{"id":2405,"date":"2011-11-04T00:32:47","date_gmt":"2011-11-04T00:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2405"},"modified":"2014-07-17T17:29:05","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T17:29:05","slug":"chemistry-for-muggles-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/chemistry-for-muggles-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Chemistry For Muggles – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember the first part of Rob’s “Chemistry for Muggles”<\/a> post. Well, this is the second part of it, as promised. And yes, there will be a third and final part appearing early next week. This post covers both some technical terms and some excellent Russian expressions. Without further ado, here’s Rob:<\/em><\/p>\n

This is Part 2 of \u00ab\u0425\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u0434\u043b\u044f <\/strong>\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0433\u043b\u043e\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [Chemistry for Muggles] – a look at chemistry from the point of view of \u00ab\u043d\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0435\u0446\u0438\u0430\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [layperson], discussing terms that you might find in an ordinary newspaper article.<\/p>\n

There are a number of important metallic elements that either occur naturally in a pure form, or that are relatively easy to extract from their ores. For this reason, they were independently discovered by different human civilizations many centuries ago, \u00ab\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443, \u0442\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0435 \u044d\u043b\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044b \u043d\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u043f\u043e-\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0443, \u0432 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0435\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [and therefore, such elements are called by widely different names in this or that language]. In English, the names for these elements are typically Germanic (rather than Greco-Latin), while in Russian, \u00ab\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [naturally], the terms are for the most part Slavic.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, many elements are found in nature mostly in compounds. For example, \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [iron] combines very readily with \u00ab\u043a\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [oxygen] — which is to say that it \u00ab\u043b\u0435\u0433\u043a\u043e<\/span> \u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [easily rusts]. The noun “rust” is \u00ab\u0440\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0430\u00bb, <\/strong>and the adjective “rusty” is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong>. The word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to rust] comes up unexpectedly in the popular expression \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u043c (<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e\u0439, <\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0439, <\/strong>\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0442.<\/strong>\u0434.) <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [he (I, you, they, etc) will do it at a drop of a hat].<\/p>\n

The unprecedented strength of \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> has inspired numerous metaphorical uses, from \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [ironclad logic] to \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0432\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [will of iron] to \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043d<\/strong>\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0441\u00bb<\/strong> [the Iron Curtain]. For that matter, the Russian adjective for “relating to trains and railways,” namely \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0437\u043d\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong>, derives from \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong>, literally “iron road” — despite the fact that the \u00ab\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0441\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [rails] are in fact made from \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [steel].<\/p>\n

Anyway, sometime after 1500 BCE or so, \u00ab\u0434\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043d<\/strong>\u0438\u0435 \u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [ancient peoples] in both \u00ab\u041a\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [China] and \u00ab\u0411\u043b\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u0436\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0412\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [the Middle East; lit., Near East] figured out how to infuse \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> with \u00ab\u0443\u0433\u043b\u0435\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [carbon] to produce \u00ab\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0430\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [alloy] known in Russian as \u00ab\u0447\u0443\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> — the blackish-gray form that’s called “cast iron” in English. \u00ab\u0427\u0443\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> is very hard, but is surprisingly \u00ab<\/strong>\u0445\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u043f\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [brittle] like \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0435\u043a\u043b\u043e\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [glass], making it difficult to shape with a hammer.<\/p>\n

Before too long, people figured out how to process this brittle form of \u00ab\u0447\u0443\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> to make \u00ab\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0447\u0443\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [lit., “malleable iron”, but also translatable as “wrought iron”]. Even though \u00ab\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0447\u0443\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong>\u00a0 was stronger and more flexible than pure iron or bronze, it was still comparatively brittle. But ancient people discovered that adding small amounts of other metals to the iron and carbon would yield something even more amazing: the revolutionary alloy called \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [steel]. For example, the relatively modern alloy called \u00ab\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u044e\u0449\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [stainless steel, lit., “non-rusting steel”] is \u00ab\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0430\u0432 \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u0430 \u0441 \u0445\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [an alloy of iron and chromium].<\/p>\n

For centuries producing \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> was a costly, labor-intensive process that was reserved for items that had to be \u00ab\u043a\u0430\u043a \u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043a\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043f\u0447\u0435 \u0438 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [as tough and durable as possible] — such as \u00ab\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0438\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [swords] and \u00ab\u0431\u0440\u043e\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u00bb [<\/strong>armor]. There was a time when \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b<\/span>\u0435 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [steel swords] were the ultimate high-tech \u00ab\u043e\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0436\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [weapon], far superior to swords and armor made from…<\/p>\n

