European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Going far to a near i William Safire. On language a it \ i to i who Are or what is the near abroad who phrase in russian and who first translated it into this English phrase what does it mean and is it important the answer to the last is you bet its important because the words Deal with the new relationship Between Russia and the other republics of the former soviet Union. Tension on the Border of Ukraine and Russia for example a with Moscow claiming influence Over ethnic russian Brethren within Ukraine a cannot be reported without the use of this big Diplo malic term. Fred Shapiro of new Haven conn., notes an in the russian press digest of june 9, 1992, titled a near abroad wants to be far by dec. 7 of that a year Strobe Talbott a then a time Magazine columnist now Deputy Secretary of state a had picked up the troublesome phrase a Many russians have not yet been Able to accept the idea that the 14 non russian republics of the , arc today inc pc Dent foreign countries. Russian politicians have even coined a new phrase a the near abroad a to distinguish Between the former republics and the rest of the translators in Early 1992 were reaching for the Best Way to handle the russian idea. Roger Donway managing editor of Orbis in Philadelphia culled the. Foreign broadcast information service for its to sins Latoris of the russian phrase. On Jan. 15,1992, Izro Vestina referred to a the concept of a abroad close at hand a a putting the phrase in quotation Marks. Tass on april 9,1992, used a nearby foreign lands three Days later the Moscow russian television network spoke of what the broadcast information service reported As a countries not far abroad As they Call it a the seminal phrase Bliz Hencye Zarub Cubye was obviously giving translators a hard time. Bliz Hencye is the neuter of Bli Zhnia an adjective meaning a a near near East is Bli Zhnia Vostok but Quot Zaru Bethye is a noun with no English equivalent a writes Kenneth Katzner of Washington author of the English rus Sian russian English dictionary based on Macri can English. A it is built around my Czeh a word meaning the prefix a a Katzner thinks that the translation near abroad with or without capitals is an abomination because abroad is essentially an adverb that should hot be preceded by a modifier and that the translator is someone a we should siring up by his heels a apparently a old authoritarian custom. This position is countered by Christ Ian Caryl of Berlin who writes a both German and russian routinely and naturally use abroad As a noun. When confronted with hear abroad for the first time 1 re member wondering How id translate it into English where abroad is so strictly adjectival a the a nearby foreign countries imagine my Delight when i began to see others blithely breaking the rules. Now abroad has entered English As a a what we know so far about significant diplomatic coinage since the popularization of do Tente in the Early �?T70s is that it made the jump into English in Early 1992, and that near abroad Means a the claim by Russia of political interest and influence Instate adjacent to if that were once part of the soviet some political lexicographers namely me insist that it has a second sense of 4�?oethnic russians living As a minority sometimes sup Posedly oppressed outside the Borders of now York Olmos a. A Streisand loud Clear Leggy it Tony k0rnhe1ser s most of you know a columnists life is wide open. Not just my life but my children Sas Well because nothing no matter How private no matter How self re Quot dealing is off limits when you re two hours from deadline and you Haven to written a word. Recently my 11-year-old complained about having her phone conversations Laid Bare in a column to which i said a you like that expensive summer Camp done to you try not to think of yourself As a daughter a think of yourself As occasionally though you do something so humiliating you simply cannot bring yourself to discuss it a such As paying $700 for two tickets to see barbra Streisand. Seven Hundred Bucks to hear people which i could hear for free in an elevator. So i wont be writing about that. Good for you Tony. Thank you. You Are showing real character Here. I appreciate your support. Especially since by not writing about the concert you Are blowing any possibility of taking the tix As a tax deduction. So Why should i be embarrassed anyway of its a lot of Money. Its a lot of Money for tickets to anyone let alone someone who called Andre Agassi who probably cannot name 10 of the 50 United states a a zen in a trying to think whom else id pay s350 a ticket to see. A beatles reunion a but Only if John came. Springsteen. If he were playing locally at a truly intimate place. Fine id pay $700 for two tickets to see Springsteen in my own garage. No Singer Ever charged this kind of Money before. Speaking As a Man i can think of things that $700 would buy me and to be Frank hearing the Way we were Isnit in the top 35.1 had Good seats but for $700,1 expect a Little Lap dancing. _ so Why did i do this a i knew everyone in the crowd they a been to my bar Mitzvah b she Hadnot toured in 25 years. Of course Sci Thor had the cow Sills. C she a got great pipes. There a Sinatra and her and you be got a better shot at getting All the Way through a song with her because unlike Sinatra she can still remember the words. Why did it become so uncool to like barbra Streisand. V. A maybe its because she is. Well annoying. Lets Start with the Metal Detector she makes you go through before you enter the does she think wants to shoot her somebody who sat through Yenoff and the set. The All White sofa Laden palladian windowed classical architecture which she says a was inspired by my visit to Monticello. A Pray Tell what inspired the Tea she was drinking on stage her visit to Ceylon and what inspired her to charge $350 per ticket her visit to an atm i asked two very accomplished women journalists about Streisand assuming they a like her because she a Strong Independent and talented. And As soon As i mentioned her name they cackled Diprince of tides she walks in and. The camera is just on her legs a apparently Streisand has a thing about How hot her Gams Are which might explain Why every dress she has is Slit up the Side like she has been mauled by a what a the problem maybe its her politics. Not her liberalism a but she is about it. Fine vote for Clinton. Invite him to the concert and make a fuss Over him after she introduced Clinton at the Washington d.c., concert two weeks ago she missed the boat by not unfolding a piece of paper and claiming it was a note from him then Reading a you make my Knees but sing already Stop Hocking us about How much you and Colin Powell have in common and sing if i wanted to know about Congress id have gone to the Library. For free i might add. Barbra Streisand is a Cut above. Sing. -. And when she sings of god when Streisand sings.,. When she sings it does no to matter that she a pretentious or that she demands Wall to Wall carpet in dressing rooms so her Bare feet done to have to touch the tile even though she could solve the problem by simply putting on slippers or that she s impossibly self absorbed and a legendary scold. The woman sings like Caruso. She sings like Baluchi. She sings like Buttac she sings so Well that the women sitting on either Side of me were literally crying for Joy throughout the performance. 1 Hadnot seen weeping like this since my Cousin got rejected from medical school. 1 went Home and both sleeves of my jacket had to be wrung out. My son asked me if everybody gets wet at a Streisand concert he thought it was like Busch gardens. V Streisand sings like a $700 tax deduction. A Washington Post a May 22, 1904 sunday i Page 21
