L11 U5 Law

Module 1 Discussing a legal case in the news

1. Legal language

embezzling 盗用
jury 陪审团
found him guilty 裁定他有罪
sentenced him to 判处他
20 years in prison 入狱20年
judge 法官

审判前
提审trial（审判）某人前有很多步骤。首先，被告被捕并被指控有罪。

The police arrested her in January. 警察一月份逮捕了她。
He was charged with embezzlement. 他被指控贪污。
She was charged with theft. 她被指控偷窃。

审判
审判中的主要人物是judge（法官），jury（陪审团），attorneys（律师）和被指控有罪的人。陪审团决定被告guilty(有罪)或者not guilty。如果defendant(被告)被判有罪，法官将决定如何量刑。

His attorney is very famous. 他的律师很有名。
The jury found him guilty of theft. 陪审团认定他犯有盗窃罪。
She was found guilty of theft. 她被判偷窃罪。
The judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison. 法官判他入狱25年。
The accused man maintained his innocence. 被指控的男人坚称无罪。
The trial ended last month. 审判上个月结束了。
语言点：attorney的同意词是lawyer。

2. Adding detail with '-ing' verbs 使用动词 '-ing'形式补充细节

在描述中，你可以通过使用动词 -ing 形式补充更多细节。请看以下各例。留意 and 每次是怎样用在最后一个动词 -ing 形式之前的。

The man is charged with robbing the store, assaulting the owner and running off with all the money that was in the till. 那名男子被控抢劫商店、殴打店主，以及携带收银机所有钱款潜逃。
The woman was seen jumping over a fence, running down the street and getting into a taxi. 有人看见那名女子跳过围栏，沿街奔跑，然后上了一辆计程车。
The gang of thieves was caught running out of the bank, jumping on motorbikes and trying to get away with the money. 那伙小偷跑出银行，跳上摩托车，试图带着偷来的钱逃之夭夭，这时被抓了个正着。

3. Talking about legal cases 重点放在被告上

当人们谈论法律案件的时候，他们常常把重点放在被告上。用was +过去分词来表达发生在过去的犯罪活动。比较下面这两个句子。

The police arrested Jenny Jones for assault. 警方因为打人逮捕了珍妮琼斯。
Jenny Jones was arrested for assault. 珍妮琼斯因为打人被警方逮捕了。

我们常用带-ing的短语来解释被告做了什么。

Diane Bates was accused of selling fake stocks. 黛安贝茨被控销售假冒股票。
Terry Jackson was caught while speeding down Highway 56. 特里杰克逊在56号高速公路超速时被抓到了。
He was caught while boarding a flight to Ottawa. 他在登机去渥太华的时候被捕了。

这是更多关于法律案件陈述的例子。注意动词后介词的使用。

He was charged with embezzling money. 他被指控贪污钱财。
He was charged with fraud. 他被指控欺诈。
Martina was found not guilty of killing her husband. 玛蒂娜被判没有杀害她的丈夫。
Max was seen entering the bank just before the robbery. 有人看见马克斯在抢劫前刚进了银行。
Rob was convicted of perjury. 罗布被判伪证罪。
Ed was sentenced to life in prison. 埃德被判终身监禁。

Module 2 Explaining a company's legal situation

1. Companies and the law

merger 合并
market share 市场份额
creating a monopoly 制造垄断
visas 签证
The government is tightening up. 政府正在收紧。
Keep me abreast of both situations. 让我了解了这两种情况。

政府规定: 企业常常被政府密切regulated（监管）。

The government approved two large mergers last month. 上个月政府批准了两个大型并购。
It's becoming more difficult to get visas for our foreign staff. 我们的外籍员工越来越难拿到签证。
Our CEO often complains about excessive government regulation. He says we should move abroad. 我们的首席执行官常常抱怨政府的过度监管。他说我们应该搬到国外去。
Our CEO wants to move us abroad. 我们的首席执行官想把我们搬到国外。

法律问题
当政府认为一个公司已经做了illegal（违法）的事情，政府有时会有所行动。政府可能会对公司file a lawsuit（提起诉讼）。

The government filed a lawsuit against Entreva Pharmaceuticals. 政府对 Entreva 制药公司提起了诉讼。
There were allegations of illegal payments to doctors. 有对医生收到非法收入的指控。
The allegations of illegal payments shocked me. 对非法付费的指控让我震惊。
The company settled the lawsuit by paying a $2 million fine. 公司通过赔偿2百万美金的罚款解决了诉讼。

2. Using word order for emphasis

使用what表示强调或者感觉
有时说话人想着重强调或者表达一种感觉。一种方法是将what放在句子的开头。注意第二个例子中单词surprised上的额外强调。

I was surprised by the lawsuit. 我对这起诉讼感到惊讶。
What surprised me was the lawsuit. 让我感到惊讶的是这起诉讼。

使用it表示强调或者感觉
我们有时也把单词it放在句子的开头用来强调或者表达感情。注意在第二个句子中visas是如何被移到前面的。

Our biggest problem right now is visas. 我们现在最大的问题是签证。
It's visas that are our biggest problem right now. 签证是我们现在最大的问题。

