EZCNN 易英网

Class Action Suits: The Little Guy’s Legal Weapon 集体诉讼：小人物的大武器

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

American society has become increasingly litigious. Fears of lawsuits hang over the heads of many Americans, but corporations, with their financial clout, generally have less to fear. Fortunately, class action suits allow dozens of thousands of individuals to join forces to sue one company.

美国社会变得愈来愈喜欢打官司了。很多美国的升斗小民怕打官司，但是对财大气粗的企业而言，打官司就没什么好怕的了。幸运的是，集体诉讼可以让几十个、甚至上千个平民百姓联合起来共同控告一家公司。

With class action suits, the power truly is in numbers; A single individual is empowered to challenge the largest corporation if he or she represents a large group of people. In cases where individual damages may be small, a trial is often not warranted. But this changes when hypothetical damages are multiplied by many individuals. In general, courts support class action suits because one large decision eliminates many, potential contradictory rulings.

集体诉讼真正的力量在于原告的人数多寡：任何一个人，不论男女，只要获得了授权，代表着一大群人，此人便足以挑战最大的企业。有些案子里个人的损失轻微，审判不一定成立。但是如果人数众多的话，推测的假定损失乘上人数，成为庞大的数目，那么这个案子就会改观。通常，法庭支持集体诉讼，因为一回重大的决定可以省去多次审判结果不一所造成的麻烦。

Class action settlements, like those paid out by American tobacco companies, can reach billions of U.S. dollars. Corporations complain that huge payouts discourage innovation. Such large settlements have not helped the image of lawyers, who are sometimes the only ones to benefit. Lawyers have countered that many cases are taken on a pro bono basis. In which they receive no fees unless the case is won.

集体诉讼的和解金，譬如像美国烟草公司所付出的费用，可能达数十亿美元之谱。企业界抱怨因为付出大笔和解金，而不利产品研发。而这种大手笔的集体诉讼和解金也未能提升律师的形象，因为有时候他们是这淌混水中唯一的获益者。律师们则驳斥说，他们很多案子都是义务接的，除非案子赢了，否则他们什么钱都收不到。

Ironically, class action suits themselves have become big business. Class action law, however, may be substantially affected by Bill S274, currently under consideration by Congress.

很讽刺地是集体诉讼本身已经成了大事业。不过，集体诉讼法很可能会受参议院第274号法案影响很大。这项法案国会正在考虑中。

Vocabulary

单词发音

litigious [lɪˋtɪdʒɪəs] adj.【正式】好讼争的﹐好打官司的

hang over someone’s head 某人担心..，某人发愁.. to worry someone

clout [klaʊt] n. 力量；影响；影响力

class action【律】团体诉讼，集体诉讼；共同起诉（由一至数字原告代表所有有利害关系的人提起的诉讼）

suit [sut] n. 诉讼

sue [su] v. 控告，对……提起诉讼

warranted [ˋwɔrəntɪd] adj. 保证的

hypothetical [͵haɪpəˋθɛtɪk!] adj. 假设的，假定的

contradictory [͵kɑntrəˋdɪktərɪ] adj. 矛盾的，对立的

settlement [ˋsɛt!mənt] n.〔解决双方争端的〕正式协议﹐和解

payout [ˋpe͵aʊt] n.【非正式】〔保险索赔﹑竞赛等中的〕大笔付款

pro bono【拉】为慈善机构和穷人提供的免费专业服务 done without compensation for the public good

Sentence of the Day

Class action suits open the way for private individuals to seek compensation from corporations.

集体诉讼案为个人向企业索偿开了先河。

课文讲解

Co-workers Charlie and Ricky are having a drink in the pub after work:  同事查理和瑞姬两人在工作结束之后到酒吧小斟：

C: Cough, cough … I really have to give up smoking. At least I smoke light cigarettes.

咳，咳…我真的必须戒烟了，至少我得抽淡烟。

R: You know, that doesn’t mean much. A group of smokers here in the U.S. sued cigarette companies for $10 billion for selling them “light” cigarettes. They claim the term “light” was deceptive since these cigarettes are just as unhealthy as regular ones.

你知道吗？那样起不了很大作用的。美国有一群吸烟人士控告烟草公司卖淡烟给他们，索偿一百亿。他们说「淡烟」这个词是骗人的，因为这些烟和一般香烟同样不健康。

C: Blaming the companies for selling me cigarettes? I should jump on that bandwagon.

怪烟草公司卖烟给我？我也要加入。

R: These lawsuits can really change the status quo. Anyone can challenge a large company now.

这种官司真的能改变现状，现在任何人都能挑战大公司了。

C: I know. A whole legal industry has grown up around class action suits. Some firms specialize in helping eligible people claim money from companies that have been sued.

我知道。由于集体诉讼盛行，许多相关的法律产业也应运而生。有些公司专门帮符合条件的人向被诉讼的公司索钱。

R: All this litigation isn’t great for business. That Senate bill, 274, will move all class action suits to federal courts if it passes.

这些诉讼其实会妨碍产业发展。参议院第274号法案如果通过的话，将把所有的集体诉讼移转到联邦法庭去。

C: Lots of civil rights groups think that’ll just overburden the federal courts and so discourage class action suits with long delays. At least, the current system helps scare the wrongdoers. Now, where do I sign up for that lawsuit?

很多民权团体认为那样做将会让联邦法庭负担过重，并且会使集体诉讼的案子延宕多时，以致使人望而却步。目前的作法至少还能吓阻不法者。对了，控告烟商的那项案子，我该去那儿联署签名啊？

R: Instead, how’bout putting out that cigarette? If not, I may sue you for this second-hand smoke!

且慢，你要不要先把那支烟捻熄啊？要不，我可能会告你二手烟对我造成伤害！

－by Darshan Tyler

Vocabulary

单词发音

deceptive [dɪˋsɛptɪv] adj. 骗人的

jump on the bandwagon 赶浪头, 赶潮流 to support something that is popular

status quo 现状 the existing condition or state of affairs

eligible [ˋɛlɪdʒəb!] adj. 有资格当选的；法律上合格的

wrongdoer [ˋrɔŋˋduɚ] n. 做坏事的人；违法犯罪者

put out  扑灭  to extinguish

Sentence of the Day

The idea that some cigarettes are healthier than others is a whole lot of malarkey.

有些香烟比提他香烟更健康的这种想法全是胡说八道。

malarkey [məˋlɑrkɪ] n. 胡话；故意歪曲的话