Re: Master and Margarita

Compare the two english translations below: #1 wins big! #2 is boringly literal.

Минут через пять смотрю: ... [original]
Five minutes later I look and what have I got: ... [#1]
About five minutes later, I look: ... [#2]
Minutes through five I look: [translate.ru]
The minutes through five I look: [babelfish]

Something utterly unimaginable had occurred: the entire administrative staff of the theater had disappeared. A strange and scandalous performance had taken place yesterday, but who had staged it and at whose instigation was not known. ...

... "I've got loads of change!" roared the driver, his eyes, bloodshot with rage, blazing in the rearview mirror. "This is the third time today. And others are having the same problem. Some son of a bitch gives me a ten-ruble bill, I give him change--four-fifty... He's gone, the bastard! Five minutes later I look and what have I got: a label from a bottle of mineral water instead of a ten-ruble bill!" Here the cabbie let loose some unprintable words. "The next guy I pick up beyond Zubovskaya Street. Another ten. I give him three rubles change. He walks off! I rumage in the change purse, and out flies a bee and stings me on the finger! The bastard!" the cabbie again let go a stream of unprintable words. "But the ten is gone. Yesterday at the Variety (unprintable words) some sort of slimy magician did an act with ten-ruble bills (unprintable words)..."

(1995 translation by Burgin and O'Connor, chapter 17, An Upsetting Day)

Something utterly preposterous was coming out: the whole top administration had vanished, a strange, scandalous seance had taken place the day before, but who had produced it and at whose prompting, no one knew. ...

...`A pocket full of change!' the driver bawled, and the eyes in the mirror went bloodshot. 'It's my third case today. And the same thing happened with the others, too. Some son of a bitch gives me a tenner, I give him change - four-fifty. He gets out, the scum! About five minutes later, I look: instead of a tenner, it's a label from a seltzer bottle!' Here the driver uttered several unprintable words. 'Another one, beyond Zubovskaya. A tenner. I give him three roubles change. He leaves. I go to my wallet, there's a bee there - zap in the finger! Ah, you! ...' and again the driver pasted on some unprintable words. 'And no tenner. Yesterday, in the Variety here' (unprintable words), 'some vermin of a conjurer did a seance with ten-rouble bills' (unprintable words)...

(1997 translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky, full scan on lib.ru)

Выходило что-то совершенно несусветное: пропала вся головка администрации, вчера был странный скандальный сеанс, а кто его проводил и почьему наущению -- неизвестно. ...

... Полный карман сдачи! -- заорал шофер, и в зеркальце отразились его наливающиеся кровью глаза, -- третий случай со мной сегодня. Да и с другими то же было. Дает какой-то сукин сын червонец, я ему сдачи -- четыре пятьдесят... Вылез, сволочь! Минут через пять смотрю: вместо червонца бумажка с нарзанной бутылки! -- тут шофер произнес несколько непечатных слов. -- Другой -- за Зубовской. Червонец. Даю сдачи три рубля. Ушел! Я полез в кошелек, а оттуда пчела -- тяп за палец! Ах ты!.. -- шофер опять вклеил непечатные слова, -- а червонца нету. Вчера в этом Варьете (непечатные слова) какая-то гадюка -- фокусник сеанс с червонцами сделал (непечатные слова).

(Bulgakov, Глава 17, Беспокойный день)