英语国家概况资料精讲笔记

新版“英语国家概况”精讲笔记 、Chapter 1 第一章

Land and People 英国的国土与人民

I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分

1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England. 地

理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。

2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。

3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.

不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。 4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. 大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。

(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section. 英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。

(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh

苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。它有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：爱丁堡。 (3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府：加的夫

(4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast. 北爱尔兰是英国第四个区域。首府：贝尔法斯特。

5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991.

英联邦是独立的前英国殖民地组成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50个成员国。 Chapter 2 第二章

The Origins of a Nation (5000BC-1066) 英国的起源（公元前5000年—1066年）

I.Arrival and settlement of the Celts 克尔特人的到来和定居

Celts were practiced famers. The drained much of marshlands and built houses of wood.They wre ironworkers, too. Their languages, the Celts languages, are the basis of the language which is still used by some people in Scotland and Wales. Their religion was Druidism (n.德鲁伊教). 克尔特人是有经验的农民，他们排干沼泽地，用木材建造房屋。他们还打造铁器。苏格兰和威尔士语就是以他们的语言为基础发展而来的。

1、 The Celts began to arrive Britain about 700 BC. 约公元前700年，克尔特人来到不列颠岛。 2、The Celts came to Britain in three main waves. 克尔特人来到不列颠有三次高潮。

The first wave were the Gaels-came about 600 BC.

第一次高潮是约公元前600年盖尔人的来临。

The second wave were the Brythons-came about 400 BC. 第二次高潮是约公元前400年布列吞人的抵达。 The third wave were the Belgae-came about 150 BC. 第三次是约公元前150年比利其人的到达。 II. The Anglo-Saxons (446-871)

盎格鲁—撒克逊人（公元446—871年）

1． Basis of Modern English race: the Anglo-Saxons. 盎格鲁—萨克逊时代（奠定了英国的基础）

In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles came to Britain. They were three Teutonic tribes.

①The Jutes, who fished and farmed in Jutland, came to Britain first. A Jutish chief became the King of Kent in 449.②Then the Saxons, users of the short-sword from northern Germany, established their kingdom in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the end of the 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century. ③In the second half of the 6th century, the Angles, who also came from northern Germany and were to give their name to the English people, settled in East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. These seven principal kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria have been given the name of Heptarchy. 五

世纪中叶，朱特人、撒克逊人和盎格鲁人不断入侵不列颠。这是三支日耳曼（条顿）部落。

居住在日德兰半岛（现丹麦南部）上从事打渔农耕的朱特人先抵不列颠。一个朱特人首领于449年当上了国王。后来从德国北部来的使用短剑的撒克逊人在埃撒克斯、苏塞克斯和威塞克斯建立了王国，统治期从五世纪末至六世纪初。六世纪后半叶，同样来自德国北部的盎格鲁人，在东盎格利亚、麦西亚以及诺森伯利来定居，同时把他们的族名加诸在英国人够上。这七个主要王国（肯特、埃塞克斯、苏塞克斯、威塞克斯、东英吉利亚、麦西亚和诺森伯利亚），合称为七王国。 2．The early Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity. 最早的盎格鲁—撒克逊人改信基督教。

The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain. Christianity soon disappeared, except among the Celts of Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine, the Prior of St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, to England to convert the heathen (异教的) English to Christianity. In 597 St. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He was remarkably successful in converting the king and the nobility, but the conversion of the common people was largely due to the missionary activities of the monks in the north.

