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考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯

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參加考研英語的考試,試卷上自然會有閱讀理解,至於它是關於法律的還是經濟的就不得而知了。下面是本站小編給大家整理的考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯,供大家參閱!

考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯
  考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯:A QUESTION OF PRIVACY

Behind the brewing war over protecting patients' records in an age of HMOs and online medicine.

Technology is a two-edged sword. Rarely is this as clear as it is in the r

ealm of health care. Technology allows doctors to test their patients for genetic defects--and then to turn around and spread the results throughout the world via the Internet. For someone in need of treatment, that's good news. But for someone in search of a job or an insurance policy, the tidings can be all bad.

Last week President Bill Clinton proposed a corollary to the patients' bill of rights now before Congress: a right to Medical privacy. Beginning in 2002, under rules set to become law in February, patients would be able to stipulate the conditions under which their personal medical data could be divulged. They would be able to examine their records and make corrections. They could learn who else had seen the information. Improper use of records by a caregiver or insurer could result in both civil and criminal penalties. The plan was, said Clinton, "an unprecedented step toward putting Americans back in control of their own medical records."

While the administration billed the rules as an attempt to strike a balance between the needs of consumers and those of the health-care industry, neither doctors nor insurance companies were happy. The doctors said the rules could actually erode privacy, pointing to a provision allowing managed-care plans to use personal information without consent if the purpose was "health-care operations." That, physicians said, was a loophole through which HMOs and other insurers could pry into the doctor-patient relationship, in the name of assessing the quality of care. Meanwhile, the insurers protested that the rules would make them vulnerable to lawsuits. They were especially disturbed by a provision holding them liable for privacy breaches by "business partners" such as lawyers and accountants. Both groups agreed that privacy protections would drive up the cost of health care by at least an additional $3.8 billion, and maybe much more, over the next five years. They also complained about the increased level of federal scrutiny required by the new rules' enforcement provisions.

