Russian transcription

[alohabraille]

I am a braille2000 user that is using Duxbury to translate Russian. Duxbury doesn't appear to translate the capital letters. I have "heard" there isn't capitals in Russian but the World Braille Usage shows a capital indicator. 1) Do I use the (46) capital indicator for capped letters in print 2) Does braille2000 have any Russian translation? 3) Is there anything pertinent about Russian braille that you can share? Thank you!

[ftb]

The Russian, or Cyrillic alphabet, is made up of 33 letters. Each letter can be either capital or small. The letters can also be printed or handwritten.

If you are transcribing in EBAE, the NBA Interim Manual (IM) is in effect and the braille capital indicator (dot 6) must be used in the Russian text. The list of Russian alphabet symbols in the IM matches that of the list in World Braille Usage (WBU). There is no list of Russian punctuation in the IM; English punctuation is used.

If you are transcribing in UEB, it is important to consider the purpose of the material you are translating. If you are transcribing in a situation where Russian is being taught, Method 3 of the Provisional Guidance for Transcribing Foreign Language Material in UEB is to be followed. Follow UEB Section 13.6 and consult WBU. Method 4 would require using the full Russian braille code and you'd need to be fluent in Russian, aware of the Russian braille code.

Assuming you're using Method 3, you have a choice as to what to do with the punctuation (for example the Russian capital, dots 46, listed in WBU). UEB 13.6.4 states that when using foreign code signs (p. 200 of WBU for Russian), one is not required to use the foreign code signs for punctuation. Read the entire UEB 13.6 and look over the entire list of Russian punctuation in WBU before making your decision.

Russian in not one of the languages V1 of Braille 2000 translates. A quick look online does not indicate that V2 does either.

Carol Greer

 

 

[alohabraille]

Thank  you for such a well-formed and informative reply. I have an exam teaching Russian thus calling for Method 3. Thank you for your time and expertise.

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