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Agatha Christie wrote that the growth of Hercule Poirot, was equal to five feet and five inches.
In old Russia, the growth of man is measured in Russian inches (vershok).
Vershok is equals one-sixteenth of a Russian feet (arshin), arshin is equal to one-third of Russian yard (sagen) and sagen is equal to seven English feet.
The porter Gerasim from one novel of Turgenev had a growth of twelve vershok: "Of all her servants was the most wonderful person - porter Gerasim, a man twelve Russian inches of growth, composed of a hero ...».
What growth in cm have Poirot and Gerasim?
Please - no answer from Russia and no search in Internet! Use only Mathcad.
A lot of Russisns and not only must solve same task by reading Turgenev, Tolstoj, Dostoevskiy etc.
Solved! Go to Solution.
Hello,
Ok. The growth of Mr. Gerasim is
a.195.58 cm (2 arshin+12 vershok)
b.266.7 cm (3 arshin+12 vershok)
Even if the rusian heros are tall, 266 cm is too much. So I think, it should be 195.58cm
Regards,
Oscar J.
Good Morning,
Poirot:165.1cm
Gerasim:53.34cm
Regards,
Oscar J.
Oscar Delgado wrote:
Good Morning,
Poirot:165.1cm
Gerasim:53.34cm
Regards,
Oscar J.
Poirot: 165.1cm - correct!
Gerasim: 53.34 cm - it is typical mistake! The "composed of a hero" (see the picture above) cannot have this growth!
A lot of people calculate by reading this novel as you and
A second Example.
Fedor Dostoevskiy "The Idiot": "a huge twelve vershok gentleman also unusually thick, very dark and silent and apparently fervently hope for his fists."
PS
See one vershok converter - http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/units/length/length.rvershok.en.html
Hello,
I'm a little bit confused. May you please give us somme clues, because in my mathcad file the growth of Mr Gerasim is 53.34cm.
sagen=7ft =213.36cm
arshin=1/3 sagen =71.12cm
veshok=1/16 arshin =4.445cm
12 vershok=53.34cm
I can't find where is the mistake.!!!
Regards,
Oscar J.
Oscar Delgado wrote:
Hello,
I'm a little bit confused. May you please give us somme clues, because in my mathcad file the growth of Mr Gerasim is 53.34cm.
sagen=7ft =213.36cm
arshin=1/3 sagen =71.12cm
veshok=1/16 arshin =4.445cm
12 vershok=53.34cm
I can't find where is the mistake.!!!
Regards,
Oscar J.
sagen=7ft =213.36cm - correct!
arshin=1/3 sagen =71.12cm - correct!
veshok=1/16 arshin =4.445cm - correct!
12 vershok=53.34cm - correct!
But the question is not what is 12 vershok in cm but what is the growth of Mr Gerasim in cm! What unit secret we have in old classic Rusian literature?
Hello,
I think Mr.Gerasim's growth is about 12 vershok + normal people height .
The problem is... what is the "normal" people height?. Somewhere in the book could be any ref to "normal" people?
Regards,
Oscar J.
Oscar Delgado wrote:
Hello,
I think Mr.Gerasim's growth is about 12 vershok + normal people height .
The problem is... what is the "normal" people height?. Somewhere in the book could be any ref to "normal" people?
Regards,
Oscar J.
Sorry, not correct!
But you are going in a right direction! 12 vershok + ???.
The IT principle of defaults!
One hint:
2 arshin =142.24cm
3 arshin (sagen) = 213.36cm
Hello,
Ok. The growth of Mr. Gerasim is
a.195.58 cm (2 arshin+12 vershok)
b.266.7 cm (3 arshin+12 vershok)
Even if the rusian heros are tall, 266 cm is too much. So I think, it should be 195.58cm
Regards,
Oscar J.
