INTRODUCTION 



Though the "sputniks "whirling around in space provide the most dramatic 

 evidence of the present need for reading Russian scientific texts, Russian contributions 

 in other fields had already stimulated many American scientists to study the Russian 

 language. Their motivation must indeed have been of a high order, since present textbooks 

 are hardly adequate for the specialized task of developing rapidly an ability to read in- 

 volved Russian texts. To meet the pressing need for a serious textbook in this area, the 

 writer offers this manual with the hope that its use will enable American scientists to 

 establish scholarly communication with their Russian counterparts. 



What is Scientific Russian ? 



All texts written in the Russian language are Russian, whether they deal with 

 algae or water nymphs. What is referred to here as Scientific Russian is simply that 

 Russian textual mai.ter which deals with scientific subjects. The reference to texts 

 implies that the written language, rather than the spoken idiom, is the main object of 

 interest. This limitation of interest eliminates from consideration a host of compli- 

 cations, ranging from pronunciation problems to the vagaries of idiomatic usage. For 

 an adult the attainment of a skill in reading a foreign language is far easier than the 

 acquisition of even a modest fluency in the spoken language . 



This manual will thus prepare the learner to read standard written Russian 

 and will, by the consideration of scientific texts, provide opportunities for familiar- 

 ization with Russian scientific terminology. 



Discussion of the Problem 



For the speaker of English the Russian language presents initially a formidable 

 appearance: a dense thicket of inflectional forms further obscured by a strange alphabet. 



