# To be shy/embarrassed



## xxatti

Ok, so I had a friend of mine help me out translating my paper... and boy did I have a lot of mistakes . But there was one phrase that I didnt understand. The phrase in English was:
Due to the nature of our fashion orientated work, you obviously cannot be shy about dealing with the models and handling castings. 

 My friend translated this phrase as so: 
 В связи с тонкостями нашей работы вы не должны быть скованы в работе с моделями и провидении кастингов. 

So, my question is is быть скованы some sort of an expression that's used to say "be shy or embarrassed" in Russian? Because my dictionary translates it as to be held down or restrained.


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## Etcetera

Hi xxatti!
First of all, let me make several minor corrections to the sentence:


xxatti said:


> В связи с тонкостями нашей работы*,* вы не должны быть скован*н*ы в работе с моделями и пров*е*дении кастингов.


There should be two "н" in скованны, because it's shortened form of the participle скованный. 
 



> So, my question is is быть скованы some sort of an expression that's used to say "be shy or embarrassed" in Russian? Because my dictionary translates it as to be held down or restrained.


Yes, скованный can mean both 'held down, restrained' and 'to be shy'.


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## Ptak

Etcetera said:


> В связи с тонкостями нашей работы*,* вы не должны быть скован*н*ы в работе с моделями и пров*е*дении кастингов.


Nooooo!

1) "скованы" with ONE "н" is correct!
2) a comma after "работы" is no needed!

So correct is:
_В связи с тонкостями нашей работы_ вы не должны быть скованы в работе с моделями и (в) пров*е*__дении кастингов._


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## Q-cumber

My variant (closer to an original): "Из-за природы нашей работы, ориентированной на мир моды, Вы очевидно не можете быть застенчивы во время общения с моделями и (или) при проведении кастингов. " 
--------------------------------------------
Depending on the context:
вы = plural you
Вы  (from a capital letter) = polite/formal address to a singular person
ты = thou (friendly address to a singular person)
---------------------------------------------------------------
 "скованы" (скован) goes with ONE "н", ideed. I agree with *Ptak* 
"скованный" has two "н"
(рискованный, but рискованы)
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## xxatti

Ok, I understand now. Thanks for the help



Q-cumber said:


> My variant (closer to an original): "Из-за природы нашей работы, ориентированной на мир моды, Вы очевидно не можете быть застенчивы во время общения с моделями и (или) при проведении кастингов. "


And thanks for this variant Q-cumber, it's much easier for me to understand written like this since it's closer to the english version.


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## Maroseika

Etcetera said:


> Hi xxatti!
> There should be two "н" in скованны, because it's shortened form of the participle скованный.
> .


I agree with you that here we need *скованны,* but not because it is the short participle, on the contrary - because it's the adjective.
If it were short participle it would have one "н": 
*Мы скованы с нашими моделями одною цепью.*
Actually, I first had some doubts on whether we have an adjective or a participle here. But since we may also say "застенчивы" (which is definetely adjective), I guess скованны here is an adjective too.


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## Maroseika

Q-cumber said:


> Вы (from a capital letter) = polite/formal address to a singular person


I think, since Вы is used only in personal letters, here it cannot be used.



> (рискованный, but рискованы)
> -------------------------------------------------


Sorry, but *рискованны* is impossible, since it is the adjective. Only *рискованы, рискована.*


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## Etcetera

Maroseika said:


> I agree with you that here we need *скованны,* but not because it is the short participle, on the contrary - because it's the adjective.


You're right, of course! Mea culpa.


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## Maroseika

One more version:
Природа нашей работы, ориентированной на мир моды, не позволяет особенно церемониться с моделями на кастингах.

I suppose one should avoid here anything like "вы не можете, вам не следует", etc., because in English there is a variant of the impersonal sentence, in Russian easily expressed without any pronoun.
Besides, the logical problem appears: if this is* our*  work, whu *you* can't something?
Regretfully, this Anglicism is spreading in Russian nowadays more and more.


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## Etcetera

Maroseika said:


> One more version:
> Природа нашей работы, ориентированной на мир моды, не позволяет особенно церемониться с моделями на кастингах.


I'm not sure that the original sentence implied such a meaning.


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## Maroseika

Etcetera said:


> I'm not sure that the original sentence implied such a meaning.


Who knows?


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## Q-cumber

Maroseika said:


> I agree with you that here we need *скованны,* but not because it is the short participle, on the contrary - because it's the adjective.



