ББК 81.
2Англ
Т67
Редакционный совет серии:
А.В. Торкунов (председатель), В.Б.  Кириллов (заместитель председателя),
Г.И.  Гладков, В.Н. Трибунская, Л.С. Пичкова, И.Г. Федотова, С.В.  Евтеев,
В.А.  Иовенко, Г.Г. Тяпко, А.В. Штанов, А.Н. Алексахин, Н.Д. Афанасьева,
Г.Р.  Ручкин
Трибунская В.Н.
Т67 Английский язык : учеб. пособие по переводу текстов обще-
ственно-политического содержания / В.Н. Трибунская. Моск.
гос. ин-т междунар. отношений (ун-т) МИД России ; каф. англ.
яз. №  1. — 3-е изд., доп. и перераб. — М. : МГИМО-Университет,
2015. — 193 с. — (Серия «Иностранные языки в МГИМО»).
ISBN 978-5-9228-0331-1
Данное учебное пособие предназначено для занятий по развитию навыков
перевода текстов общественно-политического содержания в рамках программы
бакалавриата, уровень B2-C1. В него включены тексты информативного харак-
тера по государственно-политическому устройству Великобритании, США, РФ;
предлагается комментарий по основным переводческим приемам и трудностям
перевода, а также включены упражнения, направленные на развитие навыков
работы с текстом (правильное понимание содержания текста, умение свернуть
информацию, правильно понять и перевести фрагменты, содержащие лексичес-
кие и грамматические трудности). Пособие также включает в себя статьи для
подготовленного и неподготовленного перевода из англо-американских источ-
ников, список использованных тематических лексических средств, тексты для
двустороннего устного перевода.
Предложенный материал способствует выработке компетенций, предусмот-
ренных программой по общественно-политическому переводу четвертого курса
(второй язык), уровень — Бакалавриат, направление «Международные отноше-
ния» и «Зарубежное регионоведение»
ББК 81.2Англ
ISBN 978-5-9228-0331-1 © Московский государственный институт
международных отношений (университет)
МИД России, 2007
© Трибунская В.Н., 2004
© Трибунская В.Н., 2007
© Трибунская В.Н., 2015
Предисловие
Данное учебное пособие предназначено для занятий по
развитию навыков перевода текстов общественно-поли-
тического содержания в рамках программы бакалавриата,
уровень B2-C1. В него включены тексты информативного
характера по государственно-политическому устройству
Великобритании, США, РФ; предлагается комментарий по
основным переводческим приемам и трудностям перевода, а
также включены упражнения, направленные на развитие на-
выков работы с текстом (правильное понимание содержания
текста, умение свернуть информацию, правильно понять и
перевести фрагменты, содержащие лексические и граммати-
ческие трудности). Пособие также включает в себя статьи
для подготовленного и неподготовленного перевода из ан-
гло-американских источников, список использованных те-
матических лексических средств, тексты для двустороннего
устного перевода.
Предложенный материал способствует выработке ком-
петенций, предусмотренных программой по общественно-
политическому переводу четвертого курса (второй язык),
уровень — Бакалавриат, направление «Международные от-
ношения» и «Зарубежное регионоведение», а именно:
1) Умение выполнять письменный перевод английских и
русских передовых и обзорных статей общественно-полити-
ческой тематики (по материалам прессы стран изучаемого
языка); а также перевод с английского языка на русский лю-
бых материалов общественно-политического и официально-
го характера, связанных со специальностью.
3
 2) Умение выполнять устный перевод (с листа) и после-
довательный (односторонний, двусторонний, абзацно-фра-
зовый, с записями) текстов общественно-политической те-
матики и материалов по специальности с английского языка
на русский и с русского языка на английский.
3) Умение выполнять двусторонний перевод (перевод бе-
седы) среднего уровня трудности; уметь вести запись при
переводе беседы.
4) Умение аннотировать и реферировать на русском язы-
ке письменные и видео/аудио материалы общественно-поли-
тической тематики и материалы по специальности.
Информация, содержащаяся в пособии, также отражает
темы, предусмотренные Программой курса:
1) Государственно-политическое устройство Велико­
британии, США и РФ.
2) Международные политические, экономические и воен-
ные организации (НАТО, Европейский Союз и т.д.).
3) Внешняя политика США и Великобритании (полити-
ческие, экономические, военные аспекты).
4) Внешняя политика России (политические, экономичес-
кие, военные аспекты).
5) Проблемы безопасности. Внутриполитическая жизнь
стран изучаемого языка. Государственные и политические
институты. Выборы. Экономические и социальные пробле-
мы. Средства массовой информации.
Основные задачи пособия — ознакомить студентов с ос-
новными навыками перевода письменных текстов, расши-
рить их фоновые знания в сфере общественно-политичес-
кого устройства Великобритании, США и России, снабдить
студентов лексическими средствами, необходимыми для об-
суждения и перевода текстов по данной тематике.
Contents
Предисловие . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PART I. BRITAIN’S SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT . . . . . . . 7
Unit I. Introduction: the British Constitution
and the Political party system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
unit ii. the major parties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
unit iii. the parliamentary electoral system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
unit iv. parliament: the rise of the english
parliament, its powers and functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
unit v. the uk parliament to-day: the house
of commons. the house of lords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
unit vi. the uk parliament to-day (cont’d):
organisation, people, voting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
unit vii. the law making process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
unit viii. her majesty’s government. composition
of the government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
unit ix. the legal system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
unit x. texts for translation into russian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
unit xi. texts for rendering in english . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
unit xii. texts for at sight translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
unit xiii. text for two-way translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
word list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
PART II. THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . . . . . . 110
Unit I. Introduction. The Constitution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Unit II. The Presidency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Unit III. The US Congress. The House
of Representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
5
Unit IV. The house of representatives (cont’d) . . . . . . . . . . 131
Unit V. The united states senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Unit VI. The committee system/congress at work . . . . . . . . 145
Unit VII. Congress and the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Unit   VIII. The electoral system in the USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Unit IX. Elections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 PART I. BRITAIN’S SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
Unit X. The Supreme Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Unit XI. Texts for rendering in English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Unit  XII. Revision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 UNIT I. INTRODUCTION: THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION
Unit XIII. Some more facts about the USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 AND THE POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM
Unit XIV. Translate the following texts into Russian. . . . . . . . . 176
Unit XV. Texts for at sight translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Переводческий комментарий
Unit  XVI. Text for two-way translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Традиционно типы текстов по стилевым характеристикам
PART III. Государственное устройство подразделяются на:
Российской Федерации . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 — научные — им свойственно употребление научных
Unit I. Translate the following texts into English. . . . . . . . . 185 терминов, точных сведений;
Unit II. Render the following text in English. . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 — официально-деловые (для специалистов — между-
народников интерес представляют международные догово-
ры, законы и т.д.);
— публицистические (публикации журналистов в
СМИ, в которых, как правило, затрагиваются актуальные
вопросы современной общественно-политической жизни);
— художественные.

Предлагаемые в данном пособии тексты относятся к

жанру публицистических, информационно-описательных
материалов, характерных для общественно-политических
газет и журналов, с которыми, в основном, и приходится ра-
ботать специалисту-международнику при выполнении сво-
их профессиональных функций.
I. Изменение структуры предложения при переводе
Одним из основных переводческих приемов является
трансформация структуры предложения при переводе на
7
другой язык. При переводе с английского языка на русский
существует целый ряд причин, обуславливающих необходи-
мость изменения структуры английского предложения при
его переводе. Остановимся, в первую очередь, на тех случа-
ях, которые встречаются в нижеследующем тексте.
1) Традиционно внимание переводчиков обращено на пе-
ревод структур, включающих формы страдательного зало-
га, что объясняется, во-первых, большей частотностью упо-
требления форм страдательного залога в английском языке,
чем в русском, и использованием грамматических конструк-
ций, не совпадающих с правилами и узусом русского языка,
и т.д. Например, при переводе предложения The Constitution
can be altered by Act of Parliament, вряд ли стоит стремиться
к сохранению страдательной конструкции, а стоит исполь-
зовать неопределенно-личную форму: Конституцию мож-
но изменить актом парламента. (Здесь стоит также обра-
тить внимание на меньшую «увлеченность» русского языка
заглавными буквами).
2) Но, пожалуй, самую большую группу составляют слу-
чаи изменения структуры предложения из-за несовпадения
смысловой структуры словосочетания. Классические
примеры такого несовпадения известны даже людям, лишь
начинающим изучать английский язык: How old are you? и
What is you name? не переводятся как *Насколько ты стар?
и *Как твое имя? Аналогичным образом необходимо подой-
ти и к предложению Female suffrage followed in the twentieth
century (В XX веке право голоса получили и женщины), кото-
рое невозможно перевести, сохранив лексическую и грам-
матическую структуру английского предложения. Особого
внимания при переводе данного предложения заслуживает
также перемещение центра высказывания в русском пред-
ложении (новая информация). В английском языке ее мар-
кером выступает неопределенный артикль (или его отсутс-
твие), а в русском — изменение порядка слов, когда новая
информация помещается после сказуемого (необязательно
8 9
в конце предложения, как традиционно настаивают некото-
рые авторы).
3) Необходимость частичных структурных изменений
может появляться при использовании в английском языке
наречий, для которых трудно найти подходящие русские
соответствия, напр., legally — здесь переводится в судебном
порядке; и для перевода которых часто используются фразо-
вые соответствия. Аналогичные проблемы возникают и при
переводе других частей речи: глаголов, существительных,
прилагательных и т.д. Например: Many are derived from the
historical events — ни одно из словарных значений глагола
derive не позволяет адекватно передать это предложение на
русский язык. Приходится прибегнуть к реструктуризации
предложения: Причиной появления многих (норм и тради-
ций) стали исторические события.
4) “The first parliamentary Reform Act in 1832, while it did
not greatly increase the electorate…, put the franchise on a more
consistent basis”. — «Хотя принятие первого закона “О пар-
ламентской реформе” в 1832 г. не привело к значительному
увеличению числа избирателей, этот закон способствовал со-
зданию более последовательного подхода к избирательному
цензу». Необходимо очень внимательно относиться к пере-
воду таких союзов, как as и while, так как они могут исполь-
зоваться в придаточных предложениях различных типов.
While может иметь значение “в то время как” или же, как в
данном предложении, “хотя”, а as может вводить как прида-
точные предложения времени, так и причины.
II. Лексические проблемы перевода
1. Public corporations — одной из распространенных
проблем при переводе лексических единиц является их мно-
гозначность и псевдоузнаваемость. Если в русском языке
есть словосочетание публичная библиотека, то почему бы
не быть *публичной корпорации? Однако большинство слов
многозначно и в своих значениях совпадает с различными
словами другого языка (напр., английское table может пере-
водиться как стол, таблица, еда и множество других вариан-
тов). Таким образом, основная задача переводчика грамотно
выбрать значение, необходимое в данном контексте, т.е. го-
сударственные корпорации. Слово decade, которое исполь-
зуется далее в тексте The Labour Party’s origins go back to the
last decade of the nineteenth century, относится к той же груп-
пе «ложных друзей переводчика», но имеет свою специфику.
Его значение совсем не совпадает с русским словом декада,
означающим 10 дней, в то время как decade — это 10 лет.
2. individual liberty — свобода личности, а не личная
(индивидуальная) свобода. Ср. human rights — права чело-
века.
3. rudimentary rights — зд. основные права. Ср. с более
распространенным термином fundamental human rights —
основные права человека.
4. hitherto — до этого времени. Архаичные слова, такие
как hitherto, hereby, hereinafter традиционны для языка офи-
циальных документов, и хотя данный текст представляет
собой популярную литературу, в нем есть сходство с офици-
ально-деловым стилем.
INTRODUCTION:
The British Constitution And The Political Party System
The British Constitution has evolved over many centuries.
Unlike the Constitutions of most other countries, it is not set
out in any single document. Instead it is made up of statute
law, common law and conventions. Conventions are rules
and practices which are not legally enforceable but which are
regarded as indispensable to the working of government; many
are derived from the historical events through which the British
system of government has evolved.
The constitution can be altered by Act of Parliament, or by
general agreement to alter a convention. It is thus adaptable to
changing political conditions.
10
The British political system is headed by a monarchy but
essentially the powers of the monarch as head of state —
currently Queen Elizabeth II — are ceremonial. The most
important practical power is the choice of the Member of
Parliament to form a government, but invariably the monarch
follows the convention that this opportunity is granted to the
leader of the political party with the most seats in the House of
Commons.
Although any remaining powers of the monarchy are largely
ceremonial, the Royal Family does have some subtle and hidden
influence on the legislative process because of a little-known
provision that senior royals — notably the Queen and her eldest
son the Prince of Wales — have to be consulted about legislation
that might affect their private interests and given the opportunity
to have such legislation amended.
The monarch is determined on the hereditary and primogeniture
principles which means that the oldest male child of a monarch
is the next in line to the throne. Under the terms of the Act of
Settlement of 1701, the monarch and the monarch’s spouse
cannot be Catholics because the UK monarch is also the Head of
the Church of England. These archaic arrangements are currently
under review.
The organs of government overlap but can be clearly
distinguished. Parliament is the legislature and the supreme
authority. The executive consists of:
●● the Government — the Cabinet and other ministers
responsible for national policies;
●● government departments, responsible for national
administration;
●● local authorities, responsible for many local services; and
●● public corporations, responsible for operating particular
nationalised industries or other bodies, subject to ministerial
control.
11
 The judiciary — the judges and the courts who ensure that
everyone obeys the laws. They also determine common law and
interpret statutes.
Unlike the political system of the United States where the
constitution provides that there must be a strict separation of
these three arms of the state (this concept is called “separation of
powers — a concept coined by the French political enlightenment
thinker Montesquieu), this is not the case in the UK:
●● all ministers in the government are members of the
legislature
●● some very senior judges sit in the upper house of the
parliament
●● formal head of the judiciary is a senior minister.
The Political Party System
The party system is an essential element in the working of the
constitution.
The present system depends upon the existence of organised
political parties, each of which presents its policies to the
electorate for approval. The parties are not registered or formally
recognised in law, but in practice most candidates in elections,
and almost all winning candidates, belong to one of the main
parties.
Background To The Modern Party And Electoral System
Parliamentary government based on the party system has been
established in Britain only over the past 100 years. Even as
recently as the early nineteenth century there was no clear-cut
division in the House of Commons along modern party lines. The
terms ‘Whig’ and ‘Tory’ to describe certain political leanings had
been in use for about 150 years but there was virtually no party
organisation outside Parliament. The House of Commons did
not present a picture of opposing parties, but of political groups
which could only be classified roughly in accordance with the
12
measurement of their consistency in support of or in opposition
to the King’s government.
The reason for this lack of cohesion, lay to some extent, in the
comparatively small size and exclusive nature of the electorate.
In the counties there was a uniform franchise qualification of a
freehold (that is, clear income) of 40 shillings a year, fixed in
the fifteenth century, but in the boroughs the franchise varied
enormously. In some there was manhood suffrage, in some
ratepayer suffrage, in some the mayor and the corporation
returned the Members of Parliament and in others the franchise
was restricted to the owners of certain plots of land (burgages).
The new industrial areas, such as Manchester (with a population
of 133,000), were unrepresented in the Commons while at the
other end of the scale ancient boroughs which had decayed over
the years and had few or no inhabitants sent several members. The
outcome of elections was decided by a small number of influential
citizens, and not by the public at large. The personal influence of
a candidate counted for more than the policy of a party; and once
an MP had been elected he was under no obligation to follow a
party line. In 1830 the total electorate of Britain was only about
500,000 out of an adult population of 10 million.
The first parliamentary Reform Act, in 1832, while it did not
greatly increase the electorate (this rose to only 720,000 by its
provisions), put the franchise on a more consistent basis and,
perhaps most important of all, began the process of redistribution
of seats in proportion to population. An Act of 1867 in effect
enfranchised the urban workers and another in 1884 the rural
workers, extending the vote to most adult males. Female suffrage
followed in the twentieth century. The voting age for both men
and women was lowered to 18 in 1969.
The expansion of the electorate was accompanied by the
organisation of political parties in the modern sense, аs the
representatives of millions of newly enfranchised men (and later,
women), politicians, who had hitherto stood in their constituencies
as individuals, began to form coherent parties, pledged to carry out
13
a definite policy based on stated principles which their supporters
were prepared to endorse. Side by side with party organisation
inside the House of Commons came the development of country-
wide party organisation outside Parliament — Liberal (formerly
called Whig), Conservative (or Tory) and, from the late nineteenth
century, Labour (or Socialist).
Reading notes:
●● freehold — фригольд (характерная для Англии форма
феодального владения. Отменена в 1925 г.)
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the main difference between the British Constitution
and the constitutions of most other countries?
2. Who is the head of state in the UK? What are his/her most
important powers?
3. How is the successor to the throne determined?
4. What are the three main branches of power? What bodies
represent them in Britain? Are they totally independent of each
other?
5. How long has the current political party system been in
place?
6. How did franchise qualifications change over the years?
7. What positive changes did the Reform Acts of the 19th
century introduce?
8. What political parties were called the Whigs and the
Tories?
Exercise 2. Write a summary of the text in Russian
Exercise 3. Study the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to the Unit and translate the following
sentences into Russian:
1. Conventions are rules and practices which are not legally
enforceable but which are regarded as indispensable to the
14
working of government; many are derived from the historical
events through which the British system of government has
evolved.
2. Although any remaining powers of the monarchy are
largely ceremonial, the Royal Family does have some subtle and
hidden influence on the legislative process.
3. The Queen and her eldest son the Prince of Wales — have
to be consulted about legislation that might affect their private
interests and given the opportunity to have such legislation
amended.
4. These archaic arrangements are currently under review.
5. Even as recently as the early nineteenth century there was
no clear-cut division in the House of Commons along modern
party lines.
6. The new industrial areas were unrepresented in the
Commons while at the other end of the scale ancient boroughs
which had decayed over the years and had few or no inhabitants
sent several members.
7. The personal influence of a candidate counted for more
than the policy of a party; and once an MP had been elected he
was under no obligation to follow a party line.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
осуществимый (о законе), могущий быть принудительно
осуществленным в судебном порядке; необходимый; проис-
ходить, уходить корнями; развиваться; следовать конститу-
ционному обычаю; повлиять на частные интересы; Акт (За-
кон) о престолонаследии; частично совпадать; представлять
политический курс (на рассмотрение, одобрение); фактичес-
ки, на деле; единый избирательный ценз; право голоса для
мужчин/налогоплательщиков.
15
 Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
conventions; senior royals; government departments; (to
be) subject to ministerial control; political leanings; to return
someone; the public at large; to follow a party line; provisions
(of a Parliamentary Act); to enfranchise someone; to stand as an
individual; to endorse principles.
UNIT II. THE MAJOR PARTIES
Переводческий комментарий
Перевод абсолютных (независимых) причастных
конструкций (the Absolute Participial Constructions)
На предыдущих этапах обучения переводу студенты
уже уделяли много внимания анализу роли в предложении
абсолютных причастных конструкций, которые, тем не ме-
нее, продолжают зачастую создавать для них проблему при
переводе. Данные конструкции весьма часто встречаются
в публицистическом стиле (письменные тексты), поэтому
заслуживают особого внимания. Напоминаем, что незави-
симый причастный оборот представляет собой сочетание
существительного в общем падеже или местоимения в име-
нительном падеже и причастия (причем существительное
или местоимение не является подлежащим в предложении).
В конструкции может использоваться как причастие I, так и
причастие II.
Если независимый причастный оборот стоит в нача-
ле предложения, он, как правило, переводится на русский
язык придаточным предложением времени, причины, ус-
ловия с союзами когда, так как, если. Независимый при-
частный оборот в конце предложения обычно переводится
самостоятельным предложением (иногда со словами при
этом, причем).
“The ideological differences between the parties are less than
they were, with the parties adopting more ‘pragmatic’ positions
on many issues. — “Идеологические различия между парти-
ями сейчас не такие значительные, как раньше. При этом
17
по многим вопросам партии занимают более прагматичные
позиции”.
Склонность авторов публицистических текстов к исполь-
зованию абсолютных причастных конструкций хорошо ил-
люстрируется нижеследующим предложением, в котором
использованы даже две конструкции:
“No party having an overall majority, the Liberal Democrats
joined a coalition government with the Conservatives, with Clegg
becoming Deputy Prime Minister and other Liberal Democrats
taking up ministerial positions.” — “Поскольку ни одна из
партий не на набрала абсолютного большинства мест в
парламенте, либеральные демократы вместе с консервато-
рами создали коалиционное правительство. Ник Клегг стал
заместителем премьер-министра, а ряд других членов Пар-
тии либеральных демократов заняли министерские посты.
Могут встречаться и независимые обороты без причастия.
В предложении они выполняют аналогичную функцию.
THE MAJOR PARTIES
The idea of political parties first took form in Britain and the
Conservative Party claims to be the oldest political party in the
world. Political parties began to form during the English civil
wars of the 1640s and 1650s. First, there were Royalists and
Parliamentarians; then Tories and Whigs. Whereas the Whigs
wanted to curtail the power of the monarch, the Tories — today
the Conservatives — were seen as the patriotic party.
Today there are three major political parties in the British
system of politics:
●● The Labour Party — the centre-Left party currently led
by Ed Miliband.
The Labour Party’s origins go back to the last decade of the
nineteenth century. “The true aim of the Labour Party is the
creation of a genuinely free society in which the fundamental
objective of government is the protection and extension of
individual liberty irrespective of class, sex, age, race, colour or
18
creed. To Labour, freedom is much more than the absence of
restraint or the assertion of the rudimentary rights of citizenship.
Protection from coercion — by state, corporate or private power
of any sort — is only the first step towards liberty. When so
many men and women cannot afford to make the choices which
freedom provides, the idea that all enjoy equal and extensive
liberty is a deception. Unless men and women have the power to
choose, the right to choose has no value.”
●● The Conservative Party (frequently called the Tories) —
the centre — Right Party currently led by David Cameron. The
origins of the Conservative Party go back to the Tories of the late
seventeenth century — the word ‘Conservative’ first came into
use in the 1830s.
“The fundamental principles of the Conservative Party can
be summarized as follows. First, individuals have an absolute
right to liberty. Second, ownership is the strongest foundation
of individual freedom, opportunity and independence. Third,
Conservatives believe that freedom entails responsibility —
to family, neighbours, and to nation. Fourth, it is the role of
Government to strengthen individual liberty and choice while
protecting the most vulnerable members of the community. Fifth,
in economic affairs the Government should establish a climate
in which enterprise can flourish, without directing or over-
regulating businesses. Finally, Conservatives believe that Britain
must remain strong, with secure defences, in order to provide the
surest guarantee of peace”.
●● The Liberal Democrats (known as the Lib Dems) —
the centrist, libertarian party currently led by Nick Clegg. The
Liberal Democrats, known as the Social and Liberal Democrats,
were formed in 1988 following the merger of the Liberal Party,
established in the 1850s (known as the Whigs), and the Social
Democratic Party (SDP), established in 1981 by a group of
prominent politicians who had split from the Labour Party.
19
 “The Liberal Democrats stand for the right of individuals
to have control over their own lives, individual liberty lies at
the heart of their beliefs. They aim to enable men and women
to develop their own talents to the full, free from the arbitrary
interference of government. The role of government is to
guarantee this freedom, to create an enterprising, sustainable,
free-market economy, to provide services for those in need and
to work for peace and prosperity across the planet.”
The party which wins most seats, although not necessarily
most votes, at a general election, or which has the support of a
majority of members in the House of Commons, usually forms
the Government. By tradition, the leader of the majority party
is asked by the Sovereign to form a government. About 100 of
its members in the House of Commons and the House of Lords
receive ministerial appointments, including appointments to the
Cabinet on the advice of the Prime Minister. The largest minority
party becomes the official Opposition, with its own leader and
“shadow cabinet”.
At the 2010 general election, the Liberal Democrats won
57 seats with 23 % of the vote, making them the third-largest
party in the House of Commons behind the Conservatives with
307 and Labour with 258. No party having an overall majority,
the Liberal Democrats joined a coalition government with the
Conservatives, with Clegg becoming Deputy Prime Minister and
other Liberal Democrats taking up ministerial positions.
In recent years, Britain — or more specifically England -
has seen the rise of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) led
by Nigel Farage. In the English local elections of May 2013,
UKIP did spectacularly well, taking 23% of the vote. It remains
to be seen whether this is a protest movement that will implode
or whether continued success will impact the nature of British
politics.
In addition to these four main parties, there are some much
smaller UK parties (notably the Green Party) and some parties
which operate specifically in Scotland (the Scottish National
20
Party), Wales (Plaid Cymru) or Northern Ireland (such as Sinn
Fein for the nationalists and the Democratic Unionist Party for
the loyalists).
Each political party chooses its leader in a different way, but
all involve all the Members of Parliament of the party and all
the individual members of that party. By convention, the leader
of the political party with the largest number of members in the
House of Commons becomes the Prime Minster (formally at the
invitation of the Queen).
Political parties are an all-important feature of the British
political system because:
The three main political parties in the UK have existed for a
century or more and have a strong and stable ‘brand image’.
It is virtually impossible for someone to be elected to the
House of Commons without being a member of an established
political party.
All political parties strongly ‘whip’ their elected members
which means that, on the vast majority of issues, Members of
Parliament of the same party vote as a ‘block’.
Having said this, the influence of the three main political parties
is not as dominant as it was in the 1940s and 1950s because:
●● The three parties have smaller memberships than they did
since voters are much less inclined to join a political party.
●● The three parties secure a lower overall percentage of the
total vote since smaller parties between them now take a growing
share of the vote.
●● Voters are much less ‘tribal’, supporting the same party at
every election, and much more likely to ‘float, voting for different
parties at successive elections.
●● The ideological differences between the parties are less
than they were, with the parties adopting more ‘pragmatic’
positions on many issues.
In the past, class was a major determinant of voting intention
in British politics, with most working class electors voting Labour
21
and most middle class electors voting Conservative. These days,
class is much less important because:
●● Working class numbers have shrunk and now represent
only 43% of the electorate.
●● Except at the extremes of wealth, lifestyles are more
similar.
●● Class does not determine voting intention so much as
values, trust and competence.
In the British political system, there is a broad consensus
between the major parties on:
■■ the rule of law
■■ the free market economy
■■ the national health service
■■ UK membership of the European Union and NATO
The main differences between the political parties concern:
►► how to tackle poverty and inequality
►► the levels and forms of taxation
►► the extent of state intervention in the economy
►► the balance between collective rights and individual rights
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Which of the current political parties are the oldest/the
youngest?
2. How is the British Government formed? Who appoints the
PrimeMinister?
3. What party is in power now? What is the name of the Prime
Minister?
4. What accounts for the success of the UK Independence
Party in England?
5. How strong is party discipline in the British political
parties?
6. Why has the influence of the three main parties
decreased?
22
7. How do class distinctions affect the voting process?
8. What do the main parties agree on?
9. What are their points of disagreement?
Exercise 2. Write a summary of the text in Russian
Exercise 3. Study the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to Units I-II and translate the following
sentences into Russian:
1. It remains to be seen whether this is a protest movement
that will implode or whether continued success will impact the
nature of British politics.
2. By convention, the leader of the political party with the
largest number of members in the House of Commons becomes
the Prime Minster (formally at the invitation of the Queen).
3. Having said this, the influence of the three main political
parties is not as dominant as it was in the 1940s and 1950s.
4. The three parties secure a lower overall percentage of the
total vote since smaller parties between them now take a growing
share of the vote.
5. Voters are much less ‘tribal’, supporting the same party at
every election, and much more likely to ‘float, voting for different
parties at successive elections.
6. In the past, class was a major determinant of voting intention
in British politics, with most working class electors voting Labour
and most middle class electors voting Conservative.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
левоцентристская партия; конец XVII века; рост популяр-
ности; влиять на политические процессы; сокращение коли-
чества; бороться с бедностью; вмешательство государства в
экономику.
23
 Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following TOPICAL VOCABULARY
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text. 1. Statute law - юр. статутное право, «писаный закон»
to curtail the power of the monarch; to split from a party; statute - законодательный акт, закон
arbitrary interference; to implode: specifically; to secure a (lower, 2. common law - обычное (или общее) право
higher) percentage of the vote; successive elections; rule of law. 3. convention - (правовой, конституционный) обычай
4. Act of Parliament - парламентский акт, закон (законопро-
Exercise 6. Translate into English: ект, принятый палатой общин и палатой
лордов и получивший королевскую
Партийная система является неотъемлемым элементом
санкцию)
действующей конституции. Современная система основана 5. legislative (organ, - законодательный (орган)
на существовании организованных политических партий, body), legislature
каждая из которых выносит свою политическую программу executive ( - “ - ) - исполнительный ( - “ - )
на суд электората. Партии официально не зарегистрированы judiciary ( - “ - ) - судебный ( - “ - )
и не признаны в законодательном порядке, но на практике 6. working - действие Конституции
большинство кандидатов, участвующих в выборах, и почти of the Constitution
все победившие кандидаты принадлежат к одной из основ- 7. electorate - контингент избирателей, избирательный
ных партий. Начиная с 1945 г. у власти попеременно находят- корпус
ся Консервативная партия, уходящая корнями в XVIII  век, и 8. uniform franchise - единый избирательный ценз
Лейбористская партия, возникшая в 90-х годах XIX века. qualification
В 1988 г. появилась новая партия — партия либерал-де- 9. franchise - право голоса; to enfranchise — наделять
правом голоса
мократов, образовавшаяся при слиянии Либеральной пар-
10. suffrage - избирательное право, право голоса;
тии, ведущей свою историю с XVIII века, и Социал-демок- female suffrage — право голоса для жен-
ратической партии, образованной в 1981 г. щин
11. constituency - избирательный округ
12. boroughs - города, представленные в парламенте
13. Shadow Cabinet - теневой кабинет
14. rule of law - верховенство закона

