Английский язык. Устный последовательный перевод. Учебное пособие

Translate the following words and word combinations: nuclear fission; to harness sth; a high-profile boost; to stand on the brink; to inaugurate; low carbon energy policy; vulnerable; geopolitically uncertain regions; radioactive waste; public support.

Interpret the recorded abstract (task number one on the disc).

Task 4. Sight translation skills

Give a sight translation of the text

Загрязнение окружающей среды — одна из важнейших проблем современной экологии. От загрязнений сильно страдают водные ресурсы планеты. Моря и океаны загрязняются такими вредными для их жизнедеятельности веществами как нефть, тяжелые металлы, пестициды. Загрязнение происходит в результате сброса в реки, а затем и в океан сточных вод различных предприятий. Сколько лесов и полей, обработанных вредными удобрениями и потерь нефти, при ее перевозке в танкерах? Газообразные токсические вещества, такие как оксид углерода, оксид серы, попадают в морские воды через атмосферу. Вместе с дождем в моря и океаны попадает 50 000 тонн свинца. Вблизи береговой линии и в районе крупных городов в морской воде нередко обнаруживается неблагоприятная микрофлора. Степень загрязнения морской воды все больше и больше увеличивается. Нередко способность морей и океанов к самоочищению оказывается уже недостаточной. Восновномобластизагрязненийформируютсявприбрежных водах крупных промышленных центров и узких рек, а также

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в районах интенсивного судоходства и добычи нефти. Очень быстро загрязнения распространяются течениями и оказывают вредное воздействие на зоны, наиболее богатые животными и растительностью, наносят серьезный ущерб состоянию морских экосистем.

К числу наиболее вредных химических веществ относят нефть и нефтепродукты. В связи с ростом добычи, транспортировки, переработки и потребления нефти расширяются масштабы загрязнения природы.

Растворимые компоненты нефти являются очень ядовитыми. Присутствие их в морской воде приводит к гибели их обитателей.

Мировая продукция удобрений и пестицидов достигает больших масштабов. Относительная химическая устойчивость многих из этих соединений, а также характер распространения, способствовали их поступлению в моря и океаны. Постоянное накопление в воде хлорорганических веществ представляет серьезную угрозу для жизни людей.

UNIT 2. Modern Industry

Task 1. Background reading

Read the text and give Russian equivalents to the underlined

expressions

In Russia, the first set of oil wells was drilled in Kuban in 1864. In 1866, one of the wells produced a petroleum fountain with a volume of more than 1,300 barrels per day. Then, the extraction of petroleum was conducted by the main monopolies that were dependent on foreign capital. At the beginning of the 20th

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century, Russia occupied the first place in the production of petroleum.

The main areas of oil extraction in the first years of the Soviet regime in Russia were Baku and Northern Caucasus.

The Russian oil and gas industry has undergone dramatic changes since the collapse of the Soviet empire. The state monopoly gave way only to a small number of powerful oil companies. Today Lukoil is the largest Russian oil business group and one of the world’s leading oil and gas companies.

In recent years Russian oil production has surged. Yet, while Russia possesses enormous onshore oil fields, many of these fields have been producing for some time and are becoming depleted. There are, of course, many potential new discoveries to exploit. Deposits in theArctic and in the Caspian Sea are noteworthy, and reserves in the northwestern Russian Arctic are estimated to hold well over four billion bbl of oil.

The bulk of Russian gas production comes from three supergiant fields that are now in decline at a rate of 20 bcm/year. Gazprom, Russia’s state-run natural gas monopoly, holds more than one-fourth of the world’s natural gas reserves, produces nearly 90% of Russia’s natural gas, and operates the country’s natural gas pipeline network.

The potential growth of both oil and natural gas production in Russia is limited by the lack of modern western technologies for exploration, development, and production as well as government policies.

OFFSHORE RUSSIA– WHERE THE RESERVESARE

In his 1999 study of the offshore oil and gas industry, ecologist Stanislav Patin gives details of hydrocarbon reserves in around 90% of offshore areas within Russian jurisdiction, covering some five to six million square kilometres in total. Recover-

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able reserves were in the early 1990s estimated to be up to 100 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (btoe), with 80% in the form of natural gas.

In the western Arctic there are two massive hydrocarbonbearing basins on the shelves of the Barents and Kara Seas in western Siberia, holding 50 to 60 btoe. In the Far East and eastern Siberia there are 1.5 million square kilometres of interest, concentrated mostly in the Sea of Okhotsk near Sakhalin, and the Bering and East-Siberian Seas.

Owing to disputes with Japan and a number of oil spills, Sakhalin is the most widely reported Russian offshore development.

