Работа над текстом

Упражнение 1. Переведите на русский язык предложения, выделенные в

тексте.

Упражнение 2. Найдите в тесте английские эквиваленты следующим

словам и выражениям:

1. бессмысленная жестокость

2. досрочное освобождение

3. общественные организации

4. ограниченная ответственность

5. освобождение на поруки

6. порождать преступление

7. преступления, совершенные несовершеннолетними

8. привлекать внимание общественности

9. совет по условно-досрочному освобождению

10. упадок традиционных общественных норм

Упражнение 3. Дайте русские эквиваленты следующим типам наказаний:

• Capital punishment

• Community service

• Fixed penalty fine

• Life imprisonment

• Probation

• Short-term imprisonment

• Suspended sentence

• Long-term imprisonment

Упражнение 4. Изучите ниже приведенный список правонарушений.

Расположите их по степени тяжести по шкале от 1 до 10

1. наименее тяжкое правонарушение).

driving in excess of the speed limit

drinking and driving

malicious wounding (e.g. stabbing someone in a fight)

murdering a child

causing death by dangerous driving

smoking marijuana

selling drugs (such as heroin)

stealing $1,000 from a bank by fraud

stealing $1,000 worth of goods from someone's home

rape

grievous bodily harm (almost killing someone)

shop-lifting

stealing $1,000 from a bank by threatening the staff with a gun

Упражнение 5. Прочтите короткие тексты, содержащие примеры

правонарушений. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Was justice done?

2. If you were the judge, what other facts and circumstances would you like to be informed of?

3. If you were the judge, would you give a different sentence?

4. How would you have felt if you had been the victim of the crime?

5. How would you have felt if you had been the defendant?

Crime of Passion

Bernard Lewis, a thirty-six-old man, while preparing dinner became involved in an argument with his drunken wife. In a fit of a rage Lewis, using the kitchen knife with which he had been preparing the meal, stabbed and killed his wife. He immediately called for assistance, and readily confessed when the first patrolman appeared on the scene with the ambulance attendant. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The probation department’s investigation indicated that Lewis was a rigid individual who never drank, worked regularly, and had no previous criminal record. His thirty-year-old deceased wife, and mother of three children, was a”fine girl” when sober but was frequently drunk and on a number of occasions when intoxicated had left their small children unattended. After due consideration of the background of the offence and especially of the plight of the three motherless youngsters, the judge placed Lewis on probation so that he could work, support and take care of the children. On probation Lewis adjusted well, worked regularly, appeared to be devoted to the children, and a few years later was discharged as “improved” from probation.

Murder

In 1952 two London youths decided to rob a dairy. They were Christopher Craig, aged 16, and Derek William Bentley, 19. During the robbery they were disturbed by Sydney Miles, a policeman. Craig produced a gun and killed the policeman. At that time Britain still had the death penalty for certain types of murder, including murder during a robbery. Because Craig was under 18, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Bently who had never touched the gun, was over 18. He was hanged in 1953. The case was quoted by opponents of capital punishment, which was abolished in 1965.

Shop-lifting

In June 2002 Lady Isabel Barnett, a well-known TV personality was convicted of stealing a tin of tuna fish and a carton of cream, total value 87p, from a small shop. The case was given enormous publicity. She was fined 75 pounds and had to pay 200 pounds towards the cost of the case. A few days later she killed herself.

Bank Robbery

Klaus Schmidt, 41, burst into a bank in Berlin, Germany, waved a pistol, and screamed, “Hand over the money!” The staff asked if he wanted a bag, to which he replied, “Damn right it’s a real gun!” Guessing Schmidt was deaf, the manager set off the alarm, saying later, “It was ridiculously loud, but he didn’t seem to notice.” After five minutes, punctuated by Schmidt’s occasionally shouting, “I am a trained killer!” police arrived and arrested him. Schmidt then sued the bank, accusing them of exploiting his disability.

Bizarre Charges

An American woman was treated by a psychiatrist, became romantically involved with him, and subsequently married him. After more than five years of marriage they divorced, at which time the woman sued her ex-husband for psychiatric malpractice and negligence claiming that the romantic or sexual relationship between them started before the formal psychiatric treatment ended. She contended that her ex-husband had breached the standard of care as a psychiatrist by becoming romantically involved with her, and sought punitive damages. The court rejected her claim.

Упражнение 6. Прочтите и переведите следующие выражения. Обсудите

их и подготовьте аргументы за и против:

1. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

2. Everyone deserves a second chance.

3. Justice is nothing unless it is tempered with mercy.

Упражнение 7. Прочтите, переведите, перескажите текст и выразите свое отношение к прочитанному.

Capital punishment

Capital punishment is a legal infliction of the death penalty, in modern law, corporal punishment in its most severe form. The usual alternative to the death penalty is long-term or life imprisonment.

The earliest historical records contain evidence of capital punishment. It was mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi. The Bible prescribed death as the penalty for more than 30 different crimes, ranging from murder to fornication. The Draconian Code of ancient Greece imposed capital punishment for every offence.

In England, during the reign of William the Conqueror, the death penalty was not used. By the end of the 15^th century, English law recognized six major crimes :treason, murder, larceny, burglary, rape, and arson. In early American colonies the death penalty was commonly authorized for a wide variety of crimes.

The abolition of capital punishment in England in November 1965 was welcomed by most people with humane and progressive ideas. To them it seemed a departure from feudalism, from the cruel pre-Christian spirit of revenge: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Many of these people think differently now. Since the abolition of capital punishment crime – and especially murder – has been on increase throughout Britain.

The classic moral arguments in favor of the death penalty have been biblical and call for retribution. DEFENDERS of capital punishment have also claimed that society has the right to kill in self-defense.

OPPONENTS have replied that the death penalty can be the result of a mistake in practice and that it is impossible to administer fairly.