Page 19 - Dalle origini ai giorni nostri: convergenze e divergenze tra lingue slave

Epistemic and pragmatic functions of ja ne znaju ‘I don’t know’ in contemporary Russian

Example 5
A est’ kakoj-to ne znaju propisannyj algoritm nu
and is certain NEG I.know prescribed algorithm well
uslovno govorja vy u vlasti odin srok vy
conditionally speaking you by power one term you
ešče v porjadke Vy u vlasti dva sroka
still in order you in power two terms
vot uže čto-to ne tak Tri sroka sovsem
here already something NEG so three terms quite
uže plocho Nu i tak dalee Est’ gradacija
already bad well and so further is gradation
v kakoj moment ostanovit’sja nužno?
in which moment to.stop necessary
And there is some, I don’t know, a prescribed algorithm, well, relatively speaking, you are in
power for one term, you are still in order. You have been in power for two terms - something is
already wrong. Three terms - absolutely everything is bad. Well, and so on. Is there a gradation,
at what point do you need to stop?

Example 6
A èto chorošo vot takaja indifferentnost’ i takoe
and this good here such indifference and such
narodnoe dolgoterpenie? Èto pravil’no? Èto chorošo? Nu možet
national long.patience this right this good well may
byt’ lučše kogda ljudi pošli by i načali
be better when people went COND and started
by tam ja ne znaju dobivat’sja ot mestnych
COND there I NEG know obtain from local
vlastej ili ot pravitel’stva čtoby im tam predpoložim
authorities or from government that them there we.suppose
sdelali kakie-to bolee vygodnye uslovija dlja togo čtoby
did certain more favourable conditions for that that
otkryt' svoju lavočku ili tam sozdat' svoj malen'kij
open own shop or there create own small
biznes i sebja nakonec kormit’ vot v ètich
business and oneself finally feed here in these
uslovjach
conditions
And is it good such indifference and such people’s long-suffering? Is it right? Is it good indeed?
Well, maybe it would be better if people would go and start, I don’t know, demanding local
authorities or the government that they provide, for example, more favourable conditions in
order to open their own shop or create their own small business and finally feed themselves in
these conditions
wonders about the mechanisms, processes and arrangements that keep
those in power at the top and secure. The hypothesis put forward of a ‘pre-
scribed algorithm’ for determining the length of stay of political leaders

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