The Sakhalin shelf is estimated to contain around 6.5 btoe, or nearly twice the remaining reserves in the North Sea.

Smaller-scale developments exist in the Caspian and Baltic Seas and in the Sea of Asov. The shallow shelf of the Caspian Sea is the most productive of these, and has recoverable reserves estimated at two to three btoe, with oil itself accounting for 70%.

WHO’S WHO?

Dominating the scene is Russia’s state-controlled gas producer and distributor Gazprom, with a 16% share of the world’s gas reserves, 20% of global production and more than 90% of the domestic market. Gazprom exports to 32 countries and the company is valued at around €220 bn.

Together with a number of other firms, Gazprom is currently building a 1,200 km gas pipeline running through the Baltic Sea from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in Germany.

Due to come onstream in 2010, the Nord Stream pipeline will eventuallybefedlargelyfromtheShtokmanfield,whichliesaround 550 km north of Murmansk. French firm Total was recently chosen by Gazprom as partner for the initial phase of the development.

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Despite its name Gazprom is also involved in the oil business, and the company’s acquisition of Sibneft in 2005 makes it the fifthlargest player in the Russian oil market in terms of production.

“The Sakhalin shelf is estimated to contain around 6.5 btoe, or nearly twice the remaining reserves in the North Sea.”

Russia’s two leading oil companies are Rosneft and Lukoil, each with activities ranging from exploration and production of oil and gas to retail sales and the manufacture of petrochemical products. Rosneft is valued at €61bn and Lukoil €54bn.

Lukoil controls about 1.3% of global oil reserves and 2.1% of production, and its share of the Russian domestic market is 18% of oil production and 18.3% of refining capacity. State-owned Rosneft is involved in a number of offshore projects, and acquired the bulk ofYukos’assetsfollowingpoliticalandfinancialscandalsthatledto that company’s liquidation in September 2006.

Sakhalin Energy, a consortium led by Royal Dutch Shell, is responsible for hydrocarbon resources around Sakhalin Island in the northern Pacific Ocean. The Sakhalin II project is the most international in scope of all Russian offshore developments, with licences held by ExxonMobil and Shell amongst others.

Task 2. Sight translation skills

Give a sight translation of the text

Проблема энергообеспечения является одной из основных как для каждой страны в отдельности, так и для всего мира в целом. Непосредственное отношение к ней имеют страныэкспортеры нефти, среди которых можно выделить группу, оказавшую огромное влияние на развитие как нефтяной промышленности, так и всего энергетического комплекса мира. Это страны ОПЕК (организация стран-экспортеров нефти),

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возникшей в 1960 г., в состав которой входят: Венесуэла, Алжир, Иран, Ирак, ОАЭ, Ливия, Кувейт, Саудовская Аравия, Мексика, Габон, Нигерия, Индонезия. Впервые эти страны заявили о себе в 1971 — 1973 гг., в период нефтяного кризиса, когда ситуация на мировом рынке нефти кардинально изменилась в их пользу. Начало 70-х годов можно охарактеризовать как «поворотный пункт» в истории борьбы стран-членов ОПЕК за свою экономическую независимость против господ-

тить активы от иностранных компаний в свою собственность. Страны, входящие в ОПЕК, принадлежат к разным группировкам. КрадикальнойгруппировкеотносятсяИрак,Иран,ЛивияиАлжир. Они традиционно выступают за установление цен на возможно болеевысокомуровне.Остальныестраныможноотнестикумеренной группе,котораясоответственновыступаетзаумеренную политику.

Периоды,втечениекоторыхучастникамэтойорганизацииудавалось проводить единую рыночную политику, чередовались с резкимослаблениемдисциплиныврамкахОПЕК,когдамногиестраныучастникинаращивалиуровеньдобычииэкспортадляудовлетворения текущих финансовых нужд, нарушая согласованную политику квотиценинесчитаясьсопасностьюдестабилизациирынка.Отражениемтакогоположенияявлялосьтоослабевающее,тоусиливающееся воздействие ОПЕК на рынок и связанные с этим колебания цен в широких пределах. Таким образом, проблемой этой организации является несогласованность действий. Ключевым фактором, определяющимситуациюнетольковОПЕК,ноинамировомрынке нефти в целом, остается политика Саудовской Аравии — крупней-

шеговмирепродуцентаиэкспортеражидкоготоплива.

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Task 3. Consecutive interpreting skills

Translate the following words and word combinations:

to brush aside arguments; preservationists; CEO; to hail the project; akin; to stir weeks of debate; to come under attack; potential challenges; to challenge the project in court; the prosecutor general; to violate budget rules;cityzoningordinance;lawmakers;torankamongsth;anally;toinjectrevenuesinto.

