TEXT
Why do We Need Law?
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Vocabulary
1. rules imposed by morality and custom – правила, предписанные моралью и обычаем
2. rules made by the state or the courts – нормы, создаваемые государством и судами
3. to control or alter our behaviour – управлять и вносить изменения в наше поведение
4. to safeguard our personal property and our lives – охранять нашу личную собственность и наши жизни
5. a well-ordered society – высокоорганизованное общество
6. to ensure a safe and peaceful society – обеспечивать безопасное и мирное существование
7. to punish people without trial –наказывать людей без суда и следствия
8. to respect individual rights – уважать права человека
9. to give effect to social policies – оказывать влияние на социальную политику
10. to protect liberty and equality – защищать свободу и равенство
Прочитайте и переведите текст.
Almost everything we do is governed by some set of rules. There are rules for games, for social clubs, for sports and for adults in the workplace. There are also rules imposed by morality and custom that play an important role in telling us what we should and should not do. However, some rules – those made by the state or the courts – are called “laws”. Laws resemble morality because they are designed to control or alter our behaviour. But unlike rules of morality, laws are enforced by the courts; if you break a law – whether you like that law or not – you may be forced to pay a fine, pay damages, or go to prison.
Why are some rules so special that they are made into laws? Why do we need rules that everyone must obey? In short, what is the purpose of law?
If we did not live in a structured society with other people, laws would not be necessary. We would simply do as we please, with little regard for others. But ever since individuals began to associate with other people – to live in society – laws have been the glue that has kept society together. For example, the law in our country states that we must drive our cars on the right-hand side of a two-way street. If people were allowed to choose at random which side of the street to drive on, driving would be dangerous and chaotic. Laws regulating our business affairs help to ensure that people keep their promises. Laws against criminal conduct help to safeguard our personal property and our lives.
Even in a well-ordered society, people have disagreements and conflicts arise. The law must provide a way to resolve these disputes peacefully. If two people claim to own the same piece of property, we do not want the matter settled by a duel: we turn to the law and to institutions like the courts to decide who is the real owner and to make sure that the real owner's rights are respected.
We need law, then, to ensure a safe and peaceful society in which individuals’ rights are respected. But we expect even more from our law. Some totalitarian governments have cruel and arbitrary laws, enforced by police forces free to arrest and punish people without trial. Strong-arm tactics may provide a great deal of order, but we reject this form of control. The legal system should respect individual rights while, at the same time, ensuring that society operates in an orderly manner. And society should believe in the Rule of Law, which means that the law applies to every person, including members of the police and other public officials, who must carry out their public duties in accordance with the law.
In our society, laws are not only designed to govern our conduct: they are also intended to give effect to social policies. For example, some laws provide for benefits when workers are injured on the job, for health care, as well as for loans to students who otherwise might not be able to go to university.
Another goal of the law is fairness. This means that the law should recognize and protect certain basic individual rights and freedoms, such as liberty and equality. The law also serves to ensure that strong groups and individuals do not use their powerful positions in society to take unfair advantage of weaker individuals.
However, despite the best intentions, laws are sometimes created that people later recognize as being unjust or unfair. In a democratic society, laws are not carved in stone, but must reflect the changing needs of society. In a democracy, anyone who feels that a particular law is flawed has the right to speak out publicly and to seek to change the law by lawful means.
Подберите к английским словосочетаниям из текста русские эквиваленты.
1) the purpose of law a) уважать права отдельного человека
2) to live in society b) отражать изменяющиеся потребности общества
3) to choose at random c) иметь разногласия и конфликты
4) to safeguard our personal d) верить в верховенство закона
property and our lives e) защищать основные права и свободы
5) to have disagreements and conflicts f) назначение (цель) права
6) to resolve disputes peacefully g) иметь право открыто высказать свое мнение
7) to turn to the law h) жить в обществе
8) to respect individual rights i) выбирать что-либо наугад
9) to arrest and punish people without trial j) стремиться изменить закон законными средствами
10) to believe in the Rule of Law k) арестовывать и наказывать людей без суда и следствия 11) in accordance with the law
l) охранять нашу собственность и жизнь
12) to protect basic individual rights and freedoms m) в соответствии с законом
13) to reflect the changing needs of society n) обращаться к закону
14) to have the right to speak out publicly o) решать споры миром
15) to seek to change the law by lawful means
Закончите предложения в соответствии с текстом.
1. Almost everything we do is governed by …
a) rules imposed by morality.
b) the courts.
c) some set of rules.
2. If we didn’t live in a structured society with other people …
a) we would simply do as we please.
b) we would simply do with little regard for others.
c) laws would not be necessary.
3. Laws against criminal conduct help …
a) to protect our property.
b) to take advantage of other individuals.
c) to safeguard our personal property and our lives.
4. We turn to the law …
a) to resolve disputes peacefully.
b) to decide who is the real owner.
c) to force people to keep their promises.
5. Another goal of the law is …
a) to protect certain basic individual rights and freedoms.
b) fairness.
c) to provide for benefits.
Выразите согласие/несогласие со следующими утверждениями, используя cледующие речевые модели.
Model: a) I fully agree with the statement.
b) I am afraid, I can’t agree with it.
1. Not everything we do is governed by some set of rules.
2. We need rules that everyone must obey.
3. Laws against criminal conduct don’t help to safeguard our personal property and our lives.
4. In a well-ordered society conflicts never arise.
5. It is impossible to resolve disputes peacefully.
6. If individual’s rights are respected it means that we live in a safe and peaceful society.
7. Totalitarian governments have cruel and arbitrary laws.
8. Strong-arm tactics may provide a great deal of order ensuring the society operates in an orderly
manner.
9. Laws should be applied to every person in the society.
10. The only goal of the law is fairness.