One aim of the rules is to reassure patients about confidentiality, thereby encouraging them to be open with their doctors. Today various cancers and sexually transmitted diseases can go untreated because patients are afraid of embarrassment or of losing insurance coverage. The fear is real: Clinton aides noted that a January poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates found that one in six U.S. adults had at some time done something unusual to conceal medical information, such as paying cash for services.

~~~~~~~~

By EVAN THOMAS Newsweek; 11/08/99, Vol. 134 Issue 19, p67, 1/2p, 1c

注(1):本文選自By EVAN THOMAS Newsweek; 11/08/99, Vol. 134 Issue 19, p67, 1/2p, 1c

注(2):本文習題命題模仿對象2003年真題text 2

author begins his article with “technology is a two-edged sword” to _____________.

[A] show that doctor’s improper use of technology can end up in bad results

[B] call on people’s attention to the potential danger technology can bring to us

[C] warn of the harm patients are prone to suffer

[D] show the advantages and disadvantages of technology

rding to the proposal made by President Clinton, patients will be able to do the following EXCEPT _____________.

[A] enjoy more rights to their medical records

[B] be open with their doctors

[C] decide how to use their medical information

[D] sue their insurers for improper use of their medical records

ors tend to think that the rules _____________.

[A] may ruin doctor-patient relationship

[B] can do more harm than good

[C] will prevent doctors from doing medical research

[D] will end up in more health care cost and poorer medical service

example of the January poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates is used to show that __________________.

[A] American patients’ concealment of their medical information has become a big concern

[B] a large portion of patients would rather leave their diseases untreated

[C] concealing medical information is widespread in the U.S.

[D] paying cash for medical service is a common practice among American patients

the article we can learn that ________________.

[A] American government will tighten its control over the use of patients’ personal information.

[B] doctors and insurers are both against the rules for the same reasons

[C] patients are entitled to have complete control of their medical information

[D] the new rules put insurers in a very disadvantageous position

答案:ABBAD

篇章剖析

本文主要講述了病人醫療隱私權立法及其引發的爭議,採用的是指出問題---分析問題的模式。作者首先說明了病人醫療隱私泄露可能帶來的問題,接着談了提議中的病人醫療隱私權法案的內容。在第三段作者說明了反對該法案一方的觀點。最後一段則強調了新法規的宗旨和不立法可能造成的不良後果。

詞彙註釋

brewing [ `brU:IN ] adj. 醞釀中的;逐漸形成的;即將發生的

HMO: Health Maintenance Organization 醫療保健機構

tidings [5taIdINz] n. 消息

corollary [kE5rRlErI]n. 必然的結果;推論

stipulate [5stIpjJleIt] v. 規定,保證

divulge [daI5vQldV]v. 泄露, 暴露

bill [bIl]v. 宣佈,宣告

managed-care plan: n. 管理式醫療保健計劃

loophole [5lu:phEJl]n. 漏洞

pry [praI]v. 探查,偵查,窺探

provision [prE5vIV(E)n]n. 規定

liable [5laIEb(E)l]adj. 有責任的

breach [bri:tF]n. 違背;不履行

難句突破

doctors said the rules could actually erode privacy, pointing to a provision allowing managed-care plans to use personal information without consent if the purpose was "health-care operations."

主體句式:The doctors said …

結構分析:本句中pointing to 這個作伴隨狀語的分詞短語又包含了一個介詞without引出的方式狀語和由if引導的條件狀語從句,使得句子的結構變得較爲複雜。

句子譯文:醫生認爲這些法規實際上是在破壞隱私權,因爲其中一條規定允許管理式醫療保健計劃(managed-care plan)在“開展醫療保健工作”時可以不經許可使用個人信息。

題目分析

1.答案爲A,屬推理判斷題。文章以醫生利用先進的互聯網技術傳播病人醫療信息會有助於治療某些病人的疾病,但同時又給一些病人在就業和購買保險方面帶來困難爲例說明保護病人醫療信息的重要性,以及不當使用技術可能帶來的不良後果。

2.答案爲B,屬事實細節題。”be open with their doctors ”只是這項法規試圖達到的效果,並不是該法規賦予病人的權利。因此答案應該是B。

