An Integrated English Course

Book 2

Unit Fifteen

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you are supposed to: 1. Grasp the author’s purpose of

writing and make clear the structure of the whole passage through an intensive reading of Text 1 Should a Public Worker Accept Costly Gifts;

2. Get the topic sentences in Text 1; 3. Understand the difficult sentences

in Text 1 and be able to paraphrase them;

4.Master some important words, expressions and structures and try to use them in your speaking and writing;

5. Get the meaning of Text 2

6. Discuss on the phenomena of bribery..

Teaching Procedure

Text 1: Should a Public Worker Accept Costly Gift

1.   Pre-reading questions 2. Understanding the text: structure

analysis; main idea 3. Language points: sentences and

vocabulary

Text 2: Bribery ---- An Inevitable Evil?

1.       Language points 2. The main idea 3. Questions for discussion

Pre-reading

1. What are the possible harms of bribery to our society?

2. What do you think are the roots of bribery and what should we do to eliminate it?

Bribery would undermine our society if it remained unchecked. First, it causes abuse of public power. Government officials who accept bribes can’t possibly be unbiased. They will undoubtedly do “favors” to those who give them the bribes at the expense of public interests, even our national security. Moreover, it would corrupt many other people and injure public morality, and even destroy our legal system. Eventually it would erode the edifice of our society.

The roots of bribery lie in absolute power, just as the saying goes, Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore, legal measures must be taken to check such power, for moral consciousness is one thing, and a sound legal system is another.

Text I Should a Public Worker Accept Costly Gift

On my relief from war-duty I felt that my work was no longer in South Africa but in India. Not that there was nothing to be done in South Africa, but I was afraid that my main business might become merely money-making.

Friends at home were also pressing me to return, and I felt that I should be of more service in India. And for the work in South Africa, there were, of course, Messers Khan and Mansukhlal Naazar. So I requested my coworkers to relieve me. After very great difficulty my request was conditionally accepted, the condition being that I should be ready to go back to South Africa if, within a year, the community should need me. I thought it was a difficult condition, but the love that bound me to the community made me accept it.

“ The Lord had bound me

With the cotton-thread of love,

I am his bondslave.”

Sang Mirabai. And for me, too, the cotton-thread of love that bound me to the community was too strong to break. The voice of the people is the voice of God, and here the voice of friends was too real to be rejected. I accepted the condition and got their permission to go.

At this time I was intimately connected only with Natal. The Natal Indians bathed me with the nectar of love. Farewell meetings were arranged at every place, and costly gifts were presented to me.

Gifts had been bestowed on me before when I returned to India in 1899, but this time the farewell was overwhelming. The gifts of course included things in gold and silver, but there were articles of costly diamond as well.

What right did I have to accept all these gifts? Accepting them, how could I persuade myself that I was serving the community without remuneration? All the gifts, excepting a few from my clients, were purely for my service to the community, and I could make no difference between my clients and coworkers, for the clients also helped me in my public work.

One of the gifts was a gold necklace worth fifty guineas, meant for my wife. But even that gift was given because of my public work, and so it could not be separated from the rest.

The evening I was presented with the bulk of these things I had a sleepless night. I walked up and sown my room deeply agitated, but could find no solution. It was difficult for me to forego gifts worth hundreds, it was more difficult to keep them.

And even if I could keep them, what about my children? What about my wife? They were being trained to a life of service and to an understanding that service was its own reward.

I had no costly ornaments in the house. We had been fast simplifying our life. How then could we afford to have gold watches? How could we afford to wear gold chains and diamond rings? Even then I was exhorting people to conquer the infatuation for jewellery. What was I now to do with the jewellery that had come upon me? I decided that I could not keep these things. I drafted a letter, creating a trust of them in favor of the community and appointing Parsi Rustomji and other trustees. In the morning I held a consultation with my wife and children and finally got rid of the heavy incubus.

I knew that I should have some difficulty in persuading my wife, and I was sure that I should have none so far as the children were concerned. So I decided to constitute them my attorneys.

The children readily agreed to my proposal. “ We do not need these costly presents, we must return them to the community, and should we ever need them, we could easily purchase them,” they said..

I was delighted. “Then you will plead with mother, won’t you?” I asked them.

“ Certainly,” said they. “ That is our business. She does not need to wear the ornaments. She would want to keep them for us, and if we don’t want them, why should she not agree to part with them?”

But it was easier said that done. “ You may not need them,” said my wife.” Your children may not need

them. Cajoled, they will dance to your tune. I can understand you not permitting me to wear them. But what about my daughters-in-law? They will be sure to need them. And who knows what will happen tomorrow? I would be the last person to part with gifts so lovingly given.”