What surprises me is the size of the fine. 让我感到吃惊的是罚款的金额。
It's the size of the fine that surprises me. 罚款的金额让我感到吃惊。
What's disgusting is the illegal payments. 让人感到恶心的是非法付费。
It's the illegal payments that are disgusting. 非法付费是让人感到恶心的。
What worries me is companies moving abroad. 让我感到担心的是公司在搬向国外。
It's companies moving abroad that worries me. 公司在搬向国外是让我感到担心的。

3. Reading the news 读取细节

当你阅读一则新闻文章时，你通常会发现有大量的信息在文章的开头汇总成几句话。仔细阅读并确认你理解事件的顺序。

ABC Company's share price grew more than 25 percent after a merger plan with IXW Inc. was approved by the government.
ABC公司的股价在与ICE公司的合并计划被政府批准后增长超过25％。

在上面的例子中，理解合并计划最先开始，然后是政府批准，最后是股价增长是很重要的。

Read the business news summary:

Wilson Sentenced

by Harriet Mumford / May 27

Jane Wilson, arrested two years ago in a stock scandal, was sentenced this morning to 20 years in prison. She had been convicted of fraud and perjury two months ago. Wilson sold fake stock in companies for 10 years before being caught. It is believed that Wilson stole as much as $10 million from her investors. She was caught two years ago while trying to board a flight to Brazil, where she has relatives.

Read the business news summaries:
Business News in Brief

by Courtney Campbell / September 24

Entreva Pharmaceuticals announced a $10 million settlement with the US government over allegations that it made illegal payments to doctors to promote its products.

Marconic Industries' share price surged more than 20 percent after a planned merger with mobile-phone manufacturer ContConnect was approved by the government.

New Age Transport revealed plans to move its headquarters abroad. The electric-car company has complained for years about excessive regulation and the difficulty of getting visas for foreign workers.

Module 3 Finalizing an employment contract

1. Employment contracts 劳动合同的语言

劳动合同中两个重要的方面是compensation（赔偿）和benefits（待遇）。

The compensation is excellent: $90,000 per year. 赔偿是极好的：每年90,000美元。
I'm very happy with my compensation. 我对我的赔偿感到很高兴。
The position has a competitive compensation package. 这个职位的薪资很有竞争性。
Your benefits include a medical and dental plan. There's also a retirement plan. And you get two weeks' vacation per year. 你的待遇包括一个医疗和牙科方案。还有一个退休方案。外每年你有两个星期的假期。
The medical and dental plans are quite good. 医疗和牙科方案相当好。
There is a good dental plan. 有一个很好的牙科计划。
The benefits are very generous. 福利是很大方的。
Our benefits are excellent. 我们的待遇是极好的。
I have a question about your retirement plan. 我有一个关于你们的退休计划的问题。

特殊条款
公司常在合同中包含两个特殊条款。A confidentiality clause保护公司的秘密。A non-competition clause防止员工为竞争对手工作。

Your confidentiality clause prevents you from telling anyone outside the company confidential information. 你的保密条款防止你告诉公司外的任何人机密信息。
A confidentiality clause restricts what you can share. 机密条款限制你能分享的内容。
I have a confidentiality clause in my contract. 我的合同中有保密条款。
Your non-competition clause prevents you from working for a competitor if you leave the company. 你的竞业限制条款防止你离开公司后为竞争对手工作。
Read the non-competition clause carefully. 仔细阅读非竞争条款。
Our non-competition clause is very strict. 我们的竞业限制条款很严。

2. Conditions and consequences

正式场合
在合同中，语言是极其正式的。这是一些在法律文件中使用的条件句的例子。

In the event that an employee leaves the company, he or she is prohibited from working for a competitor.如果员工离开公司，他或者她不允许为竞争对手工作。
In the case that an employee is laid off, he or she shall receive three months' salary.如果员工被裁员，他或者她将得到三个月的工资。

后果
这是一些解释后果的方法：

We have to protect ourselves. Otherwise, competitors could steal our confidential information.我们一定要保护我们自己。否则，竞争对手可能会窃走我们的机密信息。
I can't work for competitors even if I'm laid off. 即使我被开除了我也不能为竞争对手工作。
We have to do that. Otherwise, we'll lose money. 我们一定要做那个。否则，我们会赔钱。
If you leave the company, you can't work for a competitor unless we give you permission.如果你离开公司，除非我们允许否则你不能为竞争对手工作。
Unless I have permission, I can't work for them. 除非我得到允许，否则我不能为他们工作。

着重强调的条件
有时人们想着重强调一个条件适用于所有场合。他们可能使用even if或者it doesn't matter短语。

The non-competition clause remains in effect, even if we lay you off. 即使在你被解雇的情况下，该竞业限制条款仍然有效。
It doesn't matter why you leave the company. The non-competition clause remains in effect. 不论你为什么离开公司。该竞业限制条款仍然有效。

