"Master yourself", "calm down": phraseological phrase how to choose the meaning?

Among the various reasons why difficulties arise for translators from the Russian language, one can also indicate the abundance of phraseological sentences in our vocabulary. These common phrases are so widespread that we don’t even think about their structure or appropriateness. But if a foreigner needs to choose the phraseological phrase in Russian for the phrases “master yourself, calm down”, he can do it quite well - this is the rare case when the Russian, English, French and German variants are almost identical in meaning and verbal construction. Moreover, in the world there are a huge number of idioms and phraseological units that do not fit into linear logic. In addition, all these languages ​​belong to one common logical structure; it will be much more difficult for representatives of other language groups.

Phraseologisms in Russian

All phraseological units can be conditionally divided into groups according to the alleged sources of occurrence. For example, a phrase may be associative, reborn from ordinary comparison. “Time flows away like water through your fingers” is a comparison, however, if you say: “Minutes flow through your fingers” - this is a phraseological unit, associatively derived from the original expression. If you try to interpret literally, it will turn out as if someone knows how to pass intangible minutes through your fingers, and no analogy with water will even arise. That is why even a brilliant technical knowledge of the language will not help to catch the mechanism of the appearance of idiomatic expressions.

In the above example, instead of the expressions "master yourself, calm down", the phraseological phrase is traditionally used only one - "pull yourself together." But any language as a linguistic system is not an unshakable block. This is fluid matter, developing and growing as society evolves.

The use of phraseological units in everyday speech

We are so used to idioms that sometimes we don’t even think about where they came from. The solid part refers to the so-called winged expressions - that is, phrases from literature or mythology that are widely used. For example, "was there a boy?" - This is an ironic expression, using which, the speaker expresses a mocking doubt about the presence of cause for concern. The author is Maxim Gorky (the novel "The Life of Klim Samghin"). But the phrase “Augean stables” came from ancient Greek mythology: Tsar Augeus was credited with dirty stables, which only Hercules could clean out, turning the riverbed so that it carried away all sewage. Used to briefly describe the degree of neglect.

“Take hold of yourself” - meaning “to master yourself, calm down” is a phraseological phrase that occurs even in the speech of young children. They use it unconsciously, but more often than not, in a completely correct sense. The natural method of learning the native language, when the baby focuses on the vocabulary of parents and people around him, allows you to quietly learn even more complex idioms.

"Mastering oneself": semantic analysis of the expression

Practically any phraseological unit can be disassembled by meaning and find out the mechanism of its occurrence. Linguistic laws, according to which any language is formed, make it possible to analyze any neoplasm. "Master yourself, calm down" - the phraseological phrase appears precisely because of the meaning of the original phrase.

What does it mean to “master”? It is to take power over anything. In this case, take power over yourself. Other forms of this phrase sound like this: “He has great control over himself” - this means that he controls his own emotions. Calmness and the ability to curb impulses - this is self-control.

Logical conclusion

If the words “master oneself, calm down” are replaced by phraseologism based on the above semantic analysis, then you can easily choose the appropriate phrase. Someone has so much power over himself that he easily controls impulses and emotions. If you hold, then you can mean that he does it literally - with his hands. Advice to pull yourself together means not only volitional reassurance, often it is a call to take control of current events, literally - to master them.

It turns out that the idiom in question is not only interpreted as “mastering oneself, settling down”. Phraseologism “to control oneself” also means “not to give slack, not to dissolve, not to allow external negative impact to break through the psycho-emotional defense”.

Additional phraseological turns

From the phrase “pull yourself together” over time, similar idioms have appeared that can enhance or soften the expression for more figurative speech. Examples:

• take yourself by the scruff of the neck (scruff, ear);
• to collect the ass in a handful
• clench your fist.

Thus, the phrase “pull yourself together” extends to the concepts of “mastering oneself, calm down”, but additional idioms introduce specificity and emotional coloring.

Psycho-emotional coloring of synonymous expressions

If you imagine the idiom "pull yourself together" as the source, then the phrase "squeeze yourself into a fist" means a more enhanced action. That is, you just can’t hold it with your hands, you have to make more efforts.

“Take yourself by the scruff of the neck” or other places is also “take control of oneself, calm down” - phraseologism in this case means more a battle with laziness and the habit of putting off important things for later. It turns out that a person treats himself like an excessively harsh parent with a lazy schoolboy - he takes it by the scruff of the neck and makes it perform important tasks.

But “pulling a butt in a handful” is an ironic synonym for the idiom “pull yourself together”, more often even more daring and obscene expressions with the same meaning are used.

The appropriate use of the phrase “pull yourself together”

If the expressions “master oneself, calm down” are replaced by a phraseological phrase, the emotional coloring of the context may change. If the interlocutor receives a hint in oral speech in the form of intonation and facial expressions, then in written speech the expression is interpreted depending on the mood and current events in the life of the addressee. To avoid misunderstanding, it is better to avoid idioms that can be mistaken for annoyance, a patronizing tone or the depreciation of other people's problems.

In business communication with foreigners who even know Russian well, it’s good practice to use literary expressions without complex national features, which include idiomatic expressions that are difficult to literally translate. This is business etiquette. And if for the phrases “master oneself, calm down”, phraseologism is identical in the main European languages, then representatives of other linguistic groups may be in a difficult position.

The difficulty of translating phraseological units

Many translators can share stories about how difficult it is to explain specific idioms to a foreigner. The already difficult Russian language begins to seem incomprehensible when a guest of the country discovers that she “overcooked borsch” and “went too far with salt” - this is practically the same thing. With the expressions “master yourself, calm down” everything is somewhat easier, and you can make a little effort on yourself, pull yourself together and do without complicated translation expressions.

However, for specialists who translate works of art, everything is much more complicated. This is a higher degree of language proficiency, which involves the study of idiomatic expressions. Translation into Russian also has its own difficulties, since each culture has its own phraseological units. For example, if they say about a girl “she mounted a high horse”, then this corresponds to our idiom “she lifted her nose”.