[FPSPACE] A bilingual question

[Allen Thomson]

> Speaking of translating Russian astronautics
> words into English, I have always wondered why
> "blok" is usually translated as "block",
> which to me means next to nothing, when it clearly means
> "stage" of a rocket or missile.

Yes, "stage" usually would be better in the rocket context. "Blok" is used in broader contexts though, and I prefer "unit" most of the time. "Block" sounds slightly weird in American English except in some very specific contexts (e.g., city blocks, sections of buildings or building complexes).