盎格鲁—撒克逊人把日耳曼宗教带到了英国。除了康瓦尔、威尔士、苏格兰和爱尔兰中的克尔特人还信奉基督教外，基督教很快就消失了。公元597，教皇格里高一世把罗马圣安德鲁修道院的院长圣奥古斯丁派遣到英格兰，其使命是使异教徒的英国人皈依基督教。公元579年圣奥古丁成为坎特伯雷大主教。在使国王和贵族皈依基督教方面，奥古斯丁特别成功。但是普通人的皈依很大程度上归功于北方修道们的传教活动。

3．The Early Anglo-Saxons make the contributions to the English state.(formation of the English nation) 早期盎格鲁—撒克逊人为英国做出的贡献。

The Anglo-Saxons laid the foundations of the English state. Firstly, they ①divided the country into shires (which the Normans later called counties), with shire courts and shire reeves, or sheriffs, responsible for administering law. Secondly, they devised the narrow-strip, three-field ②farming system which continued to the 18th century. Thirdly, they also ③established the manorial system(庄园制). Finally, they ④created

the Witan（council or meeting of the wisemen） to advise the king, the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.

盎格鲁—撒克逊人构筑了英国的国家基础。首先，他们把国家划分为郡，郡法庭和郡法官、或行政司法长官负责执法。其次，他们设计的窄条三区轮作制延用至18世纪。此外，他们还建立了领地制。最后，他们还创立了咨议会(贤人会议)，向国王提供建议，这就成为了今天尚存的枢密院的前身。 IV．Viking and Danish invasions 北欧海盗和丹麦人的入侵 1．The invaders were the Norwegians and the Danes. They attacked various parts of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century, especially between 835 and 878. They even managed to capture York, an important center of Christianity in 867. By the middle of 9th century, the Viking and the Danes were posing a threat to the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. 入

侵者是挪威人和丹麦人，从8世纪末开始，他们不断袭击英格兰的各个地方。9世纪，尤其是公元835-878年间已成为严重问题。他们甚至占领了约克郡，公元867年时的基督教中心。到9世纪中叶，北欧海盗和丹麦人威胁到撒克逊人的威撒克斯王国的安全。 2．King Alfred (849-899) and his contributions 艾尔弗雷德国王（849-899）和他所做出的贡献

Alfred was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them in 879. The Danes gained control of the north and east, while he ruled the rest. He also converted some leading Danes into Christians.

He ①founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”. He ②reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient. He ③translated a Latin book into English. He also ④established schools and ⑤formulated a legal system. All this earns him the title “Alfred the Great.”

阿尔弗雷德是威塞克斯的国王。他打败了丹麦人，并于公元879年与他们达成了友好协议。协议规定丹麦人控制英格兰北部和西部（丹麦法区），而他统治其他地区。他还劝服一些丹麦首领成为基督教徒。

他因为建立了强大舰队，而以“英国海军之父”闻名于世。他改组了“弗立德”（撒克逊军队），使之更为高效。他将一本拉丁语的书翻译成英语。同时他还建立了学校，并且阐明了法律制度。所有这一切使他当之无愧于“阿尔弗雷德大王。”的称号。 V．The Norman Conquest (1066) 诺曼征服（公元1066年）

1．Reasons for William’s invasion of England after Edward’s death. 威廉在爱德华死后入侵英国的原因。

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 England.

据说，爱德华国王曾答应把英格兰王位传给诺曼底公爵威廉，但是贤人会议挑选了哈罗德为国王。公元1066年10月，在哈斯丁斯附近的激烈交锋中，威廉打败了哈罗德军队，同时哈罗德也在此战争中战死。在圣诞节加冕，成为英国国王，从此开始了诺曼征服。 2．The Norman Conquest and its consequences 诺曼征服及其产生的影响。

The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps ①the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror ② confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak

Saxon rule with ③a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.

④Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. ⑤Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. ⑥The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts. 1066年

年的诺曼征服也许是英国历史上的最著名事件。征服者威廉几乎没收了所有土地，将其分发给他的诺曼追随者。他用强有力的诺曼政府代替了软弱的萨克逊政府。于是，封建制度在英国完全建立。开放了与欧洲大陆的关系，文明和商业得到发展，引进了诺曼—法兰西文化、语言、行为规范和建筑艺术。教会与罗马的联系更为密切，教会法庭与民事法庭分离。

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.