Do you really wanna say that you would write in an informal letter "не будь скованн" or "не будь скованнa"???  Guys, are you kidding, or what?


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## Maroseika

Q-cumber said:


> Do you really wanna say that you would write in an informal letter "не будь скованн" or "не будь скованнa"???  Guys, are you kidding, or what?


I'm afraid I'll never write скованн, for there is not such form in Russian (only скован).
As for скованна, it depends...
It depends on what exactly I'm going to use - participle or adjective.
But talking about the "informal letter" - what the hell you mean, guy? You mean that grammar is only for "formal" letters? 
Are you kidding, guy, or what?


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## scriptum

Q-cumber said:


> Do you really wanna say that you would write in an informal letter "не будь скованн" or "не будь скованнa"???  Guys, are you kidding, or what?


 
"Не будь скован" (одно Н).
"Не будь скованна" (два Н). No kidding. It's deadly serious.
See http://www.gramma.ru/RUS/?id=4.35
Она была скована: she was put in irons.
Она была скованна: she was constrained / abashed / awkward.


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## Ptak

scriptum said:


> "Не будь скован" (одно Н).
> "Не будь скованна" (два Н). No kidding. It's deadly serious.
> See http://www.gramma.ru/RUS/?id=4.35
> Она была скована: she was put in irons.
> Она была скованна: she was constrained / abashed / awkward.


I didn't find that (скован/скованна) in this link.

But I've found this:
_Примечание 1. Некоторые отглагольные прилагательные в краткой форме пишутся с н (если они *образованы от приставочных глаголов*, что сближает их с причастиями): Глаза у нее были заплаканы (ср.: заплаканные глаза); Пальто его было поношено (поношенное пальто)._


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## Maroseika

Ptak said:


> I didn't find that (скован/скованна) in this link.
> 
> But I've found this:
> _Примечание 1. Некоторые отглагольные прилагательные в краткой форме пишутся с н (если они *образованы от приставочных глаголов*, что сближает их с причастиями): Глаза у нее были заплаканы (ср.: заплаканные глаза); Пальто его было поношено (поношенное пальто)._


Yes, there are such brief verbal prefixal adjectives. But we may notice that all of them - and in your examples, too - look like brief participles, at least we cannot formally define from which word it was formed: from the verb (заплакать ч.-л. - заплаканы; поносить - поношено) or from the full adjective (заплаканный - заплаканы; поношенный - поношено).
But in our case "скован" definetely seems to me brief adjective, because is formed not from the direct verb "сковать" (to fetter), but from the figurative adjective "скованный" (constrained).


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## scriptum

Ptak said:


> I didn't find that (скован/скованна) in this link.


This is the relevant text I had in view:

В кратких страдательных причастиях, в отличие от полных, пишется Н, в кратких отглагольных прилагательных, как и в отыменных, пишется НН:
при кратком причастии имеется (или мыслится) существительное в форме творительного падежа со значением деятеля; ср.: Территория около нового дома еще не благоустроена (причастие). - Территория около нового дома была мала, неблагоустроенна (прилагательное); Сыновьям всегда везло, и они были избалованы судьбой (причастие). - Сыновья были капризны и избалованны (прилагательное); Статья начитана для записи на пленку (причастие). - Девушка была музыкальна и начитанна (прилагательное); Население было взволновано сообщением по радио. - Море сегодня взволнованно;


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## cyanista

I agree with scriptum and Etc. It should be скован*н*ы with double *н*. But I think the wording is somewhat stiff. I would suggest that we forget all about скован and застенчив - literal transation doesn't work terribly well here. 




> Вы очевидно не можете быть застенчивы во время общения с моделями


I'm willing to bet that none of you would say/write such a thing of your own accord.

It's very difficult to detach oneself from the iron grip of the words and structure of the original but you have to do it if you want your sentence to sound natural.* You have to think about the author's intention and render it in another language. I take it "not being shy" means as much as being confident or at ease delaing with models. (Correct me if I got it wrong, xxatti.) So I would write something along the lines of:

Так как наша работа непосредственно связана с модельным бизнесом, от вас требуется уверенность в общении с моделями и независимость при проведении кастингов.

I'm not completely satisfied with my own translation but it'll do as a first draft. Comments are welcome. 

*Maroseika's sentence sounds very natural but I'm afraid he completely missed the meaning.


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## Q-cumber

Maroseika said:


> But talking about the "informal letter" - what the hell you mean, guy? You mean that grammar is only for "formal" letters?
> Are you kidding, guy, or what?