24

UNIT III. THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORAL SYSTEM
Переводческий комментарий
I. Изменение структуры предложения при переводе
(продолж.)
1. Частичные структурные изменения необходимы и
при некоторых видах антонимического перевода. Напр.:
General elections… take place at least every five years — ут-
вердительное предложение. Ср. с русским переводом, кото-
рое содержит отрицание: Всеобщие выборы проводятся не
реже, чем один раз в пять лет. Аналогичные переводческие
приемы необходимо применять при переводе союзов until
и unless. Unless men and women have the power to choose, the
right to choose has no value. (Unit II) — Только тогда, когда
мужчины и женщины имеют возможность выбора, право
выбора приобретает смысл.
2. Другой очень распространенный переводческий при-
ем связан с разным характером языковых структур в
английском и русском языках. Там, где английский язык от-
дает предпочтение глагольным структурам, в русском язы-
ке используются субстантивные группы. Например: The
decision on when to hold a general election is made by the
Prime Minister. — Решение о сроках проведения всеобщих
выборов принимается премьер-министром. Или To ensure
that the number of electors in each constituency is kept roughly
equivalent … Для обеспечения более или менее равного коли-
чества избирателей в каждом округе …
3. Еще одна особенность английского языка по сравне-
нию с русским заключается в определенной лаконичности
26
используемых лексических средств, что требует добавления
слов при переводе на русский язык и соответствующего их
опущения при переводе на английский. Напр.:
The permanent Parliamentary Boundary Commissions review
the constituencies periodically. — Постоянные Парламент-
ские комиссии по определению границ избирательных окру-
гов время от времени пересматривают их границы.
II. Грамматические аспекты перевода
1. provided they are aged 18. Причастие provided/providing
используется в функции союза и вводит условное предложе-
ние — если им исполнилось 18 лет. Более подробно о пере-
воде причастий в функции союзов и предлогов см. Т.И.  Гусь-
кова, Г.М.  Зиборова: Трудности перевода общественно-
политического текста с английского языка на русский.
М., РОССПЭН, 2000. С. 51–53.
2. the life of a Parliament — продолжительность рабо-
ты парламента одного созыва. Необходимо обратить вни-
мание на отсутствие определенного или неопределенно-
го артикля перед словами парламент, конгресс, если слово
означает законодательный орган (a legislature). Напр.: an
Act of Parliament, to return someone to Parliament, a seat in
Parliament. Но: the life of a Parliament — где парламент оз-
начает “организация, группа людей”.
III. Лексические аспекты перевода
disqualification — В данном контексте значение данного
термина — лишение избирательных прав, а не дисквалифи-
кация. Необходимо проявлять внимание при переводе т.н.
«интернационализмов» и помнить, что большинство слов —
многозначно, а вариант, первым приходящий в голову при
переводе, далеко не всегда верный. Подробнее см. Перевод-
ческий комментарий к ур.I.
27
 IV. Социальные аспекты перевода
Хорошо известное явление политкорректности являет-
ся социальным феноменом, нашедшим свое проявление в
сфере вербальной (и не только) коммуникации. На эту тему
написано много работ и приводятся внушительные списки
слов, которые более не рекомендуется использовать в устной
и письменной речи. Хорошо известные примеры включают
табу на слова chairman, old, invalid и др., вместо которых ре-
комендуется использовать chairperson, senior citizens, disabled
(а теперь — mentally/physically challenged people, people with
different abilities и т.д.). К этой категории социальных пра-
вил относится и использование в английском языке личных
и притяжательных местоимений he, she, his, her. The Prime
Minister is not directly elected by voters, although he or she is
an elected Member of Parliament. И далее: The Prime Minister
depends on the support of a majority of his or her fellow elected
representatives in the House of Commons. Во многих случаях
языковые средства русского языка позволяют решить дан-
ную проблему, не прибегая к тяжеловесным конструкциям с
использованием он или она, её или его избиратели. Один из
рекомендуемых приемов — использование слов свой/своя и
форм множественного числа.
The Parliamentary Electoral System
Elections to the House of Commons, known as parliamentary
elections, form the basis of Britain’s democratic system.
Unlike heads of government in some countries, the Prime
Minister is not directly elected by voters, although he or she
is an elected Member of Parliament — an MP. Instead, the
Prime Minister depends on the support of a majority of his or
her fellow elected representatives in the House of Commons.
These MPs back the Government because they are members
of the party which the Prime Minister leads, although on some
occasions governments have been made up of coalitions of
more than one party.
28
Before the reform carried out by the coalition government,
general elections, for all seats in the House of Commons,
took place at least every five years. In practice, elections were
usually held before the end of the five-year term. In exceptional
circumstances, such as during the two world wars (1914–18 and
1939–45), the life of a Parliament has been extended beyond the
five-year term.
The decision on when to hold a general election was made by
the Prime Minister. The procedure involved the Queen, acting on
the Prime Minister’s advice, dissolving Parliament and calling a
new Parliament. Formal Writs of Election were normally issued
on the same day. The Prime Minister usually announced the
dissolution of Parliament and explained the reasons for holding
the election.
Voting took place within 17 days of the dissolution, not
including Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays; therefore
election campaigns lasted for three to four weeks.
For electoral purposes Britain is divided into 659 constituencies,
each of which returns one member to the House of Commons.
To ensure that the number of electors in each constituency is
kept roughly equivalent, the permanent Parliamentary Boundary
Commissions review the constituencies periodically. Elections
are by secret ballot.
Safe and Marginal Constituencies
Most of Britain’s 659 constituencies are what are called
‘safe seats’. This means that one or other of the main parties
has traditionally enjoyed overwhelming support in elections for
the seat concerned. As a result, an MP seeking re-election for
a safe seat or a candidate from the same party seeking election
there could expect to be returned for that constituency in future
elections. Such safe seats are lost only if there is a major decline
in the popularity of the party concerned, as sometimes occurs
at by-elections. At present many rural constituencies are ‘safe’
Conservative seats and, while both the major parties are well
29
represented in towns and cities, most ‘safe’ Labour seats are in
urban areas.
The outcome of a general election tends to be decided by the
results in marginal constituencies. These are seats where, at the
previous election, none of the parties had a large majority. Thus,
if there were a small fall in the relative popularity of the party
holding the seat, a candidate from a rival party would be elected.
All the main parties target particular marginal constituencies and
focus their campaigns on winning such seats. Such constituencies
are more likely to receive visits by senior politicians and well-
known personalities.
Parliamentary by-elections
By-elections take place when parliamentary seats fall vacant
between general elections, following the death or resignation of
an MP, or his or her elevation to the House of Lords. The timing
of the by-election is normally decided by the party to which the
former MP belonged. By-elections generally take place within
three to four months of the vacancy arising.
Voters
British citizens together with citizens of other Commonwealth
countries and citizens of the Irish Republic resident in Britain,
may vote provided they are aged 18 or over, included in the
annual register of electors for the constituency and not subject
to any disqualification. People not entitled to vote include
Members of the House of Lords, patients detained under mental
health legislation, sentenced prisoners and people convicted
within the previous five years of corrupt and illegal election
practices.
Candidates
British citizens and citizens of other Commonwealth
countries, together with citizens of the Irish Republic, may stand
for election as MPs provided they are aged 21 or over and are not
30
disqualified. Those disqualified include undischarged bankrupts;
people sentenced to more than one year’s imprisonment; clergy
of the Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church of Ireland
and Roman Catholic Church; and peers.
A candidate’s nomination for election must be proposed and
seconded by two electors registered as voters in the constituency
and signed by eight other electors. Candidates do not have to have
party backing. Candidates do not have to live in the constituencies
for which they stand. A candidate must also deposit £500, which
is returned if he or she receives 5 per cent or more of the votes
cast.
Canvassing
Canvassing involves local party workers visiting the homes
of voters and asking them whether they intend to vote for their
party’s candidate. During the campaign canvassing can provide
candidates and their helpers with an indication of people’s voting
intentions and their attitude to particular issues. This enables
them to adapt their campaign tactics.
Manifestos
All Britain’s main political parties publish manifestos during
general election campaigns. Such publications are the result
of a considerable amount of work by senior party members in
the period before elections are announced, and are intended to
tell the electorate what the party would do if it formed the next
government; they therefore cover party policy on a range of
matters. Manifestos are usually launched by each of the parties
at press conferences in the first week or so of the campaign. They
have titles which are in the form of slogans, designed to sum up
the parties’ message.
Manifestos normally open with forewords by the respective
party leaders. They cover party policies in varying degrees of
detail, but may also set out the parties’ past achievements and
attack the policies of their opponents.
31
 Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Is the head of government in Britain elected by the
population?
2. How often are general elections held in Great Britain?
3. Who dissolves Parliament? Who announces this
decision?
4. How long is the election campaign?
5. What are “safe” and “marginal” constituencies?
6. When is a by-election held?
7. What are voting qualifications nowadays?
8. Can an individual nominate himself to stand for
Parliament?
9. Is the candidate’s deposit returned to him? In what way?
10. What does the practice of canvassing involve? What is its
purpose?
11. Do parties present their programs to the electorate?
Exercise 2. Give an outline of the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Study the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to Units I–II and translate the following
sentences into Russian:
1. Instead, the Prime Minister depends on the support of
a majority of his or her fellow elected representatives in the
House of Commons.
2. All the main parties target particular marginal constituencies
and focus their campaigns on winning such seats.
3. British citizens together with citizens of other
Commonwealth countries and citizens of the Irish Republic
resident in Britain may vote provided they are aged 18 or over,
included in the annual register of electors for the constituency
and not subject to any disqualification.
4. All election expenses, apart from the candidate’s personal
expenses, are subject to the statutory limit.
32
5. Manifestos normally open with forewords by the respective
party leaders.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
коллеги-парламентарии; поддерживать правительство;
проводить всеобщие выборы; публиковать официальный
Королевский указ; предвыборная кампания; «надежный»
(«ненадежный») избирательный округ; пользоваться подде-
ржкой большинства (избирателей, населения); иметь право
голоса; духовенство.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to hold the seat; a rival party; senior politicians; to fall
vacant; the timing of the by-election; resident in Britain;
detained patients; sentenced prisoners; to propose and second
a candidate’s nomination; particular issues; to adapt campaign
tactics; foreword.
Exercise 6. Translate into English:
В целях проведения выборов Великобритания разделена
на избирательные округа, от каждого из которых избирается
один кандидат в палату общин. Постоянная парламентская
комиссия периодически пересматривает границы округов,
чтобы сохранить их примерно одинаковыми. Выборы про-
водятся на основе тайного голосования.
Кандидаты: Предложение о выдвижении кандидата на вы-
боры должно получить поддержку двух избирателей, заре-
гистрированных в списке избирателей данного округа, кроме
того, его должны подписать еще восемь избирателей. Канди-
дат вносит 500 фунтов стерлингов, которые получает обратно
в случае, если за него (нее) будет подано 5% и более голосов.
33
 TOPICAL VOCABULARY

1. general elections - всеобщие выборы

2. by-elections - дополнительные выборы
3. term - срок полномочий
4. to dissolve Parliament - распускать парламент (роспуск) UNIT IV. PARLIAMENT: THE RISE OF THE ENGLISH
(dissolution)
PARLIAMENT, ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS
to call a new - созывать парламент нового созыва
Parliament
5. to elect by secret - выбирать тайным голосованием Переводческий комментарий
ballot
6. Writ of Election - Королевский указ о проведении I. Изменение структуры предложения при переводе
выборов в парламент (продолжение)
7. to return a member - избирать члена парламента 1. Необходимость полного изменения грамматичес-
to Parliament кой структуры английского предложения при переводе на
8. permanent - постоянная парламентская комиссия русский язык возникает при несовпадении структурных
Parliamentary по определению границ избирательных
Boundary округов формул субъектно-объектных отношений двух языков. Хо-
Commission рошо известны хрестоматийные примеры the article says,
9. Commonwealth - Содружество (политическое describes — в статье говорится, описывается. Аналогич-
и экономическое объединение, центром ный пример находим и в нижеследующем тексте: the Queen’s
которого является Великобритания. speech to Parliament outlines the Government’s policy — В сво-
Включает 53 независимые государства.)
ей речи королева кратко излагает программу действий пра-
10. register of electors - список избирателей
11. disqualification - лишение права голоса
вительства, а также: Prorogation brings to an end nearly all
12. to stand for election - баллотироваться в парламент parliamentary business — Вся работа парламента практи-
as MP (to stand for чески заканчивается при объявлении окончания парламент-
Parliament) ской сессии.
13. to propose and - предложить и поддержать предложение 2. Существует целый ряд закономерностей при переводе
second a candidate’s о выдвижении кандидата английских грамматических конструкций, отсутствую-
nomination
щих в русском языке, которые предусматривают изменение
14. canvassing - зд. агитировать за кандидата (путем
обхода домов избирателей) структуры русского предложения. Такие несовпадающие
15. to launch the party’s - объявить предвыборную Программу структуры включают, в первую очередь, предложения, содер-
Manifesto партии жащие сложное подлежащее (The Complex Subject). Для их
перевода на русский язык выработался определенный набор
регулярно используемых языковых средств: He is expected to
come — Ожидается, что он придет. It is likely to rain — Ве-
роятно, пойдет дождь. Но контекст иногда требует отойти
35
от стереотипа. The medieval kings were expected to meet all
royal expenses, private and public, out of their own revenue. —
В средневековые времена короли должны были оплачивать
из своего собственного кармана все королевские расходы,
как свои личные, так и государственные.
Перевод абсолютных причастных конструкций (см.
переводческий комментарий к ур.  2), также отсутствующих
в русском языке, вызывает определенные сложности, хотя
в предложении они имеют достаточно ограниченное ко-
личество значений, это — причинная или временная связь,
а также сопутствующие обстоятельства. Напр.: The two
parts together with the Sovereign, eventually became known as
“Parliament” (the first official use of this term, which originally
meant a meeting for parley or discussion, being in 1236). —
…а первое официальное использование термина … отно-
сится к 1236 г.
3. Очень часто в связи с несовпадением грамматической
структуры предложений в английском и русском языках при-
ходится прибегать к внешнему членению и объединению
предложений при переводе на русский язык (изменение ко-
личества предложений при переводе: их увеличение или со-
кращение). The agreement of all three is required for legislation,
but that of the Queen is given as a matter of course to Bills sent
to her. — Для принятия законов необходимо согласие всех
трех компонентов законодательной власти. Традиционно
королева неизменно дает свое согласие на все поступающие
к ней законопроекты.
II. Грамматические аспекты перевода
1. once passed — после своего принятия. Многозначное
слово once в данном предложении выступает не в функции
наречия в значении однажды, а в функции союза в значении
как только, после.
2. The agreement of all three is required for legislation, but
that of the Queen is given as a matter of course to Bills sent to
36
her. — Для принятия законов необходимо согласие всех трех
компонентов законодательной власти. Королева традици-
онно дает свое согласие на все поступающие к ней законо-
проекты. Слово-заместитель that используется для того,
чтобы не повторять дважды существительное agreement.
В русском языке такого способа нет, поэтому необходимо
использовать другие возможности (повторить то же самое
слово, личное или указательное местоимение и т.д.).
III. Лексические аспекты перевода
1. to help him decide policies of the State — зд. policies —
стратегия, курс действий. См. переводческий комментарий
о необходимости внимательного подхода к переводу много-
значных слов в комментарии к урокам I и III.
2. Слова король, королева, правительство и др. обыч-
но пишутся в русском языке со строчной буквы. Правила
употребления прописных букв в русском и английском язы-
ке зачастую не совпадают.
PARLIAMENT
The Rise of the English Parliament
To assist the King in running the Government and in
formulating policies, two main agencies were developed — the
Magnum Concilium, or Great Council, and the Curia Regis, or
King’s Court. The Great Council was a gathering of leading
men, bishops, officers of the royal household, tenants-in-chief
(tenants holding land directly from the King) and others — and
met three or four times a year at the summons of the King in
order to help him decide policies of State, to review the work of
administration, to sit as a high court of justice, and to take part in
making and amending laws.
The medieval kings were expected to meet all royal
expenses, private and public, out of their own revenue. If
extra resources were needed for some emergency, such as
an expensive war, the Sovereign would seek to persuade
37
his barons, in the Great Council, to grant an aid. During the
thirteenth century several kings found their private revenues
and baronial aids insufficient to meet the expenses of
government. They therefore summoned to their Great Council
not only their tenants-in-chief but also representatives of
counties, cities and towns, primarily in order to get their assent
to extraordinary taxation. In this way the Great Council came
to include those who were summoned by name (the tenants-
in-chief) and those who were representatives of communities
(the commons). The two parts together with the Sovereign,
eventually became known as ‘Parliament’ (the first official
use of this term, which originally meant a meeting for parley
or discussion, being in 1236).
The Powers of Parliament
The three elements which make up Parliament — the Queen,
the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons — are
constituted on different principles. They meet together only on
occasions of symbolic significance such as the state opening of
Parliament, when the Commons are summoned by the Queen to
the House of Lords. The agreement of all three is required for
legislation, but that of the Queen, is given as a matter of course
to Bills sent to her.
As there are no legal restraints imposed by a written
constitution, Parliament may, in theory, legislate as it pleases.
It can make or change any law; and can overturn established
conventions or turn them into law. It can even prolong its own
life beyond the normal period without consulting the electorate.
In practice, however, Parliament does not assert its supremacy
in this way. Its members bear in mind the common law and
normally act in accordance with precedent . The validity of an
Act of Parliament, once passed, cannot be disputed in the law
courts. The House of Commons is directly responsible to the
electorate, and the House of Lords recognises the supremacy of
the elected chamber.
38
The Functions of Parliament
The main functions of Parliament are:
●● to pass laws;
●● to provide, by voting taxation, the means of carrying on the
work of government;
●● to examine government policy and administration,
including proposals for expenditure; and
●● to debate the major political issues of the day.
In carrying out these functions Parliament helps to bring
the relevant facts and issues before the electorate. By custom,
Parliament is also informed before all important international
treaties and agreements are ratified. The making of treaties is,
however, a royal prerogative exercised on the advice of the
Government and is not subject to parliamentary approval.
The Meetings of Parliament
A Parliament has a maximum duration of five years, but
previously general elections were usually held before the end of
this term. The maximum life has been prolonged by legislation
in rare circumstances such as the two world wars. Parliament
is dissolved and writs for a general elections are ordered by the
Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The life of a Parliament is divided into sessions. Each usually
lasts for one year — normally beginning and ending in October
or November. The periods when Parliament is not sitting are
popularly known as ‘recesses’, although the correct term is
‘adjournment’. There are adjournments at night, at weekends,
at Christmas, Easter and the late Spring Bank Holiday, and a
long summer break starting in late July or early August, although
Parliament can be recalled at any time to discuss urgent and
important matters. The average number of “sitting” days in a
session is about 168 in the House of Commons and about 150
in the House of Lords. At the start of each session the Queen’s
speech to Parliament outlines the Government’s policies and
proposed legislative programme. Each session is ended by
39
prorogation. Parliament then “stands prorogued” for about a week
until the new session opens. Prorogation brings to an end nearly
all parliamentary business: in particular, public Bills which have
not been passed by the end of the session are lost.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What were the functions of the Great Council?
2. What is the origin of the word Parliament?
3. What is the origin of the phrase “the House of
Commons”?
4. Where does the Queen make her speech at the beginning of
a parliamentary session?
5. Does Parliament ratify international treaties?
6. How many elements does Parliament consist of?
7. Can a court repeal an Act of Parliament?
8. What is the duration of a Parliament? How often are general
elections held? When was the last election?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Study the translation prompts and the
grammar and lexical comments to Units I–IV and translate
the following sentences into Russian:
1. To assist the King in running the Government and in
formulating policies, two main agencies were developed — the
Magnum Concilium, or Great Council, and the Curia Regis, or
King’s Court.
2. If extra resources were needed for some emergency, such
as an expensive war, the Sovereign would seek to persuade his
barons, in the Great Council, to grant an aid.
3. In this way the Great Council came to include those who
were summoned by name and those who were representatives of
communities.
4. The validity of an Act of Parliament, once passed, cannot
be disputed in the law courts.
40
5. The making of treaties is, however, a royal prerogative
exercised on the advice of the Government and is not subject to
parliamentary approval.
6. Public Bills which have not been passed by the end of the
session are lost.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
руководить деятельностью правительства; вырабатывать
курс действий; по требованию (предписанию) короля/ко-
ролевы; оплачивать расходы; оказывать помощь; отменить
существующие традиции; признавать верховенство (палаты
общин); принимать законы; выполнять функции; не подле-
жать одобрению парламентом; перерыв (в работе парламен-
та); предлагаемая программа законодательных мер.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to review the work of administration; to make/amend laws;
(to meet royal expenses) out of their revenue; emergency;
extraordinary taxation; occasions of symbolic significance; to
impose legal restraints; to assert its supremacy; to vote taxation;
meeting of Parliament; sitting days.
Exercise 6. Translate into English:
В состав британского парламента входят королева, пала-
та лордов и выборная палата общин. В основе деятельности
этих трех составляющих лежат совершенно разные принци-
пы. Они собираются вместе только при определенных об-
стоятельствах, имеющих символическое значение, таких
как открытие сессии парламента, когда королева приглаша-
ет членов палаты общин в палату лордов. Законодательная
деятельность требует, как правило, достижения договорен-
41
ности между всеми тремя составляющими, однако королева
дает свое согласие автоматически по мере поступления зако-
нов на ее рассмотрение.
В виду отсутствия каких-либо законных ограничений, на-
лагаемых писаной конституцией, парламент может законо-
дательствовать по своему усмотрению, соблюдая обязатель- UNIT V. THE UK PARLIAMENT TO-DAY: THE HOUSE
ства Великобритании как члена Европейского Союза. Он OF COMMONS. THE HOUSE OF LORDS
может издать или изменить любой закон, отменить любые
конституционные обычаи или возвести их в закон. Он даже
имеет право продлить свое существование сверх установ- Переводческий комментарий
ленного срока, не советуясь с электоратом. Правда, для этого
потребуется согласие обеих палат. I. Изменение структуры предложения при переводе
(продолжение)
TOPICAL VOCABULARY 1. All night sittings are not uncommon — Не так уж редко
бывают заседания, продолжающиеся всю ночь — пример
1. to amend laws - вносить поправки в законы двойного отрицания (отрицательная частица not и отрица-
2. Taxation - налогообложение
тельный префикс un-), использующийся для усиления. Реко-
мендуется использовать прием антонимического перевода
3. state opening of - официальное открытие сессии
Parliament Парламента (обычно в конце октября в связи со спецификой русского языка, в котором отрица-
или начале ноября или после проведения тельная приставка не- (нередкий) и отрицательная части-
всеобщих выборов) ца не совпадают по форме, что делает их сочетание небла-
4. to pass laws - принимать законы гозвучным. См. также другие случаи использования приема
5. to make treaties - заключать договора антонимического перевода в комментарии к Уроку II.
2. Ministers take their turn on a rota basis to stand at the
6. to exercise a royal - осуществлять королевскую прерогативу
prerogative despatch box and answer questions, the prime Minister doing
7. Adjournment - перерыв (в работе Парламента)
so in person regularly on Tuesday and Thursday each week at
3.15 p.m. — О необходимости прибегать к приему членения
8. Prorogation - окончание сессии Парламента
английского предложения в случае несовпадения граммати-
9. public Bills - законопроекты государственного значения ческих структур английского и русского языков (абсолютная
private Bills - законопроекты частного характера причастная конструкция) см. в Комментарии к Ур. 2.
(в интересах частных лиц)
II. Лексические аспекты перевода
1. This is the upper chamber but the one with less authority —
еще одно напоминание о «ложных друзьях» и многозначно­
сти слов. Аналогичное предостережение относится и к вы-
43
ражению “the powers of the crown”. См. различные значения
power — powers в Трудности перевода…, стр.104.
III. Пунктуация
1. Certain business is exempt from normal closing time and
other business may be exempted if the House chooses.
2. When an MP dies or resigns, or is given a peerage, a by-
election takes place. Members are paid an annual salary.
Студенты обычно мало знакомы с современными прави-
лами пунктуации в английском языке, которые, в отличие от
русского языка, зачастую определяются больше логикой ав-
тора, чем конкретными грамматическими нормами. Однако
приведенные выше примеры подтверждают сохранение сле-
дующего правила: если придаточное предложение следует
за главным предложением (пример 1), оно не отделяется
запятой. Если же оно стоит перед главным предложением,
запятая нужна (пример 2).
The UK Parliament To-Day
The British Parliament is often called Westminster because it
is housed in a distinguished building in central London called the
Palace of Westminster.
The British Parliament — like most in the world — is
bicameral, that is there are two houses or chambers. The
bicameral nature of the British Parliament — the Commons
and the Lords — emerged in 1341 and the two-chamber model
of the legislature has served as a model in very many other
parliamentary systems.
The Bill of Rights of 1689 — which is still in effect — lays
down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights
of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament, the
requirement of regular elections to Parliament, and the right to
petition the monarch without fear of retribution.
Every citizen aged 18 or over can vote once in the constituency
in which they live. Voting is not compulsory (as it is in Australia).
44
In the last General Election of June 2010, 65% of the electorate
actually voted. Most democratic countries use a method of
election called proportional representation which means that
there is a reasonable correlation between the percentage of votes
cast for a particular political party and the number of seats or
representatives won by that party.
However, much of the Anglo-Saxon world — the USA,
Canada, and the UK — uses a method of election called the
simple majority system or ‘first past the post’. In this system,
the country is divided into a number of constituencies each with
a single member and the party that wins the largest number of
votes in each constituency wins that constituency regardless of
the proportion of the vote secured. The simple majority system of
election tends to under-represent less successful political parties
and to maximise the chance of the most popular political party
winning a majority of seats nationwide even if it does not win a
majority of the votes nationwide.
Until now, in the UK (unlike many countries), there has
not been fixed term parliaments. A General Election — that
is, a nationwide election for all 650 seats — was held when
the Prime Minister called it, but the election could be more
than five years after the last one and it was usually around four
years after the last one. The Coalition Government has passed
legislation to provide for fixed five-year parliaments which
means that the next General Election will be on 7 May 2015.
The last General Election was held in May 2010 and the result
was as follows:
●● Conservative Party: 306 seats (up 97) with a voting share
of 36.1% (up 3.8%)
●● Labour Party: 258 seats (down 91) with a voting share of
29.0% (down 6.2%)
●● Liberal Democrat Party: 57 seats (down 5) with a voting
share of 23.0% (up 1.0%)
45
 ●● Other parties: 28 seats (down 3) with a voting share of
11.9% (down 1.4%)
●● Total turnout nationwide was 65.1% up 4.0% on 2005
The House of Commons
The House of Commons is a representative assembly
elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of men and
women (Members of Parliament, MPs) from all sections of the
community, regardless of income or occupation. The House
of Commons consists of 650 Members of Parliament directly
elected by voters in each of Britain’s 650 parliamentary
constituencies (the number varies slightly from time to time
to reflect population change). This is a large legislature
by international standards. For instance, the House of
Representatives in the USA has 435 seats but, of course, each
of the 50 US states has its own legislature. Before the last
General Election, the Conservative Party said that it wished to
reduce the number of Commons seats by around 10% (65 seats)
and the Liberal Democrats said that the Commons should be
reduced by 150 MPs. The new Coalition Government has now
announced that it plans legislation to reduce the number from
650 to 600 as part of a wider change to the number and size
of constituencies.
Rather oddly (but deliberately), there is insufficient seating
capacity in the chamber of the House of Commons for all the
MPs. Members do not sit at desks (like most legislatures) but on
long, green-covered benches and there is only seating capacity
for 437 MPs out of the total of 650
The House of Commons meets in Westminster from
Mondays to Fridays throughout the year, except when
Parliament is in recess. The hours of sitting for normal
business are: Mondays to Thursdays from 14.30 to 22.30,
and Fridays 09.30 to 15.00. Certain business is exempt from
normal closing time and other business may be exempted if
46
the House chooses, so that the Commons very often sit later
than 22.30 hours on the first four days of the week, and all-
night sittings are not uncommon.
In the afternoon the first main business of each House,
from Monday to Thursday, is Members’ Question Time. In the
Commons this lasts about three-quarters of an hour and ranges
at high speed over an incredible variety of national problems,
personal grievances and vexed local issues. Ministers take their
turn on a rota basis to stand at the despatch box1 and answer
questions, the prime Minister doing so in person regularly
on Tuesday and Thursday each week at 3.15 p.m. After each
question there is a second or “supplementary” question, of
which the Minister has no prior knowledge and which is often
more challenging than the first. Question Time may then be
followed by further ministerial statements and sometimes by
the raising of an issue of immediate urgency.
On ordinary occasions MPs, who also have much committee,
party and constituency business to attend to, are not expected to
be in constant attendance in the debating chamber. When any
special business is about to be taken — for instance, a vote on
some legislative or other matter — steps are taken to secure their
presence.
General elections are held after a Parliament has been
dissolved and a new one summoned by the Queen. When an MP
dies or resigns, or is given a peerage, a by-election takes place.
Members are paid an annual salary. There are also a number of
other allowances, including travel allowances, a supplement for
London members and, for members with constituencies a long
way from London, subsistence allowances and allowances for
second homes.
1
A despatch box (alternatively dispatch box) is a wooden box used as a
lectern from which frontbench members of Parliament deliver speeches to
their parliamentary chamber.
47
 The House of Lords
This is the upper chamber but the one with less authority.
Its main roles are to revise legislation and keep a check on
Government by scrutinising its activities. Since 1911, its power
to block “money bills” is limited to one month and its power to
block other bills is limited to one session, so ultimately it cannot
block the will of the House of Commons.
The House of Lords is an utterly bizarre institution that has no
parallel anywhere in the democratic world. The unusual nature
of the Lords is explained by the fact that the British political
system has evolved very slowly and peacefully and it is not
totally logical or democratic.
There is no fixed number of members in the House of Lords,
but currently there are almost 800 active members — many
more than in the House of Commons, more than the combined
houses of the American Congress or the Indian Parliament
(although both of these nations have a federal system), and the
second biggest legislative body in the world (after the Chinese
National People’s Congress). The number was actually halved
to 666 in the reforms of 1999 but, since then, successive Prime
Ministers have been adding new life peers much faster than
members are dying. Indeed the current Government has added
over 100. Ironically the size of the House of Lords continues to
rise at the same time as the House of Commons has legislated
to reduce its size.
Historically most members of the House of Lords have been
hereditary peers. This meant that years ago a king or queen
nominated a member of the aristocracy to be a member of the
House and, since then, the right to sit in the House has passed
through the family from generation to generation. Clearly this is
totally undemocratic and the last Labour Government abolished
the right of all but 92 of these hereditary peers to sit in the
House.
Almost all the other members of today’s House of Lords are
life peers. This means that they have been chosen by the Queen,
48
on the advice of the Government, to sit in the House for as long
as they live, but afterwards no member of their family has the
right to sit in the House. Many are former senior politicians.
Others are very distinguished figures in fields such as education,
health and social policy.
A small number of other members — 26 — are Archbishops
and Bishops of the Church of England. Iran is the only other
country in the world that provides automatic seats for senior
religious figures in its legislature.
The House of Lords reform is unfinished business. The
Parliament Act of 1911 first raised the prospect of an elected
upper house but it has still not happened. There is a cross-party
consensus that it should become a mainly elected body although
there is as yet no agreement on the details of the next stage of
reform.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Why was the number of MPs reduced?
2. Do the MPs have individual seat in the House? What do
you think is the reason for this situation?
3. What are the working arrangements in the House of
Commons?
4. Why do MPs not attend all the debates in the House of
Commons?
5. What is the main function of the House of Lords?
6. Why is the House of Lords described as a bizarre
institution?
7. How were hereditary peers nominated in the past? When
was this practice abolished?
8. How are life peers appointed? Why are there so many of
them now?
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
49
 Exercise 3. Revise the translation prompts and the grammar Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
and lexical comments to previous units and translate the following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
following sentences into Russian: in the text.
1. The Bill of Rights of 1689 — which is still in effect — lays двухпалатный парламент; палата (парламента); вводить
down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights ограничения на полномочия монарха / короны; сформулиро-
of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament, the вать / излагать права; страх возмездия/ наказания; пропорци-
requirement of regular elections to Parliament, and the right to ональная система; мажоритарная система; явка избирателей
petition the monarch without fear of retribution. по всей стране; постоянно присутствовать (на заседаниях);
командировочные расходы; согласие всех партий.
2. Most democratic countries use a method of election called
proportional representation which means that there is a reasonable Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
correlation between the percentage of votes cast for a particular words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
political party and the number of seats or representatives won by text.
that party. to be in effect; first by the post (method of election); a single
3. The House of Commons is a representative assembly member constituency; legislature; to be in recess; exempt from;
elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of men and personal grievances; to secure someone’s presence (at the
women (Members of Parliament, MPs) from all sections of the session); to summon Parliament; subsistence allowance; life/
community, regardless of income or occupation. hereditary peers; distinguished figures.
4. Rather oddly (but deliberately), there is insufficient seating
TOPICAL VOCABULARY
capacity in the chamber of the House of Commons for all the
MPs. 1. powers of the crown - полномочия монарха
5. Question Time may then be followed by further ministerial 2. to petition the monarch - обратиться с прошением
statements and sometimes by the raising of an issue of immediate - к монарху
3. proportional representation - избирательная система
urgency. пропорционального
6. On ordinary occasions MPs, who also have much представительства
committee, party and constituency business to attend to, are not 4. majority system - мажоритарная избирательная
система
expected to be in constant attendance in the debating chamber.
5. a single member - одномандатный избирательный
7. When any special business is about to be taken — for constituency округ
instance, a vote on some legislative or other matter — steps are 6. Members’Question Time - час вопросов, заседание
taken to secure their presence. английского парламента,
- на котором его члены получают
8. The House of Lords reform is unfinished business. ответы министров
- на свои вопросы

