Английский язык. Учебное пособие-2

UNIT 2

LAWYER

Text: Lawyer

Additional texts: The Need for Law

The Law: Judges and Politics

The Law is the true embodiment

Of everything that’s excellent

It has no kind of fault or flaw. And I, my Lords, embody the Law.

(The Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe)

TEXT A

Lawyer

The profession of a lawyer is one of the most important in the lawgoverned state. Lawyers have to solve many problems that exist in our society. Lawyers deal with legal regulations in the sphere of economics, society and people’s relations. In the field of economics the task for lawyers is to define the contents of legislation.

The duty of lawyers is not only to punish people for various crimes: stealing, murder, traffic violation and so on but they must do their best to prevent crimes, to fight against evil in our society. They should help those people who committed an error to find the right road in their life. Lawyers protect the rights and legal interests of citizens, institutions and organizations. All the citizens are equal before the law. The defendants are guaranteed the right to defence.

In our country justice is based on the principles of equality of the citizens before the law and the court, regardless of social position, property or official standing, nationality or race. The court’s mission is not just to determine punishment, but rather to educate people in the spirit of strict observance of all laws, of labour discipline, appreciation of their duty to the state and society, respect for the rights and integrity of fellow citizens and of the norms of behaviour.

VOCABULARY

2)lawyer – юрист

3)society – общество

4)to deal with – иметь дело

5)to define – определять

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6)contents – суть, сущность, содержание

7)legislation – законодательство

8)to punish – наказывать

9)crime – преступление

10)stealing – воровство

11)murder – убийство

12)traffic violation – нарушение правил дорожного движения

13)to prevent – предотвращать, предупреждать

14)to protect – защищать

15)defendant – обвиняемый

16)defence – защита

17)justice – правосудие

18)to be based – базироваться, основываться

19)punishment – наказание

20)observance – соблюдение (закона)

21)appreciation – понимание

22)to respect – уважать

23)integrity – неприкосновенность

24)behaviour – поведение

EXERCISES

Ex. 1. Answer the following questions.

1.Is the profession of a lawyer one of the most important in the law-governed state?

2.Lawyers have to solve many problems that exist in our society, don’t they?

3.What do lawyers deal with?

4.What is the task for lawyers in the field of economics?

5.Is the duty of lawyers only to punish people for various crimes?

6.What crimes do you know?

7.How do lawyers help people who committed an error?

8.Whose rights and legal interests do lawyers protect?

9.All the citizens are equal before the law, aren’t they?

10.What rights are the defendants guaranteed?

11.On what principles is justice exercised in our country?

12.What is the main court’s mission?

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Ex. 2. Complete the following sentences, using some information from the text.

1.The profession of a lawyer is …

2.Lawyers have to solve …

3.Lawyers deal with legal regulations in the sphere of …

4.In the field of economics the task for lawyers is …

5.The duty of lawyers is not only to punish people, but …

6.The lawyers should help those people who committed an error to …

7.Lawyers protect the rights and legal interests of …

8.The defendants are guaranteed …

9.In our country justice is exercised on the principles of …

10.The court’s mission is …

Ex. 3. Find in the text the English for:

1)профессия юриста

2)правовое государство

3)сфера экономики

4)содержание законодательства

5)наказывать людей за преступления

6)нарушение правил дорожного движения

7)бороться со злом в нашем обществе

8)найти правильный путь в жизни

9)права и юридические интересы граждан

10)все граждане равны перед законом

11)принципы равенства всех граждан перед законом

12)соблюдение всех законов

13)понимание своих обязанностей по отношению к государству

иобществу

14)неприкосновенность сограждан

Ex. 4. Agree or disagree. If you disagree, give the right variant.

1.The profession of a lawyer is one of the most important in the law-governed state.

2.Lawyers deal with selling and buying of goods.

3.In our country justice is exercised on the principles of equality of the citizens before the law.

4.Lawyers protect the rights and legal interests only of big organi-

zations.

5.The duty of lawyers is only to punish people for various crimes.

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6.In the field of economics the task for lawyers is to define the contents of legislation.

7.Lawyers have to fight against rich in our society.

8.The court’s mission is to educate people in the spirit of strict observance of all laws.

Ex. 5. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1.Профессия юриста – одна из самых важных в правовом гос-

ударстве.

