Cosmic Translation

David Jeffers

The process of researching Cosmic Voyage (1936) without the benefit of English intertitles was challenging to say the least. Language translation is now possible using on-line programs, which offer varying degrees of accuracy. Attempting to work with a non-Latin based language was particularly difficult. Despite the fact that Apple includes every major language in its operating system software, users generally select one and stick with it. Choosing English and Cyrillic Russian with the intention of working in both is possible. Using Russian fonts with no understanding of the actual language (your Uncle Dave only claims to understand English) was nearly impossible.

I was fortunate to locate a Russian volunteer who provided a simultaneous spoken translation. I then transcribed the audio recording and present the results here. Never having undertaken this process, I gained some appreciation of the translator's art and the difficulties in maintaining intent and comprehension without losing the style and flavor of the original. My ability to view the film with an understanding of the language was essential in order to offer a substantive analysis. While the final result may be less than perfect, I hope anyone seeking this English translation will find the material useful. I also offer my sincere thanks to Valeri Ajaja for his generous time and assistance.

Cosmic Voyage: Fantasy novella

Dedicated to famous enthusiast of science and consultant of this film,
K. E. Tsiolovsky

Script ––
A. Filimonov

Directing –
Vasili Zhuravlev

Music –
Valentine Kruchinine

Camera – A. Galperine

2nd Camera – I. Chkarenkov

Sound –
A. Zapadensky

Artists : A. Utkine
M. Tiunov
Y. P. Shvets

Featuring :

Academician Sedikh – acknowledged actor of the Republic
S. P. Komarov

Professor Karine – V. Kovrigin

Viktor Orlov – N. Feoktistov

Andriocha Orlov, the Boy – V. Gaponenko

Marina – K. Moskalenko

Production
Mosfilm
1935

Titles –

1) This happened in Moscow,
in the summer of 1946 when,
famous astrophysicist academician
Sedikh decided
to fly to the moon.

(a placard) –

USSR
all Russia institute
of interplanetary travel
V. I. M. C.
named after Tsiolkovsky

2) Viktor Orlov
-a post graduate of the institute

3) Andriocha – his brother

(a telegram) –

TELEGRAM

AMAZED BY DECISION OF

SEDIKH TO FLY TO THE MOON.

HOLD THE MADMAN.

WILL BRING EVIDENCE.

KARINE

4) Marina – the assistant of
Professor Karine

5) "Let’s go to the hanger,
and deal with it there."

6) "You’d better go to school."

7) "Accelerate!"

8) The inventor of the first
rocketplane
- Academician Sedikh

9) "How many times
do I have to tell you –
no shooting,
until I get back from
the moon."

10) "You shouldn’t be so
annoying."

11) "My sympathies –
your popularity tires you
out right?!"

12) "I am also
an inventor!"

13) "This is my
invention,
a catapult …
with telescopic aim …"

14) "Wonderful!
Let‘s go, I will show
you my invention."

(vessel names)

USSR 1 Joseph Stalin

USSR 2 Klim Voroshilov

15) "Yes!
It’s amazing."

16) Passenger cabin
and Control Center

17) "How happy you must be!
You will be the first man
on the moon."

18) "The oxygen aggregate
is ready for use."

19) Doctor of
experimental department
at the institute
professor Karine.

(earlier telegram)

20) "Where is your
evidence?"

21) "Here is the brilliant evidence
100,000 kilometers
from the Earth and a heart attack."

22) "But my friend,
I am not
a rabbit."

23) "But you are an old man …"

24) "Until my experimental
rockets deliver a
signal from the moon,
I won’t allow you to risk your life."

25) "We can’t risk the life
of such a person …"

26) "We can’t risk the life
of such a person …"

27) This very evening the rocket
number 128 was about to begin the
trip to the moon with a
new object of examination
-a cat

28) "We can continue such experiments
until the end of the world – "

29) "Viktor!
Let’s go ourselves and
open the way to the cosmos."

30) The night of
the cosmic voyage,
the last hours of preparation
to the flight.

31) In the house of the
academician Sedikh they
were preparing for the flight.

32) "Why are you
packing so much,
my darling."

33) "Please listen to me,
I can’t be silent
any more!"

34) "There is a plot
against you."

35) "Karine agreed with Viktor not
to let you go to the moon."

36) "And Viktor?"

37) "Mama always said,
that he is a cry baby."

38) "As for me I will go
with you anywhere."

(a handwritten note)

Comrade on duty,

Please let the young astronaut
in the hanger.

Sedikh

39) "Where are you
going?"

40) "To the moon."

41) "You won’t be allowed
to even see the launch! .."

42) "Don’t let our Mama worry,
I will bring a gift
from the moon."

