Практикум по развитию кросскультурного взаимодействия студентов транспортного факультета. Учебное пособие

country. Incidentally, the system can, at the same time, rule out the notorious "human factor" in paying fines: you cannot bribe a video camera. When traffic violations are recorded by technical means, it is easier to get the drivers to go along with toughening the laws. The initial steps in this direction have already been made. The Russian-made "Potok" and "Sova" automatic systems of vehicle license plate identification, stationary and mobile speed measuring devices as well as photo radars are in no way inferior to the foreign ones.

Text. Moscow Gridlock the Cost of Authoritarianism

By Anders Aslund

Moscow's traffic demonstrates Russia's fundamental problem. Materially, the middle class has grown strong, but a small ruling elite disregards the rest of the population. I Karl Marx would have said the economic base has outgrown the political superstructure. Ultimately, Moscow's traffic jams show how badly Russia needs democracy.

For years, Moscow traffic has been getting worse. On the last day of October, it came to a complete stop for six hours, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. One underlying cause is Russia's impressive economic boom, but many countries have enjoyed annual growth rates of 7 percent or more for a decade and few have suffered as badly. Examples that stand out are Teheran and Lagos during their oil booms in the 1970s and Bangkok in the 1990s.

When I drove in Moscow 20 years ago, congestion was unknown. The normal speed in the city center was 100 kilometers per hour and you could park anywhere. The Soviet Union was not a mass consumption society but an elite one, with cars and roads reserved for those at the top. Moscow had only about 300,000 cars. The masses were relegated to mass transportation in the metro, and even bicycles were prohibited in the city center.

With the introduction of a market economy in 1992, the government abandoned the rationing, strict protectionism and exorbitant taxes that had limited the supply of

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cars. Muscovites could choose for themselves and they wanted cars, just like everybody else in the world. Today, there are more than 3 million cars in Moscow.

But the government has not adjusted to the new situation. The reason is not economic, but political. As Russia's democratization was never more than partial and now has virtually disappeared altogether, the government serves the elite rather than the people, and the traffic police form a loyal cog in the authoritarian wheel. Their foremost function is to keep the roads clear for top state officials. Traffic lights are often turned off because some official wants to travel freely. Roads can be closed for a couple of hours for President Vladimir Putin. Nobody counts the social or personal costs of the traffic disruptions.

A stark illustration is the morning traffic on Rublyovskoye Shosse. One morning, I drove out of Moscow in the opposite direction of this traffic. Hundreds of privileged vehicles sparred with one another, trying to figure out who had the highest status and what concrete benefits they could extract for themselves in this truly Hobbesian world. The only surprise was that no bodyguards started shooting, but that might come yet.

The catalyst for the October standstill was that many streets had been closed because the Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos visited Moscow, and Putin wanted to move about freely with his guest. A traffic police spokeswoman declared that this is done all over the world, which is not true. In addition, she flatly denied that the case of gridlock had been that bad. Finally, she claimed that the drivers themselves were at fault.

This illustrates the basic problem: Russian police take no responsibility for maintaining order. In a democracy, traffic police are supposed to assist the population by bringing order and reducing traffic deaths. In Russia, by contrast, traffic police care little about speeding, drunk driving and, ultimately, death. Consequently, Russia has one of the highest per capita traffic fatality rates in the world. In the same way, ordinary police do not take the problem of homicide seriously, and Russia's murder rate is also one of the world's highest.

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After they have looked after the top officials, traffic police are allowed to enrich themselves through extortion, thus manifesting the superiority of the state over society. A drunken or speeding driver might have to pay a higher bribe than otherwise, but he may then continue his dangerous voyage. Many countries have cameras that record speeding and running red lights objectively. All countries where order prevails have introduced systems by which all fines must be paid via bank transfer or by check and where paying police officers in cash is forbidden.

The continuing widespread extraction of cash payments by police officers demonstrates that the government accepts this corruption, disregarding the lives of ordinary citizens. The old Soviet kleptocracy, which allowed officials to steal as long as the theft was moderate, is kept alive.

Over the last few years, the traffic police force has been renamed and been given huge new resources, but traffic deaths are not declining. On the contrary, they increased by 15 percent from 2000 to 2005, and traffic jams are becoming worse. The attitudes of the traffic police have not changed, not because changing them is too difficult, but as a result of disinterest on the part of officialdom. Many other post-Soviet countries have successfully reformed their traffic police.

