英国人的性格(英文)

S PEED READINGThe English Character 英国人的性格The English, as a race, have the reputation of being very different from all other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, Belgians and Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities. 作为一个种族，英国人有着与所有其他民族---包括与离他们最靠近的邻国的法国人、比利时人和荷兰人，都有着非常不同的声誉。

据称，这与英国人生活在一个与欧洲其他地区分开的岛上有很大的关系。

无论是什么原因，可以公平地说，英国人已经养成了许多使他们区别于其他民族的态度和习惯。

Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet,shy ,reserved person who is fully relaxed only among peopl e he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems inhibited, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a commuter train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-l ooking businessmen and women sitreading their newspapers or d ozing in a corner; no one speaks. In fact, to do so woul d seem most unusual. An English wit, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, “On entering a railway compartment shake hands with all the passengers.” Needl ess to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood cod e of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately the object of suspicion. 一般来说，英国人是安静、害羞、保守的的人，只有对熟悉的人，他才会完全放松。

.大部分英国人具有与他人格格不入的孤傲特质。

孤傲(exclusiveness)是英国人最明显的性格特征，他们不愿意和别人多说话，从来不谈论自己，感情不外露，更不会喜形于色。

其它国家的人很难了解英国人的内心世界。

英国人为什么具有孤傲的性格特征呢？原因有二。

第一，英国是一个岛国，英吉利海峡(English Channel)割断了它和外部世界的联系，英国人甚至不把自己看作是欧洲人。

第二，英国人对本民族的历史感到非常骄傲和自豪。

其中，詹姆斯钦定本圣经(King James Authorized Version of the Bible)和莎士比亚的戏剧对西方及世界文化产生了巨大的影响。

英国议会(Parliament)是欧洲最古老的议会，英国是世界上第一个完成工业革命(Industrial Revolution)的国家。

特殊的地理位置和与众不同的祖国文明史使得英国人形成了现在的性格特点。

2.大部分英国人有守旧而又不愿接受新生事物的保守思想。

英国人的保守(conservativeness)为世人所知，英国人却认为他们的做事方式是最好的，最合理的。

有人说，英国人需要20至40年的时间才能接受美国目前的新生事物，此话虽然有一点夸张，但也不无道理。

英国人直到现在也没有采用世界通用的米制(metric system)，仍然使用英里(mile)，直到1971年才将货币单位改为十进制(decimal system)。

英国是世界上为数较少的保持君主制(monarchy)的国家之一，其保守性可见一斑。

当美国人发明中央空调(central heating)的时候，英国人以对身体有害为由拒绝接受这种新生事物，继续使用壁炉(fire place)和电炉(electric stove)。

3.大部分英国人具有讲究文明用语和礼貌的好习惯。

英国人总是为别人着想，他们不会要求别人做不愿意做的事情。

如果他们不得不要求别人做什么事的时候，说得非常客气，诸如：“I know the trouble I am causing you，but would you mind…？”或“I don't really like to ask you，but…”等等。

The English characterTo othe Europeans, the best known quality of the British is "reserve".A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person; he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are. English people tend to be like that. If they are making a journey by bus, they will do their best to find an empty seat; if by train, an empty compartment. If they have to share the compartment with a stranger, they may travel many miles without starting a conversation. If a conversation does start, personal questions like "How old are you?" or even "What is your name?" are not easily asked. Questions like "Where did you buy your watch?" or "What is your salary?" are almost impossible. Similarly, conversation in Britain is in general quiet and restrained and loud speech is considered ill-bred. This unwillingness to communicate with others is an unfortunate quality in some ways, since it tends to give the impression of coldness, and it is true that the English (except perhaps in the North) are not noted for their generosity and hospitality. On the other hand, they are perfectly human behind their barrier of reserve, and may be quite pleased when a friendly stranger or foreigner succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier down.Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred. If a person is, let us say, very good at tennis, and someone asks him if he is a good player, he will seldom reply "Yes," because people will think him conceited. He will probably give an answer like, "I'm not bad," or "Well, I'm very keen on tennis." This self-deprecation is typically English, and, mixed with theirreserve, it often produces a sort of general air of indifference which appears to foreigners difficult to understand and even irritating.The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting-point is self-deprecation, and its great enemy is conce it. It’s ideal is the ability to laugh at oneself —at one's own faults, one's own failures and embarrassments, even at one's own ideals. The criticism, "He has no sense of humor," is very commonly heard in Britain, where humor is so highly prized. A sense of humor is an attitude to life rather than the mere ability to laugh at jokes. This attitude is never cruel or disrespectful or malicious. The English do not laugh at a cripple or a madman, a tragedy or an honorable failure. Sympathy or admiration for artistic skill are felt to be stronger than laughter.Like a sense of humor, sportsmanship is an English ideal which not all Englishmen live up to. It must be realized that sport in its modern form is almost entirely a British invention. Boxing, association football, tennis and cricket were all first organized and given rules in Britain. Rules are the essence of sport, and sportsmanship is the ability to practise a sport in obedience to its rules, while also showing generosity to one's opponent and good temper in defeat. Moreover, sportsmanship as an ideal is applied to life in general. One of the most elementary rules of life is "never hit a man when he's down"─in other words, never take advantage of another person's misfortune. English school-boys often show this sense of sportsmanship to a surprisingly high degree in their relations with each other.。

