106 replies to this topic

[Mikhail]

Dear colleagues,
in a few days Bolshoi’s ballerinas go to London. They still do not know what to cry at the end of Le Petit Corsaire. Help them, please. I am quite serious, this is a problem and all good proposals will be transferred immediately to Ratmansky and Burlaka. Time goes too fast.

It is not necessary to look for an adequate translation to “Au bord” ot “À l’abordage” or to dig special dictionaries.  
1) The cry should be familiar to any English speaking audience (which consists of not only sailors ) to produce humoristic effect.
2) Still some associations are necessary – either with pirates or, more general, with sea battles, or even more general, with an appeal to some brave and dangerous actions. What do football fans cry, by the way?
3) It should be short enough and easy to pronounce.

Thank you.

[carbro]

"Hit the deck," maybe, but that's used for calling sailors up from below below deck, isn't it?    And it's not very piratey.  

[Marc Haegeman]

"Bottoms up!"... pirates allegedly were notorious drinkers.

[Mashinka]

My suggestion would be 'All aboard".

[Mel Johnson]

Well, "hit the deck" means, "lie down".   "Bottoms up" is, as noted, mostly associated with drinking - maybe "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle a' rum!" would be more piratical.  "All aboard" is good, but really linked to railroads.  Maybe "boarders away" would be a better fit.  And of course, there's always the artillerist's "INCOMING!"  Warning the sailors of a cannonball or bomb inbound, so that they can "hit the deck!"

[Mme. Hermine]

Quote

What do football fans cry, by the way?

hmm...might not be printable...

anchors away???  
(well it's nautical...)

[Natalia]

ALL ABOARD!!!!!...with emphasis on the "ohhhhhhh" sound in 'aboard'   I can't wait to see what it will be, Mikhail.

[pj]

Ahoy Matey!  or just Ahoy!!!!  Don't sailors say that?

[Mikhail]

Well, well... "Bottoms up" indeed can produce a humoristic effect. While Medora dances Le Petit Corsaire all others are drinking wine. So "bottoms up" fits the mise-en-scène.

"Ahoy" should be used also. I attended four performances (actually five but Stepanenko did not cry at all at the rehearsal) and noticed that the audience had no time to react, to understabd the words. They just were not ready for the cry. Thus, to cry Ahoy to attract their attention, then to make a small pause and when the audience is ready to cry Bottoms up.

Is it OK?

All aboard is OK for me and very close to the Russian cry, but is it really related to trains, not to ships?

[leonid]

Mashinka, on Jul 24 2007, 04:05 AM, said:

My suggestion would be 'All aboard".

From my English experience as a child, one used to hear "All aboard who's going aboard."

[Mel Johnson]

"All aboard" would definitely create confusion in America, where it is inextricably bound up with railroad passenger trains.  "All hands on deck" might work.  And "anchors away" is actually "anchors aweigh" (it sounds just the same) which means "pull up the anchor, you're/we're about to leave."  For dropping the anchor, the command is "let go (forward/aft) anchor".  But "Anchors Aweigh" is also the official U.S. Navy fight song, so unless Medora is American....

[carbro]

leonid, on Jul 24 2007, 04:24 PM, said:

From my English experience as a child, one used to hear "All aboard who's going aboard."

From my American experience, "All ashore who's going ashore."  Last chance for well wishers to hug their cruising dear ones with a bon voyage wish.

But back to topic, it sounds to me that words aren't even necessary here -- just a lot of agressive vocalizations.  "Hey, Hey!  Rar-rar  Whooop!"

[bart]

Did I miss "avast, me hearties!" in the posts so far?  

If not, the pop culture reference to Pirates of the Caribbean might get a laugh.   Maybe the ballerinas are looking for Johnny Depp?

However, "avast" means stop/desist.  So it might not be the best thing for a rather vigorous dance scene.

[Mel Johnson]

I think we've been dancing all around it:  For Americans, "BATTLE STATIONS!"

For Britons, "ACTION STATIONS!"

But "Ahoy!" is good too.  Means, "Listen here!  Pay attention!"  Often used for calling to other ships, "Ahoy!!! What ship is that?"

And if you want them to "bottoms up" - the nautical for that is "Down the hatch!"

[Mme. Hermine]

and of course if they were going to proclaim 'all aboard' we could always have a kindly old gentleman with a stop watch and a black uniform wander in and out of the scene punching tickets....