Badge "Central Cossack Troops".

[deValcourt]

Now that's a grammar question, and fotunately, I'm a semi-retired-with-another-full-time-job professor of English. Technically, "representatives" used together with "troops" implies the plural with "Cossack" acting only as the modifier of the plural noun "troops." However, and this is where English gets sticky, "troops" can be a singular entity or group like the word "everybody" - it includes many (all) people, but is singular (you wouldn't say "everybody are..."). But you also would not say "troops is" under normal circumstances, so it is plural for most usage. And with plural "representatives" of the plural "troops," your meaning is implied. Now as for understanding and keeping the exact meaning of the Russian intact, you might be better off with "representatives from Cosack troops" which gives the plural in a stronger if not definative way. Adding "several" as a modifier of "troops" before "Cossack" actually makes it awkward at best and at worst changes the meaning. So you are correct about it not sounding right. I'd go with "representatives from Cossack troops." Or if you feel you need a modifier, try "representatives from various Cossack troops." It may seem like the same thing as using "several" but "various" doesn't imply a finite number the way "several" does.

Wow, that made me feel like I was back at work in Moscow again.:D

I hope the above makes sense Alexei. It really is splitting hairs in this instance and what I always went with as a rule of thumb in translations into English, is the old saying, "less is more" to prevent wordy "overtranslation" - not that you were doing that.;)

Take care,
Phillip

[Nota Bene]

Thank you very much, Professor! :thumbsup:thumbsup

Alexei

[deValcourt]

Heck, I'm just glad you understood all of that grammar stuff. That's why the one class per semester I agreed to keep teaching is a literature lecture class. I don't like dealing with the English 101 and 102 nitpicking grammar details. By the time I get students (sophomores or higher), if they don't know the basics of writing an argument/analysis essay, I kick them out after the first week. I could only handle teaching ESL in Russia for about four months before my permanent employer "found" me in the sticks and took me to the big city:D.:rolleyes: And that was when I was young and had the energy for that kind of strenuous thinking.

However, for you Alexei, I don't mind at all (or anyone else I might be able to help).

Oh, an dont holds me too speeling and gramer hear. I just types whats I thinks, know mater of ho silly its soundss.:cool:

[Nota Bene]

Originally Posted by devalcourt

Oh, an dont holds me too speeling and gramer hear. I just types whats I thinks, know mater of ho silly its soundss.:cool:

:laff:laff

[deValcourt]

Hey guys, I found a "Cossack" hat for sale like the one I bought a very long time ago in Turkmenistan and which lost hair like a balding man in a windstorm almost immediately. It looked good for about a 4-5 months.:rolleyes:

Phillip

[Esteban_cool]

That´s not a hat, Phil. It´s a poodle, ain´t it? :D

[EricFG]

Originally Posted by Esteban_cool

That´s not a hat, Phil. It´s a poodle, ain´t it? :D

Or a tribble? :)

[deValcourt]

The darn things look extremely cool with the official robes of the Turkmen people (which I still have). The robes were a gift from a reputable source while I was in Turkmenistan, but the hat I bought in a market in Ashkabat, which is why I still have the ceremonial robe, but the headdress' scalp dried up and the the tribble-poodle got a case of the mange.:D

From what I understood, the robe is a traditional Cossack overcoat - literally goes over whatever you are wearing including suit and tie - worn for official occasions. They vary in color, but if I'm not mistaken, the Turkmen require purple and maybe another color to be present. It's actually like a summer bathrobe in style except it ties in the middle and has a sash/belt worn with a simple knot slightly to the left of center. I believe they wore them when they were a Soviet republic, so I would love to see photos of state functions in Turkmenistan that are pre-1991.