And thus the torrent of argument went on, reinforced, in the end, by tears. But the children were adamant. And I was unmoved.

I mildly put in, “ The children have not yet got married. We do not want to see them married young. When they are grown up, they can take care of themselves. And surely we shall not have, for our sons, brides who are fond of ornaments. And if, after all, we need to provide them with ornaments, I am there. You will ask me then.”

“ Ask you? I know you by this time. You deprived me of my ornaments, you would not leave me in peace with them. Fancy you offering to get ornaments for the daughters-in-law! You are trying to make sadhus of my boys from today! No, the ornaments will not be returned. And pray what right have you to my necklace?”

“ But,” I rejoined, “ is the necklace given you for your service or for my service?”

“ I agree. But service rendered by you is as good as rendered by me. I have toiled and moiled for you day and night. Is that no service? You forced all and sundry on me, making me weep bitter tears, and I slaved for them.”

Theses were pointed thrusts, and some of them went home. But I was determined to returned the ornaments. I somehow succeeded in extorting a consent from her. The gifts received from 1896 to 1901 were all returned. A trust-deed was prepared, and they were deposited with a bank, to be used for the service of the community, according to my wishes or to those of the trustees.

Often, when I was in need of funds for public purposes, and felt that I must draw upon the trust, I have been able to raise the requisite amount, leaving the trust money intact. The fund is still there, being operated upon in times of need, and it has regularly accumulated.

I have never since regretted the step, and as the years have gone by, my wife has also seen its wisdom. It has saved us from many temptations.

I am definitely of opinion that a public worker should accept no costly gifts.

Language points

Relieve: to take someone’s place in a job

Can anyone relieve Mary? She’s been on duty for ten hours without a break.

I want you to go to our base camp to relieve Captain Roberts for a few days.

Bondslave: a coinage that indicates the author’s close, even inseparable connection with God.

 

Bathe: to spread over with or as if with light, water, etc.

The fields were bathed in sunlight.

The child’s eyes were bathed with tears.

Bestow: V. to give something to someone Several gifts were bestowed on the

royal visitors. The silver trophy was bestowed on the

winner.   .  

Remuneration: money paid for the work someone does

The responsibilities of corporation executives are very great, but so is their remuneration.

The total remuneration package, including bonuses and stock options, is worth over $200,000

Forego ( = forgo ): to give up

You shouldn’t forego the opportunity of hearing this world-famous pianist in a live concert.

 

Fast: firmly, with determination

Exhort: to urge or advise strongly The general exhorted his men of fight

bravely. Conquer: to gain control over, to

overcome It took years of therapy for her to

conquer her fear of height. Hilton stepped into the room, fighting

to conquer his feelings of disgust. Infatuation: the state of having a

strong and uncontrollable feeling of love

It’s only an infatuation; she’ll get over it soon enough.

So I decided to constitute them my attorneys: So I decided to enlist the support of my children and ask them to persuade their mother for me. Literally, an attorney is the person ( usually, a lawyer ) who deals with legal matters on behalf of his/her clients.

Constitute: 1) to give (someone) authority to hold ( a position, etc.)

They constituted him chief adviser. The company constituted him their spokesman. 2) to make up, to form Twelve months constitute a year. Terry’s photographs constitute an important part of the

exhibition.

They will dance to your tune: literarily, “dance to someone’s tune” means “dance according to the music (i.e. tune ) played by someone”. Here the sentence means: “…they will do whatever you tell them to do”.

Cajole: to persuade by praise or false promise

Ted didn’t want to go to the dance, but he got cajoled into it by his girlfriend.

Although she cajoled and pleaded, she couldn’t get Ben to stop crying.

I would be the last person to part with gifts so lovingly given: I would never part with gifts so lovingly given.

Last: least willing, least likely, desirable

She is the last woman I would marry on the earth.

That’s the last thing I should expect him to do.

Part with: to give up He has parted with his house, but he

would not part with his precious books.

the torrent of argument went on, reinforced, in the end, by tears: my wife kept pouring out her argument in rather unpleasant language. As she talked, she became more and more emotional. In the end, she broke into tears.

Torrent: a large amount of unpleasant language A torrent of words and laughter He poured out a torrent of abuse on them. Reinforce: to make stronger, to strengthen Newspaper articles like this tend to

reinforce people’s prejudices. My first impression of that country was

reinforced by its rich culture heritage as demonstrated by those exhibits in the museum.

Adamant: ( of a person ) firm and immovable in purpose.

