英语听力精选进阶版 7086

Background: 一名澳大利亚律师通过社交网站 Facebook 将法律文件送达一对被告人手中。此举被认为世界首创。这对夫妇因拖欠大笔债务而受到起诉，办案律师获得澳大利亚法庭批准，采用热门社交网，把起诉文件传递被告人。

In the past, the Australian courts 法庭 have granted permission for people to be served 送达 with legally binding¹ papers 法律文件 via email or even text message but this is the first time they've allowed the use of the social networking site 社交网络, Facebook.

Lawyers 律师 wanted to notify a couple that they'd lost their house after defaulting 拖欠 on a loan 贷款债务 but failed to reach them at their home address or through email.

When the couple failed to turn up 出席 for a court appearance the lawyer, Mark McCormack, decided² to use what he's described as a "somewhat novel 新颖的 approach" and served the papers via the woman's Facebook page, where the man was listed as her friend.

In granting permission to use the social networking site the judge made a key stipulation³ 关键性约定: that the papers be sent via a private email so that other people visiting the page could not read their contents.

GLOSSARY⁴ 词汇表

courts 法庭

served 送达

legally binding papers 法律文件

social networking site 社交网络

lawyers 律师

defaulting 拖欠

loan 贷款债务

turn up 出席

novel 新颖的

key stipulation 关键性约定

Questions and Answers

1. What other unusual ways have Australian courts served papers? 

They have served papers via email or even text message.

2. Why were the courts notifying the couple?

Because they had not repaid a loan on their home.

3. True or False? The couple arrived at the courthouse. 

False, they didn't turn up.

4. True or False? Now everyone who visits the couple's Facebook page can see the court's papers.

False, the court documents are not visible to everyone.

1 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 stipulation   

n.契约，规定，条文；条款说明

参考例句：

• There's no stipulation as to the amount you can invest. 没有关于投资额的规定。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The only stipulation the building society makes is that house must be insured. 建屋互助会作出的唯一规定是房屋必须保险。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。