Unit 1The English Character1.Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss ofenthusiasm.——Winston Churchill2.课文内容TEXT A英国人的性格The English character①有所保留reserved 有距离感reluctance②对外表现谦虚modest 可能内在conceited[自负的] 回答一般是”I’m notbad” or “I think I’m very good” or “Well, I’m very keen on tennis”③英国式幽默self-dispraise④务实讨厌花言巧语flowery expressions⑤运动员精神sportsmanship ——fair play / playing the game [ 遵守规则] /playing fair / straight from the shoulder[一针见血]/ below the belt[ 不公正的] / never hit a man when he’s down[ 不落井下石]TEXT B英国人的性格① Puritanism 清教主义；道德上的极端拘谨② Moderation 适度；温和never go too far③ a good sport输得起的人；堂堂正正的好人（特指具有公正，勇敢性格的人）④ self-doubt 自我疑惑；缺少自信⑤ sentiment 多愁善感cling to the glamorous past⑥ inventiveness 发明创造力rare profit from their inventionsTEXT C英国人的管理精神KEY ①：The English national character is dualistic: one aspect is conservative[保守的]; the other, extroverted[性格外向的].KEY ②：them love to entertain themselves in some pleasure, but their pleasure always knows temperance[节制].EG：① PUB ② English humor ③ The English pace of living. 排队等公交或的士④ Tea drinking3. 短语① be noted for② look down on③ be keen on④ due to⑤ for a time [暂时]⑥ live up to⑦ take advantage of⑧ apply to⑨ cut the mustard 达到要求4. 单词① excitable 易激动的② reliable 可靠的5. 相关言语① A stitch in time saves nine.②One man’s meat is another man’s poison.③ You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink .④ The grass is always greener on the other side.⑤ The best advice is found on the pillow.⑥ Birds of a feather flock together.⑦Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.⑧ Success is never final.⑨ You are not put on to the earth to enjoy yourself.Unit 2The Constitutional Monarchy1. Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities[ 怪癖], of impetuous[ 冲动的] and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements. ——Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ2.课文内容TEXT AThe Constitutional[宪法的] Monarchy[君主政体]君主立宪制的各种常识。

Character of EnglishmenQuality of the British, and in particular of the English, is “reserved.” A reserved perso n is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person: he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are. English people t end to be like that. 在其他的欧洲人看来，英国人，尤其是英格兰人的最明显的特点是“沉默寡言”。

一个沉默寡言的人不大同陌生人说话，情感不大外露，也很少激动。

要想了解一个沉默寡言的人很困难：他从不谈及他的身世，即使你与他工作数年，也许你不知道他家住在哪里，有几个子女，有些什么兴趣爱好。

英国人往往就是这样。

If they are making a journey by bus they will do their best to find an empty seat; if by train, an empty compartment. If they have to share the compartment with a stranger, t hey may travel many miles without starting a conversation. If a conversation does star t, personal questions like “How old are you?” or even “What is your name?” are not e asily asked. 乘公共汽车旅行时，他们会尽量找到一个空座位；乘火车旅行时，他们会尽量找到一个空隔间。