英国是一个集不同民族于一体的国家。许多英国人的祖先是古盎格鲁和撒克逊人。而还有一些英国人的是诺曼血统。 Chapter 3 第三章

The Shaping of the Nation (1066-1381) 英国的形成（公元1066-1381） I. Norman Rule (1066-1381) 诺曼统治（公元1066-1381） 1. William's Rule （1066-1087） 威廉一世的统治（公元1066-1087）

England's feudalism under the rule of William the Conqueror 在威廉统治下的英国封建制度

①Under William, the feudal system in England was completely established. ②According to this system, the King owned all the land personally. ③William gave his barons large estates in England in return for a promise of military service and a proportion of the land's produce. ④These estates were scattered far and wide over the country, so that those who held them could not easily combine to rebel the king. ⑤The barons, who had become William's tenants-in-chief, parceled out land to the lesser nobles, knights and freemen, also in return for goods and services. ⑥At the bottom of the feudal scale were the villeins or serfs. ⑦One peculiar feature of the feudal system of England was that all landowners must take the oath of allegiance，not only to their immediate lord, but also to the king.

①在威廉统治下，英国的封建制度得到完全确立。②根据此制度，国王拥有全国所有土地。③威廉把英国的大片土地分给贵族，条件是换取对方服役和物品。④这些地产分散于各处，相距遥远，这样土地拥有者就不易联合起来反叛国王。⑤已成为国王总佃户的贵族又把土地分配给小贵族、骑士和自由民，同样换取货物和服役。⑥处于封建等级最底层的是农奴。⑦英国封建制独有的特色就是，无论是土地承租人还是二佃户，都必须要宣誓效忠于直接地主，而且要效忠于国王。 II．Contents and the significance of the Great Charter 《大宪章》的内容及意义

Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215 under the press of the barons. It consists of sixty-three clauses. Its important provisions are as follows: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freemen should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of their property; (3) the Church should possess all its rights, together with freedom of elections; (4) London and other towns should retain their traditional rights and privileges, and (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the

country. (significance) Although The Great Charter has long been popularly regarded as the ① foundation of English liberties, it was a ②statement of the feudal and legal relationships between the Crown and the barons, ③a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a ④

limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land. 《大宪章》是约翰国王1215年在封建贵族压力下签定的。《大宪章》总共63条，其中最重要的内容是：(1) 未经大议会同意，不得征税；(2) 只有根据国家有关法律才能逮捕、监禁自由人以及剥夺他们的财产；(3)教会应享受其所有权利且有选举自由；（4） 伦敦和其它城镇应保留其贵族的传统权力和特权；(5) 全国要统一度量衡。尽管人们普遍认为《大宪章》为英国的自由奠定了基础，但该宪章只是规定国王和贵族之间封建关系和法律关系的声明书，保证了教会的自由，限制了国王权利。《大宪章》的精神实质就是把国王的权利限制在英国封建法律允许的范围之内。 III.The origins of the English Parliament 英国议会的起源

The Great Council is known to be the prototype (原型) of the current British Parliament. In 1265, Simon de Montfort summoned （召集） the Great Council, together with two knights from each county and two citizens from each town. It later developed into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Its main role was to offer advice，not to make decisions. There were no elections or parties. And the most important part of Parliament was the House of Lords.

大议会是当今英国议会的原型。1265年，西门德孟福尔召开大议会，各县有两名骑士，各镇有两名市民参加。大议会发展到后来演变成议会，分为上议院和下议院。其作用是咨询而非决定；也没有选举和政党。议会的最重要的部分是上议院。 英语国家概况精讲系列（六）

IV．The Hundred Years' War and its consequences. 百年战争及其结果 The Hundred Years’ War refers to the war between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The causes of the war were partly territorial and partly economic. ①The territorial causes were related with the possession by the English kings of the large duchy of Aquitaine in France, as the French kings grew stronger,they increasingly coveted this large slice. ②The economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders, which were the importer of English wool, but they were loyal to the French king politically. Besides, England's desire to ③stop France from giving aid to Scots and ④ a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.