50 51
7. to dissolve / summon - распустить/ созывать парламент
Parliament
8. a by-election - дополнительные выборы
9. to revise legislation - анализировать (корректировать)
законопроекты
10. to keep a check on - контролировать деятельность
Government правительства
11. hereditary peers - наследные пэры
12. life peer - пожизненный пэр (лицо,
получившее титул барона,
дающий право быть членом
палаты лордов, но не
передающийся по наследству)
13. to abolish rights - отменять права
14. senior religious leaders - высокопоставленные
религиозные деятели
UNIT VI. THE UK PARLIAMENT TO-DAY (CONT’D):
ORGANISATION, PEOPLE, VOTING
Переводческий комментарий
1. The Commons elects its own Speaker — Необходимо
обратить внимание на употребление множественной фор-
мы существительного и использование глагола и притяжа-
тельного местоимения в форме единственного числа. Ср. с
аналогичным явлением при употреблении глагольных форм
с такими названиями, как the United States of America, the
United Nations, the Customs.
2. the usual practice being for the Government...to put
forward the name of an MP — О необходимости внутренне-
го или внешнего членения предложения при переводе абсо-
лютных причастных конструкций см. подробнее коммента-
рий к предыдущим урокам.
THE UK PARLIAMENT (cont’d)
Officers of the House of Commons
The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker,
elected by MPs to preside over the House. This office has
been held continuously since 1377, and its powers have been
exercised with complete impartiality since at least the middle
of the nineteenth century. The Speaker has two main functions:
first, he (or she) is the representative of the House in its relations
with the Crown, the House of Lords and other authorities, and
second, he presides over the House and enforces the observance
of all rules which govern its conduct.
53
 The quality most essential to a Speaker is strict impartiality,
and one of his most important duties is to protect the rights of
minorities and ensure that their voices are heard. All members
look to him for guidance in matters of procedure, and he decides
points of order and gives rulings when required. The Speaker
must be above party political controversy and must be seen to
be completely impartial in all matters. Even after a Speaker has
retired, he will take no part in political issues. The Speaker must
keep himself apart from his party colleagues or any one group of
interest. He does not, for instance, eat in the House of Commons
dining room, and does not attend meetings of parties or other
interest groups.
The Commons elects its own Speaker — the usual practice
being for the Government, after consultation with the
Opposition, to put forward the name of an MP acceptable to
all sections of the House, who is then proposed and seconded
by members of the back benches. It has become a generally
accepted principle that, once the Speaker has been elected in
one Parliament, he is re-elected in subsequent Parliaments,
and thus remains in office until he chooses to retire (or
dies). The Speaker continues as an MP, dealing like any with
constituents’ letters and problems. He does not, however, either
speak or vote in the House, though in the event of a tied vote,
the Speaker must give the casting vote, but only in accordance
with the rule which precludes an expression of opinion on
the merits of the question. When seeking re-election at the
national polls, he remains aloof from party issues — standing
as ‘the Speaker seeking re-election’.
The Speaker presides over the House and in debate all
speeches are addressed to him and he calls upon members to
speak. If he rises to give a ruling on a doubtful point, or for
any other reason, he must be heard in silence, and while he
is on his feet no other MP may remain standing. The Speaker
must guard against abuse of procedure or any infringement of
minority rights, and has discretion to allow or disallow a closure
54
(a motion to end discussion so that the matter may be put to
the vote). He also has certain powers to check irrelevance and
repetition in debate, and to save time in other respects. In cases
of grave and continuous disorder, he has power to adjourn the
House or suspend the sitting. In cases of wilful disobedience to
his instructions by one MP or more, the Speaker can name him
or them, which will result in their suspension — for a period —
from the House.
Other officers include the three Deputy Speakers who are
elected by the House on the nomination of the Government but
are drawn from the Opposition as well as the government party.
They, like the Speaker, neither speak nor vote other than in their
official capacity.
House of Lords: organization and people
The government and the main opposition party or parties each
have a leader, business managers (‘whips’) who organise the
work of the House and spokespeople who sit on the frontbench.
The crossbenchers have a convenor.
The administration supports the whole House in carrying
out its duties. It is responsible for advising on parliamentary
procedure and is politically impartial. It
also performs a range of everyday corporate functions, from
finance and catering to property management and security.
Decisions about how the House operates are made by groups
of members or staff with responsibility for these issues.
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House is a member of the Cabinet and the
most senior member of the government in the Lords, responsible
for its business in the House. He leads a team of about 25
ministers and whips .The Leader also has obligations to the
House as a whole, expressing its collective feelings on formal
occasions and giving procedural advice, e.g. in disputes over
who will speak next during questions.
55
 Lord Speaker
The Lords Speaker presides over business in the chamber.
The House of Lords is self-regulating so, unlike the Commons’
Speaker, the Lord Speaker does not call the House to order or
choose who will speak next. The Lord Speaker is elected by the
House and is politically impartial.
Voting
Voting in the House of Commons is carried out under the
direction of the Speaker, whose duty it is to pronounce the final
result. A vote is taken by means of a division (that is to say the
separation into two lobbies of the members who wish to vote
for or against a question). Members voting ‘Aye’ go out of the
chamber into the lobby on the right of the Speaker, those voting
‘No’ pass into the lobby on his left. Votes are recorded by four
clerks (whose records are later printed in the official Division
Lists, and also recorded next day in Hansard) and four tellers
(two MPs from each side of the House), of whom one for the
‘ayes’ and another for the ‘noes’ are placed in each lobby to
check each other in the telling. A division in the Commons may
take about ten minutes, and there may be two or three hundred
divisions in a session.
The voting procedure in the House of Lords is similar to that
in the Commons except that the Speaker or chairman has an
original, but no casting vote.
The Party System in Parliament
Leaders of the Government and Opposition sit on the front
benches on either side of the Commons chamber with their
supporters — the backbenchers — sitting behind them.
Similar arrangements for the parties also apply to the House
of Lords, however, Lords who do not wish to be associated with
any political party may sit on the ‘cross-benches’.
The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament rests
largely on the relationship between the Government and the
56
opposition parties. Depending upon the relative strengths of the
parties in the House of Commons, the Opposition may seek to
overthrow the Government by defeating it in a vote on a ‘matter
of confidence’. In general, however, its aims are:
●● to contribute to the formulation of policy and legislation by
constructive criticism;
●● to oppose government proposals it considers
objectionable;
●● to seek amendments to government Bills; and
●● to put forward its own policies in order to improve its
chances of winning the next general elections.
The Opposition performs this role both by debating issues and
putting questions on the floor of both Houses and through the
committee system.
Inside Parliament, party control is exercised by the Chief
Whips and their assistants, who are chosen within the party2.
Their duties include keeping members informed of forthcoming
parliamentary business, maintaining the party’s voting strength
by ensuring members attend important debates, and passing
on to the party leadership the opinion of backbench members.
The Whips indicate the importance their party attaches to a
vote on a particular issue by underlining items of business
once, twice or three times on the notice sent to MPs. If an
issue is underlined once, then it is not particularly important,
attendance is merely requested. A rather more important
matter will be underlined twice meaning that attendance is
particularly requested. Attendance is essential when an item
is underlined three times. Failure to comply with a ‘three-
2
The term ‘Whip’ was first used in the eighteenth century. The party
organisers of the time were likened to the person on the hunting field who
‘whipped-in’ the hounds in the pack to keep them all together. The term
‘Whip’ is, therefore, most appropriate as these officials work to keep their
parties together.
57
line whip’, the most important, is usually seen as a rebellion
against the party. Party discipline tends to be less strong in
the Lords than in the Commons, since Lords have less hope of
high office and no need of party support in elections.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What are the functions of the Speaker?
2. What is the Speaker’s most important quality?
3. How is the Speaker elected?
4. Is it difficult for the incumbent Speaker to be re-elected?
5. What happens if the Speaker calls a member by his name?
6. What is a division?
7. What are the sitting arrangements in both Houses?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Revise the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to previous units and translate the
following sentences into Russian:
1. He does not, however, either speak or vote in the House,
though in the event of a tied vote, the Speaker must give the
casting vote, but only in accordance with the rule which precludes
an expression of opinion on the merits of the question.
2. The Speaker must guard against abuse of procedure or any
infringement of minority rights, and has discretion to allow or
disallow a closure.
3. He also has certain powers to check irrelevance and
repetition in debate and to save time in other respects.
4. Depending upon the relative strengths of the parties in
the House of Commons, the Opposition may seek to overthrow
the Government by defeating it in a vote on a “matter of
confidence”.
5. Party discipline tends to be less strong in the Lords than in
the Commons, since Lords have less hope of high office and no
need of party support in elections.
58
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
председательствовать на заседаниях палаты; осущест-
влять полномочия; полная беспристрастность; обеспечивать
соблюдение правил; процедурные вопросы; общепринятая
практика; по сути вопроса; нарушение прав меньшинства;
временно приостановить заседание; под руководством; огла-
сить результат (голосования).
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the text.
to hold the office continuously; authorities; to look to
someone for guidance; political controversy; to propose and
second (the name of an MP); subsequent Parliaments; to
preclude; to stand aloof; abuse of procedure; to have discretion
to do something; to check irrelevance; wilful disobedience;
suspension (of a member); division lists; objectionable;
forthcoming parliamentary business
Exercise 6. Translate into Russian:
Лидеры правительства и оппозиции располагаются на пе-
редних скамьях по обе стороны палаты общин, позади них
помещаются их сторонники — рядовые члены парламента,
или «заднескамеечники».
Подобным же образом располагаются партии и в палате лор-
дов. Однако лорды, не желающие, чтобы их ассоциировали с
какой-либо политической партией, могут сидеть на поперечной
скамье для независимых депутатов и не подчиняться системе
парламентских партийных организаторов, или «кнутов».
Эффективность существующей партийной системы в
парламенте в значительной степени обусловлена взаимоот-
ношениями, сложившимися между правительством и оппо-
зиционными партиями. В зависимости от расклада сил меж-
ду партиями в палате общин оппозиция может попытаться
59
свергнуть правительство, нанеся ему поражение при голо-
совании по вопросу о доверии.

TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. officers - официальные должностные лица
2. to give a ruling - выносить (председательское) постановление UNIT VII. THE LAW MAKING PROCESS
3. members of the - члены парламента, сидящие на последних
back benches рядах, т.е. рядовые члены парламента,
(back benchers) не руководство, которое сидит в первом Переводческий комментарий
ряду  — on the front bench, front- benchers.
4. cross benches - поперечная скамья для членов палаты, не to put their case — изложить свою позицию (предста-
принадлежащих к каким-либо партийным вить свои соображения). О переводе многозначных слов
фракциям; см. подробнее комментарий к Ур. 1.
cross-benchers - независимые члены парламента
6. a tied vote - равное число голосов The Law Making Process
7. a casting vote - решающий голос The law undergoes constant reform in the courts as established
8. national polls - всеобщие выборы principles are clarified or reapplied to meet new circumstances.
9. closure - прекращение прений Fundamental changes are the responsibility of Parliament and
10. motion - предложение
the Government through the normal legislative process.
11. to put to the vote - ставить на голосование
Draft laws take the form of parliamentary Bills. Most are
12. to name an MP - наложение дисциплинарного взыскания на
члена парламента public Bills involving measures relating to public policy. Private
13. to carry out - проводить голосование Bills deal with matters of individual, corporate or local interest.
voting Hybrid Bills are public Bills which may affect private rights. The
14. division - зд. голосование passage of private Bills and hybrid Bills through Parliament is
15. teller - счетчик голосов (при голосовании в governed by special procedures which allow those affected to
парламенте) put their case. Public Bills can be introduced, in either House, by
16. Hansard - “Хансард” (официальный стенографический a government minister or by an ordinary member. Most public
отчет о заседаниях обеих палат
парламента; в период работы парламента Bills that become law are sponsored by the Government.
выпускается ежедневно Издательством Ее Before a government Bill is drafted, there is normally
Величества{Her Majesty’s Stationery Office}. considerable consultation with organisations who are interested
Люк Хансард напечатал первый отчет in the subject. Proposals for legislative changes are sometimes
- в 1803 г.)
set out in government ‘White Papers’, which may be debated
17. on the floor - в зале заседаний палаты
of the House
in Parliament before a Bill is introduced. From time to time
18. whip - “кнут”, парламентский партийный consultation papers, sometimes called ‘Green Papers’, set out
организатор; повестка парламентского government proposals which are still taking shape and seek
партийного организатора comments from the public.
61
 A draft law is given a first reading in the House of Commons
without debate; this is followed by a thorough debate on general
principles at second reading. It is then given detailed consideration,
clause by clause, by a Commons committee before report stage
in the whole House, and a third and final reading. The House of
Lords has similar proceedings, although most committee stages
are taken in full session.
Bills must normally be passed by both Houses. They must
then receive the Royal Assent before becoming Acts. In practice
this is a formality.
Discussion and debate involve quite a gladiatorial or
confrontational approach. This is reflected in the physical
shape of the chambers. Whereas most legislatures are semi-
circular, both the House of Commons and the House of Lords
are rectangular with the Government party sitting on one side
and the Opposition parties sitting on the other side. The House
of Lords alone has cross-benches for independent peers. It is
quite normal for speakers in debates to be interrupted by other
members, especially of another party, and, in the Commons,
cheering and jeering is a regular occurrence.
The Government is normally assured of a majority in the
House of Commons for any measure or vote. This is mainly
because in the Commons there is a strong ‘whipping’ system
in which political parties tell their members how to vote on
every significant division through a weekly set of instructions.
The importance of actually being present to vote in the manner
instructed depends on whether the ‘whip’ is one-line, two-line
or   — the most serious   —   three-line. Even when there is a
rebellion by members of the majority party, the Government
usually obtains its wish because all Ministers and their
Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs) are required to vote
for the Government or resign their Ministerial or PPS position.
This is called ‘the payroll vote’ (although PPS are not actually
paid to be a PPS) and currently around 120 MPs or 22% of the
Commons make up this block vote.
62
Parliamentary Committees
Committee of the Whole House
Either House may pass a resolution setting itself up as a
Committee of the Whole House to consider Bills in detail after
their second reading. This permits unrestricted discussion: the
rule that an MP or Lord may speak only once on each issue does
not apply in committee.
General Committees (previously known as Standing
Committees)
House of Commons standing committees debate and consider
amendments to public Bills at the committee stage and, in
certain cases, discuss them at the second reading stage. Ordinary
standing committees do not have names but are referred to
simply as General (Standing) Committee A.B.C. and so on; a
new set of members are appointed to them to consider each Bill.
Membership includes Government and Opposition spokespersons
on the subject matter of the Bill and overall membership reflects
proportionately the balance of the parties in the Commons Each
committee has between 16 and 50 members.
Select Committees
Select committees are appointed, normally, for the duration
of a Parliament, to examine subjects by taking written and oral
evidence. After private discussion they report their conclusions
and recommendations. Some select committees may be appointed
to help Parliament with the control of the executive by examining
aspects of public policy and administration. These include the 15
committees established by the House of Commons to examine
the work of the main government departments. The Foreign
Affairs Committee, for example, ‘shadows’ the work of the
Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Membership is made up only
of backbenchers and reflects proportionately the balance of the
parties in the Commons.
63
 Other regular Commons committees include those on
European Legislation, Public Accounts, Members’ Interests,
and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
‘Domestic’ select committees also cover the internal workings
of Parliament.
In their examination of government policies and administration,
the committees question ministers, senior civil servants and
interested bodies and individuals. Through hearings and published
reports, they bring before Parliament and the public an extensive
body of fact and informed opinion on many issues, and build up
considerable expertise in their subjects of inquiry.
The House of Lords only has Select Committees (it does
not need Standing Committees because the details of Bills are
considered on the floor of the chamber).
Joint Committees
Joint committees, with a membership drawn from both
Houses, are appointed in each session to deal with Consolidation
Bills — Bills which seek to bring together existing legislation
and delegated legislation — the power to regulate administrative
details given to ministers and other authorities. The two Houses
may also agree to set up joint committees on other subjects.
Party Committees
In addition to the official committees of the Houses there
are several unofficial party organisations or committees. The
Conservative and Unionist Members’ Committee (the 1922
Committee) consists of the backbench membership of the party
in the House of Commons.
The Parliamentary Labour Party comprises all members of
the party in both Houses.
Disclosure of Members’ Interests
The present practice relating to the declaration of interests
by MPs is governed by two resolutions passed by the House of
64
Commons in 1974. The first prescribed that in any debates or
proceedings of the House or in transactions with other members
or with ministers or civil servants, MPs must disclose any
relevant pecuniary interest or benefit; the second introduced the
establishment of a register, open to public inspection, in which
MPs would record any relevant interest.
An MP is responsible for what is recorded about himself. He
is required generally to bear in mind the purpose of the Register,
which is to provide information about the pecuniary interest
or material benefit which an MP may receive which might be
thought to affect his conduct as an MP or influence his actions,
speeches or vote in Parliament.
No member of the House of Commons who has a direct
pecuniary interest in a matter before the House is allowed to vote
on it. To act as a bar to voting, this interest must be immediate
and personal, not held in common with the rest of the country’s
citizens, and not on a matter of State policy. In practice, however,
the circumstances rarely arise when an MP is not free to vote.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Which of the branches of power is responsible for small
law reforms and fundamental ones? Why is the law subject to
constant changes?
2. What types of Parliamentary Bills are there? How do they
differ?
3. What is the difference in the publication content of White
Papers and Green Papers?
4. Is the committee work in the House of Lords similar to that
in the House of Commons?
5. What is characteristic of debate in Parliament?
6. How do parties ensure voting discipline of their
members?
7. Do members of General (Standing) Committees change
during the duration of a Parliament?
65
 8. What is the job of Select Committees? Does their membership
reflect the party balance in the House of Commons?
9. How do Select Committees conduct their work?
10. Why are MP not allowed to vote on some matters?
11. Why do you think this rule is not often applied?
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Revise the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to previous units and translate the
following sentences into Russian:
1. The law undergoes constant reform in the courts as
established principles are clarified or reapplied to meet new
circumstances.
2. From time to time consultation papers, sometimes called
“Green Papers”, set out government proposals which are still
taking shape and seek comments from the public.
3. The House of Lords has similar proceedings, although
most committee stages are taken in full session.
4. Each committee has between 16 and 50 members, with a
party balance reflecting as far as possible that in the House as a
whole.
5. In their examination of government policies and
administration, the committees question ministers, senior civil
servants and interested bodies and individuals.
6. Through hearings and published reports, they bring before
Parliament and the public an extensive body of fact and informed
opinion on many issues, and build up considerable expertise in
their subjects of inquiry.
7. Joint committees, with a membership drawn from both
Houses, are appointed in each session to deal with Consolidation
Bills.
66
8. The first prescribed that in any debates or proceedings of the
House or in transactions with other members or with ministers or
civil servants, MPs must disclose any relevant pecuniary interest
or benefit.
9. To act as a bar to voting, this interest must be immediate
and personal, not held in common with the rest of the country’s
citizens, and not on a matter of State policy.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
разьяснить принципы; законопроект; изложить свои до-
воды, аргументы; предлагать законопроект; свободное об-
суждение; заслушивать показания; высокопоставленные
госслужащие; денежная заинтересованность; материальная
выгода.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to meet new circumstances; to draft a Bill; party balance;
duration of a Parliament; to question ministers; an extensive
body of fact; to build up expertise; to act as a bar.
TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. White Paper - «Белая книга», официальный
правительственный документ;
представляется палате общин для
ознакомления. В виде «Белых книг»
публикуются тексты международных
договоров и соглашений, участником
которых является Великобритания, и др.
2. Green Paper - «Зеленая книга», официальный
правительственный документ,
содержащий предложения относительно
будущей политики правительства.
67
3. Committee of the - комитет всей палаты (заседание палаты на
Whole House правах комитета).
4. general (standing) - общий (постоянный) комитет
committee
5. select committee - специальный комитет
6. joint committee - объединенный комитет
7. Consolidation - сводный законопроект UNIT VIII. HER MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT.
Bill COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT
8. delegated - делегированное законодательство (акты
legislation законодательного характера, издаваемые
правительством с санкции парламента).
В русском языке в этом значении часто The U.K. government
употребляется клише подзаконные акты. All Government Ministers have to be a member of either the
House of Commons (most of them) or the House of Lords (the
remainder of them) and every Government Department will have
at least one Minister in the Lords, so that the Department can
speak in either House as necessary. The number of Ministers
varies from administration to administration, but typically
there will be around 90, the 20 or so most senior being Cabinet
Ministers. In addition, there are around 20 whips who are on the
Government payroll.
Historically most British governments have been composed
of ministers from a single political party which had an overall
majority of seats in the House of Commons and the ‘first-past-
the-post’ (FPTP) electoral system greatly facilitates and indeed
promotes this outcome. However, occasionally there have been
minority governments or coalition governments.
Currently the UK has its first coalition government in 65
years since, in May 2010, the Conservatives went into coalition
with the Liberal Democrats because in the General Election
they did not secure a majority of the seats. In this coalition, the
Lib Dems have 17 ministers led by the Deputy Prime Minister
Nick Clegg.