英国人的性格特点E·M·福斯特1.首先，我最好和盘托出并且点明我的观点，从根本上来说，英国人的性格特点是中产阶级的性格特点。

此观点拥有详实的历史渊源，因为自18世纪末起中产阶级就成为了英国社会的主导阶级。

中产阶级凭借工业革命发家，凭借1832年的《改革法案》掌权，他们与大英帝国的崛起和构成休戚相关，他们也是19世纪文学的缔造者。

稳重、谨慎、正直、高效、缺乏想像力、虚伪是每个国家中产阶级的特点，然而在英国，上述特点也是全体英国人的特点，因为只有英国的中产阶级掌权长达150年。

拿破仑无礼地称我们为“店老板民族”。

而我们更喜欢称自己为“伟大的商业民族99后者听起来更有尊严，但是二者在本质上是相同的。

当然，英国社会还包括其他阶级，贵族阶级与贫苦阶级。

然而，批评家的眼睛只盯着中产阶级，正如他们只盯着俄国的贫苦阶级与日本的贵族阶级一样。

俄国的典型形象是农民和工人，日本的典型形象是武士，英国的典型形象是布尔先生，他头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿合体的衣服，挺着大肚皮，数着银行的大笔存款。

圣·乔治也许会蹦蹦跳跳地举起标语，发表政治演说，而约翰·布尔则会去送货。

如果基博的观点是正确的，甚至圣·乔治也曾戴上高顶大礼帽，他是一位军火承包商，并且供应质量低劣的熏肉。

最终的结果都是一样的。

2.其次，正如中产阶级是英国的核心一样，公学制度是中产阶级的核心。

这种超乎寻常的体制具有地域性，它还没有扩展到英伦三岛。

爱尔兰和苏格兰都不存在这种体制(这两个国家不在我的调查之列)，尽管这样有利于其他优秀体制的出现，比如仅限于美国某些学校所采用的阿里加体制，因为它产生于安格鲁一萨克逊中产阶级，而且只能在上述阶级中实行。

英国公学制度比充满社会与精神复杂性的大学更充分地体现了中产阶级的特性。

学生寄宿、必修运动项目、高年级同学在差使低年级同学为自己办事时必须对其行为负责，以及高度重视身材与团队精神是英国公学制度的四大特点，正是这些特点使公学的学生具有超乎寻常的影响力。

英国人的六大性格特点在英国留学生活，自然免不了与英国当地人交往。

那么英国人的性格特点是怎样的，留学生们该如何与他们和睦相处呢？由于地理、历史、文化等方面的原因，世界上的各个民族形成了不同于其他民族的性格特点。

英国人也不例外，经过了几千年的社会变迁，他们形成了自己独特的思维和行为方式，有着与其它国家人民不同的品质和特点。

概括起来，大致英国人的性格特点有以下六个方面：1.大部分英国人具有与他人格格不入的孤傲特质。

孤傲(exclusiveness)是英国人最明显的性格特征，他们不愿意和别人多说话，从来不谈论自己，感情不外露，更不会喜形于色。

其它国家的人很难了解英国人的内心世界。

英国人为什么具有孤傲的性格特征呢？原因有二。

第一，英国是一个岛国，英吉利海峡(English Channel)割断了它和外部世界的联系，英国人甚至不把自己看作是欧洲人。

第二，英国人对本民族的历史感到非常骄傲和自豪。

其中，詹姆斯钦定本圣经(King James Authorized Version of the Bible)和莎士比亚的戏剧对西方及世界文化产生了巨大的影响。

英国议会(Parliament)是欧洲最古老的议会，英国是世界上第一个完成工业革命(Industrial Revolution)的国家。

特殊的地理位置和与众不同的祖国文明史使得英国人形成了现在的性格特点。

2.大部分英国人有守旧而又不愿接受新生事物的保守思想。

英国人的保守(conservativeness)为世人所知，英国人却认为他们的做事方式是最好的，最合理的。

有人说，英国人需要20至40年的时间才能接受美国目前的新生事物，此话虽然有一点夸张，但也不无道理。

英国人直到现在也没有采用世界通用的米制(metric system)，仍然使用英里(mile)，直到1971年才将货币单位改为十进制(decimal system)。

英国是世界上为数较少的保持君主制(monarchy)的国家之一，其保守性可见一斑。