Oscar Delgado wrote:
Hello,
Ok. The growth of Mr. Gerasim is
a.195.58 cm (2 arshin+12 vershok)
Even if the rusian heros are tall, 266 cm is too much. So I think, it should be 195.58cm
Regards,
Oscar J.
It is a correct answer!
A normal man in Russia/Eu has a growth 2-3 arshin and we need not 2 arshin!
Do you want new questions about/on (Sori for mai inglish) units in Russian Clasic Literature (RCL)?
Hello Mr Ochkov,
Yes. I would like to do more "problems" like this.
Regards,
Oscar J.
It was a task about... temperature unit too.
A new problem:
In old Russia, a person's weight was measured in poods and pounds. We can read in one novel about a man who wrote in his business cards: Ivan Ivanov -weight 9 poods and 20 pounds. This man had nothing more remarkable . What is his weight?
I can buy today in sporting store weights for gym in 1, 1.5 and 2 pood:
This problem of Arkady Averchenko?
Viktor Korobov wrote:
This problem of Arkady Averchenko?
No - Михаил Зощенко!
Sitting in a corner of the common rooms a small restaurant, I first drew attention to these two ladies.
Both were middle-aged, but still quite youthful. In relation to each other through that particular female friendship that nothing could disturb, except the new pattern on the hood or a beautiful lover.
The ladies chatted peacefully, eating some greens, then demanded coffee, and when demanded coffee - one of them, brunette, said:
- I would have drank a liqueur - a little- little glass.
- Oh! And I would. Man! Give us liquor.
- What do you want?
- Yes, all the same. Some!
The servant ran to the cupboard, brought a bottle of Benedictine, two glasses, put ...
- Do not it! - Lady frowned. - This is such rubbish - wax smell.
- What do you want?
- He is such a red ...
- Abrikotin, sir? Now.
When there was abrikotin, the blonde said:
- How much you have a shot of this?
- Forty cents.
- God! That fight! A whole bottle of what it costs?
- Three of the ruble.
- How many shots here, it?
- Glasses of fifteen.
- But this is, my dear, nonsense! Fifteen shots, divided into three rubles - a penny a glass!
- Twenty! - I suggested to her seat.
The brunette turned to me angrily, eyes flashed, and the servant said in an undertone:
- Why did this young man speaks to a decent woman?
- I did not speak, - I replied. - Mathematics - an exact science and there are higher truths, which may be protected everywhere, even in a restaurant, even with strangers. I maintain three rubles, divided into fifteen shots, given the cost of glasses at twenty cents. And no penny!
The brunette thought a moment, then nodded and said, "Thanks!" - And again turned to the servant:
- So, fifteen shots we pay three rubles, and two - eight hryvnia?
- Yes, exactly.
The ladies looked at each other, and their eyes flashed the same message:
- If we drink the whole bottle - we gain on it.
- Well, - both nodded. - Leave us a bottle.
They diligently began to drink and, of course, and drank only seven glasses - Brunette four, three blonde.
- Oh! I'm already dizzy ... I can not anymore.
- And I, I feel pretty.
- You know what? I think that it would be much more profitable to take the glasses: see, there are still a half, but we have to pay three rubles in full.
- And you know what? Let's count the glasses, and the rest, let him take.
- Oh, it is true. We drank seven shots ... forty cents ... God! Published three rubles eighty!!
I suggested nervously from the corner:
- Two rubles eighty!!
- Oh, he starts talking again! Mersey. Hence, two rubles and eighty. What we economize? Total twenty kopeks?
- Yes ... - angry blonde said. - We will leave them half a bottle of fine liquor for twenty kopecks!
- Oh! - Brunette whispered with regret. - If we were in a glass, two drink ... but I can not any more! ..
- Me
- Leave it to the current account - I counseled.
- Oh, he was again! .. What it is: the current account?
- A servant may be written on the label of the bottle with your name and give the rest of liquor to the buffet. They hide, and when you come again, you can free to drink.
- But we do not come into this bad pub! We are quite by accident ...
