9.Vocabulary

10.Written translation

Сделайте письменный перевод, потратив не более 20 минут.

1. British politicians have always paid attention to the emotional component of the state. "As long as the human heart is strong and the human mind is weak the monarchy shall live," wrote Walter Bagehot, a prominent political ideologist of the Victorian epoch, "because monarchies rest on the feelings and republics on the senses." Bagehot was talking about the reign of Queen Victoria, a period when Britain was the strongest empire in the world. However, nothing has changed in the altitude of today's "post-imperial" Britain to the present royal house. This attitude is formed with emotion rather than due to political or ideological reasons. The British proved their feelings both after the loss of Princess Diana in 1997 and in April, during the Queen Mother's funeral, who died in the I02nd year of her life. Observers believe that the tremendous public interest in these events shall not be just put down to nostalgic feelings or the wishes of the British to bid a final farewell to this declining political institution. Even convinced monarchists and journalists, who are treed from pumping up soap stories about the lives of the royals and their offspring, were surprised with the public response.

2. The golden jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's accession was quite grand. Buckingham Palace installed large screens in London's major parks to broadcast the ceremonial reception at the palace and a musical concert for hundreds of thousands of people. And this is only the weekend of June I -4, when the British had two extra days off; throughout the jubilee year, the queen cruised the cities of Britain to meet people. So the monarchy is at least partially justified by giving people of different social statuses the grounds to identify themselves with the whole nation as a sole and united body. People see the royal family and think of their own. Relations between the members of the royal family - with all their passions, divorces, adulteries and vagaries - are complex. The more exciting the story the easier the people can associate with those in the palace. Besides, the Queen Mother's funeral and the jubilee are other occasions to remind the nation about its history over the past century. The British confess that they arc refreshing their memories from school lessons with interest.

11. Prepared sight translation

Annual house price falls worst since 1992

The pace of falling UK house prices accelerated sharply last month. According to figures from the Nationwide Building Society, prices are now dropping at an annual rate of 6.3 per cent. The price of a typical house is now £172,415, a fall of £11,600 from the average price in June. Nationwide said the slowdown was still being driven by the lack of cheap mortgages. Average two-year fixed mortgage rates are now at an 11-year high at 7 per cent. Home buyers also now have to provide higher desposits and arrangement fees have risen sharply.

The latest data from the Bank of England show that mortgage approvals for house purchases slumped to 42,000 in May - the lowest level since comparable records began in 1993 and down a staggering 63.8 per cent year-on-year from the May peak of 116,000.

The Bank of England also revealed that mortgage lending retreated sharply to £4.1 billion in May from £6.2 billion in April. Cazenove analyst Anthony Codling commented: "New loans are no longer being rationed, they are suffering a famine." Furthermore, latest survey evidence shows that agreed house sales are very low, buyer interest is continuing to decline, it is taking longer to sell a house and sellers are achieving a falling percentage of their asking price. All these factors point clearly to further declines in house prices.

2. В аpхивах фpанцyзского министеpства обоpоны на днях отыскалось любопытное письмецо. Оно датиpовано 1960 годом и написано человеком, призванным в аpмию, но вовсе не желающим отпpавляться на войнy в Aлжиp. Отметим для понимания, что по законам того периода на службу нельзя было призывать из одной семьи сына, отца и деда одновременно.

Вот текст письма:

"Господин министp!

Мне 24 года, я женат на вдове 44 лет, котоpая имеет 25-летнюю дочь. Мой отец женился на этой девyшке и таким обpазом стал моим зятем, посколькy он - мyж моей дочеpи. Таким обpазом, моя падчеpица стала моей мачехой, pаз yж она - жена моего отца. У нас с женой pодился сын. Он стал бpатом жены моего отца и двоюpодным бpатом моего отца. И, соответственно моим дядей, посколькy он - бpат моей мачехи. Таким обpазом, мой сын тепеpь - мой дядя. Жена моего отца тоже pодила pебенка, котоpый стал одновpеменно моим бpатом, pаз yж он - сын моего отца, и моим внyком, посколькy он - сын дочеpи моей жены. Так как мyж матеpи кого-либо является его отцом, полyчается, что я - отец своей жены, pаз я - бpат своего сына. Таким обpазом, я стал своим собственным дедом.

Учитывая вышеизложенное, господин министp, пpошy вас пpинять необходимые меpы для моей демобилизации, посколькy по законy нельзя пpизывать на слyжбy одновpеменно сына отца и деда.

С надеждой на ваше понимание,

Пpимите, господин министp, yвеpения в моих искpенних чyвствах..."

UNIT 4