广东湛江最大驾考受贿案

 　　A total of 40 people have been convicted in a bribery¹ scheme which involved people having to pay some 600 yuan each to pass their drivers exam.

　　The courts have heard the would-be drivers would pay the money to their driving instructors².

　　The instructors would then pay kickbacks³ to the local department of motor vehicles.

　　广东湛江最大驾考受贿案

　　Those convicted include the head of Zhanjiang's department of motor vehicles, as well as a number of officials with the department, as well as a group of driving instructors.

　　Reporter Lan Fen⁴ works at a local TV station, and covered the story after it broke in 2013.

　　She says it appears the bribes⁵ were a poorly-kept secret in Zhanjiang.

　　"What surprised me is the unspoken rule of passing the driving test by offering money was known by virtually everyone locally. One driver told us that when signing up for a driving school, bribes for the examiners were added to the tuition fee. Even if they knew the money was meant for something illegal, the drivers couldn't refuse. If the driver didn't offer the extra money, they would have to take their driver's test again. But if they did pay the money, even if their driving skills weren't good enough to pass, they would still get their license⁶."

　　So far, over 21-million yuan has been returned as part of the investigation⁷.

　　The chief of the Zhanjiang Department of Motor Vehicles, Liang Zhihong, has already been handed a 10-year sentence.

　　Yue Shenshan, a Beijing-based lawyer, says harsh punishment is possible for some of the others convicted, who are still awaiting their sentences.

　　"These examiners have already been removed from their posts. This is part of their administrative⁸ punishment. However, this doesn't mean they will be spared from criminal punishment. It will all depend on their individual circumstances."

　　Under the current laws, anyone convicted of taking a bribes worth over 100-thousand yuan faces sentences ranging from 10-years in prison to the death penalty in certain cases.

　　For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.

1 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

2 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

3 kickbacks   

n.激烈反应( kickback的名词复数 )；佣金，回扣

参考例句：

• Everyone at City Hall is receiving kickbacks. It's the only way to get anything done there. 市政府里的每个人都收回扣，在那里只有送红包，事情才办得成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• G raft or kickbacks paid to officials or law enforcem ent authorities. 暗中付给官员或执法人员的回扣。 来自互联网

4 fen   

n.沼泽，沼池

参考例句：

• The willows over all the fen rippled and whitened like a field of wheat.沼泽上的柳树，随风一起一伏，泛出白光，就象一片麦田一样。
• There is a fen around each island.每个岛屿周围有一个沼泽。

5 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

6 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。