The phenomenon of laziness has been the subject of analysis since the ancient times. Nowadays a lot of philosophers, psychologists, historians, pedagogues, linguists, sociologists and other scientists are still speculating about this human feature of character trying to find the definite answer to the question of nature of this phenomenon and how to treat it.
The concept «laziness» presents very unusual and peculiar interest since it is relevant for any culture in the world though the attitude towards this phenomenon and the degree of its spreading is different in all the cultures and subcultures (1). Analysis and studying of the concept «laziness» have revealed different connotations of this intercultural phenomenon (2). For example, the Russian language demonstrates this concept by the following Russian synonyms: безволие, бессилие, вялость, праздность, неприспособленность, безразличие, трусость, нерешительность.We can notice that laziness can be related to physical and psychological state of a person. Phraseological field of linguistics also gives us a rich and ever-living source of this concept representations. For example, «Laziness won’t bring any good» (Леньдодобранедоведет), «Laziness sitcks like infection» (Лень, какзаразнаяболезньпристает)etc. Besides, this concept is mentioned in the folklore of many nations. For example, the image of the idler is vividly portrayed in the Russian fairy-tales such as «The fairy-tale about Emelya», «The fairy-tale about Ivan-durak» and so on.
If to describe the main doer of the action then different languages give us a lot of words describing such people. For example, the Russian language provides us with the following examples: дармоед, шалопай, лодырь, лентяй, лоботряс, филонщик, лежебокаetc. In English we may find the following words: lazybone, drone, idler, truant, poke, slouch, fiddler, slow belly, couch potato etc. The German language presents such examples as Faulenzer, Nichstuer, Bummelant, Flaneur, Tagedieb etc. However, all the nations treat this phenomenon in a negative way.