Some businessmen attempting to import calculators into the Russian Empire were known to leave in despair after watching  a skilled abacus operator.
sˌʌm bˈɪznəsmˌɛn ɐtˈɛmptɪŋ tʊ ɪmpˈoːɹt kˈælkjʊlˌeɪɾɚz ˌɪntʊ ðə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɛmpaɪɚ wɜː nˈoʊn tə lˈiːv ɪn dᵻspˈɛɹ ˈæftɚ wˈɑːtʃɪŋ ɐ skˈɪld ˈæbækəs ˈɑːpɚɹˌeɪɾɚ.