43) The same night
Professor Karine
was expecting the signal
of rocket number 128
from the moon

44) "Get ready,
several minutes left!"

(earlier handwritten note)

45) "Launching brigade
- get to your places!"

46) "Rocket number 128 disappeared!"

47) "Pavel Ivanovich!
We won’t let you go."

48) "Crew – get ready!"

49) "Marina,
I am offering you a chance
to fly with me to the moon."

50) "To the moon?! I’m ready!!"

51) "Pasha … you’re crazy …
wait!"

52) "Andriocha! I’m going too!"

53) "My old man is going to
fly to the moon. It’s cold
there, minus 270 centigrade,
and he forgot his winter boots."

54) "Forward – to the cosmos!"

55) "Long live
youth!!!"

56) "You can do with me what you
want, but I will not leave."

57) Before the launch
the crew puts themselves in
cabinets with special solution to
prevent being crushed by the
deadly forces of ignition

58) On the fifth minute of the flight,
80 kilometers above the Earth
academician Sedikh turned the
engines off and at the same moment
the astronauts became weightless.

59) "Be careful."

60) "Remember that you are weightless!"

61) "Be brave!"

62) "Such an amazing feeling."

63) "I want to go toward you,
but somehow
fly backwards …"

64) "Wow, what a world without weight!"

65) "Let’s open the eliminators
and observe the stars."

66) "Aim precisely."

67) "There is our moon!!"

68) The time of landing was
closer and closer. Earth astronomers
were expecting the flash
of the rocket plane.

69) The moon was coming
closer and closer.

70) "Back in your cabinets!"

71) "Quickly!..
the window!"

72) "The Moon!!"

73) On August 9, equipped
with oxygen and impenetrable suits,
the star travelers walked
on the airless moon.

74) Radio equipment gave the travelers
the ability to communicate
among themselves.

75) "And where is the Earth?"

76) "We landed on the other side
of the moon which never faces
the Earth."

77) "Why are we waiting?
Lets turn the rocket on and
fly to the other side."

78) "We only have enough oxygen
for the trip back . I won’t
risk it.

79) "Prepare everything for the
signal flash, and I will
go scouting."

80) "You know,
I haven’t slept for
two days."

81) "Quickly eat, then go to sleep."

82) "The way was hard –"

83) "but I saw the Earth!"

84) "Pilot Ivanovich! It seems
we have a broken
oxygen tank."

(a handwritten log note)

We encountered an unexpected hazard
which threatens our return.

85) "The Earth should know that
we reached the moon.
Let’s signal them immediately."

86) "Let the boy sleep,
this travel has exhausted
his strength."

87) "Marinska,
I haven’t slept so well
in a long time."

(earlier log note)

88) "Comrades!"

89) "We have a hazard,
and you are hiding it
from me?!"

90) "You are signaling,
and you didn’t even take me with you!!"

91) "Am I a child?"

92) "Earth!"

93) "Where is pilot Ivanovich?"

94) "Pilot Ivanovich!"

95) "Pilot Ivanovich!"

96) "Hold on Marinska,
our expedition goes on."

97) "Quickly, get your
telescopes!! The Moon!"

98) "To the search, quickly!"

99) "Pilot Ivanovich!"

100) "What are those flashes?"

101) "What are those flashes?"

102) "Pilot Ivanovich!"

103) "Rocket number 128 is signaling.
It means that the cat is still alive!"

104) "Pilot Ivanovich!"

105) "Marinska! His radio!
He is here – somewhere."

106) "Look, those are ballbearings
from my catapult."

107) "We signaled the Earth –"

108) "-and received an answer!!"

109) "And what is this white thing?"

110) "Snow?!"

111) "No, this is frozen residue
of the moon’s atmosphere."

112) "It will replace the lost oxygen!!"

113) "You gather atmosphere and I
will complete the rescue."

114) Long days have past since
the signal from the moon, and the
rocketplane did not come back.
It was decided to launch
a second interplanetary giant.

(USSR 2 Klim Voroshilov)

115) The first astronauts laid the
road to the cosmos.
They reached the moon but
some obstacle prevents
their return.

116) "We will reach the moon
and return together."

117) "Please pass the flowers
on to Andriocha."

118) "Look,
the rocket is descending
on a parachute,
its them, its them!!!"

119) "Where is the fourth passenger?"

120) "Cat… alive!!!"

121) "So professor Karine
as you can see, the
moon was reached
with no heart attack."

122) "Comrades!"

123) "The first trial cosmic
flight is over."

124) "The road to the cosmos
is open!!!"

Posted by David Jeffers at July 28, 2007 2:22 PM