Akademik

вот как
ВОТ КАК coll
[Invar; fixed WO]
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1. [Interj (an exclamation or question)]
used to express surprise, astonishment etc, occas. mixed with incredulity, indignation:
- is that so (right, it)?;
- really!;
- I see!;
- so that's how it is (what's going on etc)!;
- well now!;
- dear me!;
- upon my word!;
- how about that!
     ♦ [Вера:] У нас в пансионе одна барышня писала стихи. [Беляев:] Вот как! и хорошие? (Тургенев 1). [V.:] At my boarding-school a girl used to write poetry. [B.:] Is that so? Was it good poetry? (le).
     ♦ [Репников:] Да понимаешь ли ты, что этот прохвост пришёл сюда в расчёте, что ты ему поможешь? [Таня:] Ах, вот как? (Вампилов 3). [R.:] Do you realize that scoundrel came here counting on you to help him? [T.:] Oh, is that it? (3b).
     ♦ "Нет, Тимофей Лобанов не дезертир, - сказал Кузьма Кузьмич. - Не из таких". - "Не их таких? Вот как!" (Абрамов 1). "No, Timofei Lobanov isn't a deserter," said Kuzma Kuzmich. "He's not that kind." "Not that kind! Really!" (1b). "No. Timofei Lobanov is no deserter," said Kuzma Kuzmich. "He's not the type " "Not the type, eh? I see!" (1a).
     ♦ "Свидетели показывают, что у "Мотодрома" Люся высадилась из светло-серой "Волги", которую мы преследовали"... - "Кому принадлежит "Волга"?" - "Ревазу Давидовичу Степнадзе". - "Вот как!.." - удивился начальник отдела (Чернёнок 1). "Witnesses testified that Lusya got out at the Motodrom stop from a light gray Volga - the one we were pursuing."..."Who owns the Volga?" "Revaz Davidovich Stepnadze " "So that's how it is!" The chief was surprised (1a).
     ♦ "...Когда-то отец из меня кузнеца хотел сделать. Кузница у нас была". - "Вот как! - с волнением сказал Илья. - Дак, значит, мы с тобой тёзки, товарищ Лукашин?" - "В каком смысле?" - "А в том, что у моего отца тоже кузница была" (Абрамов 1).
     ♦ ... There was a time when my father wanted to make a blacksmith out of me. We used to have a forge." "Well now!" said Ilya with emotion. "That makes us cousins, doesn't it, Comrade Lukashin?" "How so?" "I mean, my father had a forge too" (1a)
     ♦ "Сегодня я сижу да читаю Пушкина... Вдруг Аркадий подходит ко мне и молча, с этаким ласковым сожалением на лице, тихонько, как у ребёнка, отнял у меня книгу и положил передо мной другую, немецкую... улыбнулся и ушёл, и Пушкина унёс". - "Вот как!" (Тургенев 2). "Today I was sitting reading Pushkin. ... All of a sudden Arkady comes up to me, and, without saying a word, with a look, you know, of kindly commiseration, gently takes the book away from me as if I were a child, puts another one in front of me, a German one., smiles, and goes away, carrying Pushkin off with him." "Dear me!" (2a). "Today I was sitting reading Pushkin. ...Suddenly Arkady comes up to me and without a word, as gently as if I were a child, with an affectionate look of pity on his face, took away my book and put another before me, a German book. ...Then he gave me a smile and went out, carrying Pushkin off with him." "Upon my word!" (2c).
2. вот как нужен, надоел и т.п. Also: ВО КАК substand [adv (intensif) or modif]
(a person or thing is needed by s.o., boring to s.o. etc) to an extreme, the utmost degree (often accompanied by a gesture in which the speaker raises the edge of his index finger to his throat):
- like you wouldn't believe;
- awfully;
- terribly;
- really;
- [in refer, to annoyance etc] s.o. has had it (up to here) (with sth.;
- sth. is more than one can take (handle).
     ♦ "А время тяжёлое, и нам урожай этот во как нужен. Так?" (Войнович 4). "Times are rough and we really need this harvest, right?" (4a).
     ♦ [Кудимов:] Парни! Что за формальности? Мне эта субординация (показывает) во как осточертела! (Вампилов 4). [К ] Come on, fellers' Let's have a bit less of this formality. I've had seniority and juniority up to here. (Points) (4a).
     ♦ "Своей у тебя жизни, что ли, нет, чтобы так-то вокруг смотреть! Мне своей жизни - во как хватает - я всего этого не замечаю, на что твоя сила ушла..." (Битов 2). "Perhaps you don't have a life of your own, to be looking around you like this! My own life is more than I can handle, I don't notice all these things that you've poured your strength into-" (2a).

Большой русско-английский фразеологический словарь. — М.: ACT-ПРЕСС КНИГА. . 2004.