Vocabulary and Speech Exercises. 5. Read and translate the following text:

5. Read and translate the following text:

Abridged from Pulcovo Aviation Enterprise Inflight magazine.

The struggle against smuggling and violation of Customs regulations has always been closely connected with the political and economic situation in our country. It possesses particular features of its own, which depend upon the situation in question.

A common reason for violation of customs regulations has always been and still is foreign currency; an enormous quantity of it continues to be exported from Russia, both legally and illegally. From an analysis of currency offences it is concluded that there are definite categories of people who commit these offences.

To the first category belong those who do so out of ignorance of Customs legislation: for them Customs regulations and their liability to them is something that is abstract and has nothing to do with them; failing to declare all their foreign currency when crossing the boarder seems to them to be a minor offence, and the decision by Customs to impose a fine of 100% of the value of the illegally imported currency comes like a bolt from the blue. Incidentally, this is the minimum sanction for such an offence.

The second category of foreign currency smugglers are those who are leaving for countries with unstable political situation and a high crime rate. Fear of revealing the amount of their savings and of being robbed leads to the failure to declare their money to Customs.

The third category consists of people who deliberately provide false information about the money they are carrying. As a rule, they do this with the aims of not providing information about the cash they are exporting and of concealing their personal finances from the tax authorities.

The most effective way to fight these offences will be to bring the Customs legislation into good order, particularly in the section concerning Customs declarations, where there are appreciable gaps.

6. Give English equivalents to the following words and phrases from the text above:

борьба с контрабандой; нарушения таможенных правил; по незнанию таможенного законодательства; мелкое правонарушение; при пересечении таможенной границы; решение таможни о наложении штрафа в размере...; минимальная санкция; нестабильная политическая ситуация; страна с высоким уровнем преступности; личные сбережения; умышленно давать недостоверные сведения; налоговая служба; привести в надлежащее состояние таможенное законодательство; ощутимые пробелы