The English's being driven out of France is ① regarded as a blessing for both countries. If the English had remained in France, the superior size and wealth of France would have ②hindered the development of a separate English national identity, ③ while France was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.

百年战争指1337年到1453年英法之间一场断断续续的战争，战争的起因既有领土因素又有经济因素。领土起因尤其是英国国王占领了法国的阿基坦大片公爵领地，这是战争的根源，随着法国国王势力日增，他们渴望占领这片土地。经济原因则与弗兰德斯城有关。弗兰德斯地区生产棉布的城镇是英国羊毛的主要进口商，但这些城镇在政治上却效忠法国国王。其他原因还有英国试图阻止法国对苏格兰人的援助，并且压制不断增强的民族意识。 战争的结果：

把英国人赶出法国对两个国家都是幸事：若英国人继续留在法国，那么法国人在领土和财富上所占的优势必然会阻碍独立的英国的发展；而在英国占领大量法国领土的情况下，法国也很难统一。 Three stages of the war 战争的三个阶段

was laid in these years. In the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher started the privatization policy. Britain joined the European Economic Community in1973.) 温斯顿。邱吉尔在1945年的大选中惨败。全体选民选举了工党政府。战争加快了大英帝国的灭亡，她的殖民地相继独立。英国参与了与其他国家的几个站长。1960年是摇摆的60年代，性解放的年代。在这些年中已发展成为一个福利国家。20世纪80年代，撒切尔开始了她的私有化政策。1973年，英国加入欧共体。

(1) One of the most far-reaching consequences of the War was that it hastened the end of Britain’s empire. 二战最为深远的结果之一是加速了大英帝国的瓦解。

(2) In 1952 Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II. Many people through television saw the ceremony.

1952年伊莉莎白公主加冕成为伊莉莎白女王二世。新发明的电视使许多人看到了加冕仪式的过程。 (4) In January 1973, Britain became a full member of the European Economic Community which was still called the Common Market in 1973. Britain witnessed the first oil embargo in 1973.

1973年1月，英国终于成为欧洲经济共同体的正式成员国。1973年仍称为共同市场。1973年英国经历了第一次石油禁运。 (5) Thatcherism 撒切尔主义

Thatcherism referred to the policies put forward by Margaret Thatcher, the first woman prime minister in England in 1979. The main contents of her policies included the ①return to private ownership of state-owned industries, ②the use of monetarist policies to control inflation, ③the weakening of trade unions the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy, and ③an emphasis on law and order. To some extent her program was successful and she led one of the most remarkable periods in the British economy. She resigned (辞职) in 1990.

1979年玛格丽特.撒切尔成为英国第一任女首相。她提出的政策被为“撒切尔主义”。其内容包括国有工业私有化，采用货币主义政策以控制通货膨胀，削弱工会的影响，加强市场因素在经济中的作用，强调法律和秩序。在一定程度上讲，她的计划是成功的。她领导英国经济度过了一段最繁华的时期之一。1990年她辞职。 第七章

Government and Administration 英国政府机构

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, the head of state is a king or a queen. The United Kingdom is governed, in the name of the Sovereign by His or Her Majesty’s Government. The System of parliamentary government is not based on a written constitution, the British constitution is not set out in any single document. It is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The Judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes.

联合王国是君主立宪制国家,国家的首脑是国王或女王。联合王国以君的名义,由国王或女王陛下政府治理。英国的议会制度并不是基于成文宪

法,英国宪法不由单一文件构成,而由成文法,习惯法和惯例组成。司法部门裁定习惯法或解释成文法。 Constitutional monarchy 君主立宪制

The British monarchy is known as constitutional monarchy. It means the monarchy’s power are limited by law and Parliament. The monarchy actually has no ral power. Constitutional monarchy began after the Glorious Revolution in 1688.英国的君主体制是以君主立宪闻名的。君主政体实际已无实权。它的权力受限于法律和议会。君主立宪制是从1688年的光荣革命后开始。

1.Elizabeth II, her title in the United Kingdom is “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

伊莉莎白二世，她的全称是“伊莉莎白二世承蒙大布列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国以及她的其他领土和领地的上帝之恩典，女王，英联邦元首，共同信仰的保护者。”

2.The Queen is the symbol of the whole nation. In law, She is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces and the “supreme governor” of the Church of England. She gives Royal Assent to Bills passed by parliament.