The Prime Minister

The UK does not have a President. Constitutionally the head
of state is the monarch who is a hereditary member of the Royal
69
Family. However, the monarch has very few formal powers and
stays above party politics.
So, in practice, the most important person in the British
political system is the Prime Minister. The first modern Prime
Minister was Sir Robert Walpole who served from 1721–1742, so
the current PM - David Cameron - is the 53rd (and, on first taking
office, the youngest since 1812, a few months younger than when
Tony Blair became PM in 1997). In theory, the Prime Minister
simply choses the ministers who run Government departments
and chairs the Cabinet — the collection of the most senior of
those Ministers. In practice, however, the Prime Minister is a
very powerful figure and increasingly has been behaving much
like a president in other political systems, especially in the area
of foreign policy.
The Prime Minister is also, by tradition, First Lord of the
Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. The Prime Minister’s
unique position of authority derives from majority support in the
House of Commons and from the power to appoint and dismiss
ministers. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits
in the House of Commons.
The official residence of the Prime Minister is at 10 Downing
Street.
Government Departments
The most important political departments are called:
●● The Treasury — In most countries, this would be called the
Ministry of Finance. It is responsible for the raising of all taxes
and the control of all government expenditure plus the general
management of the economy. The head of the Treasury is called
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
●● The Home Office — In most countries, this would be
called the Ministry of the Interior. It is responsible for criminal
matters, policing, and immigration. The Head of the Home Office
is called the Home Secretary.
70
●● The Foreign and Commonwealth Office — In most
countries, this would be called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is responsible for all our international relationships, especially
our membership of the European Union.
Many other UK Government Departments are similar to
those in other countries and cover subjects such as education,
health, transport, industry, and justice. However, there are also
departments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
When talking about the British Government, the media will
often use the term Whitehall because a number of Government
Departments are located along a central London street very close
to Parliament called Whitehall.
Government Ministers
All Government Departments are run by Ministers who are
either Members of the House of Commons or Members of the
House of Lords. There are three classes of Ministers:
■■ Secretary of State — This is usually the head of a
Department.
■■ Minister of State — This is a middle-ranking minister.
■■ Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - This is the most
junior class of minister.
Although all Ministers are appointed by the Prime Minster
and report to him, ultimately all Ministers are accountable to
Parliament:
►► About once a month, they have to face questions in the
House of Commons about the work of the Department.
►► Each government department has a special committee
of the House of Commons which watches the work of that
Department.
►► Any government initiative or important statement
concerning a Department must be the subject of an appearance
in the House of Commons by a minister from that Department.
71
 The Cabinet
The Prime Minster and all the Secretaries of State together
comprise an executive body of government called the Cabinet.
The Cabinet meets usually once a week on Tuesday morning.
Cabinet meetings are confidential and all members are bound
by any decision that it takes in a practice called collective
responsibility. An extensive system of Cabinet Committees
considers matters either before they go to Cabinet or (more
usually) instead of them going to Cabinet.
Cabinet is composed of about 20 ministers, although the
number can vary.The functions of the Cabinet are initiating and
deciding on policy, the supreme control of government and co-
ordination of government departments. The exercise of these
functions is vitally affected by the fact that the Cabinet is a group
of representatives, depending upon majority support in the House
of Commons.
The Cabinet meets in private and proceedings are
confidential. Normally the Cabinet meets for a few hours
once a week during parliamentary sittings, and rather less
often when Parliament is not sitting. To keep the workload
of the Cabinet within manageable limits, a great deal of work
is carried out through the committee system. This involves
referring issues either to a standing Cabinet committee or
to an ad hoc committee composed of the ministers directly
concerned. The committee then considers the matter in detail
and either disposes of it or reports upon it to the Cabinet with
recommendation for action.
Government Departments
Government departments and their agencies are the main
instruments for implementing government policy when
Parliament has passed the necessary legislation, and for advising
ministers. They often work alongside local authorities, statutory
boards, and government-sponsored organisations operating under
various degrees of government control.
72
The work of some departments — for instance, the Ministry
of Defence — covers Britain as a whole. Other departments,
such as the Department of Employment, cover England, Wales
and Scotland, but not Northern Ireland. Others, such as the
Department of the Environment, are mainly concerned with
affairs in England. Some departments, such as the Department
of Trade and Industry, maintain a regional organisation, and
some which have direct contact with the public throughout the
country, for example, the Department of Employment, also
have local offices.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Are all government ministers members of the House of
Commons?
2. Who is the head of state in the UK?
3. What is the duty of the Treasury?
1. Who is the head of this body?
4. What does the PM’s influence depend on?
5. What does Home Office do?
6. What does Whitehall stand for?
7. Who are ministers accountable to? In what way?
8. What are the functions of the Cabinet?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in writing.
Exercise 3. Revise the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to previous units and translate the
following sentences into Russian:
1. In theory, the Prime Minister simply chooses the ministers
who run Government departments and chairs the Cabinet.
2. It (the Treasury) is responsible for the raising of all taxes
and the control of all government expenditure plus the general
management of the economy.
3. Junior ministers share in parliamentary and departmental
duties.
73
 4. Many other UK Government Departments are similar to случаях министрам предоставляется право свободного голо-
those in other countries and cover subjects such as education, сования в парламенте при обсуждении политики правитель-
health, transport, industry and justice. ства, затрагивающей важные принципиальные вопросы.
5. Cabinet meetings are confidential and all members are
bound by any decision that it takes in a practice called collective TOPICAL VOCABULARY
responsibility.
6. The committee then considers the matter in detail and 1. Chancellor of the Exchequer - министр финансов, канцлер
either disposes of it or reports upon it to the Cabinet with казначейства
recommendation for action. 2. Home Secretary - министр внутренних дел
3. Foreign Secretary - министр иностранных дел
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the 4. ad hoc committee - специальный комитет
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used 5. government departments - правительственные
in the text. and agencies министерства и учреждения
абсолютное большинство; собирать налоги; министр фи- 6. Ministry of Defence - Министерство обороны
нансов; руководить министерством. 7. Department of Employment - Министерство труда
8. Department of the - Министерство по вопросам
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following Environment охраны окружающей среды
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the 9. Department of Trade - Министерство торговли
text. and Industry - и промышленности
to be on the Government payroll; to go into coalition;
government expenditure; to be accountable to Parliament.

Exercise 6. Translate into English:

Термин «министерская ответственность» относится и к
коллективной ответственности за политику и действия пра-
вительства, и к личной ответственности министров за рабо-
ту их ведомств.
Принцип коллективной ответственности означает, что ка-
бинет в целом действует единодушно, даже если не все ми-
нистры-члены кабинета согласны с тем или иным решением
вопроса. Политика министров, возглавляющих министер­
ства, не должна противоречить политике правительства в
целом. После того как правительство определило свою по-
литику по тому или иному вопросу, предполагается, что каж-
дый министр поддержит ее или уйдет в отставку. В редких
74

UNIT IX. THE LEGAL SYSTEM
THE LEGAL SYSTEM
Although Britain is a unitary state, England and Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own legal systems,
with considerable differences in law, organisation and practice.
However, a large amount of modern legislation applies
throughout Britain. The law is divided into criminal law and
civil law; the latter regulates the conduct of people in ordinary
relations with one another. The distinction between the two is
reflected in the procedure used, the courts in which cases may be
heard and the sanctions which may be applied. Recent measures
to strengthen the criminal justice system include the Drug
Trafficking Offences Act 1986, which provides for confiscation
of traffickers’ assets; the Public Order Act 1986, which codifies
the offences of riot, unlawful assembly and affray; and the
Criminal Justice Act 1987, which aids the investigation and
prosecution of serious and complex fraud.
Police action in enforcing the law rests mainly on common
sense. Most forces have community liaison departments
to co-ordinate their efforts to produce good relations with
the community, especially important in deprived areas, and
arrangements are made for obtaining local co-operation in
preventing crime. Some 56,000 neighbourhood watch schemes,
for example, have helped reduce crimes such as burglary. Police
officers do not normally carry firearms — their only weapon
is a truncheon — there are strict limitations on their powers.
Statutory procedures, including an independent element, govern
the handling of public complaints against the police.
76
The legal system of England and Wales comprises both an
historic body of conventions known as common law and equity,
and parliamentary and European Union legislation. Common
law, which is based on custom and interpreted in court cases by
judges, has never been precisely defined or codified. It forms the
basis of the law except when superseded by legislation. Equity
law consists of a body of historic rules and principles which
are applied by the courts. The English legal system is therefore
distinct from many of those of Western Europe, which have
codes derived from Roman law.
European Union law, which applies throughout Britain,
is confined mainly to economic and social matters; in certain
circumstances it takes precedence over domestic law. It is normally
applied by the domestic courts, but the most authoritative rulings
are given by the EU’s Court of Justice.
The U.K. judiciary
The British judicial branch is extremely complex. Currently a
process of reform is in operation.
The Lord Chancellor’s office — which for 1,400  years
maintained the judiciary — has now been replaced by the
Ministry for Justice which administers the court system. A Judical
Appointments Commission has been set up to advise the head of
the MoJ on the appointment of new judges.
The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords —
previously the highest court in the land — was, by way of the
Constitutional Reform Act 2005, replaced by the Supreme
Court in October 2009 to allow the judiciary to operate in total
independence from the Government. The Supreme Court is
now the ultimate court of appeal in all legal matters other than
criminal cases in Scotland. It consists of 12 judges and sits in
the Middlesex Guildhall in Parliament Square.
The UK does not have its own Bill of Rights. However, since
1951 it has been a signatory to the European Convention on
Human Rights (part of the Council of Europe) and since 1966 it
77
has allowed its citizens the right of individual petition enabling
them to take the government to the European Court of Human
Rights in Strasbourg. The Blair Government incorporated the
provisions of the European Convention in UK domestic law
in 2000, so that citizens can now seek to have the provisions
enforced in domestic courts.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Does the UK have a single legal system?
2. What is the subject matter of civil law?
3. What measures have been taken recently to fight the rising
crime more effectively?
4. Does the population contribute to fighting crime?
5. What is the relationship between the police and the
population?
6. What are the three elements of the UK legal system?
7. What is the relationship between the European Union law
and domestic laws?
8. How are judges appointed in the UK?
9. What body replaced the Appellate Committee of the House
of Lords? In what way did it make the British judiciary system
more independent?
10. How can the UK citizens protect their human rights now?
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Revise the translation prompts and the grammar
and lexical comments to previous units and translate the
following sentences into Russian:
1. Police action in enforcing the law rests mainly on common
sense.
2. European Union law, which applies throughout Britain,
is confined mainly to economic and social matters; in certain
circumstances it takes precedence over domestic law.
78
3. The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords —
previously the highest court in the land - was, by way of the
Constitutional Reform Act 2005, replaced by the Supreme
Court in October 2009 to allow the judiciary to operate in total
independence from the Government.
4. The Blair Government incorporated the provisions of
the European Convention in UK domestic law in 2000, so that
citizens can now seek to have the provisions enforced in domestic
courts.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used
in the text.
уголовное и гражданское право; рассматривать дело в
суде; относить к разряду правонарушений нарушения об-
щественного порядка, незаконные сборища и драки; отдел
связей с общественностью; предотвращать правонаруше-
ния; рассматривать жалобы населения; толковать законы;
судебная система; высший апелляционный суд.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
unitary state; an offence; confiscation of traffickers’ assets;
complex fraud; to investigate and prosecute (an offence, a
fraud); to enforce the law; deprived areas; authoritative rulings;
to administer the court system; to take the government to the
European Court of Human Rights.
Exercise 6. Translate into English:
Верховный суд был создан в соответствии с Актом
о  конституционной реформе (2005) и начал функциониро-
вать 1  октября 2009 года. Он полностью заменил Апелля-
ционный комитет палаты лордов, а также получил некото-
рые полномочия Судебного комитета Тайного совета. Дол-
79
гое время (с 1399 года) функции последней судебной ин- TOPICAL VOCABULARY
станции для судов общей юрисдикции исполняла верхняя
палата британского парламента, впоследствии специаль- 1. a unitary state - унитарное государство
но организованный для этого в 1876 году Апелляционный 2. Drug Trafficking - Закон о борьбе с распространением
комитет палаты лордов. Он состоял из 12  лордов-судей и Offence Act наркотиков
возглавлялся лордом-канцлером, который одновременно 3. Public Order Act - Закон об охране общественного порядка
занимал должность главного судьи Англии и Уэльса. 4. to enforce the law - обеспечивать соблюдение законов,
Судебную реформу инициировала Лейбористская пар- охранять правопорядок
тия в 2003 году во главе с тогдашним премьер-министром law-enforcement - правоохранительные органы
Тони Блэром. Изменения уже назрели давно и были мо- bodies
тивированы, главным образом, желанием создать полно- 5. common law and - общее право и право справедливости
стью независимую судебную систему и обеспечить её от- equity
крытость и прозрачность деятельности. Наличие тесной 6. to supersede - отменять (закон); аннулировать
связи между законодательной и судебной властью и су- 7. to take - зд. иметь преимущественную силу,
precedence over приоритет
ществование в рамках парламента высшей судебной инс- smth
танции нарушало принцип разделения властей и вступало
в противоречие с требованиями Европейской конвенции
о защите прав человека. Налицо сложилась абсурдная си-
туация, когда парламент, обладавший ко всему прочему
высшими судебными функциями, имел возможность ин-
терпретировать нормы закона, изданного им самим же, в
свою пользу.
У реформы также нашлись свои противники, к приме-
ру, нынешний председатель Верховного суда Лорд Дэвид
Нойбергер был самым ярым противником его создания и
обосновывал это тем, что традиционная судебная система
работала исправно, не требовала больших финансовых за-
трат и являлась в целом эффективной, также он был обес-
покоен тем, что судьи нового суда получат сразу слишком
много властных полномочий.

80

UNIT X. TEXTS FOR TRANSLATION INTO RUSSIAN
Translate the following articles into Russian:
I. Labour guarded on monarchy reform
Think-tank says royalty should give up all but symbolic role
Main points
●● Automatic right of succession of the heir to the throne should
be abolished with public right of veto over a new monarch.
●● Royals should receive state education and be treated on the
NHS.
●● The monarch should not automatically be head of the
Church of England.
●● The monarch should become a roving ambassador to “heal
bitterness about Britain’s past around the world”.
●● The Speaker of the Commons should take responsibility
for appointing Prime Minister and dissolving Parliament.
●● The need for Royal Assent allowing Bills to become law
should be abolished.
●● A minister of justice should take responsibility for
appointing judges.
●● The Royal Household should be replaced by a civil service-
run Office of the Monarchy.
Downing Street yesterday moved swiftly to deny support for
proposals from the Government’s favoured think-tank for root-
82
and-branch reform of the monarchy, including the abolition of
the automatic right of succession of the heir to the throne.
The report from the left-leaning think-tank Demos — headed
by Geoff Mulgan, a member of the Downing Street policy
unit   — stops short of recommending abolition of the monarchy,
but argues “dramatic” reform is needed if the institution is to
match public expectations. Among its radical measures are
proposals to give the public the right of veto over a new King
or Queen, the scrapping of the monarch’s political powers and
the ending of the role of the Sovereign as Supreme Governor of
the Church of England.
Though the report comes after the Royal Family has signalled
a cautious willingness to modernise, Downing Street moved to
make clear that its vision of a “people’s monarchy” does not
come near the Demos recommendations.
A spokesman said: ”The report has nothing to do with the
Government and does not reflect Government views. No one in
the Government was involved in drawing it up.”
Tory sources disagreed, suggesting Demos, with its close
New Labour connections, was voicing “what Tony Blair thinks
but can’t say.” The report could add to resentment among some
within or close to the palace, who believe that the New Labour
establishment is trying to bounce the royal family into hasty
reform.
Liam Fox, the Conservative constitutional affairs spokesman,
suggested the report’s recommendations that the Royal Family
should use state schools and the National Health Service
reflected efforts to “entrench centre-left New Labour ideas into
our institutions.”
He claimed details of plans by Gordon Brown, the Chancellor,
to cut back the royal family’s annual funding increase by two
thirds to a figure in line with the Government’s inflation target
was further evidence of Labour support for the “back door
Republicanism which Demos represents.”
The Guardian, Sep. 1998
83
 II. Foot-Dragging
The Commons has changed, but not that much
On Tuesday night, amid much controversy and criticism, the
British House of Commons elected its 135th Speaker, Glasgow-
born Labour MP Michael Martin. The election process is
something to behold. To get a sense for how it would play
outside of Britain, try substituting the American House of
Representatives or the French Assemblee for the British House
of Commons.
First, candidates for this cherished post are traditionally
expected not to express any interest in the job or canvass for it
publicly. But this convention at least was broken Tuesday when
candidates gave 10-minute speeches seeking support before
voting began. The selection process is launched when the Father
of the House — in this case Sir Edward Heath, who became an
MP in March 1950 — takes his seat at the table. By presenting
the first candidate — against whom all others are challengers —
the Father of the House gives that person a key advantage, thus
influencing the process.
But before any voting takes place, Black Rod — an officer
of the House of Lords — arrives and knocks three times before
entering. He then summons the Clerk and Members to the
Lords “to hear the commission read”. So off they file to the
Lords, where three men wearing tricorn hats order them to elect
a Speaker of her House. Orders received, they then file back to
the Commons.
There followed Tuesday more than six hours of debates and
a complex voting process by which individual candidates are
eliminated until only one person remains. The survivor is the
new Speaker.
Relieved that the process is over, the new Speaker is then
ushered to his chair. But not without a struggle. He is expected
to resist, protesting that he really doesn’t want the job —
a throwback to the days in the 14th century when the job really
was undesirable as a number of Speakers had been killed after
84
delivering bad news to the Monarch. Mr. Martin, one-time sheet-
metal worker and the first Roman Catholic speaker since the
Reformation, seemed happy enough to win the vote even if he
obliged with some ritual foot-dragging.
But Mr. Martin’s election was not uncontroversial. Many MPs
had pleaded with Sir Edward to amend the Byzantine election
rules to make the system fairer. But there was more than concern
over the election process. Labour and Conservative MPs both
expressed their worry that Parliament itself was being made less
relevant. “We are in danger today of picking the curator of the
museum of parliamentary democracy,” declared the left-wing
Labour MP Tony Benn.
All of this, we suppose, goes to show that even in this newlab
world, the House of Commons remains a deeply traditional
place.
III. Break the deadlock
This generation must not miss its chance to reform the House
of Lords and strengthen parliament
When the prime minister asked me last May to examine the
potential for breaking the deadlock over the House of Lords
reform, he described the assignment as a “hospital pass”. Trying
to find common ground on an issue where views are passionately
and firmly held, and range from those who want to do very little
to those with a reforming zeal in which only a seismic change
will do is, without doubt, difficult.
The Guardian’s pages over the last week highlight this. David
Steel set out the view of one cross-party group which favours a
reformed, but all-appointed, House of Lords. Lord Strathclyde,
leader of the Conservatives in the Lords, set out his party’s view
that a reformed house should be 80% elected.
So the prime minister’s analogy wasn’t wide off the mark. But
my experience during the past nine months has also convinced
me that if this generation of politicians is going to find a way
through this morass, we will never have a better opportunity than
85
we do now. If we fail, the issue will lie on file for a generation.
And the status quo is unsustainable.
The package I published yesterday is therefore a compromise.
It is the result of many months of discussion within the
government and a constructive and fruitful cross-party process,
the first of its kind for 40 years. It recommends a reformed,
hybrid house, with some members elected and others appointed,
with all appointments — political and non-political — overseen
by a statutory appointments commission. It does not come to a
fixed view about what proportion should be elected, although in
my opinion the best hope of reaching consensus is around a 50-
50 split.
There are still disagreements within all parties, and between
the parties. But there is also a great deal of common ground. We
all agree that the future House of Lords should be part elected
and part appointed — for instance, in order on the one hand to
provide a greater degree of direct democratic legitimacy, and on
the other to preserve the opportunity to have sitting in the Lords
people of great expertise and independent minds unfettered by
party politics.
We all agreed that any reform must take place over a long
period. We also agree that no one sitting in the Lords should be
doing so on the basis of their ancestry, so the hereditary principle
will go for good. My discussions also led to agreement that there
should be a “cooling off” period before a former member of the
Lords could stand for the Commons. The second chamber should
not be regarded as a stepping stone to the Commons.
We also agreed on the fundamental principle that in reforming
the Lords nothing should be done which puts the primacy of
the Commons at risk The Lords must be neither a rival nor a
replica. It simply does not follow that an elected element in the
subordinate chamber means a threat to the preeminent chamber.
It is on the composition of a reformed Lords where there remain
differences of view. This is hardly surprising given the long
history of this issue, which has stalled time and time again over
86
the last 100   years. What is clear, though, is that the three main
parties are committed to reform.
In a modern democracy, I believe it is simply unsustainable to
argue that parliamentary second chamber should have no direct
democratic input from the people it serves. It may not be an issue
which is gripping the nation, dominating conversation in pubs
and clubs. It may have been a “hospital pass”. But strengthening
parliament, making it more effective and more relevant, is always
worth the effort.
Jack Straw, published in The Guardian, Feb.8, 2007
Jack Straw was leader of the Commons
IV. Secret papers show extent of senior royals’ veto over
bills
Court order reveals how approval of Queen and Prince Charles
is sought on range of bills
The Queen was asked for consent on a range of bills, including
those affecting her estates. There is growing concern in parliament
at a lack of transparency over the royals’ role in lawmaking.
The extent of the Queen and Prince Charles’s secretive power
of veto over new laws has been exposed after Downing Street
lost its battle to keep information about its application secret.
Whitehall papers prepared by Cabinet Office lawyers show
that overall at least 39 bills have been subject to the most senior
royals’ little-known power to consent to or block new laws.
They also reveal the power has been used to torpedo proposed
legislation relating to decisions about the country going to war.
The internal Whitehall pamphlet was only released following
a court order and shows ministers and civil servants are obliged
to consult the Queen and Prince Charles in greater detail and
over more areas of legislation than was previously understood.
The new laws that were required to receive the seal of
approval from the Queen or Prince Charles cover issues from
higher education and paternity pay to identity cards and child
maintenance.
87
 In one instance the Queen completely vetoed the Military
Actions Against Iraq Bill in 1999, a private member’s bill that
sought to transfer the power to authorise military strikes against
Iraq from the monarch to parliament.
She was even asked to consent to the Civil Partnership Act
2004 because it contained a declaration about the validity of a
civil partnership that would bind her.
In the pamphlet, the Parliamentary Counsel warns civil
servants that if consent is not forthcoming there is a risk “a major
plank of the bill must be removed”.
“This is opening the eyes of those who believe the Queen only
has a ceremonial role,” said Andrew George, Liberal Democrat
MP for St Ives, which includes land owned by the Duchy of
Cornwall, the Prince of Wales’ hereditary estate.
“It shows the royals are playing an active role in the democratic
process and we need greater transparency in parliament so we
can be fully appraised of whether these powers of influence and
veto are really appropriate. At any stage this issue could come
up and surprise us and we could find parliament is less powerful
than we thought it was.”
Charles has been asked to consent to 20 pieces of legislation
and this power of veto has been described by constitutional
lawyers as a royal “nuclear deterrent” that may help explain why
ministers appear to pay close attention to the views of senior
royals.
The guidance also warns civil servants that obtaining consent
can cause delays to legislation and reveals that even amendments
may need to be run past the royals for further consent.
“There has been an implication that these prerogative powers
are quaint and sweet but actually there is real influence and real
power, albeit unaccountable,” said John Kirkhope, the legal
scholar who fought the freedom of information case to access
the papers.
The release of the papers comes amid growing concern in
parliament at a lack of transparency over the royals’ role in
88
lawmaking. George has set down a series of questions to ministers
asking for a full list of bills that have been consented to by the
Queen and Prince Charles and have been vetoed or amended.
The guidance states that the Queen’s consent is likely to be
needed for laws affecting hereditary revenues, personal property
or personal interests of the Crown, the Duchy of Lancaster or the
Duchy of Cornwall.
Consent is also needed if it affects the Duchy of Cornwall.
These guidelines effectively mean the Queen and Charles both
have power over laws affecting their sources of private income.
The Queen uses revenues from the Duchy of Lancaster’s
19,000 hectares of land and 10 castles to pay for the upkeep of
her private homes at Sandringham and Balmoral, while the prince
earns £18m-a-year from the Duchy of Cornwall.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “It is a long
established convention that the Queen is asked by parliament
to provide consent to those bills which parliament has decided
would affect crown interests. The sovereign has not refused to
consent to any bill affecting crown interests unless advised to do
so by ministers.”
A spokesman for Prince Charles said: “In modern times, the
prince of Wales has never refused to consent to any bill affecting
Duchy of Cornwall interests, unless advised to do so by ministers.
Every instance of the prince’s consent having been sought and
given to legislation is a matter of public record.”
Graham Smith, director of Republic, the campaign for an
elected head of state, has also called for full disclosure of the
details of the occasions when royal consent has been refused.
“The suggestion in these documents that the Queen withheld
consent for a private member’s bill on such an important issue
as going to war beggars belief,” he said. “We need to know
whether laws have been changed as the result of a private threat
to withhold that consent.”
The Cabinet Office fought against the publication of the 30-
page internal guidance in a 15-month freedom of information
89
dispute. It refused a request to release the papers from Kirkhope,
a notary public who wanted to use them in his graduate studies at
Plymouth University.
It was ordered to do so by the Information Commissioner. The
Cabinet Office then appealed that decision in the Information
Tribunal but lost. UNIT XI. TEXTS FOR RENDERING IN ENGLISH
The Guardian, 15 January 2013
Render the following in English:

I. Вышли мы все из народа

Лордов будут выбирать из широких масс.
(Вл. Михеев)
Вот и все — опубликован законопроект правительства
лейбористов, упраздняющий право голоса наследных лор-
дов в верхней палате парламента, а вскоре они и вовсе будут
отправлены в бессрочный отпуск. Ещё в 1911 году у пэров
отняли мощный рычаг влияния — право «зарубить» пред-
ставленный правительством бюджет, но сохранили за ними
прерогативу вносить поправки и откладывать законопроек-
ты, поступающие из палаты общин.
И хотя Тони Блэр остался верен сделке, заключенной с ви-
контом Крэнборном из партии тори, — оставить 91 наслед-
ного лорда, — конституционная реформа вступает в решаю-
щую фазу. Тони Блэр, как разночинец, а значит, по опреде-
лению, антипод наследственных аристократов, продолжает
свой крестовый поход под лозунгом «Больше демократии!»
Заметным новшеством стало представление рядовым бри-
танцам подданным права самим решать, кому быть лордом.

