Getting/Coming here (or whatever - depending on context) is something the world can only dream about/dream of/dream of doing

Or, for those who like it a bit of emphasis: ... is something beyond the world's wildest dreams

Мне также интересно употребление слова "but":

The whole world but dreams of coming here.

As for "The whole world but dreams of coming here" - yes, that's nice, I admit, - if you want to write using the style, say, of 200-400 years ago. e.g. "I love but thee". In short, best to keep this type of English for parties full of romantically inclined 16-year old American girls who are currently studying Romeo and Juliet at high school. They'll love it.

Getting here is something the world can only dream about

I like this kind off turning around.

Do you understand Russian phrase as active efforts without coming true?

kind of

the entire world's dearest dream is to (get here/come to this place/...)
the entire world wants most of all to (get here/come to this place/...)

the moment I saw the title of the thread it occurred to me the OP meant 'eager to, keen on'. The word 'и' adds a certain slant to it. Without context I'll have to stick with my version until the OP shows up with it.

Stripped of context, I understand the Russian phrase as implying that "getting here" (wherever the hell 'here' is, by the way, God knows...) is beyond the realm of the possible, so, hence, "getting here" remains only a "dream". I see no 'active effort' implied.

PS. I must say, I'm enjoying all the possible nuances that are spilling out of this. I hope to learn something. Let's hope Medvedev or whoever doesn't suddenly come out with this phrase at a summit meeting. If the profound musing by the population of Planet MT as to the "true meaning" of this phrase is anything to go by, we could be facing an international incident...

Silly Wizard:

"Dying to" is very "active", implying strong will to do this or that (i.e. a desire that may or may not be realized). I'd be intrigued to know how Russian "мечать" can suggest this. It doesn't necessarily imply frustrated ambition (?)

How does "getting" imply "an actual journey" any more than "coming"? I simply wrote "Getting/Coming" as a handy way of translating "попасть" - but, of course, that's not the word/phrase at issue here, so basically it's irrelevant.

It was not my intention to be "categorical", simply to point out what I believe to be mistakes in other interpretations/translations. Hell, I could be wrong! But surely the task here is to help the person who asked the original question... It's up to him/her to weigh the options and proposals.

As for my "Russian and English linguistic qualifications", I see that as basically irrelevant here. It proves nothing, certainly where nuances of Russian are concerned, but I've worked freelance, taught translation at a British university, worked for NATO, UNESCO, the BBC as interpretor/translator. I currently work for UN Geneva and have a working arrangement with a Russian bank.

As to me I've no doubt about your Russian and English linguistic qualifications.

Moreover I think your knowledge of Russian slang and idiomatic expressions are very profound.

Sometimes even striking.

I wonder how long you've been in contact with Russian environment.

I think your presence here is value added...let me formulate it so...

NATO, UNESCO, BBC, UN - ого!

как это значение передать на английском, мне сейчас в голову не приходит, но это не из серии beyond the realm of the possible... виз олл дью решпект к регалиям... ))

при всем при этом, есть у меня ощущение (ничем не подкрепленное, поскольку контекста нет), что это выражение здесь автор употребил не к месту и ничего такого не имел в виду... и если это так, то варианта два: либо это действительно несбыточная мечта, и тогда подходит вариант HarryWharton&Co, либо вполне себе сбыточная типо Сочи во времена Союза, и тогда годится вариант с "dying to"...

я вот так себе это понимаю, да...

Texoducr - thank you for your kind comments. The cheque's in the post.

As for my "contact with the Russian environment", well, I once went to a Russian restaurant in Brussels, once spent a night in a Moscow обезьянник, enjoy listening to Shostakovich, and, oh yes, recently got my ribs cracked courtesy of two Russian (I think) gentlemen outside an Irish pub. That's about it.

since there is a question mark ;)

i am not sure about the "strong will" or the "frustrated ambition" ... the way i see it, "ТОЛЬКО И" makes the "МЕЧТАТЬ о том, чтобы попасть сюда" an exclusive thing to either:
A. their dreams (as in the only thing they dream about is "попасть сюда"), or
B. their time (as in the only thing they do is sit and dream about "попасть сюда")

without more context, cannot tell whether it's A or B ;)
the "dying to" seems an adequate expression in either case .... right/wrong?

somebody can't live/wait to do something

smb dreams of doing smth

"dying to" suggests impatience, even great impatience, great eagerness for something

I'm dying for a cigarrette; she's dying to talk to you; we're dying to see you (etc, etc, well, I'm sure you know)

At the same time, it's rather colloquial in register.

So, if "только и мечтает" conveys those two elements, then "dying" could be right. To my mind, however, "только и мечтает", even if it suggests the first element, isn't especially colloquial. In this, of course, I defer to Russian native speakers.

"I'm dying for a smoke" might be translated (among other options) as "Смерть, как курить хочется". But could you say, for example, "Я только и мечтаю курить"? Sounds odd to me.

If you want to use "dying to" as a way to translate "только и мечтает", you have to somehow feel that, yes, it conveys both meaning and register.

By the way, where, I ask again, is the elusive Shelly Webster and the context?

В данном случае в контексте присутствует ирония: "Неужели ты и правда думаешь, что весь мир только и мечтает о том, чтобы попасть сюда?"

Весьма смелое утверждение даже для нэйтива :).

So your average English guy comes out of the pub and says "I'm dying for a smoke". We hear this every day. Are you saying that your average Russian guy comes out of a bar and says "Ой, я только и мечтаю, чтоб покурить"?

Sounds to me that the Russian guy has been reading too much Брюсов...

И... тадададан дадан! Внезапно выясняется, что это была ирония! :))

Но послушаем теперь, что на Вашу поправку ответят мэтры :)

"Surely you don't really think that everyone everywhere/the world over dreams about coming here/is simply/just dying to come here"

Maybe: "Surely you don't really think that people the world over have nothing else on their minds except for coming here"

And lots of other possibilities, no doubt

ага, я так и думала, что не правильно поймут :)

Ничего, комментарий подходит и к сабжу, как мне кажется :)

Do you really believe everyone under the sun is just dying to come (be) here?!
Get real!

Does nothing else, but dreaming about...

but DREAM about...

здесь герундий не пойдёт