One artifact remaining from Soviet times is the police posts at the borders of all regions. They were set up to ensure that unauthorized people, like collective farm workers and foreigners, could not move around the country. They serve no role in a free society, but as long as they persist the police will inevitably use them to indulge in extortion. Several post-Soviet countries have done away with these police posts. In Ukraine, their removal has freed up trade within the country that remains so encumbered in Russia. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili drew the logical conclusion and did away with the harmful traffic police altogether.

With the renewed rise of state power in Russia, the number of privileged people with blue lights and escorts has increased to the thousands, and it is foolish to believe that any form of administrative regulation will reduce this. In Ukraine, by contrast, these notorious pseudo-official convoys have almost disappeared for all but the

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president and the prime minister. The traffic lights are not even all turned off for them, as was the case with President Leonid Kuchma.

Unfortunately, not even an ideal police force could bring order to Moscow's traffic. The whole policy has favored the interests of the elite at the expense of the population. Why does construction block so many roads for so long? Why are illegally parked cars allowed to block both sidewalks and streets? Why have attempts only recently been made to coordinate traffic lights?

The same questions arise regarding investment policy. Why has Moscow so few multi-level crossings? Why are so few parking garages being built? How could anybody build the Manezh shopping center without providing any parking space?

The obvious answer is that the elites do not care about the general population because power comes from the president, not from the people.

Next time you are sitting stuck in Moscow traffic, think about it: Can the Kremlin (forget about the emasculated City Hall) solve Moscow's traffic problems without listening to the people? I doubt it. The ultimate cause of Moscow's horrendous traffic jams is the arrogance of power. A complex, modern society needs the feedback from its population to grow strong. As in a Marxian farce, the new Russian authoritarianism is recreating the mistake of the Soviet Union: It is.

Text. The American Traffic Signal Co

Turned over to the City of Cleveland on August 5th 1914, the first set of traffic signals, which were installed at East 105th street and Euclid Avenue. Hon. A. A. Benesch, Director of Public Safety, placed the signals in operation at five p. m., at which time the traffic at that point near the entrance to Wade Park is extremely heavy.

The opening of what promises to be a revolutionary method in handling traffic was witnessed by other city officials, members of the "Safety First" committee, officers of the Chamber of Commerce, Automobile Club, insurance men, newspaper representatives, railway officials, and other invited guests of the city. All were unanimous in their endorsement of the system, which consists of eight high candle power lights, four red and four green. They are installed on the right hand side of the

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street, the red lights on the near side and the green across the street intersection about fifteen feet above the street. Red light means "STOP" and green light means "PROCEED."

The traffic officer is located in the booth on the northwest corner of the sidewalk. The floor of the booth is about two feet above the street, and the booth has glass sides so the officer can sit in an office and still get a good view of the entire situation. It is provided with every convenience for the operation of the signals, placing the officer where he can answer all inquiries without the persons desiring the information having to go to the center of the street where they seriously interfere with moving traffic and are always in danger of being injured.

The booth is equipped with an emergency device so that the operating officer is in constant touch with the police and fire departments, all fire alarms being repeated in the booth at the same time they are given to the fire-fighting companies. If the fire is at a point where it requires any of the fire companies to pass through that intersection, the traffic officer will close the switch which flashes all the red lights and sounds the electric gongs on each corner, which is notice to all drivers to move to the curb until the fire department.

All motorists are vitally interested in any device that will aid in safely guiding drivers through the congested sections of the streets and highways, and will welcome the day when a uniform system may be adopted whereby positive indications are given. The system just installed has a number of marked advantages over the police officer stationed in the center of the street.

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Приложение А

(справочное)

Brief Grammar Survey

Таблица А.1 - Спряжение глагола “to ask” в действительном залоге (Active Voice)

Способы перевода страдательного залога на русский язык.

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Глаголы в страдательном залоге (Passive Voice) в английском языке могут быть переведены на русский язык:

а) глаголами в страдательном залоге:

This house was built two years ago – Этот дом был построен два года тому назад;

б) глаголами в действительном залоге, если указано лицо, совершающее действие:

The house was built by the workers – Рабочие построили этот дом;

в) возвратными глаголами, оканчивающимися на “-ся”:

This house was being built for two years – Дом строился в течение двух лет;

г) неопределенно-личной формой глагола (особенно в конструкциях с предлогом и с личным местоимением в качестве подлежащего):

This film is much spoken about – Об этом фильме много говорят.

He is often asked at the English lessons – Его часто спрашивают на уроках английского языка.