Translation Notes:
разночинец — raznochinets (19th century Russian intellectual
not belonging to the gentry). Перевод реалий (напр., колхоз,
спутник, интеллигенция и т.д.) всегда связан с решением
переводчика о том, как поступить: дать определение слова
91
или же передать его звучание. Со словами, которые стали
кодифицированными элементами лексического состава анг-
лийского языка (напр., kolkhoz, sputnik, intelligentsia), такой
дилеммы нет. Но целый ряд слов (как исторических реалий,
напр., меньшевики, продразверстка, так и современных
новообразований, напр., субъект РФ, беспредел) известен
намного меньше, и тогда рекомендуется разъяснять их зна-
чение.
II. Джон Беркоу вновь избран спикером британской па-
латы общин
Члены палаты общин британского парламента, собрав-
шиеся во вторник на первое после всеобщих выборов засе-
дание, переизбрали Джона Беркоу спикером палаты.
Когда «отец палаты» (депутат, дольше всех заседающий в
палате) сэр Питер Тэпселл спросил депутатов, кто согласен
на переизбрание Беркоу, в толпе членов парламента послы-
шались возгласы «нет», однако сторонников переизбрания
оказалось больше. (Депутаты обычно выкрикивают «да»
или «нет», и если по выкрикам не ясно, чья позиция сильнее,
начинается индивидуальное голосование.)
Согласно традиции, после того, как спикер избран, его ве-
дут в спикерское кресло, при этом он должен делать вид, что
сопротивляется. Беркоу отметил, что для него большая честь
быть переизбранным и вновь получить право «защищать
права «заднескамеечников». Теперь спикера в должности
должна утвердить королева.
Обе палаты парламента приступили во вторник к рабо-
те. По традиции, основные представители правительства и
«теневого» кабинета собрались в палате лордов, где было
оглашено королевское распоряжение о начале работы пар-
ламента.
Все члены парламента должны принести клятву или при-
сягу на верность королеве, на что им дается несколько дней.
Не сделав этого, ни один депутат или член палаты лордов не
92
получает зарплаты и не имеет права присутствовать на засе-
даниях или голосовать. Торжественное открытие парламен-
та состоится 25 мая, когда в палате лордов с речью выступит
королева Елизавета Вторая.
Бывший премьер-министр, ныне «заднескамеечник» пар-
тии лейбористов Гордон Браун на первом заседании палаты
общин не присутствовал.
Согласно процедуре, выборы спикера — первая обязан-
ность нового созыва парламента. В обязанности спикера, яв-
ляющегося главой палаты, входит ведение заседаний и пре-
доставление права голоса депутатам.
Беркоу в свои 47 лет является достаточно молодым для
этого поста, на который он был избран только прошлым ле-
том, когда его предшественник, Майкл Мартин, был вынуж-
ден уйти в отставку из-за скандала с нецелевым расходова-
нием госсредств британскими депутатами.
На выборах 6 мая Беркоу был переизбран депутатом от
округа Бакингемшир, который он представляет в парламенте
с 1997 года. При том, что избран он как член Консерватив-
ной партии, спикер должен отказаться от своей политичес-
кой принадлежности, чтобы вести заседания непредвзято.
18 мая 2010

UNIT XII. TEXTS FOR AT SIGHT TRANSLATION
Translate the following texts at sight.
I.
Although it was a miscue, a momentary slip, prime ministers
cannot afford them.
David Cameron was asked by reporters accompanying his
Christmas visit to British troops in Helmand province whether
they could declare their mission accomplished. He answered
‘yes’.
This seemed an echo of President George W. Bush’s
grotesquely hubristic 2003 declaration of victory in Iraq. It was
a silly moment suggesting a political carelessness that the Tory
leader can ill afford, 18 months out from a general election.
National leaders cannot be expected to admit the whole
truth about anything much beyond the date of their wives’
birthdays.
Cameron could scarcely have told the press corps in
Afghanistan: ‘We have lost this war. All our effort and sacrifice
over the past 12 years has achieved pathetically little.’
But to assent to the proposition that Britain and the other
combatant Nato nations can congratulate themselves on a job
completed is like Charles Saatchi announcing that his last
marriage was a success.
II.
Just hours before the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge and Prince George, a leading New Zealand politician
has warned it is ‘inevitable’ the country will become a republic.
94
Former deputy prime minister Sir Don McKinnon, who was
also secretary general of the Commonwealth for eight years, said
the country had been moving to renounce the Royal Family ‘for
a long time’.
‘There are 54 countries in the Commonwealth, only 16 are
realms [where the Queen is head of state], and I can tell you
now that one Caribbean publicly, and three Caribbean privately,
are probably going to give up the relationship with the monarchy
when the Queen dies,’ he said.
Asked when New Zealand might go down the same road, Sir
Don added: ‘I don’t know when… [but] I think it is inevitable.
I’m quite certain the royal family understands that completely.’
Prince William, wife Kate and their son, Prince George, were
today on a flight heading Down Under to begin a landmark three
week tour of both New Zealand and Australia, another country
where the republican cause is strong.
April 6, 2014
realm — a country ruled by a king or queen
III.
The Tory revolt over Europe took a dramatic turn last
night after senior Conservative David Davis called on the
Government to open talks with Brussels on quitting the EU.
Former Tory chairman Mr Davis tore into David Cameron,
accusing him of making a mess of his pledge to win back
powers from the EU.
‘Scaremongers’ who said Britain would collapse if it
decided to go it alone were talking nonsense, said Mr Davis.
Quitting the EU would be like a ‘revolution’ and would boost
UK jobs, wages, world power, arts and prestige, he added.
Significantly, his intervention comes days after two
televised political debates in which anti-EU leader of UKIP,
Nigel Farage, crushed pro-EU Deputy Prime Minister Nick
Clegg.
95
 And it will spark claims that Mr Davis is turning himself
into a Tory version of Mr Farage, ready to exploit the leadership
crisis Mr Cameron would face if UKIP makes big gains in next
month’s Euro elections.
Mr Davis, who was beaten by Mr Cameron in the 2005 party
leadership contest and who is a former Minister for Europe,
writes in today’s Mail on Sunday: “Exit from Europe is not
something to be afraid of.”
April 6, 2014
IV.
The Yes and No campaigns for Scottish independence are
neck and neck in the polls for the first time, it was revealed
today. Five months from the referendum, the latest survey has
shown support for independence is running at a record high.
Pro-independence supporters have whittled down the unionist
lead from more than 24 points last year to six this weekend,
polling company Panelbase said.
Panelbase said the narrowing of results has come after a
series of gaffes from the cross-party No campaign. Better
Together was left reeling last month when an unnamed UK
minister reportedly dismissed one of the British government’s
central messages on independence, that Scotland would not be
allowed to share the pound with the rest of the UK. Alistair
Darling’s leadership of the campaign also came into further
question last week when he suggested that a shared currency
might be the subject of an English referendum.
Some nationalists have reportedly claimed that, with the
Yes campaign gaining momentum so rapidly in the build-up to
September’s vote, the opinion poll lead could be reversed as
early as July. to give him their backing in this month’s European elections.
April 6, 2014
whittle down — to gradually make something smaller by
taking parts away
96
to be reeling — to be thrown off balance or fall back
V. Farage WILL form far right alliance with France’s
Marine Le Pen, claims outspoken Dutch MP Geert Wilders
Nigel Farage will take Ukip (UK Independence Party)
into an alliance with a number of extreme right wing parties,
one of the EU’s most controversial politicians has claimed.
Anti-EU Dutch politician Geert Wilders said Mr Farage will
go back on his promise never to work with France’s National
Front — led by Marine Le Pen.
Mr Wilders and Miss Le Pen have joined forces to create a
‘European Freedom Alliance’. Like Ukip, both are leading in the
polls ahead of the May 22 European Parliament elections.
Mr Farage has refused to join the alliance — and pledged
never to work with the French nationalists because of their ‘anti-
Semitism and general prejudice’.
But Mr Farage has refused to rule out working with
Mr  Wilders — despite the Dutch politican’s controversial views
on Islam and immigrants,
Mr Wilders, who leads the Dutch Freedom Party, sparked
controversy this year by joining in chants demanding ‘fewer
Moroccans’ at a campaign rally.
But the Dutch politician dismissed criticism of his behaviour —
and insisted he could persuage Mr Farage to work with Miss
Le Pen’s Front National.
outspoken — open, frank, honest
VI. David Cameron tells Eurosceptics: trust me I get it
David Cameron has made a personal appeal to floating voters
The Prime Minister is determined to assure sceptics that he
understands their concerns on Europe.
Writing in The Telegraph, he proclaims his “passionate” and
“optimistic” belief in Britain’s potential, arguing that “real”
97
patriots should vote Tory rather than be tempted to support the The move follows The Mail on Sunday’s disclosure last week
UK Independence Party. that David Cameron had called for an end to hold-ups in the
His rallying cry comes as Tory MPs demand new policies to Chilcot process amid claims that Mr Blair and Labour hope to
win back Ukip voters, amid widespread expectations that Nigel delay it until after next year’s General Election to limit damage
Farage’s party will beat the Conservatives into third place in to the party’s reputation.
the European elections on May 22. May 10, 2014
Immigration will return to the top of the agenda next week
when official figures are expected to indicate that at least to grill — to interrogate
30,000 more migrants from Romania and Bulgaria have moved build-up — extravagantt publicity or praise, esp in the form
to Britain for work in the past year, as border controls were of a campaign
relaxed.
Government statistics will show there was at least a 25 per
cent rise in the number of migrants working in Britain from
Europe’s two poorest countries over the past 12 months,
according to forecasts from Oxford University’s Migration
Observatory.
Sunday 11 May 2014

VII. MPs to grill top civil servant on why he blocked long-

awaited Iraq War report
Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood will be forced to
explain to MPs why the long-awaited report into the Iraq War
has been held up by a row over secret letters between Tony Blair
and George W. Bush.
Sir Jeremy, a key member of Mr Blair’s inner circle during the
build-up to the 2003 conflict, will be interrogated by the powerful
Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) about his role
in blocking the release of the sensitive correspondence.
Sir John Chilcot, the chairman of the Iraq inquiry, wants to
release the Blair letters, but has run into fierce opposition from
Sir Jeremy, the country’s most senior civil servant.
He has argued privately that high-level exchanges should
remain classified to protect the ‘machinery of government’.
Sir John says his report cannot be finished until the row is
resolved.
98
 ●● Собирается ли правительство инициировать законода-
тельные меры, направленные на ограничение полномочий
палаты лордов?
●● Any proposal for substantial reform of the composition
of the Lords will have to look at the Lords’ role, powers and
UNIT XIII. TEXT FOR TWO-WAY TRANSLATION procedures and its relationships with the House of Commons.
It is important to decide what the Lords is for, and what it should
Act as an interpreter contribute to the parliamentary process before turning to the
issue of composition. That had always been the Government’s
●● Что удалось уже сделать Лейбористской партии в пла- intention.
не реформирования палаты лордов?
●● Labour’s House of Lords Act 1999 removed all but 92
hereditary peers. A further 10 were immediately granted life
peerages by the prime minister, allowing them to stay in the
Lords. Initially seeking the removal of all hereditary peers, Mr
Blair was forced to approve this compromise before the Lords
would approve his legislation. The new house first assembled for
the Queen’s speech on 17 November 1999.
●● Почему правительство отказалось от предложений
дальнейшего реформирования палаты лордов?
●● The government decided on 18 March 2004 not to legislate
to enact the proposals in the consultation paper Next steps for the
House of Lords. Lord Falconer said on March 18:
“Following discussion at Cabinet today, the Government has
decided not to proceed with the House of Lords Reform Bill.
The vote in the Lords last week to refer the Constitutional
Reform Bill to a select committee makes it abundantly clear
that they will not pass our Lords Reform Bill to remove the
remaining hereditary peers and set up a statutory appointment
commission.
In these circumstances, there is no point in committing further
legislative time to this issue at this stage. We will not the matter
rest there but will return to it in our manifesto for the next
election.”
100
WORD LIST
UNIT I
1. to evolve
2. to set out (in the Constitution)
3. legally enforceable
4. indispensable (rules and practices)
5. to be adaptable to changing conditions
6. to follow the convention
7. Act of Settlement
8. to be under review
9. overlap
10. supreme authority
11. government departments
12. public corporations
13. subject to ministerial control
14. to determine common law
15. to interpret statutes
16. clear-cut divisions
17. political leaning
18. lack of cohesion
19. uniform franchise qualification
20. to return someone
21. the public at large
22. to follow a party line
23. provisions (of a Parliamentary Act)
24. to enfranchise someone
25. to extend the vote to someone
26. female suffrage
27. to pledge
28. to endorse principles
UNIT II
1. genuinely free society
2. fundamental objective of government
102
3. extension of individual liberty
4. coercion (by state)
5. vulnerable members of the community
6. to flourish
7. secure defences
8. surest guarantee of peace
9. merger
10. prominent politician
11. to stand for
12. arbitrary interference
13. sustainable, free market economy
14. general election
15. on the advice
16. shadow cabinet
17. loyalists
18. by convention
19. brand image
20. broad consensus
21. rule of law
22. the national health service
UNIT III
1. parliamentary elections
2. to be directly elected
3. to hold a general election
4. to act on the Prime Minister’s advice
5. to dissolve Parliament
6. to call a new Parliament
7. to issue a formal Writ of Election
8. constituency
9. to vote by secret ballot
10. a safe constituency
11. a marginal constituency
12. overwhelming support
13. to seek re-election
103
 14. a decline in the popularity 16. to impose legal restraints
15. by-elections 17. to legislate
16. to hold/ win a seat 18. to overturn (established) conventions
17. rival party 19. to prolong the life of a Parliament
18. senior politicians 20. to assert one’s supremacy
19. to fall vacant 21. to act in accordance with precedent
20. (to be) resident in Britain 22. validity (of an Act of Parliament)
21. a register of electors 23. to recognize smn’s supremacy
22. disqualification 24. relevant facts and issues
23. to be entitled to vote 25. a maximum duration of Parliament
24. detained patients 26. recess
25. sentenced prisoners 27. adjournment (to adjourn)
26. corrupt and illegal election practices 28. to recall Parliament
27. clergy 29. prorogation
28. to propose and second someone’s nomination
29. a deposit UNIT V
30. canvassing 1. bicameral (parliament)
31. to launch a (party) manifesto 2. the Commons, the Lords
3. Bill of Rights
UINT IV 4. to be in effect
1. to run the government 5. powers of the crown
2. the Royal Household 6. to petition the monarch
3. at the summons of the King 7. fear of retribution
4. to review the work of administration 8. proportional representation
5. a High Court of Justice 9. majority system
6. to make laws/ treaties 10. a single-member constituency
7. to amend laws 11. fixed-term parliaments
8. to meet royal expenses out of the State’s revenue 12. to call an election
9. extra resources 13. to pass legislation
10. emergency 14. (voter) turnout
11. to grant an aid 15. universal adult suffrage
12. to get someone’s assent to something 16. to be in recess
13. extraordinary taxation 17. to be exempt (from normal closing time)
14. occasions of symbolic significance 18. Members’ Question Time
15. the state opening of Parliament 19. personal grievances
104 105
 20. vexed local issues 18. to adjourn the House
21. despatch box 19. to suspend the sitting
22. an issue of immediate urgency 20. wilful disobedience
23. to secure someone’ presence 21. to suspend a Member (from the House)
24. to dissolve Parliament 22. division
25. to summon Parliament 23. to record votes
26. by-election 24. backbenches/ backbenchers
27. travel allowance 25. frontbenches/ frontbenchers
28. subsistence allowance 26. crossbenches/ crossbenchers
29. to keep a check on government 27. to overthrow the government
30. to scrutinize someone’s activity 28. (Chief) Whip
31. to block (money) bills 29. a three-line/ two-line/ one-line whip
32. life peers
33. hereditary peers UNIT VII
34. distinguished figures 1. to clarify/ reapply principles
35. a cross-party consensus 2. to meet new circumstances
3. draft laws
UNIT VI 4. parliamentary Bills (public, private, hybrid)
1. to preside over the House 5. to affect private rights
2. to hold the office continuously 6. to govern the passage of Bills
3. to exercise powers 7. to put one’s case
4. complete impartiality, strict impartiality 8. to introduce (sponsor) a Bill
5. to enforce the observance of the rule 9. to set out proposals
6. to look to someone for guidance 10. White Papers
7. to decide points of order 11. Green Papers
8. to give a ruling 12. to seek comments from the public
9. to be above party political controversy 13. first/ second/ third reading
10. a tied vote 14. to give something detailed consideration
11. a casting vote 15. confrontational approach
12. the merits of the question 16. payroll vote
13. abuse of procedure 17. block vote
14. infringement of minority rights 18. unrestricted discussion
15. to have discretion to do something 19. party balance
16. to (dis) allow a closure 20. duration of a parliament
17. to check irrelevance 21. to take written and oral evidence
106 107
 22. to report conclusions and recommendations 8. to codify an offence
23. to question ministers 9. riot
24. senior civil servants 10. unlawful assembly
25. to build up considerable expertise in something 11. affray
26. subjects of inquiry 12. to investigate and prosecute (offences, frauds)
27. delegated legislation 13. to enforce law
28. to prescribe something 14. community liason departments
29. to disclose something (disclosure) 15. deprived areas
30. a relevant (direct) pecuniary interest 16. neighbourhood watch schemes
17. burglary
UNIT VIII 18. to carry firearms
1. to go into coalition 19. to handle public complaints
2. to run government departments 20. to interpret law
3. by modern convention 21. to supersede
4. the Treasury 22. to take precedence over something
5. Chancellor of the Exchequer 23. authoritative ruling
6. the Home Office/ Secretary 24. judiciary
7. the Foreign and Commonwealth Office/ Secretary 25. to administer the court system
8. to report to someone 26. ultimate court of appeal
9. to be accountable to someone 27. signatory
10. collective responsibility
11. to initiate a policy
12. confidential proceedings
13. as hoc committee
14. to dispose of a matter
15. to implement a government policy

UNIT IX
1. a unitary state
2. criminal /civil law
3. procedure
4. to hear a case in court
5. to apply sanctions
6. offence
7. assets
108 109

PART II. THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
UNIT I. INTRODUCTION. THE CONSTITUTION
INTRODUCTION
The United States is — by size of electorate — the second
largest democracy on the globe (India is the largest and Indonesia
comes third) and the most powerful nation on earth, politically,
economically and militarily, but its political system is in many
important respects unlike any other in the world.
THE CONSTITUTION
Unlike Britain but like most nation states, the American
political system is clearly defined by basic documents. The
Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the Constitution of 1789
form the foundations of the United States federal government.
The Declaration of Independence establishes the United States
as an independent political entity, while the Constitution
creates the basic structure of the federal government. Both
documents are on display in the National Archives and Records
Administration Building in Washington, D.C.
The United States Constitution is the shortest written
constitution in the world with just seven articles and 27
amendments. As well as its brevity, the US Constitution is
notable for being a remarkably stable document. The first ten
amendments were all carried in 1789 — the same year as the
original constitution - and are collectively known as the Bill of
Rights. If one accepts that these first 10 amendments were in
effect part of the original constitutional settlement, there have
110
only been 17 amendments in over 200 years (the last substantive
one — reduction of the voting age to 18 — in 1971).
One of the major reasons for this relative immutability
is that — quite deliberately on the part of its drafters — the
Constitution is a very difficult instrument to change. First, a
proposed amendment has to secure a two-thirds vote of members
present in both houses of Congress. Then three-quarters of the
state legislatures have to ratify the proposed change (this stage
may or may not be governed by a specific time limit).
At the heart of the US Constitution is the principle known as
‘separation of powers’, a term coined by the French political,
enlightenment thinker Montesquieu. This means that power is
spread between three institutions of the state — the executive,
the legislature and the judiciary — and no one institution has too
much power and no individual can be a member of more than
one institution.
This principle is also known as ‘checks and balances’, since each
of the three branches of the state has some authority to act on its own,
some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some
of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other branches.
Not only is power spread between the different branches;
the members of those branches are deliberately granted by the
Constitution different terms of office which is a further brake
on rapid political change. So the President has a term of four
years, while members of the Senate serve for six years and
members of the House of Representatives serve for two years.
Members of the Supreme Court effectively serve for life.
The great benefit of this system is that power is spread
and counter-balanced and the ‘founding fathers’ — the 55
delegates who drafted the Constitution — clearly wished to
create a political system which was in sharp contrast to, and
much more democratic than, the monarchical system then in
force in Britain. The great weakness of the system is that it
makes government slow, complicated and legalistic which is a
particular disadvantage in a world - unlike that of 1776 — in
111
which political and economic developments are fast-moving
and the USA is a — indeed the — super power.
Since the Constitution is so old and so difficult to change,
for it to be meaningful to contemporary society it requires
interpretation by the courts and ultimately it is the Supreme
Court which determines what the Constitution means. There
are very different approaches to the interpretation of the
Constitution with the two main strands of thought being known
as originalism and the Living Constitution.
Originalism is a principle of interpretation that tries to discover
the original meaning or intent of the constitution. It is based on
the principle that the judiciary is not supposed to create, amend
or repeal laws (which is the realm of the legislative branch) but
only to uphold them. This approach tends to be supported by
conservatives.
Living Constitution is a concept which claims that the
Constitution has a dynamic meaning and that contemporary
society should be taken into account when interpreting key
constitutional phrases. Instead of seeking to divine the views
of the drafters of the document, it claims that they deliberately
wrote the Constitution in broad terms so that it would remain
flexible. This approach tends to be supported by liberals.
Translation notes:
●● state legislatures — законодательные органы штатов.
При переводе текстов о США необходимо внимательно ана-
лизировать значение слова state, которое в большинстве
случаев означает не государство, а штат. Например, a state
university — университет штата, а не государственный
университет. В значение государственный зачастую исполь-
зуются слова federal или national.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What are the basic documents that define the US political
system?
112
2. How many amendments have been adopted over the past
200 years?
3. Why have there been so few amendments?
4. What does the “checks and balances” principle mean?
5. Is there any significance in the different terms of the US
elected officials?
6. What is the weakness of such a political system?
7. What different approaches to the content of the US
Constitution are there?
Exercise 2. Summarize the text in English.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. As well as its brevity, the US Constitution is notable for
being a remarkably stable document.
2. This principle is also known as ‘checks and balances’,
since each of the three branches of the state has some authority to
act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches,
and has some of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other
branches.
3. Since the Constitution is so old and so difficult to change,
for it to be meaningful to contemporary society it requires
interpretation by the courts and ultimately it is the Supreme
Court which determines what the Constitution means.
4. Instead of seeking to divine the views of the drafters of the
document, it claims that they deliberately wrote the Constitution
in broad terms so that it would remain flexible.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
поправка (к конституции); принять поправку; состави-
тели /авторы (документа); законодательные органы штата;
принцип разделения властей; мыслитель эпохи Просвеще-
ния; распределять власть между разными органами; уста-
113
навливать различные сроки пребывания в должности; по-
жизненное назначение; недостаток; современное общество;
отменить / поддерживать закон.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
independent political entity; immutability; to coin a term;
“checks and balances” principle; to be a brake on rapid political
change; founding fathers; interpretation by courts; Originalism;
the Living Constitution; to divine the views of the drafters.
Exercise 6. Render the following text in English.
Основные черты конституции США
Конституция США — первая писаная конституция, про-
грессивный документ, который оказал влияние на конститу-
ции многих стран мира. Она закрепила образование суверен-
ного федеративного государства, происшедшее в результате
освободительной борьбы народа против британской короны,
провозгласила принцип народного суверенитета, определила
демократические принципы организации государственности
(представительное правление, разделение властей и др.), ус-
тановила, что федеральное право имеет приоритет над пра-
вом штатов. Под влиянием этой конституции в мире стала
распространяться доктрина конституционализма. Вместе с
тем конституция 1787 г. имела исторически ограниченный
характер, связанный с условиями ее времени, и реакцион-
ные черты, обусловленные интересами правящих кругов,
в основном, плантаторов-рабовладельцев южных штатов и
крупных предпринимателей Севера. В соответствии с пред-
ставлениями того времени конституция ограничивалась
регулированием отношений государственной власти и че-
ловека (но преимущественно в судебной сфере и в рамках
некоторых личных прав индивида), а также установлением
114
структуры и взаимоотношений высших органов государ­
ства. В тексте конституции не было статей о политических и
социально-экономических правах личности. Политические
права были включены первыми десятью поправками, полу-
чившими название Билля о правах, а положения о многих
социальных, экономических, культурных правах отсутству-
ют в тексте конституции и сейчас.
Конституция молчаливо закрепляла рабство негров, поз-
воляя голосовать за них их хозяевам — плантаторам, ли-
шила избирательных прав женщин (последнее ограничение
действовало до 1919 г.). Во многих отношениях (вопросы
непосредственной демократии, принципы демократического
режима и др.) конституция имела много пробелов. Иногда
ее формулировки казуистичны, имеют недостаточно обоб-
щающий характер. В соответствии с конституцией США
являются по форме правления президентской республикой,
по форме территориально-политического устройства — от-
носительно централизованной федерацией, страной с демо­
кратическим государственным режимом.
Декларация независимости 1776 г. провозглашала пра-
во народа на восстание против угнетения, независимость
от британской короны, исходя из концепции естественных
прав. Декларация, а затем и конституция, закрепляли неко-
торые неотъемлемые права человека — на жизнь, свободу
и стремление к счастью. Многие конституционные вопросы
были урегулированы поправками к конституции. Поправки
в основном носят характер дополнений.
Вопросы конституционного права регулируются также
конституциями и законами отдельных штатов, законами
конгресса и особенно решениями Верховного суда США.
Последний своими толкованиями без изменения текста кон-
ституции создает новые конституционные нормы («живая
конституция»), ибо акт 1787  г. был принят в совершенно
иной обстановке и в ряде случаев не отвечает современным
общественным отношениям.
115
 TOPICAL VOCABULARY

1. Electorate - избирательный корпус, электорат

2. a nation state - национальное государство (государство-
/

нация)
/

3. the Declaration - Декларация независимости UNIT II. THE PRESIDENCY

of Independence
(1776)
4. an independent - независимое политическое образование Although the ‘founding fathers’ wanted to avoid a political
political entity system that in any way reflected the monarchical system then
5. the National - здание Национального управления prevalent in Britain and for a long time the Presidency was
Archives архивов и документации relatively weak, the vast expansion of the federal bureaucracy
and Records and the military in the 20th century has in current practice
Administrative
Building given a greater role and more power to the President than is
6. to carry an - принимать поправку the case for any single individual in most political systems.
amendment The President is both the head of state and the head of
7. the Bill of Rights - Билль о правах government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and
8. drafters (of the - составители /авторы (конституции) chief diplomat. He presides over the executive branch of the
Constitution) federal government, a vast organisation numbering about
9. state legislatures - законодательные органы штатов 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military
10. to secure a two- - получить две трети голосов personnel. Within the executive branch, the President has
thirds vote
broad constitutional powers to manage national affairs and
11. separation - разделение властей
of powers the workings of the federal government and he may issue
12. ‘checks - принцип «сдержек и противовесов» executive orders to affect internal policies.
and balances’ The President may sign or veto legislation passed by
principle Congress and has the power to recommend measures to
13. to grant a term - определять срок пребывания в должности Congress. The Congress may override a presidential veto but
of office
only by a two-thirds majority in each house.
14. to serve for life - назначать на должность без ограничения
срока (пожизненное назначение)
The President has the power to make treaties (with the
15. founding fathers - отцы-основатели ‘advice and consent’ of the Senate) and the power to nominate
16. interpretation - толкование судами and receive ambassadors. The President may not dissolve
by the courts Congress or call special elections, but does have the power
17. Originalism - Доктрина первоначального смысла to pardon criminals convicted of offences against the federal
18. the Living - Доктрина «живой конституции» government, enact executive orders, and (with the consent
Constitution of the Senate) appoint Supreme Court justices and federal
judges.
117
 The President is elected for a fixed term of four years and
may serve a maximum of two terms. Originally there was no
constitutional limit on the number of terms that a President
could serve in office and the first President George Washington
set the precedent of serving simply two terms. Following the
election of Franklin D Roosevelt to a record four terms, it was
decided to limit terms to two and the relevant constitutional
amendment was enacted in 1951.
Elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November to coincide with Congressional elections.
The President is not elected directly by the voters but by
an Electoral College representing each state on the basis of
a combination of the number of members in the Senate (two
for each state regardless of size) and the number of members
in the House of Representatives (roughly proportional to
population). The states with the largest number of votes are
California (55), Texas (38) and New York (29). The states with
the smallest number of votes — there are six of them — have
only three votes. The District of Columbia, which has no voting
representation in Congress, has three Electoral College votes.
In effect, therefore, the Presidential election is not one election
but 51.
The total Electoral College vote is 538. This means that, to
become President, a candidate has to win at least 270 electoral
votes. The voting system awards the Electoral College votes
from each state to delegates committed to vote for a certain
candidate in a “winner take all” system, with the exception of
Maine and Nebraska (which award their Electoral College votes
according to Congressional Districts rather than for the state as
a whole). In practice, most states are firmly Democrat — for
instance, California and New York — or firmly Republican   —
for instance, Texas and Tennessee. Therefore, candidates
concentrate their appearances and resources on the so-called
“battleground states”, those that might go to either party. The
three largest battleground or swing states are Florida (29 votes),
118
Pennsylvania (20) and Ohio (18). Others are Virginia (13),
Wisconsin (10), Colorado (9), Iowa (6) and Nevada (6).
This system of election means that a candidate can win the
largest number of votes nationwide but fail to win the largest
number of votes in the Electoral College and therefore fail
to become President. Indeed, in practice, this has happened
three times in US history, most recently in 2000. If this seems
strange (at least to non-Americans), the explanation is that the
‘founding fathers’ who drafted the American Constitution did
not wish to give too much power to the people and so devised
a system that gives the ultimate power of electing the President
to members of the Electoral College. The same Constitution,
however, enables each state to determine how its members in
the Electoral College are chosen and since the 1820s states have
chosen their electors by a direct vote of the people. The United
States is the only example in the world of an indirectly elected
executive president.
The President may be impeached which means that he is
removed from the office. Therefore, candidates concentrate
their appearances and resources on the so-called “battleground
states”, those that might go to either party. Two U.S. Presidents
have been impeached by the House of Representatives but
acquitted at the trials held by the Senate: Andrew Johnson
(1868) and Bill Clinton (1999). Richard Nixon resigned before
he would certainly have been impeached (1974).
Since 1939, there has been an Executive Office of the
President (EOP) which has consistently and considerably
expanded in size and power. Today it consists of some 1,600
staff and costs some $300M a year.
The position of Vice-President is elected on the same ticket
as that of the President and has the same four-year term of
office. The Vice-President is often described as ‘a heart beat
away from the Presidency’ since, in the event of the death or
incapacity of the President, the Vice-President assumes the
office. In practice, however, a Vice-Presidential candidate is
119
chosen (by the Presidential candidate) to ‘balance the ticket’
in the Presidential election (that is, represent a different
geographical or gender or ethnic constituency) and, for all
practical purposes, the position only carries the power accorded
to it by the President — which is usually very little (a major
exception has been Dick Cheney under George W Bush). The
official duties of the Vice-President are to sit as a member of
the “Cabinet” and as a member of the National Security Council
and to act as ex-officio President of the Senate.
Although the President heads the executive branch of
government, the day-to-day enforcement and administration of
federal laws is in the hands of the various federal executive
departments, created by Congress to deal with specific areas
of national and international affairs. The heads of the 15
departments, chosen by the President and approved with the
‘advice and consent’ of the Senate, form a council of advisors
generally known as the President’s “Cabinet”. This is not a
cabinet in the British political sense: it does not meet so often
and does not act so collectively.
In fact, the President has powers of patronage that extend way
beyond appointment of Cabinet members. In all, the President
appoints roughly 3,000 individuals to positions in the federal
government, of which about a third require the confirmation of
the Senate. As the divisions in American politics have deepened,
so the confirmation process has become more fractious and
prolonged - when first elected, Barack Obama had to wait ten
months before all his nominees were in their jobs.
The first United States President was George Washington,
who served from 1789-1797, so that the current President
Barack Obama is the 44th to hold the office. Four sitting
Presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln in 1865,
James A. Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, and
John F. Kennedy in 1963.
The President is sometimes referred to as POTUS (President
Of The United States) and the Presidency is often referred to by
120
the media as variously the White House, the West Wing, and the
Oval Office.
Such is the respect for the Presidency that, even having left
office, a President is referred to by the title for the remainder of
his life.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What are the executive functions of the President?
2. What are his legislative / judicial functions?
3. How is the President elected?
4. Why are the battleground states so important during the
presidential election?
5. What is the role of the House of Representatives and the
Senate in the impeachment procedure?
6. What different results of the impeachment were there for
some American presidents?
7. How are Vice-Presidents chosen and elected?
8. What does confirmation process involve?
Exercise 2. Summarize the text in English.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. Following the election of Franklin D Roosevelt to a record
four terms, it was decided to limit terms to two and the relevant
constitutional amendment was enacted in 1951.
2. The voting system awards the Electoral College votes from
each state to delegates committed to vote for a certain candidate
in a “winner take all” system, with the exception of Maine and
Nebraska (which award their Electoral College votes according
to Congressional Districts rather than for the state as a whole).
3. Therefore, candidates concentrate their appearances and
resources on the so-called “battleground states”, those that might
go to either party.
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 4. Therefore, candidates concentrate their appearances and TOPICAL VOCABULARY
resources on the so-called “battleground states”, those that might
go to either party. 1. Electoral college - Коллегия выборщиков
5. In practice, however, a Vice-Presidential candidate is 2. head of state / - глава государства/ правительства
chosen (by the Presidential candidate) to ‘balance the ticket’ government
in the Presidential election (that is, represent a different 3. to issue/ enact executive - издавать указ президента
geographical or gender or ethnic constituency) and, for all orders
practical purposes, the position only carries the power accorded 4. to sign/ veto / pass - подписывать /накладывать вето/
to it by the President — which is usually very little (a major legislation принимать законы
exception has been Dick Cheney under George W Bush). 5. to override a - преодолеть вето президента
presidential veto
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the 6. to make treaties - заключать договоры
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the 7. to nominate - предлагать кандидатуры на пост
ambassadors посла
text.
8. to dissolve Congress - распускать конгресс
управлять государством; накладывать вето; принимать
9. to call special sessions - созывать специальные сессии
законы; преодолеть вето президента; заключать дого-
воры; распускать конгресс; объявлять о проведении вы- 10. to pardon criminals - принимать решение о помиловании
преступников
боров; осужденные преступники; принять соответству-
11. battleground /swing - колеблющиеся/ неопределившиеся
ющую конституционную поправку; выборы в конгресс; states штаты
недееспособность; вступить в должность; наделять влас- 12. to impeach/ - возбуждать против высшего
тью; председатель сената (в силу занимаемой должности); impeachment должностного лица дело об
обеспечение выполнения федеральных законов; утверж- отстранении от должности
дение сенатом. 13. to assume the office - вступить в должность
14. incapacity - недееспособность
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following 15. to accord power - наделять властью
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
military commander-in-chief; active-duty military personnel;
to issue executive orders; with the advice and consent (of the
Senate); to nominate ambassadors; to pardon criminals; offences
against federal government; to set the precedent; to hold elections;
the Electoral College; battleground (swing) states; to impeach
(impeachment); to acquit (at the trial).

