III. Listen to the short dialogues, repeat each sentence during the
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pauses and learn the dialogues by heart:
"How can we bring the suit against them?" "You must file a brief with the local court."
"We must find someone to help us with this business."
"Yes, I think you should. Ask our lawyer to act as your solicitor then."
***
"For what day did the judge appoint the hearing of the case?" "For next Friday. Haven't you received summons yet?"
"No, not yet. Have the witnesses been summoned too?"
"Certainly, they have. Don't fail to let me know when you get the summons."
***
"I've got here a statement of facts. Will you go through it?"
"Yes, let me have it, please. Have you retained a copy of this statement?" "No, I haven't. I want to have a copy typed after you have made the
necessary corrections."
IV. Listen to each of the long dialogues again and retell briefly their contents from the point of view of: (a) one speaker, (b) the other speaker, (c) an onlooker.
Make your partner ask you about some details which you missed.
V. Write the dictation:
The court is to establish the fault in collision with one or with both vessels. If one vessel is guilty she will bear all the responsibility for the damage caused. If both vessels are to blame each vessel shall be held liable for the damage in proportion to the degree of her fault. If no vessel is to blame (as, for instance, in case of inevitable accident), then each vessel shall bear her own loss. In every case of collision both vessels shall stay by one another so that each of them could
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render assistance to therdamaged vessel, to her master, her crew and passengers, if required. They may proceed on their voyage only after they have ascertained that no further assistance is required. The collided vessels usually exchange information, by radio or otherwise, of the ship's names, their masters' names, their ports of registry, their nationality and whether they require any assistance. According to law, each vessel shall enter all the circumstances of the collision in her log book. Ships may need assistance not only as a result of some collision. They may be in distress due to various causes. In such a case, ships in distress send distress signals to all ships in the vicinity. The nearest vessel may come and render assistance, which is considered to be salvage of a vessel. It is customary to pay the salvor salvage reward. The amount of the reward depends on the value of the property saved.
VI. Practise in pairs enacting the following situations. You act as the captain, your partner—as the lawyer in (a), you — as the chief mate, your partner — as the judge in (b). Then you change your parts.
(a) You are consulting your lawyer as to the brief he is to file with the court. He is asking you about details of the collision and your actions as a watch officer during the accident. He suggests to you that all the facts which you state must be substantiated by the entries in your log book and by the evidence of the witnesses.
(b) You are at the session of the court. You must prove that all the actions of you and your crew were reasonable and complied with the Rules of the Road. The judge asks you about the circumstances of the collision and the actions which you were taking at different stages of the collision. You describe in detail the manoeuvres which your ship was performing to avoid the collision.
VII. Translate into English:
Я утверждаю, что это судно виновно в столкновении. Оно нарушило МПСС. Сейчас я постараюсь доказать это. Но сначала я хочу спросить вас, как возбудить дело в суде против этой компании. Я уверен, что после
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расследования этого дела решение суда будет в нашу пользу. Теперь позвольте мне вернуться к самому столкновению. Мы шли в условиях хорошей видимости. Я принял вахту от третьего помощника. В 4.30 я взял радиопеленги и определил место судна. Это место я нанес на карту. Вскоре после этого мы заметили заряд тумана в 5—6 милях по носу судна. Я включил локатор, убавил скорость судна до средней, доложил капитану. За одну-полторы мили до входа в туман я уменьшил скорость до самого малого хода вперед и включил автоматическую сирену на один продолжительный гудок. После этого я включил и проверил ходовые огни, нанес на карту счислимое место судна на 4.45 по судовому времени. Видимость понизилась до 150—200 метров. Капитан поднялся на мостик, когда я сверял часы в машинном отделении с часами в штурманской рубке. Капитан сразу же посмотрел на экран локатора и увидел на пятимильной шкале, локатора приближающееся судно. Он отдал приказание дать полный ход назад. Это было в 4.50. В 4.52 наше судно остановилось, и мы начали подавать два продолжительных гудка. Через 1—2 минуты с левого борта из тумана показалось встречное судно. Оно не несло никаких огней и не подавало никаких сигналов. Наше судно в это время уже начало двигаться назад. Почти одновременно с этим приближающееся судно ударилось своим носом в носовую часть нашего судна в районе форпика.
