Day 80: A Pilot Explains Turbulence
Just before take-off from Khabarovsk, a nervous passenger grips his armrest and gets talking to the man in the next seat.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title.
- Read the dialogue and its translation. The audio for this lesson is coming soon.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Russian audio, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day
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A
Извините за локоть. Двадцать лет летаю, а на взлёте всё равно вцепляюсь в подлокотник.
Sorry about the elbow. I've been flying for twenty years, and I still clutch the armrest on take-off.
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B
Ничего страшного. Я пятнадцать лет за штурвалом, и взлёт, поверьте, дело совершенно рутинное.
No problem at all. I've been at the controls for fifteen years, and take-off, believe me, is a completely routine business.
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A
Вы пилот? Тогда объясните, почему нас в прошлый раз над Байкалом трясло, как в телеге.
You're a pilot? Then explain why we got shaken about over Baikal last time, like in a cart.
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B
Дело в том, что воздух, как дорога, бывает с ухабами. Трясёт, но ехать не мешает.
The thing is, air, like a road, has its bumps. It shakes you about, but it doesn't stop you getting there.
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A
Только телега, в отличие от нас, с десяти километров не падает.
Only a cart, unlike us, can't fall from ten kilometres up.
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B
Из-за турбулентности самолёты практически не падают. Крыло гнётся, как удочка, а запас прочности у него огромный.
Planes practically never fall because of turbulence. The wing bends like a fishing rod, and it has a huge safety margin.
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A
Удочка, говорите... Это я понимаю, сам рыбак. Смотрите-ка, а табло с ремнями уже погасло.
A fishing rod, you say... That I understand, I'm a fisherman myself. Look at that, the seat-belt sign has already gone off.
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B
Вот видите: пока мы говорили про удочки, уже набрали высоту. А вы и не заметили.
There you go: while we were talking about fishing rods, we've already climbed to cruising height. And you didn't even notice.
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