# Russian dialogue in Dr. Strangelove - a translation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 4, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570 "2003-09-04T18:16:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/1 "2003-09-04T18:16:36Z")

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I’m watching Dr. Strangelove again, and while I get the gist of what the ambassador says to the premier on the phone, does anyone have a direct translation of what he says? I’m just curious if it’s actual dialogue, or Russian gibberish, or what.

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**Author:** ![Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dreaming_of_Maria_Callas)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/2 "2003-09-04T19:35:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SanibelMan \*  
> \*\*I’m watching Dr. Strangelove again, and while I get the gist of what the ambassador says to the premier on the phone, does anyone have a direct translation of what he says? I’m just curious if it’s actual dialogue, or Russian gibberish, or what. \*\*

It’s essentially the same as what President Merkin Muffley requested, that Ambassador Desadesky should tell the Premier that he will jump on the line immediately should Muffley say anything wrong. It’s solid Russian. However, the accent of the actor (who is probably American) is so thick that a Russian speaker I watched the film with burst out laughing.

UnuMondo

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**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/3 "2003-09-04T19:50:14Z")

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Heh, interesting about the accent. After the president is done speaking, Ambassador Desadesky talks to Premier Kissoff again, and the conversation is interesting because it seems to contain a few interesting phrases - he exclaims something like “Schtol!” at one point. Is he actually swearing in Russian?

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/4 "2003-09-05T17:37:35Z")

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Peter Bull, who played the Russian Ambassador, was British.

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**Author:** ![altor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@altor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altor)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/5 "2003-09-05T18:35:22Z")

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That “Schtol!” is “Shto!” meaning “What!?!”

At point he says “Duraki!!!” (pronounced doo-rah-KEE) meaning “The fools!!!”

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**Author:** ![altor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@altor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altor)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-dialogue-in-dr-strangelove-a-translation/199570/6 "2003-09-05T18:37:25Z")

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that’s “at _one_ point” …