英国是英美普通法系的起源，其律师制度源远流长，在法制建设和经济发展及社会生活中，发挥着重要作用。英国法律服务市场实行完全开放的政策，开放的法律服务市场促进了英国经济和律师业的快速发展。有数据统计，全球 TOP 10的律师事务所中，多家总部都设在英国，此外还有数以百计的律所在英国扎根成长。近期美国的一本律师杂志，根据律所的业绩公布了他们最新的收入排行榜，结果显示，与美国律所相比，英国律所明显处于劣势地位。
本篇课程首发于2018年4月26日
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The American dream: law firms
company /ˈkʌmp(ə)ni/: n. 公司（泛指）；陪伴；连队
companion /kəmˈpanjən/: n. 伴侣；陪伴
firm /fəːm/: n. 公司（一小群人合伙建立的公司）
law/accounting/consulting firm: 律师/会计/咨询事务所
business partner: 商业伙伴
partnership /ˈpɑːtnəʃɪp/: n. 合伙人制度
group /ɡruːp/: n. 公司（大型企业，业务形态多样）
consortium /kənˈsɔːtɪəm/: n. 财团
① British lawyers may gaze covetously across the pond today when the American Lawyer, a magazine, publishes its annual ranking of American law firms by earnings.
covetously /ˈkʌvɪtəsli/: adv. 贪婪地
pond /pɒnd/: n. 池塘 （文中指大西洋 the Atlantic）
② American firms are typically much more profitable than their British counterparts.
counterpart /ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/: n. 相对应的人/物
③ Two say their revenues exceeded $3bn for the first time last year.
exceed /ɪkˈsiːd/: vt. 超过；超越（overpass）
④ The Brits' revenues are watered down by expansion into emerging markets, where they cannot charge fees as high as those commanded in New York, or indeed in London.
water down: 稀释
emerging market /ɪˈməːdʒɪŋ/: 新兴市场 (金砖五国等)
command /kəˈmɑːnd/: vt. 拥有；指挥
⑤ They have also struggled to break into the lucrative American market, where there's no shortage of domestic lawyers chasing business (and ambulances).
lucrative /ˈluːkrətɪv/: adj. 有利可图的
chase /tʃeɪs/: vt. 追赶
ambulance /ˈambjʊl(ə)ns/: n. 救护车
ambulance chaser:（怂恿受伤者起诉的）冷血讼棍律师
⑥ Attracting talent there is also hard, given the superstar salaries offered by top practices.
talent /ˈtalənt/: n. 人才
practice /ˈpraktɪs/: n. 实务
⑦ Pay in British firms is based more on seniority than the business each partner brings in.
seniority /ˌsiːniˈɑːrəti, siːnɪˈɒrɪti/: n. 资历
⑧ Little wonder that Allen & Overy, a London outfit, is rumoured to be hunting for an American alliance.
outfit /ˈaʊtfɪt/: n. 公司；（为特定场合或活动而穿的）全套服装
hunt /hʌnt/: vi. 寻找；搜寻
rumour /ˈruːmə/: vt. 谣传
alliance /əˈlʌɪəns/: n. 同盟
utilitarianism /jʊˌtɪlɪˈtɛːrɪənɪz(ə)m/: n. 实用主义
⑨ If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
▍补充
- If a person works really hard, he/she can get what he/she wants.
- I have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- Anglo-Saxon law system: 英美法系 （判例法）
- continental law system: 大陆法系（成文法）
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