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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

Глубокоуважаемые господа

English translation: (highly-) esteemed / Honorable

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:Глубокоуважаемые господа
English translation:(highly-) esteemed / Honorable
Entered by: Turdimurod Rakhmanov

06:23 Dec 8, 2020
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Letters to officials
Russian term or phrase: Глубокоуважаемые господа
In the context of a heading to a letter requesting permits from a ministry official

Now normally, I'd say "Dear Sir/Madam", BUT... this is a Russian letter written by a Russian employee to a Russian government official, and the translation is apparently for internal use so the head office can take a look at what this local guy is up to.

Rest of the letter is written in some pretty feudal kowtow-grade terminology as well. Should I translate the scraping and bowing as is, OR translate with normal English forms for such letter OR something in between? Thx.
Adieu
(highly-) esteemed / Honorable
Explanation:
(highly-) esteemed or respected / Honorable or Honored
I would say:

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2020-12-08 09:05:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Most Honorable Sirs is the best option, I think.
Selected response from:

Turdimurod Rakhmanov
Kyrgyzstan
Local time: 08:27
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2(highly-) esteemed / Honorable
Turdimurod Rakhmanov
4 +1Dear Messrs.
Tigranuhi Khachatryan
3 +1Dear Sirs,
Lesia Kutsenko
3 +1Dear Sir or Madam
Roman Bouchev


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Dear Messrs.


Explanation:
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/55618/what-is-th...
20

The plural form of Mister is Misters, and the abbreviations Mr. and Messrs. respectively (although UK English drops the periods). The odd spelling is because "Messrs." comes from the French "messieurs". So your example would be phrased as:

Dear Messrs. Jones, Smith, Bloggs, and Flintston

Tigranuhi Khachatryan
Armenia
Local time: 06:27
Native speaker of: Native in ArmenianArmenian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  IrinaN
1 day 9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Irina :)
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Dear Sirs,


Explanation:
in-between

Lesia Kutsenko
Canada
Local time: 22:27
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  svetlana cosquéric
3 days 12 hrs
  -> Thank you so much, Svetlana!
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
(highly-) esteemed / Honorable


Explanation:
(highly-) esteemed or respected / Honorable or Honored
I would say:

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2020-12-08 09:05:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Most Honorable Sirs is the best option, I think.

Turdimurod Rakhmanov
Kyrgyzstan
Local time: 08:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in UzbekUzbek, Native in KirghizKirghiz
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: So, "Honorable Sirs," ? Full "Most Honorable Sirs,"? Or "Dear Honorable Sirs,"?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  mrrafe: The kowtow must have been an intended part of the meaning. They're Russian - they knew how to say господа if that's all they wanted.
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  Oleg Lozinskiy: 'Most honourable' could also fit the context.
2 hrs
  -> Спасибо, Олег! Yes, sure. You are right, Oleg.
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9 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Dear Sir or Madam


Explanation:
In my view, there's no use going overboard on addressing members of an official agency (other than USA) with flourishes like 'Honorable/Highly Respected Sir or Madam' given that the rest of the letter is written in some pretty feudal kowtow-grade terminology, as noted by the asker. Furthermore, flowery, obsequious language will probably come across as insincere. Irina's comment in the discussion entry truly makes sense in this respect.

Unless the name of a Russian official is specified, I would opt for this turn of phrase. In BE, for example, Dear Sirs is used when addressing as letter to a company (when you don't have a contact name, be it male or female), but 'Dear Sir or Madam' (NOT Dear Sir/Madam) is a safer bet these days, as people have become very sensitive to this kind of thing: you can never know how people will react to it.

The opening "Respected ..." is never used in U.S. business.

A native speaker of American English would not write "Most Honorable Sirs."

Messrs is used as a title to refer formally to more than one man simultaneously, or in names of COMPANIES. Moreover, in the UK, for example, the style most 'honourable' is reserved for a MARQUESS or MARCHIONESS, the second highest title of non-royal nobility immediately below a duke or duchess.



    https://emilypost.com/advice/official-forms-of-address
    https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders/cm/appc.htm
Roman Bouchev
Russian Federation
Local time: 05:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Boris Shapiro
4 hrs
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