 Please don't get me wrong...and/or too seriously. Take it easy! Really and trully, I didn't mean to offend you. 

As to the "informal letter", I meant the situation, in which you are supposed to use "ты".  



> "Не будь скованна" (два Н). No kidding. It's deadly serious.


Nope, that can't be serious. 

"Скованная" means here - "Лишенная непринуждённости, лёгкости в общении". To make the things more clear, let's try to formally replace the word:  "Не будь _лишена непринуждённости_".  "Не будь лишенная (adj.)..." has no sense here.
"Cкована" here isn't a permanent attribute of "her", but refers to the condition of "скованности" (зажатости). Thus, we got a passive participle here and a resulting single "н".  I guess "cкованна", as shortened adjective, is generally possible, but this is not the case. "Не будь" makes a difference. Argumentum а contrario: let's take some adjective  and replace the word in the phrase: "начитанная" (a permanent quality) --> "Не будь начитанна! (an adjective sampled on the webpage you refer)". Does it make any sense? Nope. Because *she is *"начитанна"! This is her permanent quality. She can't lose it upon your request. Neither you would ask her about that. Agreed?      
"Вы не должны быть скованы (зажаты) в работе (во время работы) с моделями".


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## Q-cumber

cyanista said:


> Так как наша работа непосредственно связана с модельным бизнесом, от вас требуется уверенность в общении с моделями и независимость при проведении кастингов.



As an adapted translation, your variant is definitely the best so far.


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## Maroseika

cyanista said:


> Так как наша работа непосредственно связана с модельным бизнесом, от вас требуется уверенность в общении с моделями и независимость при проведении кастингов.
> 
> I'm not completely satisfied with my own translation but it'll do as a first draft. Comments are welcome.


You version sounds perfect with respect to the language, however there was nothing about "independence when helding the castings" in the original and original "nature" is missed. 
I have no idea what "nature" was meant, the one who knows should explain us, but since the author has mentioned it, I guess he meant something specific.
As usually, without full context precise translation is hardly possible.




> *Maroseika's sentence sounds very natural but I'm afraid he completely missed the meaning.


May be. Since the original was not clear to me completely I've just chosen one of possible versions of what was meant.


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## Maroseika

Q-cumber said:


> Please don't get me wrong...and/or too seriously. Take it easy! Really and trully, I didn't mean to offend you.
> 
> 
> 
> Why! I was kidding, too, haven't you noticed?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As to the "informal letter", I meant the situation, in which you are supposed to use "ты".
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Here I really cannot get your point: why one can't write even to his very intimate friend: "не будь скован"?
> 
> 
> 
> "Скованная" means here - "Лишенная непринуждённости, лёгкости в общении". To make the things more clear, let's try to formally replace the word: "Не будь _лишена непринуждённости_". "Не будь лишенная (adj.)..." has no sense here.
> "Cкована" here isn't a permanent attribute of "her", but refers to the condition of "скованности" (зажатости). Thus, we got a passive participle here and a resulting single "н".  I guess "cкованна", as shortened adjective, is generally possible, but this is not the case. "Не будь" makes a difference.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> To resolve the problem we can just use normal full adjectives instead of these odd participles and participles phrases, and we may notice that *не будь* makes no difference:
> *Не будь такой скованной, застенчивой, зажатой, закомплексованной, стеснительной.*
> *Не будь так скованна, застенчива, зажата, закоплексованна, стеснительна.*
> 
> 
> 
> Argumentum а contrario: let's take some adjective and replace the word in the phrase: "начитанная" (a permanent quality) --> "Не будь начитанна! (an adjective sampled on the webpage you refer)". Does it make any sense? Nope. Because *she is *"начитанна"!
> This is her permanent quality. She can't lose it upon your request. Neither you would ask her about that. Agreed?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> But why?
> Absolutely normal phrase, like "Не будь глупа!" or "Будь умна!".
> Her mind is also her permanent quality, and so what?
> "Ты не должна быть излишне начитанной, чтобы при общении с тобой мужчины не испытывали комплекса неполноценности " > "Не будь начитанной" > "Не будь начитанна".
> 
> 
> 
> "Вы не должны быть скованы (зажаты) в работе (во время работы) с моделями".
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Вы не должны быть стеснительными и скованными > Вы не должны быть стеснительны и скованны.
Click to expand...


