Capital punishment and its abolition

The operation of the system of capital murder created great dissatisfaction, as it led to some executions that the public viewed as unjustified, while other types of murderers escaped the death penalty. In particu­lar, deliberate poisoners were not subject to the death penalty, but the emotional murderer who had happened to seize a gun was liable to execution. In 1965 the Murder Act abolished the death penalty for all murders and replaced it with a life sentence in all cases. The judge was given the power to recommend that the offender sentenced to life imprisonment should not be re­leased before he had served a certain minimum period. The abo­lition of capital punishment in England in November 1965 was welcomed by most people with humane and progressive ideas. To them the abolition of death penalty seemed a departure from feudalism, from the cruel pre-Christian spirit of revenge: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Today public opinion in Brit­ain has changed. People who before stated that capital punish­ment was not a deterrent to murder - for there have always been murders in all countries with or without the law of execution -now feel that killing the assassin is the lesser of two evils. Capi­tal punishment, they think, may not be the ideal answer, but it is better than nothing, especially when, as in England, a life sen­tence only lasts eight or nine years.

Упр. 3. Согласитесь или не согласитесь со следующими высказываниями:

I) The operation of the system of capital murder created great satisfaction. 2) The operation of the system of capital murder led to some executions that the public viewed as well-thought-out. 3) No types of murderers escaped the death penalty. 4) Deliberate poisoners were subject to the death penalty. 5) The emotional murderer was not liable to execution. 6) Capital punishment was abolished for felony crimes. 7) Life sentence was replaced with a death penalty in all cases. 8) The offender sentenced to life imprisonment should be released be­ fore he had served a certain period. 9) Murderers and rapists welcomed the abolition of capital punishment. 10) The abolition of death penalty seemed to people a great catastrophe. 11) People stated that capital punishment was a deterrent to murder.

 

Упр. 4. Переведите следующие слова и выражения с русского языка на английский:

Отмена смертной казни; утверждать; дохристианский; рас­ставание; изменяться; мщение; высшая мера наказания; ка­заться; тяжкое убийство, караемое смертной казнью; обще­ственное мнение; умышленный; средство устрашения; фео­дализм; приветствовать; гуманный; жестокий; око за око и зуб за зуб; убийца; длиться; пожизненное тюремное заклю­чение; недовольство; приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни; рассматривать; необоснованный; избежать смертной казни; умышленный отравитель; преступление под влиянием аффекта; схватить огнестрельное оружие; отменять смертную казнь; заменять; освобождать; отбывать наказание; обоснованный.

 

Упр. 5. Закончите следующие предложения:

1) The operation of the system of capital murder created... 2) The operation of the system of capital murder led to... 3)Some types of murderers escaped... 4) Deliberate poisoners were not subject to... 5) The emotional murderer was liable to... 6) Capital punishment was abolished for... 7) Death penalty was replaced with... 8) The offender sentenced to life imprisonment should not be... 9) Most people with humane and pro­gressive ideas welcomed... 10) The abolition of death penalty seemed to people a departure from... 11) People stated that... 12) People feel that... 13) Capital punishment is better than...

 

TEXT III

Упр. 1. Прочитайте следующие слова:

Cessation [se'sei∫ ə n] - прекращение; constitutional issue - вопрос, имеющий конституционное значение; enact - предписывать в законодательном порядке, постановлять; discrimination - неодинаковое отношение; enact legislation [i'nжkt led ʒ is'lei∫ ə n] - принимать законы; discretion [dis'kre∫ ə n] - усмотрение; provide for - предусматривать; mitigation [miti'gei∫ ə n] - смягчение; aggravation [жgrə 'vei∫ ə n] - усиление; exercise ['eksə saiz] of discretion - осуществле­ние усмотрения; arbitrary ['a: bitrə ri] - произвольный; framework - правовые рамки.

Упр. 2. Прочитайте и переведите текст:

Capital punishment and its constitutionality

In the United States, where the existence of the death penalty is primarily a matter of state law, capital punishment was permitted by many states for murder and in some states for offenses such as rape and kidnapping. Executions were common; between 150 and 200 persons were executed each year in the decade before World War II. In the postwar years the number of executions declined to about 50 each year by the late 1950s. During the 1960s doubts grew as to whether the application of the death penalty was constitutional. These doubts led to a complete ces­sation of executions for a decade, until the Supreme Court of the United States settled the constitutional issues in 1972. The Supreme Court enacted that the death penalty itself did not vio­late the Constitution but that the manner of its application in many states did. Some states enacted legislation that if there was no discretion in the application of the death penalty, there could be no question of discrimination in its application. [Dis­cretion is the ability and right to decide exactly what should be done in a particular situation. Discrimination is the practice of treating one particular group in society in an unfair way.] Other states enacted legislation that provided for the death penalty to be imposed only after a special hearing, at which matters of mitigation and aggravation were to be considered, so that the discretion would be exercised in a systematic rather than an ar­bitrary manner. The constitutionality of these new laws was considered by the Supreme Court in 1976, which decided that laws making the application of the death penalty automatic were unconstitutional but that those providing a framework for the exercise of discretion were constitutional.

 

Упр. 3. Согласитесь или не согласитесь со следующими высказываниями:

1) The existence of the death penalty is primarily a matter of the Supreme Court in the United States. 2) Capital punishment was permitted by many states for theft. 3) Capital punishment was permitted in some states for hooliganism. 4) Executions were uncommon in the United States. 5) The Supreme Court decided that laws making the application of the death penalty automatic were constitutional. 6) The Supreme Court decided that laws providing a framework for the exercise of discretion were urn constitutional.

 

Упр. 4. Переведите следующие слова и выражения с русского языка на английский:

Существование смертной казни; правонарушение; изнаси­лование; похищение человека с целью выкупа; приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни, казнить; сомне­ния; применение смертной казни; конституционный; не­конституционный; полное прекращение; вопрос, имеющий конституционное значение; предписывать в законодатель­ном порядке; неодинаковое отношение; принимать законы; усмотрение; предусматривать; смягчение; усиление; осу­ществление усмотрения; произвольный; правовые рамки; закон штата; разрешать; тяжкое убийство.

 

Упр. 5. Закончите следующие предложения:

1) The existence of the death penalty in the United States is... 2) Capital punishment was permitted by... for... 3) Executions were... in the United States. 4) Doubts grew as to whether... 5) The Supreme Court of the US settled... 6) The Supreme Court enacted... 7) Some states of the US enacted legislation that... 8) Other states of the US enacted legislation that... 9) Special hearing considered some matters of... 10) The Su­ preme Court decided that laws making... 11) The Supreme Court decided that laws providing...

 

 

Вопросы для самоконтроля

1. Какие формы инфинитива передают действие, происходящее одновременно с действием, выраженным сказуемым? Приведите примеры.

2. Какие формы инфинитива передают действие, предшествующее действию, выраженному сказуемым? Приведите примеры.

3. В чем разница между активным и пассивным инфинитивом? Приведите примеры.

4. После каких слов частица to не употребляется перед инфинитивом?

5. Как образуется Participle I и какие функции выполняет и как переводится на русский язык (в функции определения и обстоятельства)? Приведите примеры.

6. Как образуется Participle II и как переводится на русский язык? Приведите примеры.

7. Какие свойства, общие с существительным, имеет герундий?

8. Какая разница между простой и перфектной формами гернудия?

9. Назовите словосочетания, после которых англичане предпочитают употреблять герундий.

 

Задание на IV семестр

1. Знать ответы на все вопросы для самоконтроля.

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