Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: 48-hour days?

  1. #1
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    844
    Rep Power
    14

    48-hour days?

    "Miners, including children, work up to 48-hour days amidst mudslides and tunnel collapses that kill many."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_minerals

    To me it looks as if people work up to 48 hours a day, which is nonsense. Is it just a misprint or something else?

  2. #2
    Почтенный гражданин bitpicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    653
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: 48-hour days?

    No, it means they work 48 hours in a row, so they create a day of 48 hours.

    Robin
    Спасибо за исправления!

    Вам нравится этот форум, и вы изучаете немецкий язык? Вот похожий форум о немецком языке.

  3. #3
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    844
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: 48-hour days?

    Thank you.
    No wonder I couldn't have guessed that. Such long hours in a mine are beyond my imagination.

  4. #4
    Завсегдатай rockzmom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    East Coast, United States
    Posts
    2,184
    Rep Power
    18

    Re: 48-hour days?

    Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
    Thank you.
    No wonder I couldn't have guessed that. Such long hours in a mine are beyond my imagination.
    E-learner...Robin is correct... If you click on the footnote in Wiki it's source is a New York Times article from November 15, 2008 and on page 3 about 2/3rds of the way down is where that info came from:
    The tunnels are pitch-black and suffocatingly narrow. They often fill with dangerous fumes. Miners sometimes spend 48 hours straight working in the tunnels. The open pits are dangerous, too: heavy rains cause mudslides and collapses. Cave-ins, mudslides and gases kill and maim an unknown number of workers every year.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/wo...ed=1&th&emc=th
    I only speak two languages, English and bad English.
    Check out the MasterRussian Music Playlist
    Click here for list of Russian films with English subtitles and links to watch them.

  5. #5
    Почётный участник
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    90
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: 48-hour days?

    Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
    Thank you.
    No wonder I couldn't have guessed that. Such long hours in a mine are beyond my imagination.
    This is a common expression you'll hear also with the word "week." When it refers to weeks, it does not mean straight through without a break:

    She was working 8-hours days. (Normal.)
    She was working 16-hours days and was always tired. (Each day she worked 16-hours straight.)
    She was working 40-hour weeks. (Normal: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.)
    She was working 80-hour weeks and was always tired. (She worked 16 hours a day, 5 days a week... or any other combination that adds up to 80 hours in a week.)

    When "weeks" is used, it is assumed that there the work is shared between different days, not that she worked 80 hours straight through without a break. Does that make sense?
    Пожалуйста, исправляйте мои ошибки.

  6. #6
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ukraine
    Posts
    844
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: 48-hour days?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn
    When "weeks" is used, it is assumed that there the work is shared between different days, not that she worked 80 hours straight through without a break. Does that make sense?
    It does, because in Russian it's the same thing exactly.
    сорокачасовая рабочая неделя
    Actually, I would have understood сорокавосьмичасовой рабочий день too in that context in Russian, even though it would sound unusual.

Similar Threads

  1. so much spam these days
    By sperk in forum Tech Support and Site Comments
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: September 7th, 2010, 10:38 AM
  2. Two days in Russia
    By astronomer in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: November 13th, 2007, 01:30 AM
  3. Days of work...
    By Бармалей in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: February 16th, 2006, 10:15 AM
  4. Twenty-one days
    By tdemott in forum Getting Started with Russian
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: May 3rd, 2005, 07:16 AM
  5. Quickly translate! I leave in an hour!
    By Sascha in forum Translate This!
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: May 3rd, 2005, 05:14 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary