Lesson eighteen
Conversations: A. Elections in Great Britain.
B. Presidential Elections in the USA.
Learn these words and word combinations
state structure [ʹstrʌktʃə] государственное устройство, государственный строй
electoral [ɪʹlekt(ə)r(ə)1] а избирательный; the electoral system [ʹsɪstəm] избирательная система; Can you give me some idea of the British electoral system?
power n власть;
state power государственная власть; to be in power быть у власти; a government (a party) in power правительство (партия), находящееся (-аяся) у власти; to remain in power оставаться у власти; Do you believe the Conservative Party will remain in power for four more years?
legislative [ʹleʤɪslətɪv] а законодательный; legislative body законодательный орган
chamber [ʹtʃeɪmbə] n палата; Syn. house; the Upper Chamber (House) Верхняя палата; the Lower Chamber (House) Нижняя палата; How many deputies are elected to the Lower Chamber?
educational qualification [͵kwɔlɪfɪʹkeɪʃn] избирательный ценз
with the exception [ɪkʹsepʃn] of за исключением; We enjoyed all his concerts with the exception of the last one.
session n заседание, сессия; joint session совместное заседание
executive [ɪɡʹzekjutɪv] а исполнительный; an executive body исполнительный орган
form v образовывать, формировать; The President invited Mr Jenkins to form a Ministry.
appoint [əʹpəɪnt] v назначать; They are going to appoint Mr Lewis manager.
term of office срок полномочий; The President’s term of office is four years in the USA.
expire [ɪksʹpaɪə] v кончаться, истекать (о сроке); When does the President’s term of office expire?
expiration [͵ekspɪʹreɪʃn] n окончание, истечение (срока); at the expiration of; по истечении (срока)
Act of Parliament постановление парламента (закон)
go down v понижаться (о ценах); ухудшаться (о качестве); уменьшаться (о количестве), сокращаться; Prices of radio sets are expected to go down. go up v дорожать (о продуктах), расти, повышаться (о ценах; качестве и т. п.), подниматься; Prices have gone up again floating voters Br. «неустойчивые» избиратели, избиратели, голосующие то за одну, то за другую партию; Syn. Am. independent voters
dissolution [͵dɪsəʹlu:ʃn] n роспуск, закрытие; dissolution of Parliament роспуск парламента
dissolve [dɪʹzɔlv] v распускать, прекращать деятельность; The Conservative Party is going to dissolve Parliament next month.
the House of Commons (разг. the Commons) палата общин (в английском парламенте)
majority [məʹʤɔrɪtɪ] п большинство; The majority of people prefer watching games to playing them, to gain (to get) the majority собрать большинство голосов; by a large majority; by a majority of 4,536; He was elected by a large majority.
the majority leader руководитель (лидер) большинства (членов парламента, принадлежащих к партии, победившей на выборах)
Prime Minister премьер-министр
Cabinet [ʹkæbɪnət] п Br. кабинет (министров) (руководящая группа министров, назначаемая премьер-министром)
opposition [͵ɔpəʹzɪʃn] leader лидер оппозиции
Shadow [ʹʃædou] Cabinet Br. «теневой кабинет» (парламентский комитет главной оппозиционной партии)
parliamentary [͵pɑ:1əʹmentrɪ] а парламентарный
peer [pɪə] п пэр (титулованный дворянин)
residence [ʹrezɪdəns] qualification ценз оседлости
presidential [͵prezɪʹdenʃl] а президентский
the Democratic Party демократическая партия
the Republican Party республиканская партия
primary [ʹpraɪmərɪ] n предварительные выборы
leadership [ʹli:dəʃɪp] n руководство
take office вступить в должность President-elect вновь избранный президент; When will the President-elect take office?
inaugurate [ɪʹnɔ:ɡjureɪt] v Am. торжественно вводить в должность
Inauguration [ɪʹnɔ:ɡjuʹreɪʃn] Day Am. день вступления президента США в должность (20 января)
vary [ʹvɛərɪ] v (часто from) разниться, расходиться, отличаться; Opinions varied on that problem. Мнения по данной проблеме разошлись. Election qualifications vary from state to state.
range v (from... to) колебаться в определенных пределах; Prices ranged from £10 to £25.
literacy [ʹlɪtrəsɪ] test образовательный ценз
A. Elections in Great Britain
Kochetkov (a Russian teacher): All your papers are writing about the coming election. I wonder why: the term of office of the present government hasn’t expired yet, has it?
Mr Brown (a London University lecturer): It hasn’t. Under the Act of Parliament the present government has about a whole year to go.
K: Then, why not wait till the end of that period?
B: Ah, there’s such a thing as making the use of the tide when it’s flowing for you(1). Naturally, a government in power wants to hold a general election at the most favourable moment for itself.
K: Why do they think this is a favourable moment?
B: Well, it may. Things are fairly peaceful, the party in power hasn’t committed any terrible faux pas(2) recently. The number of the unemployed has gone down a little.
K: Do you think the party in power will win the election?
B: They hope so. Judging by the last three elections the socalled “floating voters” decide the matter.
K: Who do you mean by the “floating voters”?
B: Those who belong to neither major party. Very much depends on who they’ll vote for.
K: Can you give me some idea of how the election works?
B: Well, the Queen has to agree to the dissolution of the present Parliament. After that the election date is fixed. Then comes the nomination of candidates for the House of Commons.
K: How many members are there in the Commons?
B: About six hundred and thirty.
K: Then, I suppose, the party that gains the majority forms a government.
B: Yes, the leader of the majority party becomes Prime Minister and he forms the Cabinet.
K: And the opposition leader forms the Shadow Cabinet, doesn’t he?
B: Yes, this is the way parliamentary elections are held in this country.
K: Who is entitled to vote in this country?
B: Anyone who’s reached the age of eighteen with the exception of lunatics, and also peers, who already have seats in the House of Lords.
K: Are there any election qualifications?
B: There’s a residence qualification.
B. Presidential Elections in the USA
Mishina (a Russian student): I’ve never expected the presidential election campaign to take that long(3). It started several months ago.
Mr Jackson (an American teacher): Well, that’s the routine procedure. You certainly remember the conventions the Democratic and the Republican parties held last summer. They nominated candidates for the Presidency.
M: I didn’t quite understand the role of primaries, though.
J: Well, in a way they help the party leadership choose the most popular of the candidates.
M: So the presidential election will take place next Tuesday(4), won’t it?
J: In fact yes. Though legally it won’t be the presidential election. Voters will elect the Electoral College(5) which later on will elect President.
M: Will the President take office immediately after the election day?
J: No, not immediately. The President-elect will be inaugurated on Inauguration Day, January 20 next year.
M: Are there any election qualifications?
J: Yes, there are some and they vary from state to state: residence qualifications ranging from six months to two years, literacy tests, etc.
Notes
(1) make the use of the tide when it’s flowing for you использовать удобный момент, воспользоваться удобным случаем
(2) commit faux pas [fɔ: ʹp:] (франц. = англ. false step) совершить ошибку
(3) that long так долго
(4) next Tuesday имеется в виду первый вторник после первого понедельника в ноябре
(5) the Electoral College выборщики, непосредственно голосующие при косвенных выборах за кандидатуру на пост президента
Exercise 1. Read and translate the dialogues.
Exercise 2. Find in the dialogues English equivalents for these word combinations and sentences.
1. Данное правительство может находиться у власти еще почти год. 2. в самый благоприятный момент для себя. 3. Количество безработных немного сократилось. 4. «Неустойчивые избиратели» решают вопрос. 5. Королева должна согласиться на роспуск действующего парламента. 6. Лидер партии большинства формирует кабинет. 7. ценз оседлости. 8. Я не совсем понимаю роль первичных выборов. 9. Избиратели будут выбирать выборщиков. 10. Вновь избранный президент будет торжественно введен в должность. 11. ценз оседлости, который колеблется от шести месяцев до двух лет.
Exercise 3. Quote the sentences in which these words and word combinations are used and translate them.
power, legislative, principle, with the exception of, executive, to appoint,
to expire, to go down, dissolution, majority, Cabinet, residence qualification,
primary, to choose, to take office, to range from... to, literacy test
Exercise 4. Write out all the complex sentences from the dialogues, define the subordinate clauses and translate them.
Exercise 5. Make the necessary substitutions and reproduce the dialogues.
1. A: How many chambers does the Parliament of Russia consist of?
B: Of two chambers.
(A: Congress. )
2. A: What’s the term of office of the Parliament of Russia?
B: Five years.
(A: the House of Commons, the Senate; B: Five years. Six years. )
3. A: Do you think the party in power will win the election?
B: They hope so.
(В: I don’t think so. I think so. It’s too early to say anything definite. )
4. A: Are there any election qualifications in Great Britain?
B: Yes, there’s a residence qualification.
(A: The USA; B: Yes, there are some and they vary from state to state.)
Exercise 6. Read these short dialogues and reproduce them.
1. A: How many deputies are elected to the Parliament of Russia?
B: Over 1,000.
A: And for how long?
B: For a term of five years.
2. A: Who’s entitled to elect and be elected in Russia?
B: Everyone who’s reached the age of eighteen.
А: And at what age can a person be elected to the Parliament?
B: At the age of twenty-one.
3. A: In how many constituencies can a candidate stand for election* in Russia?
В: Only in one.
4. A: Who’s the executive power vested in** Russia?
B: It’s vested in the government.
5. A: How many chambers does the Canadian Parliament consist of?
B: Two: the Senate and the House of Commons.
6. A: How is the Prime Minister elected in Canada?
B: The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister.
7. A: How long will the Administration remain in power?
В: I believe the President’s term of office expires next year.
8. А: Which party does the candidate represent?
В: He’s a Conservative.
9. А: Are there any election qualifications in Great Britain?
В: Yes, there’s a residence qualification.
10. А: For how long does Parliament in Great Britain hold office?
В: For five years unless it is dissolved sooner.
11. A: Do you happen to know the latest data*** on unemployment in England?
B: Yesterday I read an article which says the number of the unemployed has gone up considerably. I don’t remember the exact figures.
12. A: Can electors in Russia recall a deputy****?
B: Yes, certainly. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution.
13. А: What is the total number of the Congressmen? Does it vary from election to election?
B: No, it doesn’t. It’s a fixed number of 435.
A: Is the number of Senators also fixed?
B: Yes, there are a hundred Senators in the Senate: two from each state.
14. A: For what term are Senators elected?
B: For a six-year term. Every two years one third of the Senate is re-elected.
Exercise 7. What would you say if you took part in these dialogues? Dramatize them.
1. A: How many chambers does the Parliament of Russia consist of?
B: ...
A: Which of them is the upper house?
B: ...
A: What’s the term of office of the Parliament of Russia?
B: ...
2. A: Which is the highest executive and administrative body in Russia?
B: ...
A: Who is it appointed by?
B: ...
3. A: How long will the present US Administration remain in power?
B: ...
A: Who do you think will run for the Presidency from the Democratic party in the coming election?
B: ...
4. A: How is the Prime Minister elected in Great Britain?
B: ...
A: Do you think the present government will remain in power for another term?
B: ...
5. A: Are there any election qualifications in the USA?
B: ...
6. A: Do you happen to know the latest data on unemployment in the USA?
B: ...
7. A: What’s the total number of Senators in the Senate?
B: ...
A: Is it a fixed number?
B: ...
Exercise 8. Think of situations in which these sentences can be used. Dramatize them.
1. I wonder whether the Parliament is the highest legislative body in Russia? 2. Both chambers have equal rights. 3. The Senate is, certainly, the upper house. 4. Who’s entitled to vote in Russia (Great Britain, the USA)? 5. I wonder why the Conservative government is going to have a general election next month. 6. Can you say that the party in power will win the election? 7. How many members are there in the Commons? 8. When will the President-elect take office?
Exercise 9. Reproduce the dialogues “Elections in Great Britain”, “Presidential Elections in the USA” in pairs.
Exercise 10. Act as interpreter.
1. Mr Scott: Could I ask you a few questions about the state structure and electoral system, Mr Rostov?
Ростов: Пожалуйста.
S: Who’s entitled to vote in Russia?
P: Все граждане, достигшие 18-летнего возраста.
S: Irrespective of* nationally, religion and sex?
P: Совершенно верно.
S: The Parliament consists of two chambers.
P: Да.
S: As far as I know, the Parliament is a legislative body. And who is the executive power vested in?
P: Исполнительная власть в России принадлежит правительству.
* * *
Р: Кому принадлежит исполнительная и законодательная власть в США?
S: In the USA the executive power is vested in a President whereas the legislative power is vested in Congress.
P: Сколько сенаторов избираются от каждого штата и на какой срок?
S: From each state two Sernators are sent to the Senate for a six-year term of office. One third of them are re-elected every two years.
P: Когда вновь избранный президент приступает к своим обязанностям?
S: The President-elect takes office on January 20, Inauguration Day, as it is called.
P: Как принимаются законы в США?
S: Every bill must pass the House of Representatives and the Senate. Then it is presented to the President. If he signs it, then the bill becomes а law, if he doesn’t, it must be approved by two thirds of the House.
