Drunk Driving
Most countries in the world have harsh laws aimed at penalizing drunk driving. But until recent years, drunk driving was rampant in China, due to weak legal provisions and enforcement. The past decade has witnessed tremendous increase in the number of motor vehicles, most of which are private cars. The lack of legal traditions targeted at drunk driving and people’s lack of legal awareness have given rise alarming traffic casualties as a result of drunk driving.
Drunk driving has created traffic accidents whose implications extend far beyond the traffic realm. In many cases, the drunken drivers are high-ranking government officials or wealthy businessmen who could use their influence, privileges, connections and bribes to get off unpunished. This has occasioned serious social problems because justice is not done and the value of the lives of ordinary people is not duly respected. Those problems in turn contribute to the already widening inequalities between the poor and the rich in the Chinese society, to such an extent that only the institution and the enforcement of the most stringent laws can answer to the rising public complaints.
According to the law introduced since May 1 this year, anybody guilty of drunk driving would be severely fined, subjected to a 6-month detention, and deprived of his driving license. I am totally in favor of this law because it has dramatically reduced cases of drunk driving. Having committed drunk driving, wealthy businessmen, high-ranking government officials, and celebrated musicians have been arrested, sued for criminal offenses, and sentenced. All these indicate that no one is above law, which ruthlessly enforced, would benefit all of us.
【参考译文】
醉驾入刑
世界上大多数国家都有严酷的法律，旨在惩处酒后驾车。但直至最近几年，酒后驾车在中国一直甚为猖獗，原因在于无论是所制定的法规，还是执法活动本身，都过于薄弱。过去的十年目睹了机动车数量的迅猛增长，其中大多是私家车。针对酒后驾车行为，相关法律传统的缺失，以及民众法律意识的淡漠， 已造成了令人发指的醉驾肇事交通伤亡事件。
醉驾所引发的交通事故，其含义已远远超出了交通领域本身。在相当多的醉驾案例中，醉酒的司机是政府高官，或腰缠万贯的生意人，他们可以利用其影响力、特权、人脉关系以及贿赂来逃脱法律的惩处。这便引发了严重的社会问题，因为正义无法得以伸张，普通百姓的生命的价值得不到应有的尊重。这些问题反过来又加剧了中国社会贫富阶层之间早就在日趋扩大的社会不公；其程度之严重，唯有制定并实施最严厉的法律，方能回应愈发沸腾的民怨。
按照今年五月一日起执行的法律，任何犯有醉驾罪责的人，将会接受高额罚款，处以六个月的拘役，并吊销驾照。我完全赞同这一法律，因为它已立竿见影地减少了醉驾的个案数量。在犯下醉驾罪责后，有钱的生意人、政府高官、以及著名音乐人，都纷纷遭到拘留，被提起刑事诉讼，直至判刑。所有这一切表明，没有人可以凌驾于法律之上。因此，对法律铁面无私地加以执行，必将造福于我们每个人。
【值得熟记的句式与短语】
1. harsh laws严酷的法律
2. be rampant猖獗
3. due to weak legal provisions and enforcement原因在于无论是所制定的法规，还是执法活动本身，都过于薄弱
4. witness tremendous increase目睹了……的迅猛增长
5. private cars私家车
6. the lack of legal traditions法律传统的缺失
7. targeted at以……为目标
8. legal awareness法律意识
9. given rise to引起，产生
10. implications extend far beyond the traffic realm含义远远超出了交通领域本身
11. in many cases在相当多的案例中
12. high-ranking government officials or wealthy businessmen政府高官或腰缠万贯的生意人
13. get off unpunished逃脱法律的惩处
14. occasioned serious social problems引发了严重的社会问题
15. justice is not done正义无法得以伸张
16. in turn反过来
17. widening inequalities between the poor and the rich贫富阶层之间日趋扩大的不公
18. to such an extent到达这样一种程度
19. the institution and the enforcement of the most stringent laws制定并实施最严厉的法律
20. answer to对……负责
21. subjected to受到, 经受
22. deprived of his driving license吊销驾照
23. be above law凌驾于法律之上