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## scriptum

Q-cumber said:


> "Скованная" means here - "Лишенная непринуждённости, лёгкости в общении". To make the things more clear, let's try to formally replace the word: "Не будь _лишена непринуждённости_". "Не будь лишенная (adj.)..." has no sense here.
> [...]
> "Не будь начитанна! (an adjective sampled on the webpage you refer)". Does it make any sense? Nope. Because *she is *"начитанна"! This is her permanent quality. She can't lose it upon your request. Neither you would ask her about that. Agreed?


Almost. Thanks for your remark. Of course "Не будь лишенная (adj.)..." is impossible, because our word must appear either in its shortened form (лишена), or in the instrumental case: Не будь (ума)лишенной. 
So, on second thought, one probably has to choose between "не будь скована" and "не будь скованной". Whether the one is a participle and the other an adjective, seems to be a rather scholastic question...


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## Q-cumber

*Maroseika*
OK, I am not in the position to insist on my opinion.  If you feel comfortable with "не будь уверенна" (just a much more commonly used sample) in such context, please go on. I'll stay with my improper "не будь (будь) уверена". As native speaker, I don't refer any complicated rules when I write. I usually _feel _it. Should I need to say "Его поступь была уверен..а", I'll write "уверенна". (or "она выглядит уверенно") If I write "не будь увере..а", I use "уверена". That's it. Again, I am not offereing this as a universal rule, but this is how I'd say in the case. 



> Absolutely normal phrase, like "Не будь глупа!" or "Будь умна!".


Frankly, I don't see much sense in these phrases, neither would I call them "normal" in the context discussed. 
Well, "а царевна, *не будь глупа*...сделала то-то и то-то..." sounds OK. But the sense is pretty different here - "but the czarevna, not being stupid...".  
    "Будь умна!" is sorta (birthday) wish. ("I wish you...") This is also different.


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## Maroseika

Q-cumber said:


> "Будь умна!" is sorta (birthday) wish. ("I wish you...") This is also different.


Будь умна, хитра и расчётлива, и все мужики - твои.


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## Q-cumber

"не будь скованной" is fine. This is a sample of another wording with the same sense.  "Не будь скованнa(я)" doesn't sound at all. In my opinion, the verb "сковать", used either in direct or figurative sense, always suggests some internal or external imaginary force, that "сковывает".  
"не будь скованной" - кем? чем? 
Now I refer the *Maroseika*'s link:


> ...при кратком причастии* имеется (или мыслится) *существительное в форме творительного падежа со значением деятеля



PS Indeed "(ума)лишенной", like any other complex word, is treated differently.


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## Q-cumber

*Maroseika*



> Будь умна, хитра и расчётлива, и все мужики - твои.



Right, we (or females ) can tell such a phrase to a girlfriend, but again - it is not a natural "direct-sense" sample. I'd call this a "simplified wording" or so.

PS In order to check myself, I did context searches on the Rambler for both "не будь скована" and "не будь скованна".
The results are:
1.  *"не будь скована" 496 cites (1394 docs)*


> Sample: "Очень важно, чтобы ваша модель не была скована, а легко и непринужденно вела себя перед камерой..."


2. "не будь скованна" найдено сайтов: 6,  (32 docs)
Moreover, even in these six headings I noticed obvious mistakes:
1. ".... и поэтому не была скованна ощущением зала..."  
2. "... что перед просмотром фильма книги ещё не читала и не была скованна ожиданием прочитанного"  
3. ... каждый день, каждое утро, когда река не была скованна льдом.  
4. "Океаническая фауна была скованна странным..."   
-----------------------------
Thus we have two, not that obvious, matches left for the entire "RUNET":
"Без свободы креативность будет скованна, и результат психотерапии будет ничтожным."
"Чтобы девушка не была скованна, ну и конечно разнообразие!" _(Мишаня, 19, Украина, Одесса)_ 


*Maroseika*, are you with us or against us?


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## Maroseika

Q-cumber said:


> *Maroseika*
> 
> *Maroseika*, are you with us or against us?


To say the truth, I'm a bit confused what exactly you want to prove.
Вы не должны быть скованны - I don't like this phrase too much, too, but if used as is (without any object), it can be written, on my opinion, only this way.


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## Q-cumber

Maroseika said:


> To say the truth, I'm a bit confused what exactly you want to prove.



In fact I meant this:


> "Не будь скованна" (два Н). No kidding. It's deadly serious.


Do you still insist on this spelling?


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