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Б-45 • (НЕ) ВЕЛИКА БЕДА coll [NP; these forms only; usu. indep. sent or subj-compl with быть0 (subj: a clause), pres only; fixed WO] it is not important, significant: it’s not the end of the world; it’s (that’s) no (great) tragedy; (there’s) no harm done; (well,) no big deal!; [lim] no problem.
Я ушёл, недоумевая, почему всё это так его встревожило. Ну, даже если и испортил рыбу, подумаешь, велика беда (Кузнецов 1). I went away, wondering why all this had made him so apprehensive. What if he had spoiled the fish—that was no tragedy (1a).
Б-46 • ПРИШЛА БЕДА — ОТВОРЯЙ (РАСТВОРЯЙ, ОТКРЫВАЙ) ВОРОТА [saying] if sth. unfortunate has happened, then you can expect more trouble to follow (said when misfortunes come one after another): = troubles (misfortunes) never come singly; it never rains but it pours; when it rains, it pours.
Собрание вынесло рекомендацию освободить меня от обязанностей заведующего отделом. Тамара затеяла развод и раздел квартиры. Но пришла беда — открывай ворота. Не стало Ленки (Зиновьев 2). The Commission recommended that I should be relieved of the responsibilities of head of section.. Tamara started divorce proceedings and demanded the division of our apartment.. But troubles never come singly. Lenka died (2a).
Б-47 • ЧТО ЗА БЕДА coll [Invar; usu. a clause in a compound sent or the main clause in a complex sent; fixed WO] (used in refer. to some action, circumstance etc which is mentioned in the preceding context or is about to be mentioned) that is no cause for concern, that will not hurt anyone or anything: what’s (where’s) the harm (in that)?; what harm is there in that?; what’s wrong with that?; what does it matter?; it’s no great matter.
«Г. прапорщик, вы сделали проступок, за который и я могу отвечать.» — «И полноте! что ж за беда? Ведь у нас давно всё пополам» (Лермонтов 1). “Ensign, you have committed an offense for which I, too, may be held responsible.. ” “Oh, come! Where’s the harm? We’ve long shared everything, haven’t we?” (1a).
Б-48 • БЕДНОСТЬ НЕ ПОРОК [saying] one should not be ashamed of one’s poverty: = poverty is no crime (vice, sin).
«Сегодня вас не ждали, батюшка, говядинки не привезли», — промолвил Тимофеич. «И без говядинки обойдёмся, на нет и суда нет. Бедность, говорят, не порок» (Тургенев 2). “They weren’t expecting you today, sir; no beef’s been delivered,” said Timofeich. “We’ll manage without beef; where nothing is, nothing can be had. Poverty, they say, is no sin” (2g).
Б-49 • НА БЕДУ (чью) [PrepP; Invar; sent adv (usu. par-enth)] (in refer. to an action or event) resulting in undesirable consequences (for s.o. or o.s.): to one’s (s.o.‘s) misfortune; unluckily (unfortunately) (for one (s.o.)); to one’s (s.o.‘s) cost; [lim] as luck would have it.
«Множество лет назад, на мою беду, в мой дом пришёл бродячий художник и стал умирать от лихорадки» (Искандер 5). “Many years ago, to my misfortune, a wandering artist came to my house and began dying of a fever” (5a).
Б-50 • НЕ БЕЗ чего [PrepP; Invar; Prep; the resulting PrepP is adv] with a certain degree (of sth.): not without.; (with) some.; [lim] (with) a certain (amount of) .
Не без страха глядел он и теперь на растворявшуюся дверь (Гоголь 3). It was not without fear, even now, that he watched the door opening (3b). ♦ .Хотя чегемцы посмеивались над ним [Тимуром], однако относились не без опаски (Искандер 5). Although the Chegemians snickered at him [Timur], they treated him with some caution (5a).
Б-51 • БЕЗДНА (КЛАДЕЗЬ) ПРЕМУДРОСТИ humor or iron [NP; sing only; fixed WO] a source, treasury of profound knowledge: a wealth of knowledge; a storehouse of wisdom; [usu. of a person] a (veritable) font of wisdom.
Б-52 • НА БЕЗРЫБЬЕ И РАК РЫБА [saying] in the absence of a better or needed person or thing, the one that is available will do: = better a (one) small fish than an empty dish; half a loaf is better than none (no bread); in the kingdom of the blind a (the) one-eyed man is king.
Б-53 • ДО БЕЗУМИЯ; ДО БЕЗРАССУДСТВА [PrepP; these forms only] 1. ~ любить кого, влюбиться в кого, ненавидеть кого, кому хочется (с)делать что и т.п. [adv (intensif)] (to love, fall in love with, hate s.o.) intensely: (love s.o.) to (the point of) distraction; (fall (be)) passionately (madly) in love (with s.o.); (love (hate) s.o.) with a passion; (love s.o. (want to do sth. etc)) desperately.
Бывали примеры, что женщины влюблялись в таких людей до безумия. (Лермонтов 1). There have been cases when women have fallen madly in love with men like him. (1b).
2. ~ какой, каков, как [modif (intensif)] extremely, to the utmost degree: terribly; awfully; exceedingly; incredibly; to the point of foolhardiness (folly).
Глебов, читая, удивлялся: а вcё-таки Федька Лисакович храбрец! Одно из двух: либо храбрец до безрассудства, — так гнуть против Друзяева, Дороднова и прочих, — либо же что-то знает. Борьба разгоралась нешуточная (Трифонов 2). As he read this, Glebov was surprised: Fedya Lisakovich was showing real bravery. One of two things: either he was brave to the point of folly by speaking out so strongly against Druzyaev, Dorodnov and the rest of them, or he knew something. It was turning into a really serious battle (2a).
Б-54 • БЕЛЕНЫ ОБЪЕЛСЯ highly coll, rude when addressed to the interlocutor [VP; subj: human; past only; often after (как) будто, словно, точно; often in questions; fixed WO] one behaves in an unreasonable fashion, as if he were crazy: X белены объелся = Xis off his rocker (trolley); X is out of his gourd (mind); X has taken leave of his senses; X is nuts (loony); X has cracked up; X has gone mad.
«Что с вами, Руслан Павлович? Вы белены объелись?» (Трифонов 6). “.What’s the matter with you, Ruslan Pavlovich? Are you off your rocker?” (6a).
< «Белена» ("henbane") is a poisonous plant. Ingesting its seeds causes madness.
Б-55 • (ВЕРТЕТЬСЯ (КРУЖИТЬСЯ, КРУТИТЬСЯ)) КАК (БУДТО, СЛОВНО, точно) белка в колесе; coll [VP (with subj: human) or как etc + NP (these forms only, adv); the verb may take the final position, otherwise fixed WO] to be incessantly bustling about, doing various things, occupied with various concerns: X вертится как белка в колесе = X is like a squirrel on a treadmill (in a cage); X is in a constant whirl; X is continually (always) on the go.
.«[Виллон] жил в Париже, как белка в колесе, не зная ни минуты покоя» (Мандельштам 2). .” [Villon] lived in Paris in a constant whirl—like a squirrel on a treadmill, never still for a moment” (2a).