How much in pound sterling and who was John silver?
Some common translation errors at hearing dozens or even hundreds of years — and are perceived by all as a tribute, but lack of logic is evident.
The English language is unmatched in the number of foreigners owning them, including profound connoisseurs, versed in the nuances of the language better than most native speakers.
However, errors in the Russian translation happen. Here are some funny incidents at the intersection of Philology and history.
Pound of what?
The British monetary unit there are nearly a thousand years and is the oldest in the world. In the second place, by the way, the Russian ruble.
Its official name “pound sterling” from the XVIII century is translated into Russian as the pound sterling.
Today in Britain, and in Russia in 90% of cases, speak and write simply “British pound”, but I caught a time when the mention of the mysterious sterling was required.
My children’s imagination seemed a pile of shiny metal balls that weighed pounds.
In fact, “sterling” is not a noun but an adjective meaning “clean”, “pure”, “without flaws.”
In the power structures of English speaking countries in the course of the expression “the sterling performance” of “faultless service”.
“Рound sterling” is a “pound of sterling silver” a pound of high quality silver of 925-th sample. In the tower of London houses made in the XII century, the standard weight of about 350 grams. The pound has always been powerful, simple man then a lifetime so the money is in the hands not kept.
The closest in meaning to Russian translation — “lb clean”. And no sterling in nature was not.
However, some sources indicate that sterling in the XIII—XIV centuries. supposedly it was called in the home odnoplanovye silver coin with the image of the stars (in old English steorling). But in any case, the name was spoken, and it would be strange to measure the weight of coins, not face value.