高级综合商务英语1 彭青龙 unit6 commercial litigation

UnitSixCommercialLitigation1.Lead-in2.TextA:ReducingtheRiskofCommercialLitigationintheUnitedStates3.TextB:TheMcDonald’sCoffeeLawsuitandNow,theRestoftheStory…CaseStudy1.Warm-upQuestionWhydofrivolouslawsuitsconstantlygrabpublicattentionandmakesensationalheadlinesfornewsstories?2.Discussion•Somefrivolouslawsuitsweredismissedbythecourt.Inothercases,plaintiffswonthelawsuit.•ReadthefollowingTHREEcasesandpredicttheoutcomesoftheselawsuits.Case1•LarryHarrisbrokeintoabarownedbyJessieIngram.Ingramhadrecentlysetatraptodeterpotentialburglars.Harris,undertheinfluenceofalcoholanddrug,didn’tseethewarningsignals.Hesetoffthetrap,electrocutinghimself.Harris’familyfiledacivilsuitagainstIngram.Case2•In1991,RichardHarrissuedAnheiser-Busch,abeerproducer,forfalseadvertising.Harrisclaimedtosufferfromemotionaldistressinadditiontomentalandphysicalinjury.Why?Becausewhenhedrankbeer,hedidn’thaveanyluckwiththeladies,aspromisedintheTVads.Harrisalsodidn’tlikethathegotsicksometimesafterhedrank.Case3•Mrs.MervGrazinskipurchasedanew32-footWinnebagomotorhome.Onherfirsttriphome,havingdrivenontothefreeway,shesetthecruisecontrolat70mphandcalmlyleftthedriver’sseattogotothebacktomakeherselfasandwich.Themotorhomeleftthefreeway,crashedandoverturned.Mrs.GrazinskisuedWinnebagofornotputtingintheowner’smanualthatshecouldn’tleavethedriver’sseatwhilecruisecontrolwasset.StructuralAnalysisPara.MainTopicsPara.1Introduction:inevitabilityoflitigationandprospectofmakingitlessseverePara.2-4Themindset:limitingtangiblerisksPara.5-13TheenvironmentalriskoflitigationPartIQuestionsaboutPartIQ1.What’sthemainideaofPartI?(Para.1)Likecommoncold,itisimpossibletoeliminatelitigation,soitisimportanttoalleviateitsseveritythroughproperaction.Q2.Whatareassociationsbetweenbeinginvolvedinalitigationandcomingdownwithacold?Despiteprecautionarymeasures,peoplecannotprotectthemselvesfromgettingimplicatedinalawsuitjustastheycannotprotecctthemselvesfromcatchingacommoncold.PartIQuestionsaboutPartIPartIWordsandExpressions•draft(Para.1)n.acurrentofairinanenclosedarea•example:Althoughitisnottruethatgettingwetorbeinginadraftcausesacold(apersonhastocomeincontactwiththevirustocatchacold),certainconditionssuchasfatigueandoverwork,emotionalstress,andpoornutritionmayleadtoincreasedsusceptibility.PartIIQuestionsaboutPartIIQ1.What’sthemainideaofPartII(Para.2-4)?Withthemindsetoflimitingrisksoflitigation,thelawyermustavoidemphasizingthepositiveaspectsandde-emphasizingthenegativeones.Toachieveso,thelawyershouldmakeariskassessmentbasedonasoundunderstandingofchangingsituations.Q2.Whatpressureistheattorneyunder?Theattorneyisunderthepressuretoacthumblybeforetheclientbecausehe/sheoftenfeelsitnecessarytoavoidpresentingtheweaknessesofacourseofaction,especiallywhenhe/sheisexpectingconsequentprofitabilityintheshortterm.PartIIQuestionsaboutPartIIPartIISentenceInterpretationIntheworstsituation,alawyercanbeperceivedofasagadfly,aCassandrathatcanplaceadamperontheenthusiasmforadeal.(Line6,Para.2)Inthesentence,alawyerisseenasagadfly,whichisusedtodescribeapersistent,irratingnuisanceandaCassandra,thepriestesswhouttersunheededandunconvincedpropheciesaboutthefallofTroy.Inthisway,theauthorvividlyportraysthenegativeimageoflawyerswhoareoftensaidtodisappointtheclientwithunpleasinganticipations.IntheAmericansystem,whichadornsthelawyerwiththemantleofagladiator,theattorneyisundertremendouspressuretokowtowtotheclient,whichoftenentailsshyingawayfromaddressingtheweaknessesofacourseofaction,especiallywheretheoutcome,atleastintheshortterm,isexpectedtobeveryprofitable.(Line13,Para.2)Inthesentence,itissaidthattheAmericanlegalsystemadornstheattorneywiththemantleofgladiator.ItmeansAmericansystemplaceslawyersinagreatlystressfulworkingenvironment.Havingchosenahighlyprofitablebutstressfulprofession,lawyershavetofighthardtowinoverclientsjustlikegladiatorswhofightgrimlyforsurvival.Corporateattorneysareoftenlefttoviewingasnapshotofthebusinessrelationshipatapointoftime;thelitigator,ontheotherhand,iscompelledtoviewingtherelationshiopasonewouldviewamotionpicture,withabeginning,wherethepartieshavehighexpectations,amiddle,wheretherearesignsofdisillusionmentandanincreasingsenseofinjustice,andanend,wherepersonalandprofessionalrelationshipsaretornasunderbymistrust.(Line13,Para.3)•Thesentencepointsoutthedifferencebetweencorporateattorneysandlitigators.•Acorporateattorneyisalawyerwhospecializesincorporationlaws.•Alitigatorisanattorneywhorepresentsoneofthepartiesinacriminalorcivilcourtproceedingwhenalawsuitispresent.•Thesubtledifferenceisexplainedtothefullwithtwometaphors:viewingasnapshotandviewingamotionpicture.•Corporateattorneystakearelativelysimpleviewofthebusinessrelationshiptheirclientisabouttobuild.•Litigatorstakeaverythoroughviewoftheevolutionofthebusinessrelationshipbetweenpartiesinvolvedinalawsuit:theyare,inthebeginning,hopeful,inthemiddle,disillusionedandintheend,hateful.PartIIWordsandExpressionsdispassionate(Para.2)adj.devoidoforunaffectedbypassion,emotion,orbiassynonyms:fair,impersonalexample:Ajournalistshouldbeadispassionateobserverandreporte