Commentary

• John Bull – Джон Булль, типичный англичанин (по имени простоватого фермера в памфлете Дж. Арбетнота).

• “Punch” – «Панч», еженедельный сатирико-юмористический журнал проконсервативного направления. Основан в 1841 г. Назван по имени героя кукольного пред­ставления «Панч и Джуди» (“Punch and Judy”); издается в Лондоне.

Различные функции слова whatever:

Whatever – слово многофункциональное и поэтому трудное для перевода. В научной литературе оно встречается чаще всего в функции союза, а также наречия и прилагательного.

Whatever – союз – все, что; что бы ни; какой бы ни.

Whatever – наречие – вообще, совсем.

Whatever – прилагательное – любой, какой бы ни.

They shut eyes to whatever was ugly and unpleasant. – Они закрыли глаза на все то, что было уродливым и неприятным.

Glossary

• strait-laced morality – жесткий кодекс моральных правил, не допускающий ни­каких отступлений.

• combative – ready and willing to fight or argue;

• belligerent – unfriendly and unpleasant;;

• assumption – something that you think is true although you have no proof;

• knave – dishonest boy or man;

• tenacity – determined to do something;

• lineaments – a typical quality;

2. Answer the following questions.

   1. Why do you think “character” was held in higher esteem in the Victorian bourgeois view?

   2. How do you understand the term “ conformity” as applied to the Victorian bourgeois system?

   3. What role did bourgeois conventions play in the life of Victorian England?

3. Enlarge upon the following statements.

   1. “Compromise” is characteristic of Victorian England.

   2. Respectability was the second motto of the time.

   3. The establishment in Victorian England was dominated by the aristocracy.

4. Entitle the text. Give the main idea of it.

Unit II Text one

1. Read the text and translate it into Russian.

The Principle of Federalism

When the Constitution was written, people were more loyal to their states than to the national government, which seemed far away. During the Revolutionary War and under the Articles of Confederation, state govern­ments exercised considerable power, often governing themselves indepen­dently of one another. However, many delegates to the constitutional convention realized that thirteen separate states were not strong enough to deal with the many issues of the day. As a result, the framers of the Constitution created a government based on the principle of federalism.

Under federalism, power is shared by the national government and the states. The states agree to give up certain powers to the national govern­ment and in exchange keep certain powers for themselves. For example, the states give the federal government the right to mint money but not the right to determine who has to go to school or for how long.

In some cases, federal and state powers overlap. For example, both the federal and state governments are responsible for the construction and maintenance of highways. Thus the American federal system is said to resemble a marble cake, with two distinct layers swirling together to create a whole. Although separate, the two layers must work together and depend on one another to get the job done.

Checks and Balances
	Executive Branch
	May veto legislation Calls special sessions Recommends legislation		Appoints federal judges May pardon convicted persons
Legislative Branch			Judicial Branch
Controls money Approves treaties Approves appointments May override veto May impeach president and other executive branch officials		May impeach federal judges Determines jurisdiction Approves appointments to federal courts	Interprets laws May declare laws unconstitutional Interprets treaties	May declare executive actions unconstitutional