To warn Soviet diplomats not to feed him a line, he can say: Neveshai lapshu na ushi (“Don’t hang noodles from my ears”). To remind them that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks: Gorbatovo mogila ispravit (“Only the grave straightens the hunchback”). In a mood of philosophical resignation, he might muse that necessity is the mother of invention: Gol na vydumki khitra (“The naked have sly devices”).
The Soviet people know all about resignation. They think half a loaf is better than none: Na bezrybye i rak ryba (“When there’s no fish, a crab is a fish”). And they believe that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again: Pervy blin komom (“The first pancake is always a flop”).
One Americanism Strauss can’t translate: never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. The Russian proverb about work is Rabota ne volk, v les ne ubezhit. It means, “Work isn’t a wolf, it won’t run into the woods.” Or: put it off, if you possibly can.
