Mir-Atlantis

[Zachary Haberer]

as Prof. Stonehill was saying:
> 
> Couldn't help thinking about TRP during yesterday's docking of the Russian Mir
> and American Atlantis space shuttles overhead.  Why is it that They still are
> afraid to tell us what Mir means in Russian?  (Hint: Tolstoy's biggest novel is
> called"Voina y Mir.")
> 
> Cheers,  Brian
> 
> 

"Mir" has two meanings in Russian, (1) world, (2) peas.  The
space station Mir takes the second definition, partly out of
Soviet agricultural fulfill-the-plan propaganda aims, partly in
that the first definition is kinda like, taken by that thing
around which it orbits.  

As regards Tolstoi, yeah, most English speakers know "Voina i
Mir" as "War and Peas" (Napoleon's invasion being thrown back
thanks only to Gen. Kutuzov and the Cossack cavalry, and you
know what they had for breakfast).  I have however heard
prattle to the effect that the title could at least be
considered as "War and the World".  It's interesting, but
personally I'll stick with "Peas," knowing full well how empty
a Russian dinner plate would look without a small garnish of
over-boiled green peas on the side. 

And yes, you can eat them with a knife.

--Zack