英美文化概论 纯正英语版 Introduction to the UK[1]

CHAPTER 5 BRITISH CULTUREI . IntroductionThe people of Great Britain include the English, Irish, Scots and Welsh. After Southern Ireland became an independent republic in 1948, the United Kingdom included Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. There are many differences among the ways these people live, depending on their geographic location and national traits. However, this introduction to contemporary middle-class culture will focus on the similarities shared by the British people.第五章英国文化一、导言大不列颠民族包括英格兰人，爱尔兰人，苏格兰人和威尔士人。

1948年，南爱尔兰成为一个独立的爱尔兰共和国后，英国只包括北爱尔兰，英格兰，苏格兰和威尔士四个部分。

这些地方的人们生活方式存在许多差异，这些差异取决于其所处的地理位置和民族特性。

不过，本章着重介绍的是当代英国中产阶级在文化方面的相似之处。

II. The British People—General T raitsBy the end of the 20th century nearly 59, 000, 000 people lived in the United Kingdom. Generally, they tend to be a very reserved people. Since they are not immediately friendly and open with strangers, they seem to be difficult to get to know. They are not the kind of people to embrace friends with open arms and are offended by body contact, such as kissing and hugging, when meeting others. At an early age, children are taught to control their feelings and keep a "stiff upper lip". Although this behavior is often perceived to be aloof, it is just a national trait.二、不列颠民族——总体特征到20世纪末，英国有将近五千九百万人。

Chapter 1 American History (1)The "first American "were the Indians. The first English colony in the Americas was founded at Jamestown, Virginaia, in 1607.Between 1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North American.“最早的美国人”是印地安人，英国于1607年在美国建立了第一块殖民地，即在弗吉尼亚的詹姆斯，1607-1733年间，英国在北美洲的东海岸建立了十三个殖民地。

In 1620,201 of Pilgrims sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. They arrived at Plymouth and built the Plymouth colony.1620年，有201名英国清教徒乘坐一名为”五月花号“的船到达了普利茅斯并建立了殖民地。

From 1630 to 1643,some 200 ships transported over 20000 Englishmen to the Massachusetts Bay colony.从1630-1643年，约有200艘船把2万英国人抵马萨者萨弯殖民地。

The colonists were building a new way of life in the New World. There were a number of features, which would play a role in forming the American character. They were :representative from of government, rule of law, respect of individual rights, religious tolerance and a strong spirit of individual enterprise.殖民主义者新生活方式的这些特点在美国人性格形成中发挥了重要作用：建立代义制政府，法治，对个人权利的尊重，宗教上的宽容及强烈的个人进取心。

1. The Norman Conquest of England (1066) The Medieval1．Reasons for William’s invasion of England after Edward’s death.It was said that king Edward had promised the English throne to William, but the Witan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England2．The Norman Conquest and its consequencesThe Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated(查抄，充公) almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.3．The English is a mixture of nationalities of different origins. The ancestors of many English people were the ancient Angles and Saxons. Some English people are of the Norman-French origin.2.名词解释: The crusadesIt's a religous war. Pope urban Ⅱlaunched the crusades in 1095,He issued a call for a "Holy War" to gain control over the Holyland of the middle East.It includes social and political factors.That was the battle cry of the thousands of Christians who joined crusades to free the Holy Land from the Muslims. From 1096 to 1270 there were eight major crusades and two children's crusades, both in the year 1212. Only the First and Third Crusades were successful. In the long history of the Crusades, thousands of knights, soldiers, merchants, and peasants lost their lives on the march or in battle.Richard lion-heartT he crown of England passed from Henry II to his 32-year-old son Richard, a.k.a. Lion Heart. Ri chard I had spent six months of his ten-year-reign abroad.His courage and military(军事的) talent, even before he became king, was famous, earning him the nickname of Coeur de Lion (Lion's heart). By the young age of 16 he was already commanding troops in France, putting down rebellions（叛乱）, and he led the Third Crusade.Meet one's waterloo: used to describe someone who has been defeated badly3.The Hundred Years warThe main reason for this war ?Disputes about the territories and throne between England and France werecommon. In order to succeed the french throne ,England King started the war france.joan of Arc,as we is known to all, is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint.she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War.4. The war of rosesWars of the Roses (1455-1487), or rose of war, usually refers to the British House of Lancaster and York between supporters of the dynasty to the throne of England the intermittent(断断续续的) civil war.Plantagenet royal family are the two branches, is a descendant of King Edward III.Wars of the Roses is not the name used at the time, it's home from the selected two royal emblem, the red roses of Lancaster and York's white rose.5.Henry ⅧHenry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry's struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.6.Mary bloodyMary was the only child of King Henry VIII of England and his first wife Catherine of Aragon to survive infancy.A s the fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, Mary is remembered for her restoration of Roman Catholicism after the short-lived Protestant reign of her brother. During her five year reign,she persecuted 280 religious dissenters,so Her Protestant opponents gave her the sobriquet of "Bloody Mary".7.Elizabeth IWhen we refer to Elizabeth I, we always associated her with two things, one thing is literature,the other thing is adventure on the sea.8.the two famous men of voyages and travels: vasco da Gama and Columbus9. The magna carta1. an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin; its name is usually translated into English as Great Charter.2.Magna Carta required lackland King John of England to proclaim certain rights (pertaining to nobles and barons), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law.3. Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects (the barons) in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.10.Guy Fawkesbelonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.17世纪（bourgeois revolution）11.charles I(the english civil war)who support "divine right",persecuted a large number of "puritan" elements.Charles' last years were marked by the English Civil War, in which he fought the forces of the English and Scottish Parliaments.in the second civil war,Oliwer Cronwell,lord of protectant ,defeated him as temporary overthrow of monakhy and established republic constitutional.chareles I was condemned to death,but he refuted to enter a plee.12.the golorious revolution(1688)The limited monarchy which resulted from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ensured that the powerful economic interests in the community could exert their influence over Government policy.the purpose is to stop James II's restoration of cathlic.James II claim to abdicate automatically and "mary and william", puke of orange, replaced as queen ang king.13.Bill of rightsThe Bill of Rights of the United Kingdom is largely a statement of certain rights to which citizens and permanent residents of a constitutional monarchy were thought to be entitled in the late 17th century, asserting subjects' right to petition the monarch, as well as to bear arms in defence.14.W. William Shakespeare(16世纪)四大悲剧：《哈姆雷特》(英：Hamlet)、《奥赛罗》（英：Othello)、《李尔王》（英：King Lear）、《麦克白》（英：Mac Beth）。