3.答案爲B,屬事實細節題。文章引用醫生的觀點認爲新法規不但不利於保護病人的隱私,反而會actually erode privacy,由此可見答案應該是B。

4.答案爲A,屬推理判斷題。前文講到了病人因爲羞於啓齒或者擔心失去保險賠付而隱瞞病情,使疾病得不到治療;然後說The fear is real. 繼而引用普利斯頓調查研究協會的調查結果,意在說明這一問題的嚴重性。

5.答案爲D,屬事實細節題。文章中提到保險公司的反對意見時,引用了保險公司的說法:the rules would make them vulnerable to lawsuits.由此可見答案應該是D。A項中提出的政府加強對病人私人信息的控制的說法是不正確的,因爲保險公司抗議的是政府要加強對法規實施情況的審查(the increased level of federal scrutiny required by the new rules' enforcement provisions)。

參考譯文:

一個隱私問題

在醫療保健機構和在線醫療時代,即將發起的一場保護病人病歷的戰爭背後的故事

技術是一把雙刃劍。這一點在醫療保健領域尤爲明顯。藉助技術,醫生可以測試病人的遺傳缺陷---並通過互聯網很快將結果傳遍全世界。對於那些需要治療的人來說,這是好消息;但對於那些正在找工作,或者想要買一份保險的人來說,這樣的消息可能非常糟糕。

上週比爾·克林頓總統向國會提交了一份病人權利法案的推論:醫療隱私權。從2002年開始,根據2月即將生效的法規,病人將有權規定透露其個人醫療資料的條件。他們可以檢查自己的病歷並進行更正。他們也可以瞭解哪些人曾看過他們的信息。醫護人員或者保險公司對病歷使用不當將會導致民事或者刑事處罰。克林頓說,這一提案“在促使美國人重新獲得對自己的病歷控制權方面邁出了極其重要的一步。”

雖然政府稱這些法規旨在平衡消費者和醫療保健行業的需求,但醫生和保險公司對此都頗有微詞。醫生認爲這些法規實際上是在破壞隱私權,因爲其中一條規定允許管理式醫療保健計劃(managed-care plan)在“開展醫療保健工作”時可以不經許可使用個人信息。醫生們稱其爲一個漏洞,它使得醫療保健機構(HMO)和其他保險公司可以打着評估醫療保健質量的旗號窺探醫患關係。同時,保險公司也對這些法規持反對意見,他們認爲這些法規很容易讓他們惹上官司。其中一條法規令他們尤爲不滿,該法規規定:保險公司對律師和會計這樣的“商業夥伴”的侵犯隱私行爲負責。這兩個羣體都一致認爲,保護隱私會使醫療保健成本增加至少38億美元,在接下來的五年裏也許還會增加更多。根據新法規的執行條例,聯邦政府將加大對醫療保健行業的審查力度,他們對此也表示不滿。

新法規的目標之一就是要讓病人不再擔心自己的隱私被泄漏,從而鼓勵他們對醫生坦誠相告。今天各種各樣的癌症和性病可能會因爲病人羞於啓齒或者擔心失去保險賠付而得不到治療。這種擔心並非無中生有:克林頓的助手補充說,由普林斯頓調查研究協會在一月份進行的一項民意測試顯示,在美國,每六個成年人中就有一個曾經做過刻意隱瞞醫療信息的事情,比如用現金支付服務費。

  考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯:WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE

States offer to pick up the tab for unpaid leave

When Gina Garro and Brian Duplisea adopted 4-month-old Andres from Colombia last month, they were determined to take time off from work to care for him. S

ix years ago, after their daughter, Melina, was born, the family scraped by on Duplisea's $36,000 salary as a construction worker so Garro, a special-education teacher, could stay home. Now, since Garro's job furnishes the family health insurance, she'll head back to work this fall while Duplisea juggles diapers and baby bottles. His boss agreed to the time off--but he will have to forgo his $18-an-hour pay. It won't be easy. Though Garro's $40,000 salary will cover their mortgage, the couple will have to freeze their retirement accounts, scale back on Melina's after-school activities--and pray that nothing goes wrong with the car. "It takes away from your cushion and your security," says Garro. "Things will be tight."

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives. But while the law guarantees that workers won't lose their jobs, it doesn't cover their paychecks. One survey last year showed that while 24 million Americans had taken leaves since 1999, 2.7 million more wanted to, but couldn't afford it. That may change soon. In response to increasing demands from voters, at least 25 states are now exploring new ways to offer paid leave. One possibility: tapping state disability funds. A handful of states--New York, New Jersey, California, Rhode Island and Hawaii--already dip into disability money to offer partial pay for women on maternity leave. But that doesn't help dads or people caring for elderly parents. New Jersey and New York may soon expand disability programs to cover leave for fathers and other caretakers. Thirteen states, including Arizona, Illinois and Florida, have proposed using unemployment funds to pay for leave.