女王是国家的象征。从法律上讲，她是行政首脑，立法机构的组成部分，司法首脑，全国武装部队总司令，英国国教“至高无上”的领袖。她任命首相和重要的政府官员。对议会通过的法案给予御准。 III．Parliament 议会

1.The United Kingdom is a unitary, not a federal, state. Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

英国是中央集权国家，而不是联邦制国家。议会由君主，上议院和下议院组成。

2.The main functions of Parliament are: (1) to pass laws; (2) to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government; (3) to examine government Policy and administrations, including proposal for expenditure; and (4) to debate the major issues of the day. 议会的主要作用是：（1）通过立法；（2）投票批准税为政府工作提供资金；（3）检查政府政策和行政管理，包括拨款提议；（4）当天的议题辩论。 The House of Lords 上院

The House of Lords is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.The Lords Spiritual are the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yord and 24 senior bishops of the Church of England.The Lords Temporal consist of 1) all hereditary peers and peeresses of England,Scotland,Great Britain and the United Kingdom(but not peers of Ireland);2)life peers created to assist the House in its judicial duties;3)all other life peers.The main function of the House of Lords is to bring the wide experience of its members into the process of law-making.上院由神职人员和世俗议员组成。神职包括坎特伯雷和约克大主教及24名高级主教。世俗议员包括1）所有英，苏，大不列颠及联合王国的世袭贵族，女贵族（但不包括爱尔兰）；2）协助议院司法工作的终身贵族；3）其他终身贵族。上院的主要作用就是集中议员集体经验智慧制定法律。

The House of Commons 下院

The House of Commons is elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of 651 Members of Parliament (MPs).It is in the House of Commons that the ultimate authority for law-making resides.下 院议员由成人普选产生，共有651名议员。最高立法权掌握在下院手中。 1） Parliamentary Electoral System议会选举制

A General Election must be held every five years and is often held at more frequent intervals.British citizens,together with citizens of other Commonwealth countries and citizens of the Irish Republic resident in Britain,may vote provided they are 1)aged 18 or over,2)included in the annual register of electors for the constituency,and 3)not subject to any disqualification.A candidate must deposit 500 pound.大选每5年一次，且经常不足5年就举行。英国公民包括其他英联邦国家公民和爱尔兰共和国在英国的居民都有选举权。选举条件1）18或18以上，2）选区全体选民的每年选民登记册上登记注册者 3）有资格参选者。候选人必须交纳500英镑保证金。 2）The Political Party System政党体制

Since 1945 either the Conservative Party or the Labour Parth has held power.自1945年以来，一直由保守

党或工党轮流执政。 Chapter 9第九章

Social Affairs英国社会 III. Religion 宗教

1. Everyone in Britain has the right to religious freedom with out interference from the community or the State. (He may believe in any church or none at all.) He may change his religion at will may manifest his faith in teaching, worship and observance. Except that the Lord Chancellor may be a Roman Catholic, public offices are open without distinction to members of all churches or none.

在英国，人人都有信仰宗教的权利，社会和政府不得干涉。他可以随意改变宗教信仰，可以在布道，礼拜和仪式中表明他的信仰。除了大法官不可以是罗马天主教徒外，公共职务对各种信仰或没有信仰的人一律公开。

2. Established churches国教

There are two established church in Britain: in England the church of England and in Scotland the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland.

英国有两大国教，在英格兰是英格兰国教，苏格兰是苏格兰教会（长老教）。

3. Church of England is uniquely related to the Crown in that the Sovereign must be a member of that Church and as “Defender of the Faith”. The Church is also linked with the State through the House of loads. The church of England is not free to change its form of worship, as laid down in the Book of Common Prayer without the consent of Parliament.

