Cutlery thieves feed off Duma
Background:
Thefts of spoons and knives from the Russian Parliament's canteens and bars have soared in recent months. The problem has become so serious that plastic teaspoons have now started replacing metal ones.
Read the supporting article and provide detailed answers to the case questions below.
Thefts
Russia's monolithic parliament building has been hit by a spate of thefts since elections in December 2003 brought in a fresh intake of MPs. An investigation by a daily newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda, has revealed that cutlery thieves are targeting the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
A report in the tabloid says thefts of cutlery and crockery from the parliament's canteens and bars have soared in recent months. It is more than a storm in a teacup. The thieves have not yet been identified — and the problem is so serious that plastic teaspoons have now started appearing, in the absence of metal ones.
«In the past, six or seven spoons would go missing each week», one employee told the paper. «But now they're nicking between 30 and 40 spoons, and 15 or so forks as well».
No joke
A reporter went in search of the missing teaspoons, whose disappearance has upset catering staff. Their wages are docked for every item of cutlery which goes astray.
Under Communist rule, petty theft also occurred, but its scale was more modest, and did not impact on staff pockets. Now, the serving ladies are «bewildered», the paper reports. One elderly worker almost burst into tears when approached. «There's never been anything like it in the whole history of the State Duma», she told the reporter. «Cups and saucers are also being nicked, but they can be written off as breakages. You can't write off metal cutlery».
Visitors
MPs appear unperturbed by the criminal activities in their midst. «The disappearance of the spoons doesn't surprise me», MP Gennady Raykov told the paper. «A11 sorts of people come into parliament*. «They could even roll up a carpet or two and slip them out».
One of Mr Raykov's colleagues, Sergey Glotov, also subscribes to the view that the thefts are the work of outsiders. He says that it is not MPs who are to blame, but the guests they invite into the building. In the absence of a souvenir shop, he suggests, many of them simply help themselves to some of the Russian parliament's finest tableware [9].
Vocabulary notes
to feed off зд. наживаться, ирон. питаться, кормиться
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cutlery столовые приборы (столовые ножи, вилки, ложки)
to soar зд. резко увеличиваться возрастать
spate зд. Засилье, наплыв, большое количество
MPs члены парламента, сокр. От Member of Parlament
fresh intake of MPs новый состав членов парламента (Гос. Думы)
investigation расследование, следствие
storm in a teacup буря в стакане воды, досл. В чайной чашке
crockery посуда (тарелки, чашки и т.п.)
thief (pi. thieves) вор, воришка
to target зд. сделать объектом своего внимания, браться
house зд. Палата (парламента)
petty theft мелкая кража
paper зд. газета
tabloid таблоид, бульварная газета – малоформатная газета со сжатым текстом, иллюстрациями и броскими заголовками.
canteen столовая
would go missing each week зд. пропадали каждую неделю (время «Past Habitual» - «прошедшее обычное, привычное» используется при описании повторяющегося действия в прошлом)
no joke зд. а ведь дело-то нешуточное
to impact on staff pockets зд. «бить по карману» сотрудников; доел, воз действовать, влиять на их зарплату
to dock the wages (salary) урезать заработную плату; производить из нее вычеты
to go astray зд. пропадать, исчезать
all sorts of people всякого рода люди
scale масштаб; размер
in their midst зд. среди них, в их среде
to bewilder смущать, ставить в тупик; сбивать с толку
bewilderment замешательство
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breakages (pi.) битая посуда; «бой»
to write off списывать; прощать
to nick разг. стащить, украсть
to be unperturbed зд. ничуть не удивляться
to slip (smth.) out зд. незаметно вынести (что-либо)', выскользнуть (с чем-либо)
to subscribe зд. присоединяться (к чьему-либо мнению)
carpet ковер
to help oneself (to smth.) зд. пользоваться (чем-либо) бесплатно; угощаться (чем-либо). Не1р yourself — Угощайтесь!
tableware столовая посуда
Case questions:
1. What has started happening in the State Duma since parliamentary elections in December 2003?
2. What has an investigation by Komsomolskaya Pravda revealed?
3. What has soared in Russia's parliament hi recent months?
4. Is it just a storm in a teacup?
5. Have the thieves been identified yet?
6. Do you think the thieves will be caught one day?
7. What proves that the problem has become quite serious?
8. Why are the wages of catering staff docked?
9. What else is being nicked in Duma's canteen except cutlery?
10. Why can't metal cutlery be written off as breakages like cups and saucers?
11. Why wasn't Gennady Raykov surprised to hear about the disappearance of the spoons?
12. Did petty theft occur under Communist rule, too?
13. Why aren't MPs to blame, according to Sergey Glotov?
14. Who does he think the thieves are?
15. Do you agree that the absence of a souvenir shop is the main reason for this theft?
16. Do you agree that it is outsiders and invited guests who are to blame?
17. Do you agree that deputies perhaps simply help themselves to some of the State Duma's finest tableware?
Role-play:
Pretend you own a very popular bar in Pokrovskaya Street. Your bartenders keep telling you that wine glasses, beer mugs, and items of cutlery started to be nicked and go astray. The bartenders blame this petty theft on some customers. You want your employees to put an end to it, since you are not willing to suffer losses. You insist that they should take some urgent measures to stop this sort of nicking.
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While making your decision consider the following issues:
• hiring a shopper to watch the bartenders' work;
• raising prices by 5 percent to cut off potential thieves;
• replacing beer mugs by plastic ones;
• nicking not only spoons and knives but also beer mugs;
• writing wine glasses off as breakages;
• the bar is frequented by all sorts of people;
• the bar can stretch any operator to the limit;
• bars and restaurants stand shoulder to shoulder all along this street;
• nevertheless bartenders and employees must do their best to keep customers satisfied and returning;
• it could be worthwhile to employ experts (retired policemen);
• catching the thieves red-handed;
• your close friend thinks, on the contrary, that nicking two or three beer mugs a day is nothing in comparison with the profit you are making.
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