Interpret the recorded abstract (task number two on the disc).

UNIT 3. Mass Media

Task 1. Background reading

Read the text and give Russian equivalents to the underlined

expressions.

Mass Media

By Jennifer Akin

Definition

“Mass media” is a simple term encompassing a countless array of institutions and individuals who differ in purpose, scope, method, and cultural context. Mass media include all forms of information communicated to large groups of people. There is no standard for how large the audience needs to be before communication becomes “mass” communication. There are also no constraints on the type of information being presented. A car advertisement and a U.N. resolution are both examples of mass media.

Because “media” is such a broad term, it will be helpful to focus on a limited definition. In general usage, the term has been

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taken to refer to only “the group of corporate entities, publishers, journalists, and others who constitute the communications industry and profession.” This definition includes both the entertainment and news industries. Another common term, especially in talking about conflict, is “news media.” News media include only thenewsindustry.Itisoftenusedinterchangeablywith“thepress” or the group of people who write and report the news.

The distinction between news and entertainment can at times be fuzzy, but news is technically facts and interpretation of facts, including editorial opinions, expressed by journalism professionals. Which facts are included, how they are reported, how much interpretation is given, and how much space or time is devoted to a news event is determined by journalists and management and will depend on a variety of factors ranging from the editorial judgement of the reporters and editors, to other news events competing for the same time or space, to corporate policies that reflect management’s biases.

Importance

Mass communicated media saturate the industrialized world. The television in the living room, the newspaper on the doorstep, the radio in the car, the computer at work, and the fliers in the mailbox are just a few of the media channels daily delivering advertisements, news, opinion, music, and other forms of mass communication.

Because the media are so prevalent in industrialized countries, they have a powerful impact on how those populations view the world. Nearly all of the news in the United States comes from a major network or newspaper. It is only the most local and personal events that are experienced firsthand. Events in the larger community, the state, the country, and the rest of the world are experienced through the eyes of a journalist.

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Not only do the media report the news, they create the news by deciding what to report. The “top story” of the day has to be picked from the millions of things that happened that particular day. After something is deemed newsworthy, there are decisions on how much time or space to give it, whom to interview, what pictures to use, and how to frame it. Often considered by editors, but seldom discussed, is how the biases and interests of management will impact these determinations. All of these decisions add up to the audience’s view of the world, and those who influence the decisions influence the audience.

The media, therefore, have enormous importance to conflict resolution because they are the primary—and frequently only— source of information regarding conflicts. If a situation doesn’t make the news, it simply does not exist for most people. When peaceful options such as negotiation and other problems are not covered, or their successes are not reported, they become invisible and are not likely to be considered or even understood as possible options in the management of a conflict.

Negatives

The news media thrive on conflict. The lead story for most news programs is typically the most recent and extreme crime or disaster. Conflict attracts viewers, listeners, and readers to the media; the greater the conflict the greater the audience. It is often in the media’s interest to not only report conflict, but to play it up, making it seem more intense than it really is. Long-term, on-going conflict-resolution processes such as mediation are not dramatic and are often difficult to understand and report, especially since the proceedings are almost always closed to the media. Thus conflict resolution stories are easily pushed aside in favor of the most

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recent, the most colourful, and the most shocking aspects of a conflict. Groups that understand this dynamic can cater to it in order to gain media attention. Common criteria for terrorist attacks include timing them to coincide with significant dates, targeting elites, choosing sites with easy media access, and aiming for large numbers of casualties. Protesters will hoist their placards and start chanting when the television cameras come into view. It is not unusual for camera crews or reporters to encourage demonstrators into these actions so they can return to their studios with exciting footage. The resulting media coverage can bestow status, so television coverage naturally becomes one of the planned strategies and top priorities. The “30-second sound bite” has become a familiar phrase in television and radio news and alert public figures strategize to use it to their advantage.

In most parts of the industrialized world, the news has to “sell,” because the handful of giant media conglomerates that control most of the press (media outlets) place a high priority on profitable operations. Media companies face tight budgets and fierce competition. Reporters with pressing deadlines may not have time to find and verify new sources. Instead they tend to rely on government reports, press releases, and a stable of sources, which are usually drawn from “reliable” companies and organizations. Most overseas bureaus have been replaced by “parachute journalism,” where a small news crew spends a few days or less in the latest hotspot. These same media outlets are also dependent upon advertisement revenue, and that dependence can compromise their impartiality. Many newspapers and television stations think twice before reporting a story that might be damaging to their advertisers, and will choose to avoid the story, if possible. According to a survey taken in 2000, “...about one in five (20 percent) of local and (17 percent) (of) national reporters say they have faced criticism or pressure from their bosses after producing

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