122

UNIT III. THE US CONGRESS.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber in the
bicameral legislature known collectively as Congress. The
founders of the United States intended the House to be the
politically dominant entity in the federal system and, in the
late 18th and early 19th centuries, the House served as the
primary forum for political debate. However, subsequently
the Senate has been the dominant body.
The House consists of 435 members, each of whom represents
a congressional district and serves for a two-year term. House
seats are apportioned among the states by population according
to each decennial (every 10 years) census. Typically a House
constituency would represent around 500,000 people.
The House has four non-voting delegates from American
Samoa (1981), the District of Columbia (1971), Guam (1972)
and the Virgin Islands (1976) and one resident commissioner
for Puerto Rico (1976), bringing the total formal membership
to 440.
Members of the House are elected by first-past-the-post
voting in every state except Louisiana and Washington, which
have run-offs. Elections are always held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November in even numbered years.
Voting in congressional elections — especially to the House —
is generally much lower than levels in other liberal democracies.
In a year when there is a Presidential election, turnout is
typically around 50%; in years when there is no Presidential
election (known as mid-terms), it usually falls to around one
third of the electorate.
124
Any citizen over the age of 25, who has been a citizen of the
United States for at least seven years, may be elected to serve
in the House of Representatives, providing that he or she is a
resident of the State at the time of the election. Senators must be
30 years of age.
In the event that a member of the House of Representatives
dies or resigns before the end of the two-year term, a special
election is held to fill the vacancy.
Unlike the Senate, whose Members represent the States, the
Representatives’ powers do not overlap those of the Executive
and Judicial branches of the Federal Government. They do
not confirm Presidential appointments. The House does not
vote on ratification of treaties. The House can vote on articles
of impeachment, i.e. an indictment of the President or another
Federal officer but the Senate judges whether or not the officer
should be removed from office.
The major strength of the House lies in its power to initiate
“money” bills — taxation and appropriation measures. The
Senate may vote changes in such bills, but the differences are
resolved in conference between the House and the Senate
Much of the work of the House is done through 20 standing
committees and around 100 sub-committees which perform
both legislative functions (drafting Bills) and investigatory
functions (holding enquiries).
As in the Senate, the major activity of the House, especially
in the early months of each session, is in the committees, which
receive all bills introduced on the subject of the committee’s
jurisdiction. The committees are divided into subcommittees
which conduct hearings, add amendments and either approve
or reject the bills. If approved, the bill is considered by the full
committee which can reject, amend and approve, or decline to
act on the measure. If approved, the bill goes to the Rules
Committee for scheduling for floor action.
Most of the committees are focused on an area of government
activity such as homeland security, foreign affairs, agriculture,
125
energy, or transport, but others are more cross-cutting such as
those on the budget and ethics.
Each chamber of Congress has particular exclusive powers.
The House must introduce any bills for the purpose of raising
revenue. However, the consent of both chambers is required to
make any law.
Activity in the House of Representatives tends to be more
partisan than in the Senate. One illustration of this is the so-
called Hastert Rule. This Rule’s introduction is widely credited
to former Speaker Dennis Hastert (1999–2007); however, Newt
Gingrich, who directly preceded Hastert as Speaker (1995–1999),
followed the same rule.
The Hastert Rule, also known as the “majority of the majority”
rule, is an informal governing principle used by Republican
Speakers of the House of Representatives since the mid – 1990s
to maintain their speakerships and limit the power of the minority
party to bring bills up for a vote on the floor of the House. Under
the doctrine, the Speaker of the House will not allow a floor vote
on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill.
The rule keeps the minority party from passing bills with the
assistance of a small number of majority party members.
The House meets in the House Chamber in the South wing
of the Capitol. Members are not assigned specific seats as in
the Senate. The Majority party members sit on the right of the
Speaker’s rostrum, the Minority — on the left. As in the Senate
Chamber, the press and media galleries are above the Speaker’s
gallery. The public are seated in the side and rear galleries; seats
are assigned to those who secure passes from their Representatives
on a first come, first served basis.
The House and Senate are often referred to by the media as
Capitol Hill or simply the Hill.
Translation Notes:
●● If approved, the bill is considered by the full
committee… — Если законопроект принимается в подко-
126
митете, он затем рассматривается комитетом в полном
составе. Эллиптическая конструкция союз if и причастие
II переводится в данном случае как придаточное условное
предложение.
●● Under the doctrine, the Speaker of the House will not allow
a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party
supports the bill.    — О возможности использования антони-
мического перевода см. примечания к ч. I.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. How did the balance of power between the House of
representatives and the Senate change over the years?
2. How are seats in the House distributed among the states?
3. When are elections held in the USA?
4. What are the qualifications for candidates to the House and
to the Senate?
5. Whose functions (those of the Senate or the House) overlap
the powers of the Executive and Judicial branches?
6. Which of the Houses controls the purse strings?
7. How does the majority party monopolize the legislative
process in the House?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. The House can vote on articles of impeachment, i.e. an
indictment of the President or another Federal officer but the
Senate judges whether or not the officer should be removed from
office.
2. The major strength of the House lies in its power to initiate
“money” bills — taxation and appropriation measures. The
Senate may vote changes in such bills, but the differences are
resolved in conference between the House and the Senate.
127
 3. If approved, the bill goes to the Rules Committee for Главная задача палаты представителей — принятие феде-
scheduling for floor action. ральных законопроектов, которые после одобрения сенатом
4. Activity in the House of Representatives tends to be more и подписания Президентом становятся законами США.
partisan than in the Senate. Конгрессмены избираются на два года, выборы проводят-
5. Under the doctrine, the Speaker of the House will not ся каждый четный год. Для того, чтобы стать кандидатом в
allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party членя Палаты представителей, необходимо быть не моложе
supports the bill. двадцати пяти лет, не менее семи лет быть гражданином
США и проживать в том штате, откуда кандидат избирается
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the в конгресс.
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the Палата представителей имеет право исключать избранных
text. депутатов из своих рядов, для этого за исключение должны
нижняя палата; перепись населения, проводимая один раз проголосовать не менее двух третей конгрессменов.
в десять лет; четные годы; промежуточные выборы; отстра-
нять от должности; устранять разногласия; разрабатывать TOPICAL VOCABULARY
законопроекты; проводить расследования;
проводить слушания (заседания); вносить поправки (в за- 1. the House of - палата представителей
конопроект); распределять места; в порядке живой очереди. Representatives
2. the Senate - сенат
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following 3. a lower chamber - нижняя палата
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the 4. a congressional district - избирательный округ по выборам
text. в конгресс
a congressional district; non-voting delegates; a run-off; 5. a two-year term - двухлетний срок
providing; to overlap; impeachment; indictment; taxation; 6. decennial census - перепись населения, проводимая
appropriation; the Rules Committee; homeland security; to raise один раз в десять лет
revenue; partisan (activity); to secure a pass 7. non-voting delegates - делегаты с совещательным голосом
8 first-past-the post voting - мажоритарная система выборов
Exercise 6. Render the following text in English: 9. run-off - второй тур выборов
10. mid-term elections - промежуточные выборы
Палата представителей конгресса США 11. to confirm Presidential - утверждать назначения президента
Палата представителей считается (хотя и неофициаль- appointments
но) нижней палатой Конгресса США. Штаты представлены 12. to ratify treaties - ратифицировать договоры
в ней пропорционально населению, но в то же время даже 13. to impeach/ impeachment - возбуждать против высших
самый маленький штат имеет в палате хотя бы одного де- должностных лиц дело
об отстранении от должности
путата. Всего в палате представителей 435 мест, ее членов
называют конгрессменами. 14. to indict/ indictment - предъявлять уголовное обвинение

128 129
15. taxation measures - меры по налогообложению
16. appropriation measures - меры по ассигнованиям
17. to resolve differences - устранять противоречия
18. to draft Bills - разрабатывать законопроекты
19. to hold enquiries - проводить расследования
20. to approve/ reject Bills - принимать/ отклонять UNIT IV. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (cont’d)
законопроекты
21. the Rules Committee - Комитет по регламенту THE SPEAKER — foremost man of his party in the House.
22. partisan activity - деятельность, преследующая The Speaker of the House is third in line and second in succession
партийные интересы to the Presidency.
23. the Capitol Hill (the Hill) - Капитолийский холм; конгресс It would do no violence to the truth to call the Speaker of
США the House the second most powerful office holder in the US
Government, surpassed only by the President. In fact, the
Presidential Succession Act of 1947 places the Speaker second
in line in succession to the Presidency, behind only the Vice-
President whose assumption to that office is required by the
Constitution.
Selecting a Speaker
In the early days the Speaker was elected by ballot, but since
1839 all have been chosen by roll call or voice vote. The election
of the Speaker is traditionally the first order of business upon the
convening of a new Congress.
Although the election officially occurs on the floor of the
House, modern-day Speakers are actually decided upon when
the majority party meets in caucus on the eve of a new Congress.
Despite the foregone conclusion of the contest, the minority
party also nominates its candidate who, upon losing, becomes
the minority leader. Since the 1930s, service in the lesser
party leadership posts, such as majority and minority leader,
majority and minority whip, have become stepping stones to the
Speakership.
Powers and Duties
While the powers and duties of the Speaker are spelled out to
some degree in the Rules of the House, the effectiveness of any
131
particular Speaker has depended upon a great many intangibles:
the Speaker’s own personal dynamism, the size of his majority in
the House, his relationship with the executive branch, his ability
to “get things done”.
In modern era, the many duties of the Speaker include
presiding at the sessions of the House, announcing the order
of business, putting questions to a vote, reporting the vote
and deciding points of order. He appoints the chairman of the
Committee of the Whole and members of select and conference
committees. He chooses Speakers pro tem and refers bills and
reports to the appropriate committees and calendars.
Triple Personality
The Speaker of the House is a triple personality, being a
Member of the House, its presiding officer and leader of the
majority party in the Chamber. As a Member of the House
he has the right to cast his vote on all questions, unlike the
President of the Senate (the Vice President of the United
States) who has no vote except in the case of a tie. As presiding
officer of the House, the Speaker interprets the rules that the
House has adopted for guidance.
House Leadership
At the beginning of each Congress, the Leadership of
the House of Representatives is elected. The Constitution
authorizes the House to elect a Speaker. Each party caucus
also elects its party leader. Under the tradition of the two-
party system in the US, the leader of the party with the largest
number of Members becomes the Majority Leader. The
Minority Leader is invariably the Member nominated by the
minority party for the Speaker.
The Majority Leader works very closely with the Speaker
in developing the party’s position on major political issues. He
almost always has represented a different geographical area
of the country from the Speaker. He consults with committee
132
chairmen and urges them to move legislation which the party
considers important.
Each party also appoints a whip and assistant whips to assist
the floor leader in execution of the party’s legislative programs.
The main job of the whips is to canvass party members on a
pending issue and give the floor leader an accurate estimate
of the support or opposition expected on a bill. The term whip
refers to the responsibility of these Members to pressure the
other Members of their party to the floor for key votes.
In recent years the majority party has revitalized the Caucus
of its Members and the Chairman of the Caucus, elected by
his party colleagues, has become an important part of the
leadership structure.
Usually considered as part of the Leadership are the
chairmen of the twenty-two committees of the House. Until the
Congressional reforms in 1975, the Chairmen achieved their
status solely by virtue of their seniority. Currently, chairmen
are elected by the Majority Party Caucus, by secret ballot.
Committee Chairmen are nominated by the Steering and Policy
Committee composed of the House leaders, their nominees and
members elected by the Caucus on a regional basis.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. How are Speakers chosen?
2. What are the functions of the Speaker?
3. In what way do the functions and the duties of the US
Speaker differ from those of the UK Speaker?
4. What are the functions of the Majority and Minority
leaders?
5. I your opinion, why does the Majority Leader usually
represent a different geographical area from the Speaker?
6. What are the functions of the party whips?
7. How many committees are there in the House?
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
133
 Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian: Exercise 6. Render the following text in English:
1. It would do no violence to the truth to call the Speaker Для руководства работой палаты представителей конг-
of the House the second most powerful office holder in the US рессмены выбирают спикера (председателя). Традиционно
Government, surpassed only by the President. им становится лидер той партии, которая имеет большинс-
2. Although the election officially occurs on the floor of the тво мест в палате. Спикер палаты представителей является
House, modern-day Speakers are actually decided upon when the третьим лицом в «очереди наследования» президентского
majority party meets in caucus on the eve of a new Congress. поста, то есть именно он становится президентом США,
3. Despite the foregone conclusion of the contest, the minority если действующие президент и вице-президент не могут ис-
party also nominates its candidate who, upon losing, becomes полнять свои обязанности.
the minority leader.
4. He consults with committee chairmen and urges them to TOPICAL VOCABULARY
move legislation which the party considers important.
5. Each party also appoints a whip and assistant whips to assist 1. Speaker - спикер, председатель палаты
the floor leader in execution of the party’s legislative programs. представителей
6. Until the Congressional reforms in 1975, the Chairmen 2. Speaker pro tempore - исполняющий обязанности спикера
achieved their status solely by virtue of their seniority. 3. to elect by secret ballot - избирать тайным голосованием
4. by roll call - поименным голосованием (по списку)
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the 5. by voice vote - устным голосованием (путем опроса
text. присутствующих)
накануне; выдвигать кандидата; председательствовать на 6. to convene a new - собирать конгресс нового созыва
заседании; решать процедурные вопросы; передавать зако- Congress
нопроект (на рассмотрение комитета); по традиции; двух- 7. to meet in caucus - проводить (закрытое) заседание
партийная система; работать в тесном сотрудничестве; голо- членов партийной фракции
сование по важным вопросам; выбирать тайным голосова- 8. majority/minority - партийный организатор партии
нием; руководящий комитет. whip большинства / меньшинства
9. the Rules of the House - регламент работы палаты
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following 10. Committee of the - Заседание палат парламента/
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the Whole конгресса на правах комитета
text. (для обсуждения законопроекта)
office holder; to convene a new Congress; to meet in caucus; 11. Select (or Special) - специальный комитет
Committee
a foregone conclusion; to put questions to a vote; a tie; to
authorize; party caucus; to move legislation; a whip; to execute 12. Standing Committee - постоянный комитет
a program (execution); to canvass (party members); a pending 13. Conference Committee - согласительный комитет
issue (business); seniority. 14. Joint Committee - объединенный комитет

134 135
15. to cast his/her vote - голосовать
16. the floor leader - руководитель партийной фракции
в конгрессе
17. to canvass party - изучать настрой членов партии
members
18. a pending issue - вопрос, находящийся
на рассмотрении
19. key votes - голосование по важным вопросам
20. seniority - срок (непрерывной) работы
в конгрессе
21. the Steering and Policy - Руководящий комитет
Committee
UNIT V. THE UNITED STATES SENATE
The Senate is the upper chamber in the bicameral legislature
known collectively as Congress. The original intention of the
authors of the US Constitution was that the Senate should be
a regulatory group, less politically dominant than the House.
However, since the mid 19th century, the Senate has been the
dominant chamber and indeed today it is perhaps the most
powerful upper house of any legislative body in the world.
There are 100 Senators, 2 from each of the States. They are
elected for a term of 6 years by a rotating system of elections
every 2 years so that “one-third may be chosen every second
year”. Sixteen times in its history, the Senate has proved to
be a training ground for future Presidents of the United States
Three senators, Warren G. Harding, John F. Kennedy, and
Barack Obama moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the
White House.
The election of Senators by state legislatures, as originally
provided in Article I of the Constitution, was abandoned in
1913 with the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment,
providing for direct vote by the people.
In the event that a member of the Senate dies or resigns
before the end of the six-year term, no special election is held
to fill the vacancy. Instead the Governor of the state that the
Senator represented nominates someone to serve until the next
set of Congressional elections when a normal election is held
to fill the vacancy.
The Vice President of the United States, says the Constitution,
“shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless
they be equally divided”. Whether he wishes to vote or not in the
137
event of such a tie, is a matter of choice with the Vice President
himself.
The powers of the Senate overlap into the Judicial and
Executive Branches. Thus, the Senate is required to confirm
most of the President’s appointments. The Senate also ratifies or
rejects treaties negotiated by the President with foreign powers.
While the House has the power of impeachment, it is the Senate
that tries officials who are impeached, and has the aura and
authority of a high court.
Bills in the process of becoming law may come to the Senate
from the House or go to the House from the Senate. They are
thus subject to the advantage of a second look. This double-
check affords each legislative body a certain appellate function
over the other.
A conference of committees of the two Houses generally
works out a mutually acceptable compromise on a bill in
controversy. Then, passed by both Houses in this final form,
it is ready for submission to the President for his signature.
Thereupon it becomes law.
Senate Leadership
The Constitution requires that the Vice President is the
President of the Senate. Since the Vice President is frequently
not present in the Senate, except in the case of a close vote which
may end in a tie, the Senate elects a President pro tempore, by
custom, in recent decades, the most senior majority member
of the Senate. The President pro tempore is a key member of
his party’s policy-making body. He usually designates a more
junior Senator to preside over daily sessions in his place.
Since the early days of the twentieth century, the Senate
has, by custom, developed the position of Majority leader as a
parallel in power to the Speaker of the House.
The real leader of the Senate is the Majority Leader. He is
the legislative strategist and exercises considerable influence
on committee assignments.
138
The Majority Leader is elected by the Senators who are
members of the political party to which more than 50 percent
of the Senators belong. The Senators of the party with the lesser
number elect a Minority Leader.
In co-operation with their party organization, each Leader
is responsible for the achievement of the legislative program.
They manage the order in which legislation moves to passage
and expedite non controversial legislation. They keep members
of their party informed regarding pending business. Each
Leader is an ex-officio Member of his party’s policy-making
and organizing body. Each is aided by an assistant Leader, called
the Whip, as in the House, and by the Majority or Minority
Secretary, who are professional staff administrators, but not
members of the Senate.
Each of the two major parties in the Senate is organized
differently. The Democrats have a caucus which nominates the
Leaders, elects the Steering Committee and approves Steering
Committee nominations for Committee Chairmen. The Steering
Committee nominates Committee Chairmen and assigns party
members to Committees. The Democratic Policy Committee
develops legislative policy and positions.
The Republican Senators comprise the Republican
Conference which elects the Minority Leader and deals with
procedural matters. The Conference Committees assign party
members to Committees. They also elect the Republican Policy
Committee which handles the research and policy determination
function of the party.
Activity in the Senate tends to be less partisan and more
individualistic than in the House of Representatives. Senate
rules permit what is called a filibuster when a senator, or a
series of senators, can speak for as long as they wish and on
any topic they choose, unless a supermajority of three-fifths of
the Senate (60 Senators, if all 100 seats are filled) brings debate
to a close by invoking what is called cloture (taken from the
French term for closure).
139
 Translation Notes:
●● The Vice-President of the Unites States, says the
Constitution, “shall be President of the Senate”… — В Кон-
ституции говорится, что вице-президент Соединенных
Штатов является председателем Сената. В официаль-
ных документах глагол shall не имеет оттенка долженс-
твования, и сказуемое переводится на русский язык в на-
стоящем времени. О некоторых лексических особенностях
официальных текстов см. комментарий к Ур. I, ч. I.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Has the Senate always been the dominant chamber in the
US Congress?
2. How often are Senators elected? What is the term of office
in the Senate?
3. How are Senators elected? When were the rules of election
changed?
4. How are vacancies in the Senate filled? How are they filled
in the House of Representatives?
5. Who is the President of the Senate? Does he have all the
powers of senators?
6. In what way do the powers of the Senate overlap those of
the executive and judicial branches?
7. What happens to a bill once it has passed the House and
the Senate?
8. Who replaces the Vice-President in the Senate when he is
not present at the session?
9. Who is the real leader in the Senate?
10. What are the duties of the party leaders?
11. What is a filibuster?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
140
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. The election of Senators by state legislatures, as originally
provided in Article I of the Constitution, was abandoned in 1913
with the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment, providing for
direct vote by the people.
2. Whether he wishes to vote or not in the event of such a tie,
is a matter of choice with the Vice President himself.
3. The Senate also ratifies or rejects treaties negotiated by
the President with foreign powers.
4. They are thus subject to the advantage of a second look.
5. Since the Vice President is frequently not present in the
Senate, except in the case of a close vote which may end in a tie,
the Senate elects a President pro tempore, by custom, in recent
decades, the most senior Majority member of the Senate.
6. They manage the order in which legislation moves to
passage and expedite non controversial legislation.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
первоначальное намерение; главенствующая палата; за-
конодательное собрание штата; небольшой перевес голо-
сов; равное число голосов; частично совпадать; утверждать
назначения; двойная проверка; взаимоприемлемое реше-
ние; распределение по комитетам; ускорять принятие зако-
нопроектов; законопроекты, находящиеся на рассмотрении
Конгресса.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to adopt an amendment (to amend a Bill); to negotiate
a treaty; to try officials; to be subject to a second look; President
141
pro tempore; to designate a Senator to preside over sessions; to всегда является представителем партии большинства), в се-
exercise considerable influence; ex-officio; to invoke cloture. нате председательствует вице-президент (в период отсутс-
твия вице-президента может быть избран также временный
Exercise 6. Render the following text in English: председатель из фракции большинства). Спикер, как и в
I. других странах англосаксонского права, пользуется боль-
Сенат Конгресса США шими полномочиями: определяет повестку дня, назначает
Сенат фактически является верхней палатой конгрес- членов согласительной комиссии при разногласиях палат,
са США. Он обеспечивает равное представительство (по руководит вспомогательным аппаратом палаты; он вправе
два депутата) от каждого штата. Таким образом, в сенате применять меры взыскания к депутатам и т.д. Однако голо-
США — сто депутатов, которых называют сенаторами. сует спикер только при равенстве голосов, тогда его голос
Сенаторы избираются на шесть лет, но каждые два года за- решающий. Председатель сената, напротив, существенных
канчивается срок полномочий трети сенаторов. Таким обра- полномочий не имеет. Обсуждения в сенате проходят на
зом, каждые два года сенат на треть обновляется (хотя ничто основе саморегулирования, в связи с чем нередко приме-
не мешает сенатору быть переизбранным). Выборы в сенат няется прием «флибустьерства» — путем бесконечных вы-
проходят одновременно с выборами конгрессменов. Для того, ступлений «заговаривают» законопроект другой партии до
чтобы стать членом сената, кандидат должен быть граждани- окончания сессии, а после ее окончания вся процедура про-
ном США не менее девяти лет, быть не моложе тридцати лет хождения законопроекта должна начинаться сначала (лишь
и проживать в том штате, от которого он избирается. решением 3/5 сенаторов выступление можно ограничить
Сенат рассматривает законопроекты, уже прошедшие че- одним часом).
рез палату представителей, и одобряет либо отклоняет их.
Кроме того, сенат дает согласие на ратификацию междуна- TOPICAL VOCABULARY
родных договоров, утверждает назначение судей Верховно-
го суда и высших чиновников федерального правительства. 1. the Senate - сенат
Именно сенат принимает решение об импичменте (от- 2. the upper chamber - верхняя палата
странении от должности) президента и судей Верховного 3. dominant chamber - главенствующая палата
суда. 4. a rotating system - система выборов по ротации
Председателем сената США является вице-президент Со- of election
5. a tie - равное распределение голосов
единенных Штатов Америки. Он не участвует в голосовани-
6. to negotiate a treaty - заключать договор
ях сената, за исключением случаев, когда голоса сенаторов
7. to try officials - привлекать должностных лиц
делятся поровну. к судебной ответственности
Сенат работает в северном крыле Капитолия США. 8. to double-check - перепроверять; подвергать двойной
проверке
II. 9. a close vote - почти равное деление голосов
Каждая палата создает свои руководящие и внутренние 10. president pro tempore - исполняющий обязанности
органы. Заседаниями нижней палаты руководит спикер (он председателя сената

142 143
11. senior/ junior member - члены сената с большим /небольшим
стажем пребывания в сенате
12. (non) controversial - законопроекты, (не) вызывающие
legislation возражений
13. to assign members to - распределять членов по комитетам
committees
14. filibuster - устраивать обструкцию
(в законодательном органе)
15. supermajority - сверхквалифицированное
большинство
16. to invoke a cloture - потребовать применения процедуры
прекращения прений
UNIT VI. THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM/CONGRESS AT WORK
Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at work, wrote
Woodrow Wilson. It is in the committees of Congress that bills
undergo their closest scrutiny, that investigations — including
oversight of the executive branch — are conducted, and that the
differences in bills passed by each House are reconciled into one
version acceptable to both.
Congress uses four different types of committees to perform
these different functions: standing committees, select or special
committees, joint committes and conference committees.
Committees that continue from Congress to Congress are
called standing committees. The subject jurisdictions of these
permanent committees are set forth in the Rules of each House,
and virtually every introduced bill is referred to one or more of
them according to the subjects involved. These are the committees
that actually review proposed legislation and determine which
bills shall be reported to each House.
In the 113th Congress there are 22 standing committees in the
House and 16 in the Senate. Most have several subcommittees
with specific jurisdictions. Usually a standing committee sends
a bill to one of its subcommittees for hearings, review and
recommendations. The bill is then reported to the full committee
for consideration. Finally, if approved by the full committee, the
bill is reported to the full House or Senate.
Standing committees are also responsible for overseeing the
operations of the executive departments and agencies under
their respective jurisdictions. They usually perform this function
by studies, which provide Congress with the facts necessary to
determine whether the agencies are administering legislation as
145
intended. Congressional studies also help committees identify
areas in which legislative actions might be needed and the form
that action might take.
Other Congressional studies are performed by select or special
committees. Usually established for a limited period of time,
these groups ordinarily deal with more specific subjects and
issues than do the standing committees. For example, in recent
years each House has established a select committee on ageing
to study the multitude of problems that affect senior citizens.
Select committees in one House or the other have also studied
population problems, narcotics and Indian affairs. During the past
decade, each House has used a select committee to study its own
committee system and to recommend improvements. Most select
committees may investigate, study and make recommendations
but may not report legislation. But both Houses have created a
few permanent select committees in recent years and authorized
them to report legislation.
Congress uses joint committees for investigatory and house-
keeping purposes. They are usually permanent bodies composed
of an equal number of House and Senate Members.
The last category of committees is the conference committee.
These are formed to reconcile the differences between the House
and Senate when each passes a different version of the same bill.
Conference committees are ad hoc joint committees, temporary
panels appointed to deal with a single piece of legislation,
dissolving upon the completion of that task.
Every Member of the House must serve on at least one
standing committee except the Speaker and minority leader who,
by tradition, serve on none. Senators must serve on at least one
standing committee.
Committee sizes vary considerably and sometimes change
from Congress to Congress. Because the House has more than
four times as many Members as the Senate, its committees
are generally larger. In the past Congress, the largest House
committee — Appropriations — had 54 Members, the largest
146
Senate committee — also Appropriations - had 28. Most Senate
standing committees have from 14 to 20 members, most House
committees — from 30 to 45. Traditionally, party ratios on
committees correspond roughly to the party ratio in the full
Chamber.
Committee and subcommittee service encourages Members
to specialize in the subject areas of the panels on which they
sit. Thus, the committee system continually builds up a reservoir
of expertise to guide Congress as it attempts to deal with the
Nation’s problems.
Translation Notes:
●● It is in the committees of Congress that bills undergo
their closest scrutiny — Именно в комитетах конгресса зако-
нопроекты подвергаются самому внимательному изучению.
Эмфатические предложения подобного рода не характерны
для стиля официальных документов. При переводе на рус-
ский язык таких грамматических конструкций, где инверсия
используется в стилистических целях, рекомендуется при-
бегать к лексическим средствам.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the most important element in the work of
Congress?
2. What types of Committees are there in the US Congress?
3. What are the functions of standing committees
(subcommittees)?
4. In what way does Congress supervise the work of the
executive branch?
5. In what way does the jurisdiction of select committees
differ from that of standing committees?
6. Which of the committees have an equal number of House
and Senate members?
7. What is the function of conference committees?
147
 8. How does committee work contribute to improving
Members’ expertise?
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. The subject jurisdictions of these permanent committees
are set forth in the Rules of each House, and virtually every
introduced bill is referred to one or more of them according to
the subjects involved.
2. They usually perform this function by studies, which
provide Congress with the facts necessary to determine whether
the agencies are administering legislation as intended.
3. For example, in recent years each House has established a
select committee on ageing to study the multitude of problems
that affect senior citizens.
4. Conference committees are ad hoc joint committees,
temporary panels appointed to deal with a single piece of
legislation, dissolving upon the completion of that task.
5. Committee and subcommittee service encourages Members
to specialize in the subject areas of the panels on which they sit.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the text.
постоянный комитет; особый (специальный) комитет;
объединенный (совместный) комитет; согласительный (кон-
сультационный) комитет; затрагиваемый вопрос; осущест-
влять надзор; пожилые люди; докладывать законопроект (в
конгрессе)
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to undergo close scrutiny; oversight (of the executive branch)
/to oversee; subject jurisdiction /specific jurisdiction; to reconcile
148
differences; to administer legislation; ad hoc committee; party
ratio; to sit on a panel; expertise.
Exercise 6. Render the following text in English:
Конгресс создает из своих членов различные комитеты:
постоянные объединенные комитеты обеих палат (их не-
много — по экономике, нало­гообложению и др.), которые
координируют деятельность конгресса в указанных сфе-
рах; постоянные специализированные комитеты каждой
из палат (в палате представителей их 22: по иностранным
делам, по образованию и труду, юридический и др., в сена-
те   — 16: иностранных дел, финансов, сельского хозяйства
и др.), которые работают над законопроектами, организуют
парламентские слушания, контролируют деятельность ад-
министрации и т.д.; временные специальные комитеты для
расследования отдельных вопросов (чаще всего по сообще-
ниям прессы).
Особую роль играет комитет всей палаты. Эта юриди-
ческая фикция означает, что палата преобразует себя в ко-
митет для обсуждения по упрощенной процедуре срочных
или бесспорных законопроектов. Согласительные комитеты
(комиссии) создаются для преодоления разногласий меж-
ду палатами. Важное значение имеют постоянные специ-
ализированные комитеты (комиссии). Помимо указанных
полномочий, они вправе вызывать свидетелей и заслуши-
вать их показания, министры соответствующего профиля
ежегодно представляют этим комитетам отчеты о своей де-
ятельности. Председатели комитетов, обычно занимающие
этот пост по старшинству пребывания в конгрессе, впра-
ве создавать подкомитеты, которые обладают некоторыми
полномочиями комитетов (в настоящее время в конгрессе
более 200 подкомитетов). Председатели комитетов, как и
всякие председатели коллегиальных органов, собраний
при системе англосаксонского права, обладают большими
полномочиями: определяют повестку дня, назначают дату
149
парламентских слушаний, докладчиков на пленарном за-
седании палаты по законопроектам, пользуются дисципли-
нарными полномочиями. Только они выступают от имени
комитета перед средствами массовой информации.

