Since the name of “peacekeeping” Russian operation against Georgia – “Принуждение к миру” – was first published, I had one heck of a trouble translating it into two other languages I claim to be more or less familiar with. The literal translations – “Coercion to peace” or “×”×לצות לשלוה sound so outlandish that people whose (respective) mother languages are English and Hebrew just goggle stupidly, and no explanation penetrates.
Thankfully, the Russian authorities haven’t been deaf and/or blind to the issue of translation. To help out the curious foreigners, they have decided to offer several examples that will definitely make you grok the above:
- Coercion to generosity = robbery
- Coercion to a vacation = firing (sorry, it’s “downsizing” these days)
- Coercion to better health = beating
- Coercion to change of scenery = arrest
- Coercion to a wedding = rape
- Coercion to friendship = raising natural gas price to $500
Capisce?
Cross-posted on SimplyJews.