I didn’t want to go to the party, but he was adamant and we ended up going.

The company’s managing director is adamant that there will be no compromise with the union.

You are trying to make sadhus of my boys from today!---- You are trying to train my boys to be saints!

“ to make something of someone/ oneself ” means “ to train someone / oneself to be a person of some value or importance”.

His father wants to make a doctor of him.

He’s trying to make a poet of himself, but I don’t think he’ll make it.

Rejoin: to say ( something ) in reply, esp. rudely or angrily

“ Not at all,” he rejoined rudely.

service rendered by you is as good as rendered by me. ---- the author’s wife meant that her husband’s service to the community included her contribution, because she did all domestic chores to support her husband.

As good as: almost the same as He as good as refused. ( = What he said was

almost the same as “no”.) They were as good as penniless by the time

they returned home. Render: to give You will be expected to render an account of

money that is owed. If we can at any time render you a similar

service, we shall be glad to do so.

Toil and moil: to work extremely hard with little pleasure.

It will be a lot more expensive to take them out but, on the other hand, I don’t like to think of you toiling and moiling in the kitchen all day to produce a dinner for 12 people.

Extort: to obtain by threats They accused him of trying to

extort money with threats. The former vice-president of

the company was charged with extorting thousands of dollars from the building construction.

Deposit: to place in a bank or safe

Our records show that you deposited $200 in your account on the 17th of January.

 

Draw upon: to make use of a supply of

A writer had to draw upon his imagination and experience.

Journalists draw upon both published and unofficial information from many different sources.

Requisite: necessary If the proposed piece of

legislation fails to get the requisite two-thirds majority in Parliament, it cannot become law.

He hasn’t got the requisite qualifications for the job.

 

Accumulate: to grow into a mass

Over a period of years the drug will accumulate in the body and damage the nervous system.

He gradually accumulated an impressive collection of paintings.

Structural analysis

The text can be divided into 4 parts: Part 1 ( paragraphs 1-6 ): this part describes

the situation when the author was to leave the community he had served and the farewell gifts bestowed by the local people;

Part 2 ( paragraphs 7-11 ): this part tells of the author’s worries about the gifts and his decision to return them;.

Part 3 ( paragraphs 12-22 ): this part describes how the author discussed the matter with his children and how he persuaded his wife to return the gifts.

Part 4 ( paragraphs 23-26 ): this is the conclusion of the story. The author tells the author what he did with the fund in the interests of the public, and the change of his wife’s attitude.

Main Idea of the passage

The passage tells of the experience of the author’s returning of the costly gifts he received for his public service, describing how he discussed the matter with his children and how he persuaded his wife. Through his experience he tells the readers that accepting costly gifts for one’s service violates the moral principle of a public workers.

Text II Bribery ---- An Inevitable Evil?

Students taking business courses are sometimes a little surprised to find that lectures on business ethics have been included in their syllabuses of study. They often do not realize that, later in their careers, they may be tempted to bend their principles to get what they want; perhaps also they are not fully aware that bribery in various forms is on the increase in many countries and, in some, this type of corruption has been a way of life for centuries.

In dealing with the topic of business ethics, some lecturers ask students how they would act in the following situations: suppose you were head of a major soft drinks company and you want to break into a certain overseas market where the growth potential for your company is likely to be very great indeed. During negotiations with government officials of this country, the Minister of Trade makes it clear to you that if you offer him a substantial bribe, you will find it much easier to get an import licence for your goods, and you are also likely to avoid “bureaucratic delays”, as he puts it. Now, the question is: do you pay up or stand by your principles?

It is easy to talk about having high moral standards but, in practice, what would one really do in such a situation? Some time ago the British car manufacturer, British Leyland, was accused of operating a “slush fund”, and of other questionable practices such as paying agents and purchasers with padded commission, offering additional discounts and making payments to numbered band accounts in Switzerland. The company rejected these allegations and they were later withdrawn. Nevertheless, at this time, there were people in the motor industry in Britain who were prepared to say in private: “ Look, we’re in a wheel-dealing business. Every year we’re selling more that a ￡ 1,000 million worth of cars abroad. If we spend a few million greasing the palms of some of the buyers, who hurt? If we didn’t do it, someone else would.”

It is difficult to resist the impression that bribery and other questionable payments are on the increase. Indeed, they seem to have become a fact of commercial life. To take just one example, the Chrysler Corporation, third largest of the US motor manufacturers, disclosed that it made questionable payments of more than $2.5 million between 1971 and 1976. By making this revelation, it joined more than 300 US companies that had admitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that they had made dubious payment of one kind or another---- bribes, facilitating payments, extra discounts, etc.---- in recent years. For discussion purposes, we can divide these payments into three broad categories.