Massachusetts has been especially creative. When the state's acting governor, Jane Swift, gave birth to twin daughters in May, she drew attention to the issue with her own "working maternity leave": she telecommuted part-time but earned her usual full-time salary. Even before Swift returned to work last week, the state Senate unanimously passed a pilot plan that would use surplus funds from a health-insurance program for the unemployed to give new parents 12 weeks off at half pay. Another plan, proposed in the House, would require employers to kick in $20 per worker to set up a "New Families Trust Fund." Businesses would get tax credits in return. This week Swift is expected to announce her own paid-leave plan for lower-income mothers and fathers. Polls show widespread public support--another reason Swift and other politicians across the country have embraced the issue.

Still, not everyone's wild about the idea. People without children question why new parents--the first group to get paid leave under many of the proposed plans--should get more government perks than they do. Business groups are resistant to proposals that would raid unemployment funds; several have already filed suit to block them. As the economy slows, many companies say they can't afford to contribute to proposed new benefit funds either. Business lobbyists say too many employees already abuse existing federal family-leave laws by taking time off for dubious reasons or in tiny time increments. The proposed laws, they say, would only make matters worse.

For Garro and Duplisea, though, the new laws could make all the difference. As Melina fixes a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, Duplisea hugs a snoozing Andres against his T shirt. "We're trying to do the right thing by two kids, and we have to sacrifice," Duplisea says. In Massachusetts and plenty of other states, help may be on the way.

Newsweek; 8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c

注(1) 本文選自Newsweek;8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c

注(2) 本文習題命題模仿對象是1997年真題text 1(1,2,3,5題),第4題模仿1997年真題text 3 的第2題。

the first paragraph, we learn that __________________.

[A] Garro and Duplisea used to live a comfortable and easy life.

[B] Duplisea’s boss is so considerate as to allow him to keep his job

[C] Garro can earn more money so she should go back to work.

[D] The couple have made a lot of sacrifices to take care of their children.

Garro says “It takes away from your cushion and your security”, she means _____________________.

[A] it exhausts her family savings

[B] it plunges her family into financial trouble

[C] it deprives her children of health insurance

[D] it makes her feel insecure

Garro lives in Massachusetts, she will ___________________.

[A] have 12 weeks off at half pay

[B] telecommute part-time but earn full-time salary

[C] leave her job without pay to take care of her kids

[D] get $20 from her employer for her leave

word “perk” (Line 2, Para. 4) most probably means _______________.

[A] grant

[B] policy

[C] encouragement

[D] reward

author’s attitude towards paid leave seems to be that of _________________.

[A] opposition

[B] suspicion

[C] approval

[D] indifference

答案:DBAAC

篇章剖析

本文爲說明文,主要介紹帶薪請假政策的起因,制定和實施情況,以及所面臨的問題和反對意見。文章首先以加羅一家的經歷說明停薪請假的人所面臨的經濟困難。然後在第二,第三段介紹了一下各州針對這一問題的解決方案。第四段介紹了反對者的態度和看法,最後一段再次以加羅一家的情況來說明帶薪請假政策可能帶來的積極變化,並且呼應了文章開頭部分,以此作爲結尾,使得全文層次分明,結構完整。

詞彙註釋

scrape [skreIp]v. (常與along, by, through連用)勉強維持生計;勉強通過

furnish[5f:nIF]v. 供應, 提供

juggle[5dVQ^(E)l]v. 耍,弄

diaper[`daIEpE(r)]n. 尿布

forgo[fC:5^EJ]v. 拋棄;放棄

cushion[5kJF(E)n] n. 緩衝,減輕或緩和不利後果的東西:

tap [tAp]v. 開發;利用

maternity[mE5t:nItI]adj. 母性的,初爲人母的孕婦的;適合於孕婦的,生小孩或成爲母親的第一個月的

telecommute[9telIkE`mjU:t ]v. (在家裏通過使用與工作單位連接的計算機終端)遠距離工作

