2.5.2. Как выразить соболезнование?

Письма-соболезнования (letters of condolence) также включают определенные клише. Как и в нашем родном языке, применяются определенные устойчивые словосочетания. Например, как пишет Л. Виссон, death is often преждевре-

менная (untimely) or скоропостижная (sudden). Someone may have died (скончался) or passed away (ушел из жизни). A loss (утрата) can be невосполнима (tragic/terrible): We have suffered a terrible/tragic/irrevocable loss (27, p.177).

Ниже приводятся образцы стандартных выражений (официальных и не очень) соболезнования и сочувствия (23, с.71-72), которые можно использовать как в письмах, так и при подготовке некролога (necrology, obituary).

We were grieved to hear about the death of your colleague Mr. Smith. We send our most sincere condolences on this sad event.

I extend to you my deepest sympathy.

It is difficult indeed to find words to express our regret at the death of this splendid man.

I was saddened to learn of the sudden death of Arthur Foster. I wish to convey to you and to the staff members of your institution my deepest sympathy upon the loss of this remarkable man and outstanding scientist.

The sudden passing of Robert Crow was a great shock to those who knew him. He was fair, sympathetic, kind, and always sought to do his duty honourably and justly. We feel a keen sense of loss in his passing. It is difficult adequately to express our grief.

The shocking news of the tragic death of your colleague has just reached us. We, in Russia, will miss him as he was a great friend of our country. It is a terrible loss for all of us. On behalf of his Russian colleagues convey our condolences to the bereaved family. We pay

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our tribute of love and affection and respect to his memory.

Если во время заседания, собрания и т.д. объявляют минуту молчания, то председательствующий говорит:

―It is my sad duty to inform you of the untimely death of

Dr. Jones from the University of Michigan. I now invite members of this meeting to rise and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Dr. Jones‖.

К сожалению, мы все хорошо знакомы со стилистическими особенностями некрологов на русском языке. Иногда из них можно получить исчерпывающую информацию о трудовых достижениях усопшего, его стремительном карьерном росте, но почти ничего о ЛИЧНОСТИ. Несколько лет тому назад, когда в нашем университете скончался один очень достойный человек и известный ученый, его коллеги по кафедре попросили перевести на английский — для публикации в отраслевом журнале — некролог, который больше напоминал партийно-профсоюзную характеристику.

Предлагаю ниже один из возможных вариантов некролога на английском языке, скомпилированный мной из иностранных изданий с учетом российских реалий.

IN MEMORIUM

Alexander P. Ognev 1924 – 2005

We mourn the passing away of Professor Alexander P.Ognev, a prominent chemist, excellent teacher, and a good friend. His sudden passing was a great blow to those who knew him.

Born in Teikovo (Ivanovskay oblast) on June 13, 1924, Alexander P.Ognev finished school there and became a student of Inorganic Faculty of the Ivanovo Institute of Chemistry and Technology. He early started compiling a record of outstanding scholastic and scholarly achievements — golden medal as he left secondary school, honours when he obtained his higher school diploma in technology of inorganic substances, the Lomonosov

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Prize (1972), the State Prize (1976), the Scholarly Excellence Award from the Ministry of Higher Education upon the publication of his monograph ―Autosalvation of Organic Salts" in 1999, which was translated into English and German.

At the Ivanovo Institute of Chemistry and Technology, where A.Ognev had done his undergraduate and graduate research work, he received an appointment as a postgraduate fellow and, in successive steps, rose to the rank of professor, head of the department. He was also given the opportunity to travel extensively and visit academic institutions abroad as a guest professor (Germany, 1985, 1987, Sweden 1989; the USA 1991,1994, 1998) and as the participant of numerous scientific events.

As a contributor to chemistry, Alexander Ognev will be remembered for the size of scientific production and the originality of his ideas. He was the author and co-author of nearly three hundred items, including books, text-books for the students of chemistry, papers in Russian and English in various research journals, and oral presentations in national and international conferences. Together with Prof. G.Krestov, he was the pioneering advocate of a new field - chemistry of non-aqueous solutions. His strong conviction in its actuality, enthusiastic interest for various non-aqueous solutions, his profound investigations with a wealth of empirical data had found great appeal among his post-graduate students and led to a number of dissertations and theses. He was a sparkling lecturer and evoked admiration and respect of many students and colleagues.

With Alexander Ognev‘s untimely death, chemistry loses a distinguished scientist, the Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology — an outstanding teacher, his friends and colleagues — an extraordinary personality, and a very good man, who will always be remembered with appreciation and great fondness.

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