Lour

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David Myer
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Lour

Postby David Myer » Fri Jan 06, 2023 5:43 am

I came across this one yesterday in a translation of a Tolstoy story.
...in one quarter of the heavens was there a faint rumbling, and a single heavy cloud louring over the horizon...

The translation is generally excellent, with beautifully crafted sentences. When I say excellent, of course I mean it reads very nicely - I can't vouch for its accuracy. Translation by Rosemary Edmonds who is described on the flyleaf as having studied English, Russian, French, Italian and Old Church Slavonic. During the War she was translator to General de Gaulle. And after the war she went on to study Russian Orthodox Spirituality, as you do.

But I thought the use of the word 'louring' was interesting in a translation. I wonder what is the Russian for it.

It's meaning is easily understood from the context and even from its sound - gloomy, frowning or even glowering (which may be related?)

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Slava
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Re: Lour

Postby Slava » Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:54 am

Lour is, I'd say, the better spelling of the second meaning of the combination of letters 'lower.' It makes the pronunciation easier to arrive at, at least.

As to what the Russian word is, you'd have to provide us with more of a hint as to where it's from. What story and where in it, perhaps?

Sadly, my Tolstoy is in a storage bin right now, but it might be something that could be found on-line.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

David Myer
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1134
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:21 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Lour

Postby David Myer » Tue Aug 08, 2023 8:17 am

Sorry Slava. I can't now find it again. But I will persevere.


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