… \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [copper]! Like iron, \u00ab\u043c\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> is generally found in the form of mineral ores — such as the beautiful green \u00ab\u043c\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0445\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [malachite]. The pure metal is very soft and unsuitable for weaponry. But various ancient civilizations discovered that when \u00ab\u043c\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> is melted together with the proper amount of \u00ab\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [tin], you get the stronger, harder alloy \u00ab\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0437\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [bronze], which was THE cutting-edge weapons technology — pun fully intended! — until ironworking came along. (Hence \u00ab\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0437\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043a\u00bb<\/strong>, the historical “Bronze Age” of human civilization). Considerably later, people discovered the metallic element \u00ab\u0446\u0438\u043d\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [zinc] and learned \u00ab\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0434\u044c <\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u044b <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044f<\/span>\u0449\u0443\u044e, <\/strong>\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0443\u044e <\/strong>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [how to alloy copper with zinc to produce shiny goldenbrass].<\/p>\n

Moving along in the periodic table, there is quite a number of metallic elements that are biologically toxic and can cause serious illness or death as a result of repeated exposures over time. But \u00ab\u043c\u044b\u0448\u044c\u044f<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [arsenic] is so \u00ab\u0441\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e <\/strong>\u044f\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [lethally poisonous] that it can potentially kill humans, rats, or cockroaches in a single dose. And this explains the Russian name \u00ab\u043c\u044b\u0448\u044c\u044f<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> – arsenic was widely used to get rid of \u00ab\u043c\u044b<\/span>\u0448<\/strong>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [mice].<\/p>\n

The spelling of \u00ab\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0440\u043e\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [silver] may remind X-Men<\/em> fans of the huge Telepath-O-Matic computer “Cerebro”. Of course, Dr. Xavier named his mindreading machine after “cerebrum”, which comes from an Indo-European root meaning “head”, but has no connection with \u00ab\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>. And yet the two CAN be linked by an odd coincidence of science! Living (and freshly dissected) cerebral tissue is normally a dull pinkish color, but is frequently referred to as \u00ab\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0435\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [gray matter]. This false notion that brains are gray resulted from the laboratory practice of staining sliced-up cerebrums to make certain structures more visible. And the cerebral tissue was dyed gray with — you guessed it! — \u00ab\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Throughout history and across many cultures, silver has been known as “the precious metal that’s not QUITE as precious as gold”, hence such expressions as \u00ab\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e — \u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>, \u043c\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 — \u0437\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [A word is silver; silence is gold] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438 – <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>, <\/strong>\u0430 <\/strong>\u0432\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0438 – <\/strong>\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [children are silver, but grandchildren are gold].<\/p>\n

As mentioned in the above discussion of copper, ancient people were familiar with \u00ab\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [tin] – the Russian name is probably cognate with Latin albus<\/em>, “white”, in reference to the whitish patina that forms on the pure metal. In English, a person who can’t tell well-played music from off-key music, \u00a0is said to have a “tin ear.” This expression can’t be translated literally \u00ab\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [into Russian]; instead, a Russian might say \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span> <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044c <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [a bear stepped on his ear]! However, Russian does have the phrases \u00ab\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [expressionless eyes] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0432\u0437\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [empty gaze].<\/p>\n

A metal object that is \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0438\u043c <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0435\u043c <\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [covered with a thin layer of tin] is described in Russian with an adjective \u00ab\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [tin-plated], which was borrowed from the German noun Lot<\/em>, meaning \u00ab\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [solder]. The phrase \u00ab\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [lit., “tin-plated stomach”, but equivalent to “cast-iron stomach” in English] describes a person who can eat large quantities of \u00ab\u043f\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0431\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [spicy-hot dishes] or drink lots of alcohol without feeling sick. And someone who’s able to sing or shout loudly and powerfully is said to have \u00ab\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab\u043b\u0443\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043b\u043e\u00bb –<\/strong> both phrases mean “tin-plated throat”, but English speakers would probably say “lungs of steel”.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0417\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [gold], because it was one of the first metals used by humans and also because of its beauty and rarity, shows up in even more proverbs and metaphoric uses than \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> does. \u00ab\u041a <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [for example], those naughty ancient Israelites melted down their earrings to make a big shiny idol, which gave us the phrase \u00ab\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0446\u00bb [<\/strong>the Golden Calf]. (However, note that in other contexts, the usual word for “baby cow” is \u00ab\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u043a\u00bb<\/strong>, not the archaic \u00ab\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0446\u00bb<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, ancient Greek mathematicians and architects obsessed endlessly over the \u00ab\u044d\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 <\/strong>\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [the aesthetic properties of the golden section], while the Roman sage Horace recommended to \u00ab\u043d\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u044e <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [to find the Golden Mean], also known in English as the “happy medium”.\u00a0 Presumably, married couples who follow this advice might be more likely to \u00ab\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442<\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u044e \u0441\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u044c\u0431<\/strong>\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [celebrate [their] 50th anniversary; lit., “golden wedding”]. But just keep in mind that \u00ab\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [a gold-colored object] may turn out to be merely \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [gilded] or worse, \u00ab\u043b\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb [<\/strong>brass] because, as the saying goes, \u00ab\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0451 <\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0442\u043e, <\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0431\u043b\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u00bb [<\/strong>All that glistens is not gold]!<\/p>\n