pilot plan 試點方案

kick in 參與提供資金和其他幫助的活動中去

tax credit 稅金免除

perk[p:k]n. 額外津貼 (亦作: perquisite)

raid[reId]v. 侵吞

lobbyist[5lRbIIst]n. 院外活動集團成員;說客

increment[5InkrImEnt]n. 增加, 增量

難句突破:

1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives.

主體句式:The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help…

結構分析:本句是一個複雜句,既包括從句,也包括分詞結構。be supposed to do something 表示“應該做某事”,通常強調“義務,責任”等。safety net 原義是防止墜落受傷的“安全網”,在此引申爲“安全保障”。

句子譯文:1993年頒佈的《家庭醫療休假法》本來應該幫助像加羅這樣的家庭,爲那些請假照顧新生兒,治療重病或者照顧患病親人的員工提供一個安全保障。

題目分析:

1. 答案爲D,屬事實細節題。見第一段。爲了照顧兩個孩子,這一對夫婦倆做出了許多選擇。這些選擇大都意味着做出一定犧牲,比如請假在家照顧孩子,收入減少,凍結養老金帳戶,減少孩子課外活動開支等。

2. 答案爲B,屬判斷推理題。 從第一段列舉的事實來看,加羅夫婦不得不凍結養老金帳號,減少梅麗娜的課後活動開支---還要禱告汽車別出問題。可見請假照顧孩子給他們帶來了嚴重的經濟問題。答案B正確。

3. 答案爲A,屬事實細節題。內容涉及馬薩諸塞州最近通過的一項議案。原文參照第三段第五行。

4. 答案爲A,屬猜詞題。從第二,第三段的內容來看,各州政府試圖動用各種基金對請假照料新生嬰兒的父母進行經濟上的幫助,因此A項在意義上最符合。

5. 答案是C,屬推理判斷題。本文重點說明了停薪請假人所面臨的經濟困難,以及各州的解決方案。並在最後一段說明帶薪請假政策可能帶來的積極變化。從材料的選擇來看,作者對於帶薪請假政策持積極的態度,所以答案C正確。

參考譯文:

“我們不得不做出犧牲”

州政府願意爲停薪請假的人報銷帳單

上個月,吉納·加羅和布萊恩·杜普里希從哥倫比亞收養四個月大的安德烈時,這對夫婦決定請假照顧他。六年前,他們的女兒梅麗娜出生後,這家人靠着杜普里希作建築工人每年36,000美元的薪水勉強度日,這樣,從事特殊教育教學的加羅就可以呆在家裏照顧孩子。如今,因爲加羅的工作能夠爲家庭提供醫療健康保險,她將在今年秋季回去工作,而讓杜普里希擺弄那些尿片和嬰兒奶瓶。他的老闆同意他請假---但他必須爲此放棄十八美元一小時的報酬。這可有些讓這個家庭犯難。雖然加羅40,000美元的年薪可以支付他們的抵押貸款,但夫婦倆卻不得不凍結他們的退休帳戶,減少梅麗娜的課後活動開支---還要禱告汽車別出問題。“我們不再後顧無憂,”加羅說道:“生活會變得很拮据。”

1993年頒佈的《家庭醫療休假法》本來應該幫助像加羅這樣的家庭,爲那些請假照顧新生兒,治療重病或者照顧患病親人的員工提供一個安全保障。可是,法律雖然可以保證這些員工不至於丟掉工作,卻不能支付他們的薪水。去年的一項調查顯示,雖然從1999年以來有4000萬美國人請假,但還有270萬想要請假,卻承受不起請假帶來的損失。要不了多久這種情況就會改變。目前至少有25個州正在探索提供帶薪休假的新途徑,以迴應選民日益增加的要求。一種可能就是利用州傷病基金。一些州---紐約州,新澤西,加利福尼亞,羅德島和夏威夷---已經動用傷病基金爲請孕產假的婦女提供部分工資。但這種舉措並不能幫助那些做父親的人和照料年邁父母的人。新澤西州和紐約州也許不久就會擴大傷病基金計劃的覆蓋面,讓那些請假照料孩子的父親們和其他照料傷病親屬的人都能從中受益。包括亞利桑那州,伊利諾伊州和佛羅里達州在內的十三個州已經提議動用失業基金來支付請假工資。

馬薩諸塞州的舉措尤具創意。當該州的代理州長,簡·斯威夫特五月生下一對雙胞胎女兒的時候,她以自己“請產假”的方式引起人們對這一問題的關注。她在家通過電腦終端遠程工作,做的是兼職工作,拿的卻是全職的薪水。在她上週重返工作崗位之前,州參議院就一致通過了一項試點方案,允許動用失業人員醫療保險計劃的剩餘基金,讓剛生了孩子的父母可以拿一半工資,請假12周。衆議院提議的另外一項計劃則要求僱主爲每個員工增加20美元工資,以便設立一個“新家庭信託基金”。作爲回報,商業企業可以獲得稅金免除。這一週,預計斯威夫特將宣佈她本人針對低收入母親和父親提出的帶薪請假計劃。民意測驗顯示了廣泛的公衆支持---這是斯威夫特和其他國內政治家樂意解決這一問題的另外一個原因。

不過,並不是所有人都熱衷這種想法。一些沒有子女的人質疑爲什麼剛生了孩子的父母---他們是許多提案當中第一批獲得帶薪請假待遇的人---得到的政府補貼比他們的多。商業機構抵制動用失業基金的提案;一些機構甚至已經提起訴訟以阻止這些提案獲得通過。隨着經濟發展的減速,許多公司也說他們無力爲提議中的福利基金提供資金。商業企業的院外遊說成員說有太多的員工已經濫用現有的聯邦家庭醫療休假法,以許多可疑的藉口請假,或者拖延一點請假時間。他們認爲該法律提案只會使情況變得更糟。

不過,對於加羅和杜普里希來說,新的法律會使他們的境況大爲不同。梅麗娜準備一塊花生-黃油-果凍三明治的時候,杜普里希把懷中打盹的安德烈抱在胸前。“我們正在努力爲兩個孩子創造好的條件,所以不得不做出犧牲,”杜普里希說。在馬塞諸塞州和其他許多州,也許很快人們就會得到這樣的幫助。

考研英語法律類閱讀理解及原文翻譯:AN UNPAID TAB IN FLORIDA

Bush spent $8 million, but hasn't settled with his lawyers

Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising r

ecount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, "I love you for giving us our president!"

But Richard has discovered that the Bushies' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, NEWSWEEK has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging (Richard says he's not among them), Bush advisers are griping about "astronomical" bills--including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. "What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching," says one former Bush campaign official. "Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this."

The lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman (and now Commerce secretary) Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million--more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushies imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as "observers," the "kitty ran dry," says one source.

The Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.