TOPICAL VOCABULARY UNIT VII. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT

1. oversight of the executive
branch
2. to reconcile differences
(in the Bills)
3. subject jurisdiction
(of the committees)
4. to review legislation
5. hearings
6. to administer legislation
7. to report legislation
8. ad hoc joint committees
- контроль за деятельностью
исполнительной власти
- устранять разногласия (относительно
текста законопроекта)
- предмет ведения/ юрисдикция/ сфера
полномочий (комитетов)
- рассматривать (изучать)
законопроекты
- слушания
- применять законы/ отправлять
правосудие
- докладывать законопроекты
- временные объединенные комитеты
The relationship between the Congress and the President is
intricate and complex. In theory, their powers and responsibilities
are separated; in fact, their roles overlap. Thus, although the
Constitution vests all legislative authority in the Congress, the
President has important powers and responsibilities — both
constitutional and customary — in the formulation and enactment
of legislation. And while the Constitution gives the executive
authority to the President, it also empowers Congress to check
the President’s actions in many ways.
Under the Constitution, the President must inform the
Congress periodically on the state of the Union; he usually does
so annually. The President may also transmit to Congress special
messages and reports on particular subjects, and he often sends
to “the Hill” actual drafts of bills. He may exercise his veto
power, threaten to do so or appeal personally and directly to
Congressional leaders and individual members of Congress to
persuade them to support his programs. His authority to adjourn
Congressional sessions in case of disagreement between the
two Houses has never been exercised, but he has occasionally
used his power to call either or both Houses into “special”
sessions, although rarely since the 1920s. The last such session
was called in 1948 during the Truman Administration.
The President’s State of the Union message to Congress
receives wide public attention. Although the time, place and
manner of transmitting it is discretionary with each President,
he customarily delivers the message in person at the opening of
each session of Congress. Quite often it contains his views on
significant matters requiring legislative attention and on the kind
151
of legislation he wants Congress to enact. With the advent of
television, this annual speech has been increasingly addressed to
the people of America and the world as well as to the Congress.
It is a solemn occasion of state; modern Presidents have used it
to dramatize their aims and policies and to gain Congressional
support for their recommendations.
Soon after delivering the State of the Union address, the
President sends to Congress his annual budget message and
economic report. These are normally delivered in writing rather
than in person.
Constitutionally, the President has four courses of action when
Congress submits a bill or joint resolution for his signature. He
may sign it into law. He may hold it for up to ten days, whereupon,
if Congress is still in session, it becomes law without his signature.
If Congress adjourns during the ten-day period, the measure dies
if the President has failed to sign it. This “pocket veto” is absolute
and cannot be overriden by the Congress. Finally, the President
may veto a measure by returning it to Congress without his
signature and with a statement of the reasons for his disapproval.
Congress may override the President’s veto by a two-thirds vote
in each House, whereupon the measure becomes law without
the President’s signature. If Congress does not override the
veto, it will often redraft the legislation and try to work with the
Administration until an agreement can be reached.
Translation Notes:
●● he often sends to the “Hill” actual drafts of bills. —
Президент часто направляет в конгресс и тексты самих
законопроектов. Прилагательное actual зачастую перево-
дится на русский язык как реальный, фактический, но не как
актуальный, современный. О переводе т.н. ложных друзей
переводчика см. подробнее в ч.I пособия.
●● With the advent of television, this annual speech has
been increasingly addressed to the people of America and the
world as well as to the Congress. — С приходом телевиде-
152
ния это ежегодное обращение все более предназначается не
только членам конгресса, но и населению США и всего мира.
Использование союза as well as требует изменения порядка
следования однородных дополнений.
●● These are normally delivered in writing rather than in
person. — Эти документы обычно передаются не лично, а в
письменной форме. Антонимичный перевод обусловлен зна-
чением союза rather than.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Are the executive and legislative branches independent of
each other? How do their functions overlap?
2. Can the US President initiate bills?
3. Can he adjourn Congress?
4. In what way does the US President inform the Congress on
the situation in the country?
5. What happens to the bill once it has reached the
President?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. Thus, although the Constitution vests all legislative
authority in the Congress, the President has important powers
and responsibilities — both constitutional and customary — in
the formulation and enactment of legislation.
2. And while the Constitution gives the executive authority to
the President, it also empowers Congress to check the President’s
actions in many ways.
3. His authority to adjourn Congressional sessions in
case of disagreement between the two Houses has never been
exercised.
4. Although the time, place and manner of transmitting it is
discretionary with each President, he customarily delivers the
message in person at the opening of each session of Congress.
153
 5. Constitutionally, the President has four courses of
action when Congress submits a bill or joint resolution for his
signature.

Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the

following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the UNIT   VIII. THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IN THE USA
text.
наделять законодательной властью; наделять конгресс The institutional arrangement of elections in the United
полномочиями; по (согласно) Конституции; использовать States is conditioned by the basic outlines of the political
право вето; принимать закон; обращаться с посланием “О system: federalism, separation of powers, and the Constitution
положении в стране”; подготовить новую редакцию законо- as an ultimate source from which the main principles derive.
проекта. The constitutional responsibilities for elections are shared by
the national government and the government in each state. In
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following short, US elections are regulated by both national and state
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the laws. In addition, there are also municipal and other subdivision
text. regulations. The Constitution authorizes the federal Congress to
intricate and complex relationship; enactment of legislation; decide the time, place and manner of elections. For instance, in
drafts of bills; to adjourn Congressional sessions; to be 1845 Congress set the date for the general election of national
discretionary with the President; to deliver the message in person; officials on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
to override a veto. Congress has also enacted some important laws in protection of the
Constitutional amendments, especially to prevent discrimination
TOPICAL VOCABULARY of voters because of race or sex.
There are a great variety of sets of election regulations
1. to enact legislation - утвердить законопроект throughout the United States. In general, in most states
2. to empower Congress - наделять конгресс полномочиями candidates are nominated by primary elections. Direct primaries
3. to exercise veto power - использовать право вето and closed primaries are the two main types of primary
4. to adjourn Congressional - объявлять перерыв в работе elections. In fact, primaries are simply party elections in which
sessions конгресса a voter participates to help select the candidates of the party of
5. to deliver the State of the - выступать с посланием
Union message /address «О положении в стране»
his choice. When the primary was first introduced by several
6. to submit a bill for - представить законопроект states at the beginning of the 20th century, it was particularly
signature для подписания aimed against the powerful party leaders (the bosses) who had
7. to sign a bill into law - подписать законопроект и сделать exercised sole control over elections in many cities and small
его законом town districts. They mostly nominated candidates by party
8. a “pocket veto” - «карманное вето» conventions, preventing the rank-and-file members from having
9. to override the veto - преодолеть вето any say in the nominations.
155
 Apart from the primaries, the system of party conventions and
similar arrangements still prevail in nominating candidates, and
these differ from state to state.
There are also strict regulations as to who can be considered
as a party candidate for nomination. Such legal requirements
are laid down in each state. To become a candidate that
counts, an American citizen must usually be nominated by
the Democratic or the Republican Party. To qualify for the
primary ballot of any of these parties, a citizen must “collect”
a specified number of signatures on a petition, which is
presented to a special election official for approval. For the
offices of the US Senator or Congressman, several thousand
signatures must be secured.
A primary election must always be followed by a general
election for voters to decide which party (usually only
Democratic or Republican) will have its candidates occupy the
offices of government. Each stage, i.e. the primary (the party
convention, or other ways of nominating candidates) and later
the general election, is preceded by long, vigorous and very
costly nomination campaigns and then election campaigns.
This makes campaign financing an extremely important factor
in elections, a factor that has been subject to numerous legal
restrictions. The powerful pressure groups that are willing to
pay the money and that know how to evade the law can be
considered an essential characteristic of the American electoral
system. Over the last twenty years or so, a new factor has been
soaring up in importance — television. Today television is the
most important medium for projecting the candidate and his
views to the voter in the best possible light.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the foundation of the US political system?
2. What institutions are in charge of elections?
3. How are candidates proposed and nominated?
4. What are very important elements of elections?
156
Exercise 2. Make an outline of the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. They mostly nominated candidates by party conventions,
preventing the rank-and-file members from having any say in the
nominations.
2. The constitutional responsibilities for elections are shared
by the national government and the government in each state.
3. To become a candidate that counts, an American citizen
must usually be nominated by the Democratic or the Republican
Party.
4. To qualify for the primary ballot of any of these parties,
a citizen must “collect” a specified number of signatures on
a petition, which is presented to a special election official for
approval.
5. Today television is the most important medium for
projecting the candidate and his views to the voter in the best
possible light.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
разделение властей; основной источник; принимать за-
коны; выдвигать кандидатуру; первичные выборы (прямые,
закрытые); рядовые члены; собрать подписи; уклоняться от
соблюдения законов.
Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
basic outlines; to exercise sole control; to have a say in smth;
to lay down legal requirements; to qualify for the primary ballot;
to soar up in importance; to project the candidate and his views
to the voter.
157
 TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. to nominate a candidate
2. primary elections
3. direct /indirect primaries
4. closed /open primaries
5. rank-and-file members
6. primary ballot
7. to project the candidate
(to the voter)
- выдвигать кандидатуру
- первичные/ предварительные
выборы (выборы делегатов
на партийный съезд)
- (не) прямые первичные выборы
(кандидаты выбираются сразу же
(direct) или на партийный съезд
(indirect)
- закрытые первичные выборы (могут
участвовать только члены данной
партии); открытые —
может участвовать любой
- рядовые члены партии
- список кандидатов на первичных
выборах
- «подавать» кандидата избирателям
UNIT IX. ELECTIONS
One characteristic of the American election system which
has not been considered yet is that elections are held at fixed
intervals. The regularity of elections is incorporated in the
constitution and it directly derives from the principle of the
separation of powers. Congress cannot be dissolved nor the
President made to resign, so any decisive changes can only be
introduced by regularly staged elections.
Public interest in the elections is most widespread in each
leap year when the President and the Vice-President are elected.
Off-year elections, for offices other than the presidency, are held
every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.
Every two years (in even-numbered years because members
to the first House were elected in 1800) all members of the House
of Representatives are elected. At the same time voters elect
one-third of the Senators. (There are 100 Senators; each Senator
serves for six years). In practice most members of Congress stand
for re-election.
So every four years an American votes for the President and
the Vice-President, and for members of Congress. It has become
an established practice that on the same day he also votes for
a number of other officials of his state and local districts. At
regular intervals he is expected to vote for members of his state
legislatures, for the governor of his state, the mayor of his town
or city, and for other officials.
Americans today vote by secret ballot. Some states still use
paper ballots, but mechanical devices whereby a voter simply
pulls a lever to record his vote have been spreading.
159
 Each state is constitutionally entitled to have two seats in the
Senate and at least one in the House of Representatives. As to
the number of other seats for each state in the House, the US
Constitution provides only that it shall be determined by the
population.
With each national census every ten years, Congress
reapportions the number of seats in the House of Representatives.
Thirty-five states which have more than three representatives
each are divided by their state legislatures into districts with
one Congressman elected in each district. This is called the
single-member district system. In each district the candidate
is elected by a simple majority. This means that the one who
gets most votes wins — a provision more popularly known as
the “winner takes all” principle. A similar system operates in
Presidential elections, where the number of electoral votes is
decisive.
The presidential elections
Presidential elections are certainly one of the most important
ingredients of the American way of life. The process has
always involved three main stages: (a) the nomination of the
presidential candidates, (b) the voting for the presidential
electors by citizens eligible for voting and willing to come to
the polls, (c) the voting for the President by the presidential
electors.
It should also be added that when we say “President”, this
automatically involves his “running mate”, as Americans aptly
call the Vice-President. The President and the Vice-President run
in the elections as a pair and it is not possible to split the vote.
The three stages of the election process have to be somehow
scheduled in time. In each presidential election year stage 1
takes place in the summer; stage 2 on the general-election
day — the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November;
and stage 3 on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in
December.
160
Collectively the presidential electors are called the Electoral
College, but this term is only used in the abstract sense.
Somewhat surprisingly, the electors are not required to meet in
one place, nor are they required to move bodily from their states.
On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December,
each elector arrives at his state capital and formally casts his
vote on the President-Vice-President ticket. The Constitution
gives electors freedom to vote for whomever they wish, but in
practice they have almost always followed the choice made on
the general-election day. As a rule, electors remain loyal to their
political parties, and individual departures have never affected
the final results of the election.
Since the 1830s each party has followed the National
Convention method for electing presidential candidates. This
uniquely American institution has easily affirmed its authority
and importance in nominating presidential candidates.
The Democratic and the Republican parties hold their
conventions separately. It has been usual for the party not in
power in the White House to hold its convention first. Delegates
to the Convention are party nominees from each state. Ways of
nominating the delegates differ. The most common method is
by primary election, which is held in some thirty states now.
The primaries usually begin early in spring in the presidential
election year and it has become customary for the state of New
Hampshire to hold its primary first. This is closely watched by
the whole nation because the New Hampshire results are an
important indication as to which party and candidates are likely
to win.
Before the National Conventions each party will usually
have several major candidates willing to run for the Presidency
in November. When the delegates come to the Convention, their
task is to reduce the number of candidates to a single candidate
by the end of the Convention.
The two candidates that enter the election campaign must be
nominees of the two main Conventions. Although the Convention
161
turns into something like a celebration of a great ritual, and a
great deal of time is allowed first to nominate and then to vote
for the candidate, the real decisions are usually made behind the
scenes as a result of days of bargaining and compromise. The
Convention is also responsible for presenting the platform (the
main program put forward by the party at a particular election)
but platforms seem to be far less important than candidates.
In fact it is not realistic today to discuss the presidential
elections without concentrating on the two essential ingredients
that have come to dominate the American political scene. These
are television and the opinion polls. Gallup and Harris are the
best known polls in the United States but there are hundreds
of thousands of professional organizations which make regular
surveys of the opinions and feelings of potential voters in order
to identify basic public attitudes. It may be added here that
at least since the turn of last century, when scientific survey
techniques of probing the public opinion had not yet been
devised, the American political vocabulary has contained the
very convenient term “grass-roots politics”, which essentially
describes the practice of learning about people’s attitudes.
Television operates as a constant recorder and molder of
facts, while the opinion polls operate as constant recorders and
molders of people’s attitudes. It would perhaps be easier to see
these two factors operating in one circular process characterized
by constant feedback. Television influences people’s attitudes;
the opinion polls have a decisive impact on what is shown on
television.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What document provides for regularly held elections?
2. How often are elections held in the US? Whom and when
do Americans elect?
3. Do the borders of constituencies remain intact through
decades?
4. What are the three stages of presidential elections?
162
5. How is the Vice President elected?
6. What is the function of the Electoral College? How is it
exercised?
7. How are party presidential nominees decided?
8. What is “grass-roots politics”?
Exercise 2. Summarise the text in Russian.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. Congress cannot be dissolved nor the President made
to resign, so any decisive changes can only be introduced by
regularly staged elections.
2. Each state is constitutionally entitled to have two seats in
the Senate and at least one in the House of Representatives.
3. With each national census every ten years, Congress
reapportions the number of seats in the House of
Representatives.
4. The President and the Vice President run in the elections as
a pair and it is not possible to split the vote.
5. Somewhat surprisingly, the electors are not required to
meet in one place, nor are they required to move bodily from
their states.
6. This uniquely American institution has easily affirmed its
authority and importance in nominating Presidential candidates.
7. Television operates as a constant recorder and molder of
facts, while the opinion polls operate as constant recorders and
molders of people’s attitudes. It would perhaps be easier to see
these two factors operating in one circular process characterized
by constant feedback.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
проводить выборы через регулярные промежутки време-
ни; распускать конгресс; високосный год; перераспределять
163
места; одномандатные округа; официальный кандидат от
партии; баллотироваться на пост президента; определять на-
строения в обществе; обратная связь

Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following

words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the UNIT X. THE SUPREME COURT
text.
to incorporate in the constitution; regularly staged elections; The Supreme Court consists of nine Justices: the Chief
to stand for re-election; to be eligible for voting; running mate; Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices. They
to split the vote; Electoral College; to move bodily; grass-roots have equal weight when voting on a case and the Chief Justice
politics has no casting vote or power to instruct colleagues.
The Justices are nominated by the President and confirmed
TOPICAL VOCABULARY with the 'advice and consent' of the Senate. As federal judges,
the Justices serve during «good behavior», meaning essentially
1. off-year elections промежуточные выборы that they serve for life and can be removed only by resignation
2. to stand for (re) election баллотироваться на (пере)избрание or by impeachment and subsequent conviction.
3. to reapportion (the перераспределять места The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United
number of seats) States. The court deals with matters pertaining to the federal
4. a single-member district одномандатный округ government, disputes between states, and interpretation of
5. winner takes all (system) мажоритарная система; «победитель the Constitution. It can declare legislation or executive action
получает все» made at any level of the government as unconstitutional,
6. presidential elections/ президентские выборы / выборщики nullifying the law and creating precedent for future law and
electors decisions.
7. running mate кандидат на пост вице-президента The Supreme Court in practice has a much more 'political'
8. to split the vote голосовать за кандидатов отдельно role than the highest courts of European democracies. For
example, the scope of abortion in the USA is effectively set
9. the Electoral College Коллегия выборщиков by the Supreme Court whereas, in other countries, it would be
10. National Convention национальный партийный съезд set by legislation. Indeed in 2000, it made the most political
11. grass-roots politics работа с населением decision imaginable by determining — by seven votes to
two   — the outcome of that year's presidential election. It
decided that George W Bush had beaten Al Gore, although
Gore won the most votes overall.
A recent and momentous instance of this exercise of
political power was the Supreme Court decision in the case of
the challenge to Barack Obama's signature piece of legislation,
165
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often dubbed
Obamacare. No less than 26 states challenged the legality
of these health reforms under a clause in the constitution
governing interstate commerce. In the end, the Court ruled
by five to four that, while the individual mandate provision
in the Act is not itself a tax, the penalties imposed for not
buying health insurance do represent taxes and therefore the
entire requirement falls within the remit of Congress's right to
impose taxes.
Given how difficult it is to change the US Constitution
through the formal method, one has seen informal changes
to the Constitution through various decisions of the Supreme
Court which have given specific meanings to some of the
general phases in the Constitution. It is one of the many
ironies of the American political system that an unelected and
unaccountable body like the Supreme Court can in practice
exercise so much political power in a system which proclaims
itself as so democratic.
Since the Supreme Court makes so many ‘political’
decisions and its members are appointed so rarely and then
for life, the appointment of Justices by the President is often a
very charged and controversial matter.
Below the Supreme Court, there is a system of Courts of
Appeal, and, below these courts, there are District Courts.
Together, these three levels of courts represent the federal
judicial system.
A special feature of the American political system in respect
of the judiciary is that, although federal judges are appointed,
nationwide 87% of all state court judges are elected and 39
states elect at least some of their judges. Outside of the United
States, there are only two nations that have judicial elections
and then only in limited fashion. Smaller Swiss cantons elect
judges and appointed justices on the Japanese Supreme Court
must sometimes face retention elections (although those
elections are a formality).
166
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. Do all members of the Supreme Court have equal voting
rights?
2. How do Justices get their jobs? Can they be fired?
3. What is the subject jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?
4. What political decisions has the Supreme Court recently
taken?
5. Why can some of the Supreme Court decisions seem to be
incompatible with a democratic system of government?
6. How do federal and state- court judges get their jobs?
Exercise 2. Summarize the text in English.
Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. As federal judges, the Justices serve during “good
behavior”, meaning essentially that they serve for life and can be
removed only by resignation or by impeachment and subsequent
conviction.
2. For example, the scope of abortion in the USA is effectively
set by the Supreme Court whereas, in other countries, it would be
set by legislation.
3. Given how difficult it is to change the US Constitution
through the formal method, one has seen informal changes to
the Constitution through various decisions of the Supreme Court
which have given specific meanings to some of the general phases
in the Constitution.
Exercise 4. Find in the text the English equivalents for the
following phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
пожизненное назначение; толковать конституцию; Закон
о защите пациентов и доступном медицинском обслужи-
вании; вводить /накладывать штрафные санкции (налоги);
апелляционные суды; окружные суды.
167
 Exercise 5. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following
words and phrases. Reproduce how they were used in the
text.
to convict (conviction); to nullify the law; to challenge
the legality; to rule; the remit (of Congress); a charged and
controversial matter; retention elections. UNIT XI. TEXTS FOR RENDERING IN ENGLISH

TOPICAL VOCABULARY Render the following texts in English:

I.
1. the Supreme Court Верховный суд КОНГРЕСС США
2. Chief Justice председатель Верховного суда США Конгресс США — высший законодательный орган стра-
3. associate justice член Верховного суда США ны, имеет двухпалатную структуру: сенат (100 мест) и пала-
4. federal judge судья федерального суда ту представителей (435 мест). Члены палаты представителей
5. to serve for life назначаться пожизненно избираются в соответствии с принципом пропорционально-
6. to nullify the law признавать закон недействительным го представительства, по которому число конгрессменов от
7. to create precedent создавать прецедент
каждого штата должно быть пропорционально численности
его населения. Членами палаты считаются также пять т.н.
8. to challenge the legality оспаривать законность
делегатов, которые представляют столичный округ Колум-
9. to rule (about the Court) выносить решение
бия и входящие в состав США территории, не имеющие
10. the remit of Congress сфера компетенции; мандат
статуса штатов — Пуэрто-Рико, Гуам, Восточное Самоа и
11. Courts of Appeal апелляционные суды
Виргинские острова. Делегаты участвуют в работе палаты с
12. District Courts окружные суды правом совещательного голоса.
Сенат считается органом, выражающим интересы отде-
льных штатов. От каждого штата избираются независимо от
численности населения и территории два сенатора. Обе пала-
ты избираются путем прямых выборов населением страны.
Выборы в конгресс проводятся каждые два года (в ноябре).
В их ходе переизбирается весь состав палаты представите-
лей и треть Сената. Срок полномочий конгресса установлен
в два года. В системе разделения властей в США конгресс
выполняет роль конституционного противовеса президент-
ской власти. В сфере его компетенции находятся важнейшие
вопросы государственного управления, в первую очередь
в финансово-бюджетной сфере. По конституции конгресс
имеет право объявлять войну и формировать вооруженные
169
силы. Однако президенту как главнокомандующему арми- висимости от численности их избирательных округов (они
ей и флотом принадлежит право вести войну или отражать контактируют с населением, доводят нужды населения до
внешнее нападение, поэтому использование вооруженных сведения конгресса). Размер этих сумм колеблется от 140
сил фактически превратилось в прерогативу президентской тыс. до 400 тыс. долл. Им выделяются деньги для содержа-
власти. ния личного штата — секретарей, референтов, по­мощников
К исключительной компетенции сената относится ут- (9–25 человек). Депутаты пользуются оплачиваемыми ко­
верждение назначений высших должностных лиц госаппа- мандировками, бесплатным медицинским обслуживанием,
рата, включая министров, их замов, членов Верховного суда им оплачиваются почтовые, телефонные, канцелярские рас-
США, послов и иных диппредставителей. Подписываемые ходы, пользование иными средствами коммуникаций. Конг-
президентом договоры подлежат одобрению Сенатом (боль- рессмены получают специальную пенсию, размер которой
шинством в 2/3 голосов), который может отвергнуть их или зависит от стажа пребывания в конгрессе (она может состав-
принять с поправками. лять более 100 тыс. долл. в год).
За палатой представителей закреплены преимущества в
обсуждении и внесении законопроектов по финансовым и
налоговым вопросам. Палате принадлежит также право из-
брания президента США, если ни один из кандидатов не
наберет в ходе выборов более половины голосов выборщи-
ков (это право было использовано лишь дважды — в 1801 и
1825 гг.)
В настоящее время в США работает конгресс 114 созыва,
избранный в ноябре 2014 г.