3. Paraphrasing 复述以澄清

理解一个合同的所有细节是很重要的。做到这一点的方法是paraphrase（复述）你给出的或者得到的信息。

A: So, do you understand that? 那么，你明白了吗？
B: Yes. What it boils down to is that I can't work for competitors. 是的。说到底就是我不可以为竞争对手工作。

A: Does that make sense? 那合乎情理吗？
B: Yes. In other words, I get three months' salary when I leave. 是的。换句话说，我走的时候得到三个月的工资。

A: I'm not sure I understand. 我不确定我听懂了。
B: What I'm trying to say is that it seems unfair. 我想说的是这看上去不公平。

What I'm trying to say is it's a great company. 我想说的是它是一个很棒的公司。
It all boils down to compensation and benefits. 说到底就是赔偿和待遇。
In other words, it's confidential information. 换句话说，它是保密信息。

Module 4 Explaining a law in your country

1. Talking about laws

are prohibited
against the law
is banned
are not allowed

违法行为
使用这些表达方式来谈论某事是违法的。

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is against the law. 在酒精的影响下开车是违法的。
Carrying a gun is against the law. 携带枪支是违法的。
Smoking in public buildings and workplaces is illegal. 在公共场所和工作地点吸烟是违法的。

更多描述违法行为的短语
当你在更正式的说或者写的情况下，你可以使用含有 is + 过去分词的表达方式。

Driving to the city center is banned, except for buses and taxis. 除了公交车和出租车外，不允许驾车到市中心。
In my country, anyone under the age of 21 is prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages. 在我的国家，任何21岁以下的人都不允许饮用含酒精的饮料。
Alcohol is prohibited for young people. 年轻人不允许喝酒。
Alcoholic beverages are forbidden in some parts of the United States. 在美国的一些地方含酒精的饮料是被禁止的。
Alcohol is forbidden in parts of the US. 在美国的部分地方酒精是不允许的。
You are not allowed to throw trash on the street in my city. 在我的城市不允许在街上扔垃圾。
You're not allowed to cut down trees. 你不允许砍树。

2. Writing opinions about laws

John is explaining his city's laws:

August 14
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Martin,

It's great news that you got a job here in Seattle, and I'll be glad to tell you what you'll find on moving here.
It's going to be very different from Miami.
First, it rains a lot, and it's much cooler.
Second, we have some of the strictest laws in the US on things like guns and alcohol, which, if you ask me, are very reasonable.
Personally, I think that the smoking laws have gone a bit too far, though.
I know that you're a smoker, so get ready!
Smoking is prohibited in all public buildings, like restaurants and bars.
From my point of view, I see real health benefits to this.
However, you won't believe this:
Smoking is forbidden even in public parks.
If you're caught by a police officer, you are asked to put out your cigarette.
Then you get a lecture about how bad smoking is,

and the officer gives you a card with anti-smoking facts and information on places you can go for help to quit smoking.

Anyway, can't wait to see you!

John

非正式观点
当你以非正式形式写东西时，你可以使用和口头语言相同的表达方式。

I think that the law is ridiculous. 我认为这个法律是荒唐的。
If you ask me, the law is way too strict. 如果你问我的话，这个法律太严厉了。

正式观点
这是一些在更正式的情景下表达你的观点的短语：

Personally, I think that it's a good law. 我个人认为，它是一部好的法律。
From my point of view, smoking should be banned. 我认为，吸烟应该被禁止。
To my mind, there should be strict laws regarding alcohol. 在我认为，应该有关于酒精的严厉的法律。
To my way of thinking, the government has passed enough laws. 我的想法是，政府已经通过了足够的法律。

Strange laws from the past

by Mariel Friesson / December 12

In many cities around the world, old laws that are no longer useful are still on the books.
No one pays any attention to them, but they are still there.
For example, it's surprising how many cities and countries still have a law that a person has to walk in front of a train with a red flag to warn wagons and farm animals.
To my way of thinking, these laws are ridiculous and should be removed.
One example of a law that needs to be removed is from San Francisco.
The law states that homeowners are allowed to keep a small horse in their house.
Personally, I think that these strange, old laws just give people a reason to tell jokes about their governments.
If you ask me, that's big trouble.
Here's another stupid, old law:
In the state of Washington, a person who intends to break a law in a city is forbidden from entering the city limits before calling the chief of police to describe the crime he or she will commit.
No criminal has called yet.

I think that laws on cigarette sales are too strict. 我认为法律在烟草销售上太严格了。
Personally, I think they should rewrite the law. 个人认为，他们应该重写法律。
To my mind, the new law is a great improvement. 我认为，新法是一个极大的改进。
From my point of view, he should have been convicted. 从我的角度来看，他应该被定罪。
To my way of thinking, it is a waste of legal fees. 我认为，这是浪费法律费用。
If you ask me, the law isn't strict enough. 如果你问我的话，法律不够严厉。

3. A law in your country

A Law in Japan
by Michiko Yamamoto / February 6

I love the strict law against drinking and driving in Japan.
If you are caught driving after drinking alcohol, the judge can make you pay a big fine or even send you to prison.
In addition, if you are a passenger in a car with a drunk driver, you may have to pay a big fine.

What are the laws like in your country? Please write me about an interesting law.