~~~~~~~~

By Michael Isikoff hn Barry Newsweek; 04/23/2001, Vol. 137 Issue 17, p28, 2/3p, 1c

注(1): 本文選自Newsweek; 04/23/2001, Vol. 137 Issue 17, p28, 2/3p, 1c

注(2):本文習題命題模仿對象是1995年真題text 3(1,2,3,5題),第4題模仿1995年真題text 4 的第1題。

word “quarterback” (Line 2, Para. 2) most probably means ______________.

[A] supporter

[B] counsel

[C] assistant

[D] adviser

main problem Richard is facing now is __________________.

[A] the ingratitude of the Bushies

[B] the complaints of his law partners

[C] the unpaid bills

[D] Bush advisers’ criticism

the passage we can infer that _____________.

[A] Lawyers also benefited a lot from working for the Bush Camp.

[B] Al Gore lost the recount case because his Recount Committee raised far fewer funds than that of Bush’s.

[C] Texan women are all very proud of having Bush as their president.

[D] The Bushies intend to become deadbeat clients because it does no harm to their relationship with law firms.

rding to the passage, the Bush Recount Committee ________________.

[A] spent all the raised money to pay its lawyers.

[B] had got most of its funds from individuals.

[C] could have raised more money if they hadn’t imposed a cap on individual donations.

[D] had to pay the bills of the army for their help in Bush’s election.

can learn from the last paragraph that _________________.

[A] The Bush camp also owes electrical power companies and drug manufacturers a lot of money.

[B] Richard and his company have invested their legal fees to expand their business.

[C] Greenberg Traurig works for electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests.

[D] Law firms don’t want to lose influential clients even if they don’t pay off their legal fees.

答案:BCACD

篇章剖析

本文說明文,採用提出問題——分析問題的寫作模式。在第一段,作者介紹了Barry Richard,這個幫助布什贏得選舉的重要人物。第二段則說明了他和他的法律公司所面臨的問題:布什重新計票委員會尚未支付他們的律師費。第三段介紹了布什重新計票委員會的工作及其資金使用情況。第四段則分析說明即使該法律公司收不回律師費,他們仍然需要維持和這種客戶的關係。

詞彙註釋

quarterback [5kwC:tEbAk] n. [橄欖球] 四分衛;關鍵人物;智囊

bruising [5bru:zIN]adj. 困難的;令人不快的

mane [meIn]n. (人的)長頭髮;鬃毛

Tallahassee[9tAlE`hAsI]n. 塔拉哈西[美國佛羅里達州首府]

litigator[5lItI^eItE]n. 訴訟律師

GOP Grand Old Party 大老黨(美國共和黨的別稱)

paralegal[9pArE`li:^El,`pArEl-]n. 律師的專職助手, 律師幫辦

stiff[stIf]v. [美俚]不肯給 ... 小賬, 讓...空手而去;失信沒給予或供給(擔保的或期望的東西)

astronomical[AstrE5nRmIk(E)l]adj. 龐大無法估計的

bellyache[5belIeIk]v. 發(不該發的)牢騷,抱怨

nebulous[5nebjJlEs]adj. 含糊的,模糊的;曖昧的

bankroll[`bANkrEJl]v. 爲…提供資金承擔(如企業風險)的花費

PR 公共關係 (public relation)

caterer[5keItErE(r)]n. 包辦伙食的人; 籌備文娛節目的人

deadbeat [5dedbi:t] n. <俗>賴債不還的人, 遊手好閒者

burgeon [5b:dV(E)n]v. (迅速)成長,發展

難句突破:

1.A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman (and now Commerce secretary) Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million--more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers.

主體句式:the committee and its chief fund-raiser… swiftly collected …

結構分析:本句是個包含同位語和附近說明的長句。a nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money 是委員會的同位語,起到補充說明的作用,而破折號之後的成分也是對句子的補充說明。

句子譯文:法律不要求這個性質模糊的機構透露其使用資金的情況。該委員會和它的主要籌資人,得克薩斯州石油商(現商務祕書)唐·伊萬斯很快就籌集了830萬美元---是艾爾·戈爾重新計票委員會所籌集的390萬美元資金的兩倍還多,並用這筆錢來支付律師費用。

題目分析:

1. 答案是B,屬猜詞題。 根據上下文,Richard作爲訴訟律師爲布什在佛羅里達法庭的成功立下了汗馬功勞。quarterback原義是橄欖球比賽中的四分衛,是球賽中的關鍵人物,這裏則是指在法庭中爲布什效力的辯護律師,是在法庭中勝訴的關鍵人物。counsel有辯護律師的意義,詞義最爲接近。

2. 答案是C,屬事實細節題。文章第二段提到了布什陣營向Richard的公司拖欠的鉅額律師費以及由此引發的抱怨和布什競選班子的辯解,可見其面臨的主要問題是賬單未付清的問題。

3. 答案是A,屬推理判斷題。這從第二段引用布什競選班子成員的話:“Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.”和最後一段that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment兩句中可以看出律師事務所和律師們都從其爲布什陣營的服務中獲益非淺。

4. 答案是C,屬推理判斷題。文章第三段提到布什重新計票委員會設置了個人捐助的上限(imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations),併爲此後悔。在第三段結尾處講到在付完各種費用後,他們的資金已經所剩無幾(the "kitty ran dry"),由此可以推斷出答案C。

5. 答案是D,屬推理判斷題。從最後一段As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices.來看,爲了華盛頓的業務,律師事務所還不得不拉攏賴賬的客戶。所以答案D是正確的。

參考譯文:

佛羅里達的一份未支付的賬單

布什花了八百萬美元,但還沒有結清律師費

爲了幫助喬治·W·布什成爲總統,巴里·理查德作了比大多數律師都要多的工作。作爲在去年秋天那場難解難分的重新計票風波中布什的法庭辯護律師,這位佛羅里達州塔拉哈西市的訴訟律師成了電視觀衆熟悉的人物。去年一月他到華盛頓參加布什就職典禮的時候,得到了共和黨對待搖滾歌星的待遇。據他的律師合夥人弗萊德·巴格特回憶,在一場舞會中,一位體格壯實的得克薩斯婦女將理查德舉了起來,在他臉上重重地吻了一下,並且大聲說道:“你成就了我們的總統,我愛你!”

但理查德發現布什們的感激是有限的。在美國最高法院裁定2000年選舉最終獲勝者四個多月後,他和他的“格林伯格·特里格”公司仍然被拖欠了超過80萬美元的法律服務費。他的公司將39名律師和13名律師助手派往全州各地參與法庭辯論,現在和其他十幾家公司一樣沒有收到勞務費。估計拖欠費用總計已經超過了200萬美元。據《新聞週刊》瞭解,現在這種局面已經變得越來越困難。雖然律師們私下對拖延付費頗有微詞(理查德說他沒有抱怨過),布什的顧問手裏還有一大把“天文數字”的賬單---包括一位訴訟律師開出的每天超過24小時工作費的賬單。“在這裏的都是些收入不菲還抱怨個不停的律師。”一位前布什競選班子的官員說道,“可是這些人還從這項工作中得到了提高他們聲望的巨大實惠。”

這些律師應該從布什重新計票委員會那裏拿到他們的報酬。該委員會成立於佛羅里達之爭開始的時候,其主要工作就是籌集資金。法律不要求這個性質模糊的機構透露其使用資金的情況。該委員會和它的主要籌資人,得克薩斯州石油商(現商務祕書)唐·伊萬斯很快就籌集了830萬美元---是艾爾·戈爾重新計票委員會所籌集的390萬美元資金的兩倍還多,並用這筆錢來支付律師費用。爲了避免被指控其重新計票工作獲得特殊利益集團的資助,布什班子對個人捐款設置5000美元的上限,現在他們正爲這種公關姿態後悔不已。在付清了包辦伙食人,包租飛機的人以及到佛羅里達“觀察”助陣的共和黨議員團的帳單之後,“籌集的資金已經所剩無幾”,一位知情人說道。

布什陣營說他們想要付清賬單。但前競選顧問本·金斯伯格面對着接手的一團糟局面還沒有理出頭緒。至於那些法律事務所,他們正在盡力不疏遠那些賴賬的客戶,以免損害他們在華盛頓剛剛起步的院外遊說業務。“格林伯格·特里格”公司代表着那些願意出巨資來接近政策制定者的電力公司,藥品製造商和互聯網博彩行業。不論理查德及其公司能不能收回法律服務費,那80萬美元都是一筆精明的投資。