Неличные формы глагола. Non-finite forms of the verbs.

В английском языке глагол имеет личные и неличные формы. Личные формы глагола – это спрягаемые формы, то есть изменяющиеся по лицам,

числам, имеющие времена, залог и наклонение. Такие формы выполняют роль сказуемого в предложении. Например:

He studies English. He has done his homework.

В английском языке имеются три неличные глагольные формы: инфинитив

(Infinitive); причастие (Participle) и герундий (Gerund).

Неличные формы глагола не могут самостоятельно выполнять функцию сказуемого, но могут входить в его состав. Например:

His task was to conduct this experiment.

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Таблица А.3 - Инфинитив (Infinitive)

1. Инфинитив в форме Indefinite и Continuous (Passive и Active) выражает действие, происходящее одновременно с действием, выраженным глаголом-

сказуемым.

I`m glad to have seen you – Я рад вас видеть.

2. Инфинитив в форме Perfect (Active и Passive) и Perfect Continuous (Active) выражает действие, предшествовавшее действию глагола-сказуемого.

I am glad to see you. Я рад, что повидал вас.

Инфинитив может выполнять в предложении следующие функции:

а) подлежащего:

To do this work well is our task – Хорошо сделать эту работу – наша задача;

б) именной части составного сказуемого:

Our aim is to study well – Наша цель – хорошо учиться;

в) дополнения:

I wanted to prepare my lesson in the morning – Я хотел (а) приготовить урок утром;

г) определения:

Here is an interesting book to read – Вот интересная книга для чтения;

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The book to be read is very interesting – Книга, которую нужно прочитать,

очень интересна;

Инфинитив страдательного залога в функции определения переводится на русский язык, как правило, придаточным предложением, в котором инфинитив переводится глаголом, выражающим будущее время или долженствование.

д) обстоятельства цели:

He came here to make a report – Он пришел сюда, чтобы сделать доклад.

На русский язык такие инфинитивы переводятся, как правило,

придаточными предложениями;

е) инфинитив может входить в состав сложного сказуемого:

You ought to prepare this lesson – Ты должен приготовить этот урок;

Инфинитивные конструкции:

а) объектный инфинитивный оборот (Complex Object):

Complex Object – это сочетание имени существительного в общем падеже

(или местоимения в объектном падеже) с инфинитивом. Этот оборот выступает как единый член предложения – сложное дополнение и переводится на русский язык придаточным дополнительным предложением.

We want them to come here – Мы хотим, чтобы они пришли сюда.

They expected the train to arrive in time – Они ожидали, что поезд придет вовремя;

б) субъектный инфинитивный оборот (Complex Subject):

Характерная особенность этого оборота в том, что входящий в нее инфинитив связан с подлежащим предложения.

Такие конструкции переводятся на русский язык сложно-подчиненными предложениями (сказуемое английского предложения передается неопределенно-личным предложением, а инфинитив становится сказуемым придаточного предложения, время которого зависит от формы инфинитива).

He is said to study well – Говорят, что он хорошо учится.

He is known to have made a good report – Известно, что он сделал хороший доклад.

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Для этой конструкции характерным является то, что сказуемое предложения стоит, как правило, в страдательном залоге – is said; is known и т.д.

Однако, имеется несколько глаголов, которые в этой конструкции стоят в активном залоге: to seem – казаться, to appear – являться, оказываться; to happen

– случаться; to prove – оказываться.

He seems to have come in time – Кажется, он пришел вовремя. We happened to meet him – Нам случалось встречать его.

Этот оборот может употребляться также со сказуемым, выраженным личной формой глагола-связки to be и прилагательными likely – вероятный, unlikely – маловероятный, certain, sure – верный, несомненный.

The results are sure to be good – Результаты, несомненно, будут хорошими. The experiment is unlikely to be successful – Маловероятно, что эксперимент

будет успешным;

в) инфинитивный оборот с предлогом “for”:

Эта конструкция состоит из предлога for + существительное в общем падеже или местоимение в объектном падеже + инфинитив с частицей to.

На русский язык этот оборот переводится:

- придаточным предложением, вводимым союзами “что”, “чтобы”, “для того, чтобы”:

It is important for the driver (him) to know the route well – Важно, чтобы водитель (он) хорошо знал маршрут.

- существительным:

It takes another month for the project to be completed – Для завершения этого проекта требуется еще один месяц.

- инфинитивом:

It was too late for the students to go to the laboratory – Студентам было слишком поздно идти в лабораторию.

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