2.В обязанности юристов входит не только наказание людей за различные преступления, но и предотвращение преступлений.

3.В нашей стране правосудие основывается на принципах равенства всех граждан перед законом и судом.

4.Юристы имеют дело с правовым урегулированием вопросов

всфере экономики, общественных отношений и отношений между людьми.

5.Юристы защищают права граждан и организаций.

6.Цель суда состоит не только в определении наказания.

7.Юристы должны решать много проблем, которые существуют в нашем обществе.

8.Обвиняемым гарантируется право на защиту.

9.Юристы должны помогать людям, которые совершили ошибку, стать на верный путь.

TEXT B

The Need for Law

Mr. Jones murdered his wife. He was burying her in the garden one night, when his neighbour, hearing the noise, asked him what he was doing.

«Just burning the cat,» said Mr. Jones.

«Funny sort of time to bury a cat,» said the neighbour. «Funny sort of cat,» said Mr. Jones.

Now it is obvious to everyone that, in a community such as the one in which we live, some kind of law is necessary to try to prevent people like Mr. Jones from killing their wives. When the world was at a very primitive stage, there was no such law, and, if a man chose to kill his wife or if a woman succeeded in killing her husband, that was their own business and no one interfered officially.

But, for a very long time now, members of every community have made laws for themselves in self-protection. Otherwise it means that the

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stronger man can do what he likes with the weaker, and bad men can join together and terrorize the whole neighbourhood.

If we have no law we can not go out in broad daylight without the fear of being kidnapped, robbed or murdered. There are far, far more good people in the world than bad, but there are enough of the bad to make law necessary in the interests of everyone.

There is no difficulty in understanding this. But it is just as important to understand that law is not necessary just because there are bad people in the world. We need a set of rules of behaviour, in other words laws, to enable us to live in any kind of satisfactory state.

How must one good man in a motor-car pass another good man also in a motor-car coming in the opposite direction, unless there is some rule of the road? People sometimes go in front of one another when they are walking on the pavement before they can pass, and they may even collide. Not much harm is done then, but, if two good men in motor-cars going in opposite directions drive in front of one another, not knowing which side to pass, the result will probably be that there will be two good men less in the world.

The law has to provide for all kinds of possibilities. Suppose you go to a greengrocer and buy some potatoes and find on your return home that they are mouldy or even that some of them are stones, what can you do? In the absence of law you can only rely upon the law of the jungle. You can go back to the shop, demand proper potatoes and hit the shopkeeper on the nose if he refuses to give them to you. You can then look round the shop to try to find some good potatoes. While you are doing this, the shopkeeper may hit you on the neck with a pound weight. It is not a very satisfactory shopping.

Or you may pay your money to go to see film at a cinema. You may go inside, sit down and wait. When the cinema is full the words: «You’ve had it, Chums» appear. The manager can safely remain on the premises and, as you go out, smile at you and say: «Hope you’ve enjoyed the show, sir». That is to say, he can do this safely if he is bigger than you or has a well-armed bodyguard.

Every country tries, therefore, to provide laws which will help its people to live safely and as comfortably as possible. This is not at an easy thing to do, and no country has been successful in producing laws which are entirely satisfactory. But we are far better off with the imperfect laws which we have, than if we had none at all.

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VOCABULARY

1)to bury – хоронить

2)community – общество

3)obvious – очевидный

4)to succeed – достигать цели, преуспевать

5)to interfere – мешать

6)self-protection – самозащита

7)to rob – грабить

8)to enable – давать возможность, давать право

9)possibility – возможность

10)jungle – джунгли

Ex. 6. Answer the following questions.

1.Do we have any laws which regulate all aspects of our life?

2.Is it necessary to have laws only to prevent people like Mr. Jones from killing their wives?

3.Why do good people need a set of rules of behaviour, in other words laws?

4.What will the result probably be if two good men in motor-cars

collide?

5.What do you have to do if you have bought some mouldy potatoes?

6.Why does every country try to provide laws which will help its people to live safely and as comfortably as possible?

7.Do you agree with the statement that we are far better off with the imperfect laws which we have, than if we had none at all?

Ex. 7. Make a list of arguments for and against the following statements:

1.Laws haven’t changed since primeval times.

2.However hard people try, laws are always imperfect.

3.Laws are not for ordinary people, they are for lawyers.