The first thing that I expect many Russian learners will say on encountering the word \u00ab\u0440\u0442\u0443\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [mercury] is “How on God’s green earth do you pronounce that?!”, followed by \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span> \u0436\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0432\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0435 \u0442\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0435 \u0441\u043a\u0443\u043f\u044b<\/span>\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0432\u044b?!\u00bb<\/strong> [why are Slavs so stingy with vowels?!].<\/p>\n

Anyway, \u00ab\u0440\u0442\u0443\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> has been known since ancient times for the strange property of being \u00ab\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [a liquid] at normal room temperatures, for which reason it was considered sort of magical. And before the 20th century, physicians would use the stuff for all sorts of highly questionable<\/em> medical purposes, such as \u00ab\u0440\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043a\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043c\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [mercury enemas]! The metal’s quick-flowing nature also figures into at least one common figure of speech, \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0440\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [as lively as quicksilver, which is another English word for mercury].<\/p>\n

Finally, we come to \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [lead] – one of the heaviest metals that’s not normally radioactive. The first thing to keep in mind is not to get the word confused with \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u044c\u044f<\/span>\u00bb<\/span><\/strong> [pig; swine], or any of the other Russian terms related to pigs! For example, \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> means “piggish” in the figurative sense of “dirty” or “rude”, but \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> \u00a0means “containing lead”.<\/p>\n

The noun \u00ab\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> can be used as a synonym for \u00ab\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [bullet], just as in the famous line from the poem \u201cDeath of the Poet\u201d<\/a> by Mikhail Lermontov – \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421 <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u0443\u0434\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0436\u0430\u0436\u0434\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [With a bullet in his chest and thirst for revenge].<\/p>\n

And the word is also used in purely metaphoric expressions. For example, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u043b\u0435\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0442 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0434\u0446\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [The bitter memory weighs on my heart like lead].<\/p>\n

And on that heavy<\/em> note, we’ll wrap up Part 2 — but our survey of the elements will conclude in the upcoming Part 3!<\/p>\n

But first, a little trivia question for you guys to Google:<\/p>\n

Both the English and<\/em> Russian names of two other commonly known (and industrially important) metallic elements derive from German words that more or less signify \u00ab\u0447\u0451\u0440\u0442; <\/strong>\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0441; <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0434\u0443<\/span>\u0445, <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [devil; demon; unclean spirit; et al]<\/em>. Can you identify these two elements?<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u043e\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432\u0430\u043c <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043a\u0430\u00bb [<\/strong>here’s a clue for you]: Both metals are often found alongside \u00ab\u043c\u0435\u0434\u044c\u00bb<\/strong>, but medieval German copper-miners considered them to be worthless nuisances. So, either out of genuine \u00ab\u0441\u0443\u0435\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [superstition] or merely \u00ab\u0432 <\/strong>\u0448\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [jokingly], the miners used to say that devil had buried these “useless” metals next to the copper, just to make a hard-working miner’s life more difficult!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember the first part of Rob’s “Chemistry for Muggles” post. Well, this is the second part of it, as promised. And yes, there will be a third and final part appearing early next week. This post covers both some technical terms and some excellent…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[117460,1131,12788,117461,12789],"class_list":["post-2405","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","tag-chemistry-in-russian","tag-learning-russian","tag-mendeleev","tag-periodic-table-in-russian","tag-russian-scientists"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2405"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6369,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405\/revisions\/6369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}