英格兰国教与君主有独特的联系。因为君主作为“国教的捍卫者”必须是此教会的一员，他在登基时必须承诺维持国教。国教还通过上议院与国家联系起来。没有议会同意，英格兰教会不可随意改变“国教祈祷书”中规定的礼拜仪式。

4. The government of the Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, that is, government by ministers and elders, all of whom are ordained to office. The Monarch is normally represented at the general assembly by the Lord High Commissioner.

苏格兰教的管理时长老制，也就是由教士和长老治理。他们被授予圣职，王室高级代表通常代表君主光临会议。

5. Unestablished churches 非国教教会

There are include: the Anglican Churches(圣公会)，the Free Churches(自由教会)；(the largest of the Free Churches – the Methodist Church 最大的自由教会—卫 理公会)，the Roman Catholic Church（罗马天主教）。 IV. Festival and Public Holidays 节假日

1.Christian festivals 基督教节日

The Christian festival of the year and Christmas, Easter, and Whit Sunday. 其主要的节日有圣诞节，复活节，圣灵降临节

Christmas day, December 25th, celebrates the birth of Christ, and it is the greatest of Christian festivals. Easter celebrates the Resurrection (复活) of Christ. Easter is traditionally associated with the eating Easter eggs.Whit Sunday (圣灵节) celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s apostles seven days after his death, and it is on the seventh Sunday after Easter.圣诞节，12.25，纪念耶稣的诞生，是最盛大的基督教节日。复活节是庆祝基督的复活。复活节有吃复活节彩蛋的习惯。圣灵节是庆祝基督去世7周后，重新降临到他的使徒们中间，在复活节后第7个周日。 2.Other festivals 其他节日

Britain’s other festivals include New Year’s Day, Gy Fawkes Day (篝火节), April Fools Day（愚人节）, Mother’s Day and the Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) 英语国家概况精讲系列（二十七） Chapter 10 第十章

The education system in Britain

1. primary education 初等教育，小学教育

Primary education is compulsory(义务教育) in Britain. It begins at five in Great Britain and four in Northern Ireland. All children have to attend primary school and they finish their primary education at the age of 11. In addition to the many state primary schools(公立小学) which do not ask their pupils to pay fees, there are also some fee-paying independent primary schools (收费的私立小学). The most famous fee-paying primary schools are the preparatory schools which admit children from seven-plus to 11,12 or 13 years old.初等教育在英国是义务教育，大不列颠是从5岁开始，北爱尔兰是4岁。所有的孩子必须参加初等教育，并在11岁完成。除了许多国家公立小学不向学生收费外，也有一些收费的私立小学。预备学校学生的年龄通常为7岁以上到11 12 13岁。 2.secondary education 中等教育，中学教育

Secondary education in Britain is also compulsory. All the children must receive secondary education after finishing their primary education at the age of eleven. The secondary school age-range(中学生的年龄段) is from 11-18. About 90 per cent of the state secondary school population in Great Britain attend comprehensive schools.Secondary schools include comprehensive schools (综合中学), secondary modern schools (现代中学) and grammar schools(文法学校). They are state schools（公立学校）。中等教育在英国也是必须的，所有孩子必须在11岁完成初等教育后接受中等教育。中学生的年龄段从11-18。大不列颠90%左右的国属中等学校学生就读于综合中学。 3.higher education 高等教育，大学教育

There are some 90 universities,including the Open University. Most famous ones are Oxford and Cambridge. There is also the Open University which is “open” to all to become students, mainly adult students. 包括开放大学在内，英国共有90所大学。最著名的是牛津和剑桥。还有开放大学， 即向所有未来的学生和成人开放。 2. The Media paper 报纸

British newspapers can be divided into three kinds:quality newspapers(高质量严肃报纸)， popular newspaper(通俗报纸)， and mid-market newspapers(中间市场报)。

