of the Internet), but if I were to do the ad-lib translation I would probably go with "Объектификация".
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