Book excerpt: with the principles accepted in textbooks on the subject. The key language is English. The English This Dictionary is designed for people who term is followed ·by its German, French, Dutch have just started studying mechanical engineering and Russian equivalents, and by an illustration. terms in a foreign language, particularly for those In most cases, this is a simplified drawing of the who have little or no knowledge of either the terms object or a diagram of the process. Sometimes, or their meaning. The latter category of readers other self-explanatory devices are used - mathe may find it useful, in addition to the translation matical signs, chemical formulas or examples of of the term, to have an explanation of its meaning the chemical composition of alloys. as well. In the Dictionary, such explanation is The terms are numbered. The numbers serve, provided by means of internationally accepted first, to relate the term to the drawing, and, second, symbols, formulas, charts, diagrams, plans and they facilitate the f'mding of the necessary trans drawings. In this way, illustrations serve as a lation of a term via the alphabetical index. Each universal intermediary between languages. As a number consists of two parts separated by a full rule, the illustration for a term consists of that stop, e. g. 12. 5.