The first category consists of substantial payments made for political purposes or to secure major contracts. For example, the US conglomerate ITT ( International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation ) offered a large sum of money in support of a US presidential candidate at a time when it was under investigation for possible violation of the US anti-trust law. This same company, it was revealed, was ready to finance efforts to overthrow the government of Chile whose President was Salvadore Allende.

In this category, we may also include large payments made to ruling families or their close advisers in order to secure arms sales or major petrochemical and construction contracts. In a court case involving an arms deal with Iran, a witness claimed that ￡ 1 million had been paid by a British company to a “ go-between ” who helped clinch a deal for supply of tanks to that country. Other countries have also been known to put pressure on foreign companies to make donations to party funds.

The second category covers payments made to obtain quicker official approval of some project, to speed up the wheels of bureaucracy. An interesting example of this kind of payment is provided by the story of a sales manager who had been trying for some months to sell road machinery to the Minister of Works of a Caribbean country. Finally, he hit upon the answer. Discovering that the minister was a bibliophile, he bought a rare edition of a book, slipped $20,000 within its pages, then presented it to the minister. This man examined its contents, then said:

“ I understand there is a two-volume edition of this work.” The sales manager, who was quick-witted, replied: “ My company cannot afford a two-volume edition, sir, but we could offer you a copy with an appendix!” A short time later, the deal was approved.

The third category involves payments made in countries where it is traditional to pay people to facilitate the passage of a business deal. Some Middle East countries would be included on this list, as well as certain Far Eastern countries.

The payment may be made by a foreign company to ensure that a tender is put on a selective contract list or the company may pay so that an import licence for essential equipment is approved. Sometimes an expensive gift may be necessary to soften up a government official.

A common type in this category is the “ facilitating payment” ---- usually a smaller sum of money ---- made to certain customs officials to clear cargoes. One businessman has told the story of a delivery of 10,000 bottles of sterile penicillin at the airport of a Far Eastern country. It was apparently customary to pay customs officials about $250 upon arrival of each shipment to “ get them out of the sun ”. In this case, the company was not prepared to make such a payment, so no money changed hands. The Minister of Health of that nation then ordered that each phial be opened for inspection, thereby destroying the whole shipment.

Is it possible to formulate a code of rules for companies which would outlaw bribery in all its forms? The International Chambers of Commerce ( ICC ) favours a code of conduct which would ban the giving and seeking of bribes. This code would try to distinguish between commissions paid for real services and padded fees. A council had been proposed to administer the code.

Unfortunately, opinions differ among members of the ICC concerning how to enforce the code. The British members, led by Lord Shawcross, would like the system to have enough legal teeth to make companies behave themselves. “ It’s no use having a dog without teeth,” they argue. However, the French delegates think it is the business of governments to make and impose law; the job of a business community like the ICC is to say what is right and wrong, but not to impose anything.

In a well-known British newspaper, a writer argued recently that “ industry is caught in a web of bribery ” and that everyone is “ on the take”. This is probably an exaggeration. However, today’s businessman, selling in overseas market, will frequently meet situations where it is difficult to square his business interests with his moral conscience.

Notes:

Bureaucratic delays: delays caused by an administration which is to follow complex procedures or inflexible rules.

 

Slush fund: fund raised by a group for bribery or other corrupt practices

 

Padded commission: commission higher than what is due.

 

Wheeling-dealing: “wheel and deal” is a slang, meaning operating without restraint by using personal or financial power in big business.

 

Greasing the palms: “ to cross or grease somebody’s palms” means giving someone money, esp. as a bribe.

 

To clear cargoes: to free cargoes from legal detention at ports by satisfying some customs officials.

 

International Chambers of Commerce ( ICC ): the world business organization, the only representative body that speaks with authority on behalf of enterprises from all sectors in every part of the world.

 

…square his business interests… moral conscience: assure his business interests while keeping his moral conscience.

Did he square what he said with what he did?

Main idea

The text tells of the fact that it is easy to talk about having high moral standards but in practice, it is difficult to square one’s business interests with his moral conscience; and three categories of dubious payments are briefly introduced.

Question for discussion:

1.       How important do you think business ethics are?

2.   How many categories of payments are discussed in the article? What are they?

3.       Do you think that bribery can be eliminated for good?

4. Do you agree that “industry is caught in the web of bribery” and “everyone is on the take” are exaggerations? Give your reasons.