- Tanya! You seem to be in front of him making excuses - brunette murmured. - Because it is unfamiliar to us! ..
I leaned back in his chair and began to calmly consider the ceiling.
- You know what? Let's give this half of the servant instead of tea!
- Um ... That's where the ruble and a half ... Not much you?
They decided on it, paid and left.
After them came out and I am.
In the front, we met again.
- My galoshes! - Brunette said, handing the doorman leg. Lost her balance, waved her arms and almost fell - I supported her in time.
- You still doing here? - She muttered angrily. - Directly not appear anywhere. Enough ...
In one corner stood a machine for weighing. At the bottom of a small area at the top dial with numbers and the opening: "Please drop five cents."
The device has riveted the attention of the blonde.
- Oh, look ... Libra! I want to hang myself.
- I. What should I do?
- Join the site and lower snout, - said the porter.
- It's easy? Tanya, let's share overhang. This is interesting.
- Why do together? You can separately - hesitantly blonde said.
- Oh, but half the price ... That dime, penny and then!
Her friends stood on a platform, a friendly hug for greater stability and lowered into the hole nickle. Arrow hesitated and stopped at:
- 9 poods and 20 pounds.
- Oh! Look ... I guess it was spoiled.
- Scales are correct - I got involved again. - But they have shown your total weight.
Brunette become thoughtful, and asked:
- And how do we split up now?
- Nothing, - consoled her blonde (she was a bit taller and much better brunette.) - We know that our two 9 poods and 20 pounds. And nothing more is needed.
- Why should we?
- Well, we divide in half. How much is 9 poods and 20 pounds in two years? - She turned to me as an expert, has already proved himself in mathematics.
- No, why half? - Interrupted the brunette. - Because in my lower weight. You are much better and more solid. We consider this: in my four poods, and in you the rest.
Blonde plunged in the calculations.
- How much? - She asked me.
- You have to do 5 poods and 20 pounds.
- Here's news! For what reason? You would have me all 9 poods of bulk.
I said:
- You do not need to save the penny ... you have to be weighed separately.
- Well, weighed separately.
- You no longer need two. Let weigh one. What you get, we subtract from the total weight - and the rest will fall on the other.
- Again, he speaks! Well, well ...
Brunette with a sigh, took another penny and got to the site.
- 4 poods and 15 pounds! - I exclaimed, glancing at the clock.
- Yeah! - Blonde said triumphantly. - So, I have 4 poods 5 pounds.
- Not four or five and five and five - I corrected.
- Ah-huh? You're crazy. Do I have this weight was not! How did you get it?
Please - no answer from Russia...
I'm not from Russia, but I love russian literature and Mathcad.
Continue! See above the begin!
- Very easy. Both of you weigh 9 poods and 20 pounds. Your girlfriend has 4 - 15. So, you have to balance 5 poods and 5 pounds.
- It can not be! I myself overhang.
- You see - I said reproachfully. - Before you both wanted to avoid a snout, and now it will cost fifteen kopecks.
- All the same! Bah! Why on earth - five poods?
She took a nickle and timidly entered the area.
- One foot can not do - I warned him. - Should be quite.
- Leave me alone.
Snout failed, shaken hands, and showed:
- 5 poods and 5 pounds.
The blonde angrily jumped off the platform and shouted:
- On my heavy dress! And then - after a hearty meal!
She was so miserable that I decided to help her.
- Let us, ma'am, we subtract this excess. Well, how much weight a dress, corset and boots?
- How much? .. ... Pounds fifteen.
- Not! Put twenty. Lunch - ten pounds ... Is that enough? Liquor - well, this is nonsense: three pounds. Out? Thirty-eight pounds. Subtract. It turns out the entire net, three poods and forty-eight pounds!
- Yeah! - Blonde said triumphantly. - I told you!
She grabbed his arm agitated, confused brunette and hurriedly left, giving me a gentle, full of warmth and sympathy look...