2. Андреев: Как часто проводятся выборы в Англии?
Newman: Every five years if Parliament is not dissolved earlier.
A: Это часто случается?
N: No, not too often.
A: Борьба во время избирательной кампании идет в основном между консервативной и лейбористской партиями, не так ли?
N: Yes. These two parties are the main contestants** in almost every election campaign.
A: Кто считается избранным после подсчета голосов?
N: Usually the candidate who receives the largest number of votes is elected: the winner may have much less than half of the votes, let’s say 35 per cent, but he is elected nevertheless.
А: Имеет ли шансы быть избранным кандидат, не принадлежащий ни к одной из основных партий?
N: Practically none. No candidate has a chance of being elected except as a candidate backed by either of the main parties.
A: Кто помогает кандидату проводить кампанию?
N: A local party organization whose first task* is to nominate a candidate.
A: Всегда ли кандидат выдвигается местной организацией?
N: Not always. More often it is the central organization that recommends its own candidate.
A: Есть ли в Англии избирательные округа, которые всегда голосуют либо за консерваторов, либо за лейбористов?
N: Yes, there are some.
A: Кто может избирать в парламент?
N: Everyone who has reached the age of eighteen, except lunatics and also peers, who already have seats in the House of Lords.
A: Кто еще не имеет права быть избранным?
N: All Government employees, clergymen, ministers of the Church of England and Roman Catholic priests.
Exercise 11. Translate into English.
1. A: По какому принципу организуются избирательные округа в России?
Б: По количеству населения.
2. A: Из скольких палат состоит Верховный Совет России?
Б: Из двух палат.
3. A: Как часто проводятся выборы в Парламент?
Б: Каждые пять лет по истечении срока его работы (полномочий).
4. A: Кем принимаются законы в России?
Б: Парламентом, поскольку он является высшим законодательным органом страны.
A: Когда закон считается принятым?
Б: Если законопроект одобрен обеими палатами.
5. A: Кому принадлежит исполнительная власть в России?
Б: Правительству.
6. A: Какие функции у президента Соединенных Штатов?
Б: Президенту принадлежит исполнительная власть. Он также является Главнокомандующим армии США (Commander-in-Chief).
7. А: Какие ограничения существуют для избирателей в Соединенных Штатах?
Б: Насколько мне известно, это ценз оседлости и образовательный ценз.
8. А: На какой срок избираются конгрессмены?
Б: На два года.
Exercise 12. Read an excerpt from the screenplay “Left, Right and Centre”. Dramatize it.
Robert Wilcot, Conservative candidate for M. P. (Member of Parliament), comes to see his uncle, Lord Wilcot, a rich but stingy landowner.
Lord Wilcot: I’m expecting a bumper season* and thanks to you.
Robert: Thanks to me?
Lord Wilcot: Yes. Recommending you as a candidate was my biggest brain wave**.
Robert: I don’t quite follow you, sir.
Lord Wilcot: Oh, famous TV personality Bobby Wilcot as a candidate — Wilcot Priory*** is bound to get a tremendous boost. Oh, there are endless possibilities. I intend to revive the old-fashioned hustings*** here on the grounds. We could charge at least a shilling a time for your autograph. Tanner to me, tanner to you****.
Robert: Uncle! Do you mean to say that you’ve recommended me to the Party for sordid financial reasons?
Lord Wilcot: Why sordid?
Robert: I didn’t expect it. I didn’t come up here to fight this election purely to advertize Wilcot Priory.
Lord Wilcot: Anything that benefits me must benefit the elections. So what on earth are you worrying about?
Robert: Uncle!
Lord Wilcot: There, there*****. I understand, my boy, you want to serve your country and so you shall.
Robert: This is all so disillusioning! And what are my chances in the election, really?
Lord Wilcot: Oh, touch-and-go******, I’d say.
Robert: I see.
Lord Wilcot: Robert, Robert, we are all governed by dead ideas but when it comes to party programmes an idea is not merely to be dead, but to have lost all meaning before it has any chance of being adopted with real enthusiasm. Remember that, my boy.
Exercise 13. Make up dialogues based on the picture, p. 298.
Exercise 14. Dramatize these situations.
1. Speak with a foreign colleague about the electoral system and the recent (coming) general election to the Parliament.
2. Discuss with a British colleague the British electoral system and the recent (coming) general election to the House of Commons.
3. Discuss with an American colleague the US electoral system and the recent (coming) presidential election.