Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

бeнзобa´к ёмкостью в 50

a petrol tank which holds about

ли´тров

11 gallons

Note:

small quantities of drinks may be ordered by weight, e.g. сто грaмм во´дки, 100 grams of vodka ; двe´сти грaмм коньякa´, 200 grams of brandy .

6.1.5

Russian pre-revolutionary units of measure

Words relating to the earlier system of measurement will of course be found in pre-revolutionary literature and documents, and in some cases may persist in contexts in which they no longer have to do with

precise measurement. The main units were:

вeршо

length

´к= 13 /

4

or 4.4 cm

aрши´н= 28 or 71 cm

сa´жe´нь(f ) = 7 or 2.13 metres

вeрстa´= 2 / 3 mile or 1.07 km

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6

Language and everyday life

Note:

мe´ритьчто´-н нa свой aрши´н, to measure sth by one’s own standards мe´рить вёрсты, to travel a long way

хвaтa´ть вeршки´чeго´-н, to get a smattering of sth

area

дeсяти´нa= 2.7 acres or 1.09 hectares

weight

пуд= 36 lbs or 16.38 kg

liquid measure

штоф= 2 pints or 1.23 litres

чe´твeрть(f ) = 5 pints or 3 litres

вeдро´= 21 pints or 12.3 litres (10 × штоф, 4 × чe´твeрть)

6.1.6

Speed

Some rough equivalents:

60 киломe´тров в чaс

37 miles an hour

100 киломe´тров в чaс

62 miles an hour

160 киломe´тров в чaс

100 miles an hour

300 миллио´нов мe´тров

186,000 feet per second (the speed

в сeку´нду

of light)

6.1.7

Temperature

The centigrade scale constructed by Celsius is used, and the Fahrenheit scale will not be generally understood. The formulae for conversion

are:

C = (F − 32) × 5 , e.g. 77◦F = 25◦C

9

F = C × 9 + 32 , e.g. 15◦C = 59◦F

5

Some equivalents:

По цe´льсию

по Φaрeнгe´йту

сто грa´дусов(100◦, то´чкa кипe´ния воды´, i.e.

212◦

boiling point of water )

три´дцaть грa´дусов (тeплa´)(30◦ above zero)

86◦

двa´дцaть грa´дусов (тeплa´)(20◦ above zero)

68◦

дe´сять грa´дусов (тeплa´)(10◦ above zero)

50◦

чeты´рe гpa´дусa (тeплa´)(4◦ above zero)

39◦

нуль(m; 0◦, то´чкa зaмeрзa´ния воды´,

32◦

i.e. freezing point of water )

пять грa´дусов ни´жe нуля´/пять грa´дусов

23◦

моро´зa(−5◦)

двa´дцaть грa´дусов ни´жe нуля´/двa´дцaть

−4◦

грa´дусов моро´зa(−20◦)

со´рок грa´дусов ни´жe нуля´/со´рок грa´дусов

−40◦

моро´зa(−40◦)

206

6.4

Time

The normal temperature of the human body (98.4◦F) is just under

37◦C, i.e. три´дцaть сeмь грa´дусов, more precisely три´дцaть шeсть

и дe´вять.

6.2

Currency

The basic unit of currency is the rouble ( рубль; m). The smaller unit, the kopeck ( копe´йкa), of which there are a hundred to the rouble, has with post-Soviet hyperinflation become valueless. The official rate of exchange ( курс) was approximately £1 = 50 roubles in mid-2004.

Salaries are described in monthly terms (e.g. во´сeмь ты´сяч рублe´й в

мe´сяц, 8,000 roubles a month ).

Russian pre-revolutionary coins, the names of which may be

encountered in classical literature and pre-revolutionary documents, included the aлты´н(3 kopecks), гри´внa(10 kopecks) and полти´нник

(50 kopecks).

The names of the main foreign currencies that are used or are familiar in Russia are: до´ллaр, dollar ; фунт, pound ; фрaнк, Swiss franc ; and latterly e´вро, euro .

6.3

Fractions and presentation of numerals

A decimal point is indicated in writing by a comma and is read as

follows:

3,1

три цe´лых и однa´ дeся´тaя (чaсть, part , is understood) 4,2

чeты´рe цe´лых и двe дeся´тых

5,5

пять цe´лых и пять дeся´тых

7,6

сeмь цe´лых и шeсть дeся´тых

8,9

во´сeмь цe´лых и дe´вять дeся´тых

Because the comma is used to indicate a decimal point it cannot be

used to separate blocks in numbers involving thousands and millions, which may instead be spaced out in the following way:

23 987

двa´дцaть три ты´сячи дeвятьсо´т во´сeмьдeсят сeмь

2 564 000

двa миллио´нa пятьсо´т шeстьдeся´т чeты´рe ты´сячи

6.4

Time

The 24-hour clock is widely used for all official purposes, e.g.

Конфeрe´нция нaчинaéтся в

The conference begins at 3.00 pm .

15.00 чaсо´в.

Поéзд отпрaвляéтся в 21.00 чaс.

The train leaves at 9.00 pm .

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6

Language and everyday life

If the 24-hour clock is not used, and one needs to specify which part of the day one is talking about, then one of the following forms (in the genitivecase) should follow the stated time:

yтрa´

in the morning

дня

in the afternoon

вe´чeрa

in the evening

но´чи

in the night

e.g. в во´сeмь чaсо´в утрa´, at eight in the morning ; в дe´сять чaсо´в

вe´чeрa, at ten in the evening .

Note:

вe´чeрimplies any time up until bedtime, whilst ночьindicates the period after midnight. English-speakers should note in particular that tonight in the sense of this evening should be translated сeго´дня вe´чeром.

In R1/2 time is frequently presented in simplified forms such as три