生活英語情景口語:某人怕是要進去蹲兩天了...

A: how are you doing?

J: I'm ok. I wish I could say the same for my friend.

A: what happened to him?

J: he was arrested by the police for drinking and driving.

A: was it his first offence?

J: unfortunately not. He was charged with a DUI when he was in university.

A: what happened to him then?

J: not much; it was a minor offence back then. He got away with a fine of $500.

A: did they take his license away?

J: no, they were really easy on him. The problem is that that was a long time ago. They are much tougher on crime now.

A: what do you think will happen to him?

J: well, he'll definitely lose his license, pay a fine, and maybe even spend some time in jail.

A: that doesn't sound too promising. Does he have a defence lawyer?

J: not yet. If we can't find a lawyer for him, then the state will appoint him with one.

A: my sister is a lawyer. I can ask her if she can help him.

J: that'd be great! I know he'd appreciate your help.

你最近怎麼樣?
還好.要是我的朋友也能這樣就好了.
他怎麼了?
他因爲酒後駕車被逮捕了.
這是他第一次被起訴嗎?
可惜不是.他上大學的時候就因爲醉酒駕車被起訴過一次.
那次他後來怎麼樣的?
沒怎樣,起訴情節較輕.他後來交了500美元的罰金就被釋放了.
他沒有被吊銷駕照嗎?
沒有,他們對他實在判得太輕了.可問題是那是很久以前的事情了,現在對這種問題的處罰要嚴厲的多.
那你覺得他會怎樣?
恩,他肯定會被吊銷駕照,付罰金,甚至很有可能要在監獄裏關上一段時間.
這樣的話他的前途可就不怎麼美妙了.他請辯護律師了嗎?
還沒有.如果我們不能幫他找到律師的話,法庭會給他指派一名.
我姐姐就是個律師.我問問她願不願意幫忙.
那太好了.我敢肯定他會非常感謝你的.

He was arrested by the police for drinking and driving.

'drinking and driving'就是"酒後駕車"的意思.而後面的'DUI'是'driving under the influence'的縮寫.

driving under the influence: (in some states in the US 美國某些州) the crime of driving a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol. It is a less serious crime than driving while intoxicated. 酒後開車罪(較酒醉開車罪輕)

He got away with a fine of $500.

這裏的get away with是指受到從輕發落,犯了錯卻沒有受到應有的處罰,既”'to receive a relatively light punishment'.

He was lucky to get away with only a fine. 他算是萬幸,只被罰款了事.

'get away with'還可以表示做了壞事卻未受到懲罰的意思.

Get away with sth: to do something wrong and not be punished for it做(壞事)而未受懲罰

Don't be tempted to cheat─you'll never get away with it. 別想着作弊 對作弊者會嚴懲不貸.

Nobody gets away with insulting me like that. 這樣侮辱我的人我決不會善罷甘休.

offence: an illegal act crime 違法行爲;犯罪;罪行 countable ~ (against sb/sth)

a criminal/serious/minor/sexual offence 刑事罪;嚴重違法犯罪;輕罪;性犯罪
a first offence(= the first time that somebody has been found guilty of a crime) 初犯
a capital offence(= one for which somebody may be punished by death) 死罪
He was not aware that he had committed an offence. 他沒有意識到自己犯罪了.
an offence against society/humanity/the state 妨害社會／人類／國家的罪行
New legislation makes it an offence to carry guns. 新法律規定持槍爲犯罪行爲.

Defence: what is said in a court of law to prove that a person did not commit a crime; the act of presenting this argument in a court of law 辯辭;辯護;答辯 countable

Her defence was that she was somewhere completely different at the time of the crime. 她辯護說案發時她根本就不在現場.
He wanted to conduct his own defence. 他想自己爲自己辯護.