I just finished a lengthy email with a friend, telling him some ins and outs of writing letters to Russian ladies. After finishing it, it looked like it might be useful to post here as well. So, for you newbies, here's a primer to get you started:
What to do:
1) Make sure the spelling is correct and that the letter is gramatically correct. If you need help with this, an easy way is to write your letter in MS Word, then use the spell and grammar check function. Translators are taught proper English, both spelling and grammar. If you send a mangled message, there's a good chance they won't be able to translate it properly, if at all.
2) Avoid slang and old sayings, unless you clarify it in the letter. (Example: In America we have a saying, "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush".) You don't know Russian sayings or slang; don't expect them to know yours. If necessary, explain how the saying applies to what you are writing.
3) Avoid confusing conversations. If you are trying to discuss a complex concept, take the time to break it down into easy to manage chunks. Avoid overly large words. Avoid technical terms and shop jargon. Use the US Army's rule: If an eighth grader can't read and understand it (a 13-14 y/o), it's too complex.
4) Avoid words with multiple meanings, as much as possible. Sometimes the translator may use an electronic translator to help them out. If a word has multiple meanings, Murphy's law states that the gizmo will show the wrong meaning. You'll then end up with gobbledegook, or something that's totally different from what you really meant. (A good reason to keep all your correspondence: to see *exactly* what you said.)
5) Simplify sentence structure. If you can break a large sentence down into two or more smaller sentences, do so. The simpler the concept behind the sentence, the easier it will be to translate. You don't have to talk baby talk, but you also don't want to overwhelm the translator with a long rambling sentence with 2 or 3 seperate ideas in it...
6) Use active tense and avoid passive tense like the plague! In other words, someone is doing something, not something is being done by someone. Keeping your sentences in the Subject - Verb - Object/Predicate order, makes it much easier for the translator to understand what you're saying.
Writing a good letter takes time and some effort. First of all, you have to think of what to say. After you write it all down, then you need to edit the letter to make it readable. Once you get it all down and properly formatted, then send it along.
Don't be surprised if you still run into occasional misunderstandings, though. Remember, you are talking to someone from a different country, with different experiences and views of the world than you. Her perceptions about something might be 180 degrees opposite of what you think. Her perceptions are based upon her life and experiences, which are going to be very different from your own. Even if you differ, you both may be right, given your different countries and cultures.
Things to avoid in a letter:
1) Never talk about sex, either directly or indirectly. Don't make a joke about it. Talking about sex can kill a correspondence immediately, as it is considered very poor form.
2) Don't criticize their country or culture. Russians are very proud people, and they don't take criticism well. The only proper way to talk about it is a "contrast and compare" scenario. (Example: "In America, we tend to do things this way, because of this reason.") Trading information in a noncompetetive way is ok, but avoid the holier-than-thou attitude.
3) Don't go into personal pedigree. Again, talking about your German/Irish/Hispanic roots can make a Russian lady uncomfortable. Asking her about her own personal pedigree is considered rude, as it implies that she could be inferior due to her genetic makeup.
4) Avoid belittling comments. If you cannot treat the lady as a decent human being, due all the courtesy that a decent human being should have, then you shouldn't be writing at all. Also, treat her like a person. I remember Marina hearing one woman's letter being read aloud. The man had heard that Russian woman have bad teeth, so he asked the woman to send him a copy of her dental xrays. What is she, a horse? Sad to say, the bulk of the guys looking for a wife overseas are ususally this stupid. Don't be one of them.
5) Which brings up another point. If your lady doesn't have her own computer, then she gets her email from an email service, which may do translation on the spot. Often these letters are read aloud to the person, while the other ladies who are waiting for their turn, get to listen in. Don't write anything that would be embarrassing to either of you to say in public. There's a good chance it will be public.
6) If you send a scanned image, keep it small in size. Internet access over there is often based on bandwidth. If you send a 20 MB picture of you, they will either not accept your mail, or else charge your lady an exhorbitant fee. Keep your photos down to 100K or less in size. If you are sending a lot of photos, trim them down to 50K or less.
These are a few rules to keep in mind. The closer you stick with them, the better quality correspondence you will have with whomever you write to. Just take your time and work through it at a safe pace. Follow the rules to write a good letter, then check it against "what not to do", to make sure you aren't shooting yourself in the foot.
Hope this helps, guys...