II.
Депутаты и сенаторы являются профессиональными пар-
ламентариями, имеют свободный мандат, не могут быть до-
срочно отозваны избирателями. Их депутатский иммунитет
ограничен: депутаты и сенаторы пользуются неприкосно-
венностью только во время сессии, на пути на сессию и об-
ратно, но за измену, тяжкие уголовные преступления и нару-
шение общественного порядка они могут быть арестованы
и в этот период. Депутаты пользуются индемнитетом, не
несут ответственности за речи и голосование в парламенте.
Они получают парламентское вознаграждение: члены ниж-
ней палаты — 120 тыс. долл. в год, сенаторы — 98,4  тыс.
Кроме того, им выплачиваются дополнительные суммы в за-
170
 CORE TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. legislative branch/
powers
(the US Congress)
UNIT XII. REVISION 2. judicial branch
(the Supreme Court)
3. executive branch
Test your knowledge of how the US Congress functions: (the US President)
1. What are the qualifications for candidates to the House 4. Congress
and the Senate? 5. Capitol
2. What is the size of the Senate (the House of Capitol Hill
Representatives)? 6. the House
3. Which of the Houses ratifies treaties? of Representatives
Representative
4. What are the functions of the Speaker? In what way do
Congressman
his functions differ from those of the President of the Senate?
5. What are the functions of the party whips? 7. the Senate
6. Is the President (the Vice President) of the US a member Senator
of Congress? 8. Majority Party
7. What committees are there in Congress? 9. Minority Party
8. What happens when both Houses pass different versions 10. Speaker
of the same Bill?
Speaker pro tempore
9. Does the President have any legislative powers? (pro tem)
10. What is “the State of the Union” message? Who delivers 11. President of the Senate
it? When? 12. party whip
11. How can Congress override the President’s veto? 13. party caucus
12. How many members does each state have in the Senate
14. standing committee
and in the House of Representatives?
15. select (or special)
13. Are visitors allowed to listen in on the proceedings of committee
Congress? 16. joint committee
14. Do the political parties offer legislative guidance to their 17. conference committee
individual Members in Congress? 18. constituency
15. Can the Vice President vote in the Senate? constituent
16. What types of veto are there?
172
законодательная власть (полномочия)
судебная власть
исполнительная власть
конгресс
Капитолий, здание конгресса США
Капитолийский холм
палата представителей
член палаты представителей
член конгресса США, в основном,
член палаты представителей
сенат
сенатор
партия большинства
партия меньшинства
спикер, председатель палаты
представителей
исполняющий обязанности спикера
председатель сената
партийный организатор
(закрытое) собрание партийной
фракции
постоянный комитет
специальный комитет
объединенный комитет
согласительный комитет
избирательный округ
избиратель (житель данного
избирательного округа)
173
 single-member district система одномандатных округов
system
19. a bill законопроект
the Bill of Rights Билль о правах
to initiate a bill вносить законопроект на рассмотрение
to reject a bill отвергать, отклонять законопроект
to amend a bill вносить поправки в законопроект UNIT XIII. SOME MORE FACTS ABOUT THE USA
to approve a bill одобрить законопроект
to pass a bill принять законопроект The origin of the American Flag
(законодательным органом) The Flag is only a few months older than the Declaration of
to enact laws принимать законы Independence. The flag was designed by a special committee
to expedite a bill ускорить принятие законопроекта headed by George Washington himself. The colors chosen were
to veto a bill накладывать вето (на законопроект) red for courage, white for liberty, and blue for loyalty.
to consider a bill рассматривать законопроект On June  14,   1777, a   year   after the   proclamation of   the
to refer a bill to ... передавать законопроект в ... Declaration of Independence, Congress adopted a resolution
to submit a bill to the представить законопроект на подпись
President for signature президенту
stating that the flag should contain 13 horizontal stripes (seven
to override преодолеть вето президента red and six white) to symbolize the thirteen independent States
the President’s veto and 13 white stars arranged in a circle to symbolize the unity and
pocket veto «карманное вето» (не подписание equality of these states. Although this design has been changed
президентом США законопроекта до many times, June 14 is celebrated by many Americans as Flag
роспуска конгресса) Day, a patriotic holiday.
20. to elect выбирать, избирать Today, the flag still contains 13 horizontal stripes in honor of
to elect by (secret) ballot избирать тайным голосованием the original thirteen states. But now there are 50 stars (one for
to elect by roll call голосовать по списку (поименное
голосование)
each state) arranged in nine rows (six stars in one row alternating
to elect by voice vote устное голосование (голосование with five in the next). Because of its design, the American Flag
путем опроса присутствующих) has been nicknamed the Stars and Stripes.
the Electoral College Коллегия выборщиков Who is Uncle Sam?
21. to vote голосовать Uncle Sam is a fictional character who stands for the
vote, n. право голоса, голос government or the people of the United States. The name derives
direct vote прямое голосование from the expansion of “USA”, the initials of the United States.
to have no vote не иметь права голоса Uncle Sam, like John Bull for the British, or Marianne for the
to cast one’s vote голосовать French, is the human embodiment of the US. Uncle Sam is over
to put a question to a vote ставить вопрос на голосование 160 years old. There are several stories of his birth. His spirit
22. the State of the Union послание президента о положении “goes marching on” in hundreds of different interpretations. He
message (to Congress) в стране
has become part of the American culture, especially as recreated
and reinterpreted by political cartoonists.
175

UNIT XIV. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING TEXTS INTO RUSSIAN
I. U.S. electoral system «worse than Haiti»
MIAMI, Nov. 14 — As a former official with the Atlanta-
based Carter Center, Robert A. Pastor has monitored plenty of
elections, mostly in developing countries where democracy
is taking its first steps. But Mr. Pastor said he had never seen
anything like what unfolded this week right here at home,
where both Democratic and Republican partisans in Florida
have used their elected positions to influence the counting of
presidential ballots.
In most developing countries, Mr. Pastor said, officials
quickly conclude that it is vital to separate the counting of votes
from any suspicion of partisanship, and they do so by placing a
respected jurist or nonpartisan commission over the process.
“The United States is at the most primitive level,” said
Mr. Pastor, now a political scientist at Emory University in
Atlanta. “I mean, it’s below Nicaragua and Haiti in the sense
that it doesn’t have a national election commission and that the
composition of the Federal Election Commission is made up
solely of members of the parties.”
Mr. Pastor said there were often questions in developing
countries about whether ostensibly independent election officials
were taking sides. “But I can’t think of a situation in a developing
country like this one, where the senior election officials have
come out and declared themselves as partisan,” he said.
If it is not quite a dirty little secret, it is at least a rarely
considered component of American politics: from local
canvassing boards, like those in Palm Beach County, to the
176
Federal Election Commission, people with a partisan stake can
play a significant role in determining winners and losers.
Most elections, of course, are not close enough to trigger
recounts or raise questions about defective ballots. And when
they are, it is hard to know for sure whether officials are acting
out of partisanship or an earnest understanding of the law.
But after close contests, charges of partisanship are often
hard to avoid, and perception can become reality. Those charges
can become magnified in situations like the Florida standoff
because a decentralized election system allows states, and even
counties, to follow their own laws and regulations.
That has been the case in Florida, where cries of partisanship
arose on Monday after Katherine Harris, the secretary of state
and the co-chairwoman of Gov. George Bush’s presidential
campaign in Florida, used her powers to help Mr.  Bush.
A longtime Republican loyalist, Ms. Harris declared that the
state’s presidential vote would be certified at 5 p.m. Tuesday,
potentially suspending the recounts that could throw the election
to Vice President Al Gore.
A state court decision handed down today heightened the
Democratic pressure on the Republican official, because
Ms. Harris now has the discretion to accept or reject hand-
tallied recounts from several counties later this week.
Florida’s attorney general, Robert  A.  Butterworth,
an ambitious Democrat and the chairman of Mr.  Gore’s
campaign in Florida, is battling Ms.  Harris. As soon as
Ms.  Harris instructed Palm Beach County officials today to
suspend their recount, Mr. Butterworth issued an advisory
opinion contrary to hers.
Partisanship has also been perceived in Sunday’s 2-to-1 vote
by the Palm Beach County canvassing board to conduct a full
manual recount. The board’s two Democrats voted in favor of a
recount while a third member — a judge appointed by Gov. Jeb
Bush of Florida, a Republican and George W. Bush’s brother  —
voted to oppose it.
177
 But one Democrat on that board joined the judge this
morning in voting to delay the recount, and a Democrat joined
a Republican in Monday’s 2-to-1 vote by the Broward County
canvassing board against a full manual recount.
In Florida, the canvassing boards, which manage recounts
and certify results, are composed of a county judge, the county
elections supervisor and the chairman of the county commission.
All are elected.
Those officials report results to the secretary of state, who
is also elected, as are the secretaries of state in about 40 states.
Those positions are often seen as steppingstones to higher
office. Paradoxically, Florida voters approved a constitutional
amendment two years ago that will make the job an appointed
post in 2002.
On the national level, the Federal Election Commission,
which monitors campaign fund-raising and spending, must
be divided between Democrats and Republicans, with the
president nominating appointees who are confirmed by the
Senate.
Several academic authorities and public officials interviewed
today said that the chaos in Florida suggested that election
officials, including secretaries of state, should be appointed
rather than elected.
“They probably should not be partisan jobs,” said Raymond E.
Wolfinger, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley.
But, Mr. Wolfinger added, Americans like the accountability
elections provide and may resist giving up control.
Several authorities proposed that a standing federal
commission be created to set uniform standards for voting
practices and to monitor results. Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat
of Indiana who was a secretary of state, recalled that Indiana
created a bipartisan commission to conduct recounts after a
tumultuous 1984 election in one Congressional district.
In that race, the Democratic candidate Frank McCloskey,
won the initial count by 72 votes only to lose his lead in a
178
recount certified by a Republican secretary of state. The House
of Representatives, with a Democratic majority, ultimately
overturned that result and sat Mr. McCloskey.
Two years later, Mr.Bayh said, the commission worked well
in overseeing recounts in both congressional and legislative
races. “You can structure a process that attempts to minimize
the amount of partisanship involved,” said Mr. Bayh, “but
ultimately you have to rely on the integrity and judgment of the
people involved. You just can’t get around it.”
Former Gov. Mario M. Cuomo of New York, a former
secretary of state, said he saw little need for reform because the
courts provide the ultimate recourse. “What would you trust
any more than the political system?” Mr. Cuomo asked. “As
long as you can get to a court, you don’t have a problem.”
But judges, of course, can also wield bias, as any judge-
shopping lawyer can attest. Over the last two days in Palm Beach
County, five judges recused themselves from hearing arguments
in a lawsuit involving the election because of potential conflicts
of interest.
November 2000
II. McConnell Tries to Shrug Off His Senate Job
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will be the most
vulnerable Republican incumbent in the November elections.
He’s also the leader of the Senate Republican caucus. The two
facts are not a coincidence.
Politicians who climb the leadership ladder in Congress
often find success is their greatest obstacle to re-election. This
fall, when Republicans stand a strong chance of taking back
the majority in the Senate, McConnell’s Washington ambitions
could end up keeping him from finally ascending to the coveted
position of Senate majority leader.
McConnell is being closely pressed in his home state of
Kentucky by his Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Alison
Lundergan Grimes. Right now, six months until the election, it
179
is anyone’s guess who will win. But McConnell’s high profile in
Washington sure doesn’t help.
Grimes, whose father, Jerry Lundergan, has been active
in Kentucky Democratic politics for decades, highlights
her opponent’s reputation as a Washington partisan. “I’ll be
representing the people of Kentucky, not a political party,”
she told The Huffington Post in February. “And I’m the kind
of person — unlike Mitch McConnell — who can deal with
everyone.”
McConnell is not the first to suffer from too close an
association with what goes on Capitol Hill. “We know that the
nature of leadership positions are oftentimes not really helpful to
your electoral career,” said Scott Lasley, a political scientist at
Western Kentucky University. “We saw that with Tom Daschle.
We saw it with Harry Reid last time.”
The problem is that leadership means being partisan, and
partisanship is unpopular. McConnell’s approval ratings are
low but potentially improving. In February, a Herald-Leader/
WKYT Bluegrass poll found 60 percent of voters disapproved
of McConnell while only 32 percent approved, putting his
approval rating lower than even President Barack Obama’s.
A survey from the left-leaning Public Policy Polling in early
April found the president had a 36 percent approval rating.
A New York Times/Kaiser Family Foundation poll this week
put his approval at 40 percent.
As Lasley notes, over the past few cycles senators who head
their party’s caucus have faced tough re-election campaigns.
April 2014
UNIT XV. TEXTS FOR AT SIGHT TRANSLATION
Translate the following texts at sight:
I. President Obama and the World
Two years after winning an election in which foreign policy
was barely mentioned, President Obama is being pummeled
at home and abroad for his international leadership. The world
sometimes seems as if it is flying apart, with Mr. Obama unable
to fix it.
It is paradoxical that, in key respects, Mr. Obama is precisely
the kind of foreign policy president most Americans and their
allies overseas wanted. He rejected the shoot-first tendencies of
George W. Bush, who pretended to have all the answers, bungled
two wars and asserted American exceptionalism that included
bullying allies. We know where that got us.
But Mr. Obama has long been fully responsible for his own
foreign policy. While he has made mistakes, and can be too
cautious, he has done a better job than his detractors allow,
starting with salvaging an economy that is at the core of American
power. He has produced the first possibility of a deal on Iran’s
nuclear weapons. Even though shrinking budgets and a public
that is tired of war have undoubtedly put a check on his ambitions,
talk of America shrinking from the world is overblown.
to pummel — strongly criticize
to bungle — to do something wrong in a careless or stupid
manner
detractor — someone who criticizes something or someone,
often unfairly
181
 to shrink from — to avoid doing something that is unpleasant
or difficult
II. Republicans Criticize Rules to Aid Syrians Seeking
Asylum
Republican lawmakers are assailing new exemptions from
antiterrorism laws the Obama administration issued this week
for war zone refugees seeking to come to the United States,
saying the rules are examples of unilateral action by President
Obama that weaken immigration security.
The administration, under pressure to respond to the crisis
of more than 2.3 million Syrians who have fled the civil war
in their country, published two rules on Wednesday that will
exempt refugees from provisions banning terrorists. The
exemptions apply if the refugees provided only minor material
support, such as meals or medical aid, to armed groups that
have not been officially designated as terrorist organizations,
or if they gave such support under pressure.
The Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee,
Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia, said the administration was
“yet again abusing the powers granted to it” by Congress.
On Thursday, Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio cast serious
doubt on any prospects the House would act to overhaul
immigration this year, saying many members of his caucus
did not trust Mr. Obama to carry out enforcement measures
they would enact.
to assail — to attack
exemption — exception
UNIT XVI. TEXT FOR TWO-WAY TRANSLATION
Act as an interpreter:
●● Я знаю, что вы хорошо знакомы с деятельностью феде-
рального правительства США. Не могли бы вы помочь мне
разобраться в некоторых вопросах?
●● Please, feel free to ask whatever questions you are not
clear about.
●● Кого у вас в стране называют «конгрессменом»? Я
пришел к выводу, читая прессу США, что не каждого члена
конгресса называют «конгрессменом».
●● Your observation is quite astute in a way. Actually a
Congressman is a Member of either the Senate or the House
of Representatives. However, a Member of the Senate is
usually referred to as a Senator and a Member of the House as
a Congressman. The official title of a Member of the House is
“Representative in Congress”.
●● Я слышал, как, характеризуя некоторых сенаторов, их
называют “старейшинами”. Это относится к их возрасту?
●● Oh no, it doesn’t. The word “senior” or “junior” as applied
to Senators refers to their service, and not to their ages. A “senior
Senator” may be much younger in years than a “junior Senator”.
A Senator must have served continuously to be entitled to the
senior rank, which also carries a little more prestige with the
Senate body and the administration.
●● Cкажите, пожалуйста, а как вносятся поправки в Кон-
ституцию?
●● Amendments may be proposed on the initiative of Congress
(by a two-thirds vote in each House) or by convention (on
183
application of two-thirds of the State legislature). Ratification
may, at the discretion of Congress, be either by legislatures or by
conventions in three fourths of the States.
●● Сколько было поправок к Конституции и когда была
принята последняя?
●● There are 27 amendments at present. One of the most recent
amendments, the 26th, was ratified on July 1, 1971. It is the only
one to have been ratified by State conventions. It lowered the
voting age to 18 for federal, state and local elections.
●● А что произошло с поправкой, предоставляющей жен-
щинам равные права с мужчинами?
●● To my deep personal regret, this ERA — equal rights
amendment - failed to get ratification from the required 38 state
legislatures. Though it did get pretty close to that mark!
But I know that its supporters are still committed to it and are
getting ready to start their fight all over again.
●● Слово “лоббисты” часто употребляется в нашей прессе
при описании закулисных махинаций в законодательных ор-
ганах США. Ну, а в чём конкретно заключается их деятель-
ность?
●● In the broadest sense, lobbying is any activity which has as
its ultimate aim to influence the decisions of Congress, state and
local legislatures, or executive agencies. The term arose from the
use of lobbies, or corridors, in legislative halls as places to meet
with and persuade legislators to vote a certain way. Lobbying
in general is not an evil; many lobbies provide legislatures with
reliable information of considerable value. But some lobbies
have given the practice an undesirable connotation.
PART III. Государственное устройство
Российской Федерации
UNIT I. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING TEXTS INTO ENGLISH:
I. Российская Федерация (РФ) — Россия есть демо­
кратическое федеративное правовое государство с респуб-
ликанской формой правления. Она состоит из республик,
краев, областей, городов федерального значения, автоном-
ной области, автономных округов — равноправных субъек-
тов Российской Федерации.
В России признается идеологическое и политическое
многообразие, многопартийность. Никакая идеология не
может устанавливаться в качестве государственной или обя-
зательной.
Российская Федерация — светское государство. Никакая
религия не может устанавливаться в качестве государствен-
ной или обязательной. Религиозные объединения отделены
от государства и равны перед законом.
Государственным языком Российской Федерации на всей
ее территории является русский язык. Республики вправе
устанавливать свои государственные языки.
Основным законом России является ее Конституция. Она
имеет высшую юридическую силу, прямое действие и при-
меняется на всей территории государства. Законы и иные
правовые акты, принимаемые в Российской Федерации, не
должны противоречить ее Конституции.
Субъекты РФ имеют свою конституцию или устав, а так-
же законодательство. Вне пределов ведения Российской
Федерации и ее полномочий по предметам совместного ве-
185
дения России и ее субъектов, субъекты РФ обладают всей
полнотой государственной власти.
Государственная власть в Российской Федерации осу-
ществляется на основе разделения на законодательную, ис-
полнительную и судебную. Органы законодательной, испол-
нительной и судебной власти самостоятельны.
Главой государства является Президент Российской Фе-
дерации, который обеспечивает согласованное функциони-
рование и взаимодействие всех органов государственной
власти. Высшим законодательным органом страны является
Федеральное Собрание Российской Федерации.
Исполнительную власть осуществляет Правительство
Российской Федерации.
Судебную власть в Российской Федерации осуществляют
суды.
II. Федеральное Собрание — парламент Российской Фе-
дерации — является представительным и законодательным
органом Российской Федерации. Федеральное Собрание со-
стоит из двух палат — Совета Федерации и Государствен-
ной думы.
К ведению Совета Федерации относятся:
●● утверждение изменения границ между субъектами
Российской Федерации;
●● утверждение указа Президента Российской Федерации
о введении военного положения;
●● утверждение указа Президента Российской Федерации
о введении чрезвычайного положения;
●● решение вопроса о возможности использования Воо-
руженных Сил Российской Федерации за пределами терри-
тории Российской Федерации;
●● назначение выборов Президента Российской Федера-
ции;
186
●● отрешение Президента Российской Федерации от
должности;
●● назначение на должности судей Конституционного
суда Российской Федерации, Верховного суда Российской
Федерации, Высшего арбитражного суда Российской Феде-
рации;
●● назначение на должности и освобождение от должно­
сти генерального прокурора Российской Федерации;
●● назначение на должности и освобождение от должно­
сти заместителя Председателя Счетной палаты и половины
состава ее аудиторов.
Из статьи 102 Конституции Российской Федерации
К ведению Государственной Думы относятся:
■■ дача согласия Президенту Российской Федерации на
назначение Председателя Правительства Российской Феде-
рации;
■■ решение вопроса о доверии Правительству Россий­ской
Федерации;
■■ назначение на должность и освобождение от должно­
сти Председателя Центрального банка Российской Федера-
ции;
■■ назначение на должность и освобождение от должно­
сти Председателя Счетной палаты и половины состава ее
аудиторов;
■■ назначение на должность и освобождение от должно­
сти Уполномоченного по правам человека, действующего в
соответствии с федеральным конституционным законом;
■■ объявление амнистии;
■■ выдвижение обвинений против Президента Россий­
ской Федерации для отрешения его от должности.

UNIT II. RENDER THE FOLLOWING TEXT IN ENGLISH
Из истории Государственной Думы в России
В отличие от многих европейских стран, где парла-
ментские традиции складывались веками, в России первое
представительное учреждение парламентского типа (в но-
вейшем понимании этого термина) было созвано лишь в
1906  году. Оно получило название Государственная Дума.
Дважды ее разгоняло правительство, но она просущество-
вала около 12  лет, вплоть до падения самодержавия, имея
четыре созыва (первая, вторая, третья, четвертая Государ­
ственные Думы).
Во всех четырех думах (в разном, конечно, соотноше-
нии) преобладающее положение среди депутатов занимали
представители поместного дворянства, торгово-промыш-
ленная буржуазии, городской интеллигенции и крестьянс-
тва. Они принесли в это учреждение свои представления о
путях развития России и навыки общественных дискуссий.
Особенно показательным было то, что в Думе интеллиген-
ция использовала навыки, приобретенные в университет-
ских аудиториях и судебных прениях, а крестьяне несли с
собой в Думу многие демократические традиции общинно-
го самоуправления. В целом работа Государственной Думы
являлась в России начала XX века важным фактором поли-
тического развития, оказывающим воздействие на многие
сферы общественной жизни.
Первая Дума просуществовала с апреля по июль 1906
года. Состоялась всего одна сессия. В Думу входили пред-
ставители разных политических партий.
188
Вторая Дума просуществовала с февраля по июнь
1907  года. Также состоялась одна сессия. По составу депу-
татов она была значительно левее первой, хотя по замыслу
царской администрации должна была быть более правой.
Характерно, что большинство заседаний первой и вто-
рой Думы было посвящено процедурным проблемам. Это
стало формой борьбы с правительством в ходе обсуждения
тех или иных законопроектов, которые, по мнению прави-
тельства, Дума не имела права ставить и обсуждать. Прави-
тельство, подчиненное только царю, не желало считаться с
Думой, а Дума, рассматривавшая себя в качестве народной
избранницы, не хотела подчиняться такому положению ве-
щей и стремилась тем или иным способом добиться своих
целей. В конечном счете подобные конфликты стали одной
из причин того, что 3 июня 1907 года вторая Дума была
распущена.
В результате введения нового избирательного закона была
создана третья Дума. В ней резко сократилось количество
оппозиционно настроенных депутатов, зато увеличилось
число верноподданных избранников, в том числе крайне
правых экстремистов типа В.М. Пуришкевича, заявившего с
думской трибуны: «Правее меня — только стена!».
Третья Дума, единственная из четырех, проработала
весь положенный по закону о выборах в Думу пятилетний
срок — с ноября 1907 года по июнь 1912 года. Состоялось
пять сессий. Эта Дума была значительно реакционнее двух
предыдущих.
Несмотря на свое долгожительство, третья Дума с пер-
вых же месяцев образования не выходила из кризисов. Ост-
рые конфликты возникали по разным поводам: по вопросам
реформирования армии, по извечно не решенному в России
крестьянскому вопросу, по вопросу об отношении к нацио-
нальным окраинам, а также из-за личных амбиций, разди-
равших депутатский корпус и в те времена. Но и в этих край-
не трудных условиях оппозиционно настроенные депутаты
189
находили способы высказывать свое мнение. С этой целью
депутаты широко использовали систему запросов. На всякое
чрезвычайное происшествие депутаты, собрав определенное
количество подписей, могли подать интерпелляцию, то есть
требование к правительству отчитаться о своих действиях,
на что должен был дать ответ тот или иной министр.
Интересный опыт был накоплен в Думе при обсуждении
различных законопроектов. Всего в Думе действовало около
30 комиссий. Большие комиссии, например бюджетная, со-
стояли из нескольких десятков человек.
После второго чтения председатель и секретарь Думы де-
лали свод всех принятых по законопроекту постановлений.
В это же время, но не позднее определенного срока, разре-
шалось предлагать новые поправки. Третье чтение являлось,
по существу, вторым постатейным чтением. Смысл его со-
стоял в нейтрализации тех поправок, которые могли пройти
во втором чтении при помощи случайного большинства и не
устраивали влиятельные фракции. По завершении третьего
чтения председательствующий ставил на голосование зако-
нопроект в целом с принятыми поправками.
Четвертая, последняя в истории самодержавной России,
Дума возникла в предкризисный для страны и всего мира
период — канун мировой войны. С ноября 1912 по октябрь
1917  года состоялось пять сессий. По составу четвертая
Дума мало отличалась от третьей, разве что в рядах депута-
тов значительно прибавилось священнослужителей.
Председателем четвертой Думы весь период ее работы
был крупный екатеринославский землевладелец, человек,
обладавший масштабным государственным умом, октябрист
М.В.  Родзянко.
Обстановка не позволила четвертой Думе сосредоточить-
ся на крупномасштабной работе. Ее постоянно лихорадило. К
тому же с началом в августе 1914 года мировой войны, после
крупных провалов русской армии на фронте дума вступила в
острейший конфликт с исполнительной властью.
190
Чему учит опыт деятельности Государственной Думы?
Анализ свидетельствует: до сих пор весьма актуальны по
крайней мере два урока ее существования.
Урок первый. Парламентаризм в России был «нежелан-
ным ребенком» для правящих кругов. Его становление и
развитие происходило в острой борьбе с авторитаризмом,
самодержавием, самодурством чиновничества и исполни-
тельной власти.
Урок второй. В ходе становления российского парла-
ментаризма был накоплен ценный опыт работы и борьбы
с авторитарными тенденциями в деятельности властей,
который не по-хозяйски забывать и сегодня.
Несмотря на ограниченность прав, Дума утверждала
государственный бюджет, существенно влияя на весь ме-
ханизм самодержавной власти дома Романовых. Она уде-
ляла огромное внимание сирым и обездоленным, занима-
лась разработкой мер социальной защиты малоимущих,
других слоев населения. Ею, в частности, разработано и
принято одно из самых передовых в Европе фабрично-за-
водское законодательство.
После Февральской революции 1917  г. в стране стала
быстро расти сеть советов рабочих, солдатских, крестьян­
ских депутатов. В мае 1917   г. состоялся I   съезд крестьян-
ских советов, а в июне — рабочих и солдатских. II съезд
советов рабочих и солдатских депутатов, открывшийся 25
октября, провозгласил переход всей власти к советам (в
декабре крестьянские советы присоединились к рабочим
и солдатским). Избранный съездом ВЦИК (Всероссийс-
кий Центральный исполнительный комитет) оказался но-
сителем законодательных функций.
5 декабря 1936 г. VIII Всесоюзный съезд советов при-
нял новую Конституцию СССР. Она вводила всеобщие,
прямые и равные выборы при тайном голосовании. На
смену съездам советов и ЦИКу пришел Верховный Совет
СССР. Он также собирался на сессии два раза в год, рас-
191
сматривал законопроекты и утверждал указы своего Пре-
зидиума.
В последующие годы полномочия и статус высшего ор-
гана законодательной власти в Российской Федерации не-
однократно пересматривались и уточнялись. Заметными
вехами на этом пути стали: законы об изменениях и до-
полнениях Конституции РСФСР от 27 октября 1989  г., от
Учебное издание
31  мая, 16  июня и 15 декабря 1990 г., от 24 мая и 1 ноября
1991 г., закон Российской Федерации от 21 апреля 1992  г.
Большинство этих изменений и дополнений были связаны
с начавшимися в стране глубокими социально-экономи- Серия «Иностранные языки в МГИМО»
ческими и политическими преобразованиями и роли в них
представительных институтов.
Самым принципиальным изменением в системе госу- Трибунская Валентина Николаевна
дарственной власти этого периода стало введение в 1991  г.
поста Президента РСФСР и соответствующее перерасп- учебное пособие
ределение властных функций между различными ветвями по переводу текстов
власти. Хотя Съезд народных депутатов как высший орган
общественно-политического
государственной власти и Верховный Совет, состоящий
из двух палат   — Совета Республики и Совета Националь- содержания
ностей, как его постоянно действующий законодательный,
распорядительный и контрольный орган сохраняли широ-
кие полномочия в области законодательной деятельности,
определения внутренней и внешней политики, принятия
Согласно Федеральному закону РФ от 29.12.2010 г. № 436-ФЗ
решений по вопросам государственного устройства и т.д., данная продукция не подлежит маркировке
многие их прежние права, включая подписание и обнаро-
дование законодательных актов, формирование правитель- Редактор Т.Ф. Тищенко
Компьютерная верстка В.С. Поляничева
ства и назначение его Председателя, контроль за их де- Оформление М.М. Петухова
ятельностью, отошли к Президенту РСФСР как высшему Подписано в печать 29.01.2015. Формат 60×841/16
должностному лицу и главе исполнительной власти в Рос- Усл. печ. л. 11,22. Тираж экз. Заказ
сийской Федерации. Издательство «МГИМО-Университет»
119454, Москва, пр. Вернадского, 76
Отпечатано в отделе оперативной полиграфии
и множительной техники МГИМО(У) МИД России
119454, Москва, пр. Вернадского, 76