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LESSON 19
TRANSPORTING CARGOES IN CONTAINERS BY SEA
Words and Word Combinations
to improve улучшить productivity производительность at an average в среднем
port time время стоянки в порту conventional обычный, общепринятый container-carrier контейнеровоз (судно)
rate норма
advantage преимущество, выгода decade десяток, десятилетие design вд. конструкция
route маршрут, путь, дорога cellular ячеистый, клеточный viable жизнеспособный, стойкий multi-purpose многоцелевой
bulk-break cargo навалочный и сыпучий груз adequate соответствующий
fit годный, пригодный, подходящий
twenty-(forty-) footers 20- (40-) футовые контейнеры structure структура, устройство
similar подобный, аналогичный angle-bar угловая сталь, угловой профиль frame рама
plate лист, пластина, плита alloy сплав
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to weld приваривать
to rivet клепать, соединять заклепками twofold двустворчатый
hinged шарнирный, подвесной latch защелка, задвижка
refrigerator холодильник
reefer рефрижератор
to lease брать в аренду, арендовать
interchange взаимообмен
tо stuff заполнять (контейнеры) intact целый, неповрежденный
Inspection Report акт осмотра
to insure страховать, застраховывать external наружный, внешний inspection осмотр
stock запас, состав to clear up выяснить
to introduce представить, познакомить
refreshment подкрепление, восстановление сил, отдых to miss зд. недоставать, не хватать
scratch царапина
to coincide совпадать extra зд. лишний misprint опечатка dent вмятина
Expressions
there is no wonder that неудивительно, что
on the basis of interchange на основе взаимообмена
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this time на этот раз, в данное время to carry out a survey провести осмотр
inefficient loss of time непроизводительная потеря времени procedure of discharging порядок выгрузки
to say nothing of не говоря уже о
to be of the same opinion быть того же мнения
Please meet Mr N. Познакомьтесь, пожалуйста, с господином Н. I wouldn't mind я ничего не имею против
things are a bit worse with немного хуже обстоит дело с willy-nilly хочешь не хочешь; волей-неволей
TEXT
According to statistics containerization has improved ship productivity from 1000 tons to 15,000 tons a day, that is, at an average, up to 15 times. It reduced ship port time from 50 to 20 per cent of voyage time. As compared with conventional vessels the cargo-handling rate of the container-carriers is at least 5 times higher.
There is no wonder that this advantage has attracted attention of almost all the world shipping companies. During the last decade many new designs of cargo-carriers were built and put into service. Specialized container-carriers have been built to meet the requirements of different cargoes and routes. Cellular-type container-carriers built recently proved to be very viable. Some of them have no cargo-handling facilities on deck and the containers are handled by shore appliances. Later on multi-purpose container-carriers were built. These vessels combine the carriage of containers together with bulk-break cargoes. They are as a rule equipped with adequate cranes to handle the containers and heavy lifts.
Two standard sizes of containers, fit for the carriage both by land and by sea, were designed, agreed upon and approved at the International Conference. They are the so-called TWENTY-FOOTERS and FORTY-FOOTERS. There are many
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types of such containers designed for different cargoes. General structure of these containers is more or less similar. They are made of angle-bar frames to which steel oralumin-
ium alloy plates are either welded or riveted. The containers are provided with twofold hinged doors and locking latches. Some containers are equipped with refrigerators to keep certain goods at a constant fixed temperature. These containers are usually called reefers. The reefers are supplied with electric power by the ship's generators. Containers may either belong to the carrier or they may be leased by him from the leasing companies on the basis of interchange.
After the containers have been filled, or as they usually say "stuffed", with appropriate goods the doors are locked and sealed. A list of all the goods stuffed in the container is made out and signed by the shippers.
When receiving containers for shipment the carrier is to see that they are in proper condition and their seals are intact. As a rule, each container is supplied with the Shippers' Inspection Report, copies of which are forwarded to the Carrier, Consignees and Insurance Company, which insures the goods. In case if some defects are found the appropriate remarks are made in these reports, both by the ship's officer and terminal operator.
When delivering containers to the consignees a careful external inspection of the containers should be carried out, but this time jointly with the consignees' representative. The results of the inspection are to be stated in the Inspection Report and signed by both parties. In case of any dispute or disagreement an official surveyor is invited to carry out the survey and draw up a respective surveyor report.