1.Quality newspapers are directed at readers who want full information on a wide range of public matters. There are 5 quality dailies (Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times) and 4 quality Sundays (Sunday Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, and The Sunday Times).严肃报纸面向那些想全面了解社会事物各方面信息的读者。共有5家严肃日报（《金融时报》、《每日电讯报》、《卫报》、《独立报》、《泰晤士报》）和4家严肃周日报（《星期日电讯报》、《星期日独立报》、《观察家》、《星期日泰晤士报》）

2.Populary newspapers appeal to people wanting news of a more entertaining character, presented more concisely. There are 3 popular dailies (Daily Mirror, Daily Star and The Sun) and 3 popular Sundays(News of the world, Sunday Mirror, and The people).通俗报纸吸引那些需要娱乐性较强而又简单明了的新闻的

人们。共有3家通俗日报（《每日镜报》、《晨星报》、《太阳报》）和3家通俗周日报（《世界新闻报》、《星期日镜报》、《人民报》）

The BBC(the British Broadcasting Corporation英国广播公司) and its programs

BBC is the largest and dominant broadcasting corporation in Britain. BBC World Service broadcasts international news worldwide in 38 other languages. The BBC is state-run（国营）and it is financed from the sales of television licences(出售电视收视证).BBC是英国最大的和独立的广播公司。BBC国际广播电台用英语和其他38种语言播放全球范围的国际新闻。国营的BBC的资金来源于收视许可证的销售。 BBC Network Radio serves（广播网） an audience of 30 million a week in Britain, broadcasting around 38,000 hours of programmes each year on its 5 networks.BBC广播网在英国每周就有3千万听众，每年在5个广播网上播送节目约38000个小时。. Sports体育运动

1. Many international sports were introduced by the British who take their leisure time very seriously. There is widespread participation in sport in Britain.

英国人很重视休闲时光，许多国际体育项目是由他们推广开来的，在英国，人们广泛参与体育活动。 2. Football ( or “soccer” as it is colloquially called ), the most popular sport in England as well as in Europe, has its traditional home in England where it was developed in the 19th century. 足球（口语叫”soccer”）,在英格兰和欧洲是最受欢迎的运动，其传统老家在英格兰，在19世纪得到发展。

3. The game “Rugby” was invented at Rugby School in Warwich shire in the early 19th century.

英式橄榄球（又称拉格比足球）于19世纪初发明于沃尔威克郡的拉格比学校，因此而得名。

4. Cricket, the most typically English of sports, has been in existence since the 16th century. On an international level, 5-day Cornhill Test Matches.

板球，是英国人最典型的体育运动，自从16世纪以来已存在。国际比赛是为期5天的康希尔决赛。 5. Although tennis has been played for centuries, the modern game originated in England in late 19th. The main tournament is the annual Wimbledon fortnight, one of the 4 tennis “Grand Slam” tournaments. 尽

管网球已打了好几个世纪，但现代比赛却起源于19世纪末的英格兰。主要比赛是一年一度的温布尔登两周赛，这是四大满贯网球锦标赛之一。

6. There is a considerable following and participation of athletics in Britain. For example, the London Marathon, which takes place every spring.

英国参加田径的人很多，例如伦敦的马拉松塞，每年春季举行。

7. The home of golf is Scotland where the game has been played since the 17th century and naturally the oldest golf club in the world is there: The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. The most important national event is the Open Championship with the Walker Cup for amateurs and the Ryder Cup for professionals.

高尔夫球的故里是苏格兰，自从17世纪以来这项运动就在那儿盛行。全世界最古老的高尔夫俱乐部也在那里：爱丁堡高尔夫球会员荣誉公司。全国最大的比赛是沃尔克杯业余公开赛和雷德尔杯职业公开赛。

Major forms of art in Britain 1)museums and galleries

The largest and most important is the British Museum最大和最重要的是英国博物馆 2) music

People in Britain are interested in a wide range of music, including classical music(古典音乐), rock and pop misic, Jazz , folk and Light Mucic. In the early 1960s a new pop culture—beat（披头士）, emerged in

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