4.Lawyers can change the world.

primeval – первобытный

Ex. 8. Tell about the role of the lawyers in our country.

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TEXT С

The Law: Judges and Politics

All the conservatism and exclusiveness of old institutions is to be found in the legal profession, which has grown up alongside the old universities, as part of the classic route to parliament and political power, with its roots deep in history and religion. The law is the most extreme British example of a closed and self-regulating community, with all its strengths and weaknesses. Its proud traditions can enable judges to stand from the state apparatus, as the ultimate guarantors of human liberties; but they have also enabled lawyers to resist reforms more stubbornly than anyone, and to fortify their own privileges. Right-wing lawyers love to complain about the monopolies and restrictive practices of trade unions while they enjoy the most restrictive monopoly of all, protected by one of the oldest trade unions.

(A. Sampson «The Changing Anatomy of Britain»)

Ex. 9. Find in the text the English for:

1)путь к парламентской и политической власти

2)закрытое и самоуправляемое общество

3)последний гарант свобод человека

Ex. 10. Read the following and tell your opinion about the Law in Russia.

A. Sampson thinks that the Law in Great Britain is:

1)a route to parliament and political power;

2)a closed and self-regulating community;

3)the ultimate guarantor of human liberties.

Лингвострановедческий комментарий

Юридическому сообществу Великобритании всегда принадлежала особая роль в формировании политико-правовой системы. В течение многовековой истории Великобритании судьи совместно с парламентом выступали против абсолютизма монаршей власти, а в настоящее время «судьи и адвокаты также играют важную роль как противовес абсолютизации власти парламента». Это во многом предопределяется статусом судей в Великобритании. Судьи независимы и несменяемы. Они находятся в должности до достижения 72 лет. Независимость судей относится к числу кардинальных конституционных принципов британского правосудия.

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Он пишет новую пьесу;

3) выражения длительного будущего действия вместо (Future Progressive) в придаточных предложениях условия и времени:

If I am sleeping when he comes, wake me up, please.

Если я буду спать, когда он придет, разбудите меня, пожалуйста.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Ex. 1. Translate the following sentences from English into Russian.

1.Lawyers are solving many problems.

2.Lawyers are protecting the rights and legal interests of citizens.

3.They are fighting against evil in our society.

4.The policeman is trying to prevent Mr. Jones from killing his wife.

5.The lawyer is explaining the defendants their rights.

6.You can’t talk to him. He is talking to his lawyer.

7.Hello. Are you enjoying the party?

8.Ally isn’t drinking tea with sugar, she is on a diet.

Ex. 2. Complete the following sentences, using the Present Progressive Tense.

1.It’s 9 o’clock now. They (to listen) to the latest news.

2.Look at her. She (to hurry) to the court.

3.Come to see me. I (to have a rest) now.

4.She (not to write) the statement now.

5.Please, be quiet. I (to study).

6.Listen! The people (to discuss) human liberties.

7.Martin usually drives to college, but now he (to walk).

Ex. 3. Put the following sentences into the interrogative form. Ask 4 types of the questions.

1.The court is determining punishment now.

2.Lawyers are helping people to find the right road in their life.

3.He is studying the norms of behaviour now.

4.Lawyers are dealing with legal regulations in the sphere of economics, society and people’s relations.

5.The lawyer is defining the contents of legislation.

6.The lecturer is explaining some new material now.

7.The wind is blowing outside.

8.We are driving too slowly.

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9. They are reading a new statement.

Ex. 4. Open the brackets, using the Present Progressive Tense or the Present Simple Tense.

1.I (to go) to my college now.

2.I (to go) to my college every day.

3.The lawyer (to help) his client now.

4.He (to help) his client very often.

5.At the moment the professor (to explain) to his students the principles of equality of the citizens before the law and the court, regardless of social position, property or official standing, nationality or race.

6.The professor usually (to explain) to his students the principles of equality of the citizens before the law and the court, regardless of social position, property or official standing, nationality or race.

7.I (not to study) the law now.

8.I (not to study) the law on Sundays.

9.What you (to do) now?

10.What you (to do) every morning?

b)He was working. Was he working? He wasn’t working.

(was not)

c)четыре типа вопросов

He was working.

1.Общий вопрос

Was he working?

2.Специальные вопросы

What was he doing? Who was working?

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