Our shipping companies have a large stock of different containers which they use for the carriage of goods. To avoid inefficient loss of time in waiting for the containers to be emptied and returned aboard vessels we often lease the containers from specialized foreign firms. Thus we may leave almost in all the ports our containers and get in exchange the other ones, mostly the ones left by other Soviet ships. When leaving or receiving containers in foreign ports their
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condition is usually carefully checked and appropriate documents are drawn up.
DIALOGUES
1
CAPTAIN. Glad to see you, Mr Howard. Sit down, please. We'll have to consider the procedure of discharging the containers we have brought here this time.
AGENT. I've got all the shipping documents and I've already looked through them. Do you mean to say that we shall have some extraordinary conditions for discharging?
CAPTAIN. Oh, no, just the ordinary ones. It's the first time that we have brought containers to your port, that's why I wanted to clear up some details. First of all I'd like to know who is to take delivery of the containers.
AGENT, The consignees' representative and a surveyor will do it. Sometimes the terminal operator helps them. As to surveying the containers, they'll do it ashore.
CAPTAIN. I see. What about shore cranes? You know, even the 20-footers are rather bulky and heavy, to say nothing of the 40-footers.
AGENT. Yes, that's right. I was of the same opinion and I've arranged everything with the port authorities. Oh, here's the surveyor coming.
2
AGENT. Oh, here you are, Mr Harris. Let me introduce you to the Master. Captain, please meet Mr Harris, our surveyor.
CAPTAIN. Glad to make your acquaintance, sir. Will you take a seat, please. Would you like some beer for refreshment?
SURVEYOR. Thank you, Captain. I wouldn't mind to have a glass of cold beer, it's so hot today.
CAPTAIN. You are welcome. Make yourself comfortable. We'll have to
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wait for the receivers' representative.
SURVEYOR. All right, let's wait a little. What with shall we start discharging, Captain?
CAPTAIN. I think we'll start discharging with the deck cargo. There are about 50 twenty-footers covering one lot under a separate Bill of Lading.
SURVEYOR. OK, Captain. It's up to you to decide what with to start discharging. Did you have good weather during the voyage?
CAPTAIN. Yes, this time we were lucky. The weather was fine. Only once, abreast of the Fair Point, the ship was rolling for some time, because of a heavy swell there.
3
SURVEYOR. Well, Captain, I am glad we have found no defects in this lot. No missing seals, no cuts, no holes.
That's good. There are only a few scratches on Containers Nos: 270 and 275, but I think this is not so important.
SECOND MATE. What containers do you say? Nos: 270 and 275? Just a moment. Let me have a look at the copies of Inspection Reports on loading. Yes, here you are. Some defects have been marked in these Reports, when receiving the containers aboard. Will you cast a glance, please!
SURVEYOR. Yes, you are right. I'll make a note in my report with a reference to those remarks.
SECOND MATE. What are your remarks with regard to 40-footers under B/L No. 376?
SURVEYOR. Well, things are a bit worse with this lot. All the container numbers coincide, except one container. As we have found container No. 297 is missing, while there is an extra container No. 279, not stated in the B/L. May be there is a misprint in the B/L. Still, I am afraid, we'll have to unstuff it and check the contents.
SECOND MATE. Yes, I think we'll have to. Any other remarks?
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SURVEYOR. On the container No. 294 the seal is broken. Besides, there are two big dents on the front part. The right side of the container is rusted. We'll have to unstuff this container too.
SECOND MATE. Willy-nilly, we shall do the unstuffing ashore. Please don't fail to call me or somebody else from the ship to take part in unstuffing and checking the contents.
SURVEYOR. Don't worry, of course we'll call you.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
I. Listen to the text of the lesson again and answer the following questions
1. Why is the productivity of container-carriers is higher than that of conventional vessels? 2. What kind of new ships were built in the last decade? 3. What particular advantage have the multi-purpose container-carriers? 4. What are the main standard sizes of containers? 5. What is the general structure of containers? 6. How are the side plates secured to the frames? 7. What for are some containers supplied with refrigerators? 8. From whom may the containers be leased? 9. When and by whom are the containers locked and sealed? 10. What is usually checked when the containers are received1 for shipment? 11. What documents must be supplied for each container? 12. Who is to inspect the condition of containers when they are delivered to the consignees? 13. In what case should an official surveyor be invited? 14. From whom do we lease containers and on what basis?
II. Ask your partner questions and make him give brief answers using the model.
Model: If we take 20-footers we shall carry more cargo.