英美概况--常识2
Thomas Paine: Common Sense（《常识》英文版）（2）
[字体：大中小] [日期：2003-09-27] 来源：Info USA 作者：托马斯·潘恩
Thomas Paine: Common Sense（《常识》英文版）（2）
托马斯·潘恩文发表：：选自Info USA/2001年4月；学术交流网/美国历史文献/ 2002年11月5日转发
上接1篇
I know it is difficult to get over local or long standing prejudices, yet if we will suffer ourselves to examine the component parts of the English constitut ion, we shall find them to be the base remains of two ancient tyrannies, co mpounded with some new republican materials.
First.--The remains of monarchical tyranny in the person of the king. Secondly.--The remains of aristocratical tyranny in the persons of the peers.
Thirdly.--The new republican materials, in the persons of the commons, on whose virtue depends the freedom of England.
The two first, by being hereditary, are independent of the people; wherefore in a constitutional sense they contribute nothing towards the freedom of th e state.
To say that the constitution of England is a union of three powers reciprocal ly checking each other, is farcical, either the words have no meaning, or the
y are flat contradictions.
To say that the commons is a check upon the king, presupposes two things.
First.--That the king is not to be trusted without being looked after, or in ot her words, that a thirst for absolute power is the natural disease of monarc hy.
Secondly.--That the commons, by being appointed for that purpose, are eith er wiser or more worthy of confidence than the crown.
But as the same constitution which gives the commons a power to check th e king by withholding the supplies, gives afterwards the king a power to ch eck the commons, by empowering him to reject their other bills; it again su pposes that the king is wiser than those whom it has already supposed to b e wiser than him.
A mere absurdity!
There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of monarchy; it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgment is required. The state of a king sh uts him from the world, yet the business of a king requires him to know it thoroughly; wherefore the different parts, by unnaturally opposing and destro ying each other, prove the whole character to be absurd and useless.
Some writers have explained the English constitution thus; the king, say the y, is one, the people another; the peers are an house in behalf of the king; the commons in behalf of the people; but this hath all the distinctions of a n house divided against itself; and though the expressions be pleasantly arra
nged, yet when examined they appear idle and ambiguous; and it will alway s happen, that the nicest construction that words are capable of, when appli ed to the description of some thing which either cannot exist, or is too inco mprehensible to be within the compass of description, will be words of soun d only, and though they may amuse the ear, they cannot inform the mind, for this explanation includes a previous question, viz. How came the king by a power which the people are afraid to trust, and always obliged to check? Such a power could not be the gift of a wise people, neither can any pow er, which needs checking, be from God; yet the provision, which the constit ution makes, supposes such a power to exist.
But the provision is unequal to the task; the means either cannot or will not accomplish the end, and the whole affair is a felo de se; for as the greate r weight will always carry up the less, and as all the wheels of a machine a re put in motion by one, it only remains to know which power in the consti tution has the most weight, for that will govern; and though the others, or a part of them, may clog, or, as the phrase is, check the rapidity of its mot ion, yet so long as they cannot stop it, their endeavors will be ineffectual; t he first moving power will at last have its way, and what it wants in speed is supplied by time.
That the crown is this overbearing part in the English constitution needs not be mentioned, and that it derives its whole consequence merely from being the giver of places and pensions is self-evident, wherefore, though we have been wise enough to shut and lock a door against absolute monarchy, we at the same time have been foolish enough to put the crown in possession of the key.
The prejudice of Englishmen, in favour of their oown government by king, lo rdsand commons, arises as much or more from national pride than reason. I
ndividuals are undoubtedly safer in England than in some other countries, bu t the will of the king is as much the law of the land in Britain as in France, with this difference, that instead of proceeding directly from his mouth, it is handed to the people under the more formidable shape of an act of parlia ment. For the fate of Charles the first, hath only made kings more subtle--n ot more just.
Wherefore, laying aside all national pride and prejudice in favour of modes a nd forms, the plain truth is, that it is wholly owing to the constitution of th e people, and not to the constitution of the government that the crown is n ot as oppressive in England as in Turkey.
An inquiry into the constitutional errors in the English form of government is at this time highly necessary, for as we are never in a proper condition of doing justice to others, while we continue under the influence of some leadi ng partiality, so neither are we capable of doing it to ourselves while we re main fettered by any obstinate prejudice. And as a man, who is attached to a prostitute, is unfitted to choose or judge of a wife, so any prepossession in favour of a rotten constitution of government will disable us from discern ing a good one.
OF MONARCHY AND HEREDITARY SUCCESSION.
Mankind being originally equals in the order of creation, the equality could o nly be destroyed by some subsequent circumstance; the distinctions of rich, and poor, may in a great measure be accounted for, and that without havin g recourse to the harsh ill sounding names of oppression and avarice. Oppre ssion is often the consequence, but seldom or never the means of riches; a nd though avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor, it gen erally makes him too timorous to be wealthy.
But there is another and greater distinction for which no truly natural or reli gious reason can be assigned, and that is, the distinction of men into kings and subjects. Male and female are the distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so e xalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth enq uiring into, and whether they are the means of happiness or of misery to m ankind.
In the early ages of the world, according to the scripture chronology, there were no kings; the consequence of which was there were no wars; it is the pride of kings which throw mankind into confusion. Holland without a king hath enjoyed more peace for this last century than any of the monarchical governments in Europe. Antiquity favors the same remark; for the quiet and rural lives of the first patriarchs hath a happy something in them, which va nishes away when we come to the history of Jewish royalty.
Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens, fr om whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the most prosper ous invention the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of idolatry. The Heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the christian world hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones. How im pious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust!
As the exalting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on th e equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority of s cripture; for the will of the Almighty, as declared by Gideon and the prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings. All anti-monarchical parts of scripture have been very smoothly glossed over in monarchical gove
rnments, but they undoubtedly merit the attention of countries which have t heir governments yet to form. "Render unto C\jsar the things which are C\js ar's" is the scripture doctrine of courts, yet it is no support of monarchical g overnment, for the Jews at that time were without a king, and in a state of vassalage to the Romans.
Near three thousand years passed away from the Mosaic account of the cre ation, till the Jews under a national delusion requested a king. Till then their form of government(except in extraordinary cases, where the Almighty inter posed) was a kind of republic administred by a judge and the elders of the tribes. Kings they had none, and it was held sinful to acknowledge any bein g under that title but the Lord of Hosts. And when a man seriously reflects on the idolatrous homage which is paid to the persons of Kings, he need no t wonder, that the Almighty ever jealous of his honor, should disapprove of a form of government which so impiously invades the prerogative of heaven.
Monarchy is ranked in scripture as one of the sins of the Jews, for which a curse in reserve is denounced against them. The history of that transaction is worth attending to.
The children of Israel being oppressed by the Midianites, Gideon marched ag ainst them with a small army, and victory, thro' the divine interposition, deci ded in his favour. The Jews elate with success, and attributing it to the gen eralship of Gideon, proposed making him a king, saying, Rule thou over us, thou and thy son and thy son's son. Here was temptation in its fullest exten t; not a kingdom only, but an hereditary one, but Gideon in the piety of his soul replied, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. T he Lord shall rule over you. Words need not be more explicit; Gideon doth not decline the honor, but denieth their right to give it; neither doth he co mpliment them with invented declarations of his thanks, but in the positive s
tile of a prophet charges them with disaffection to their proper Sovereign, th e King of heaven.
American History 英美概况美国历史
American History ?I. America in the colonial era ?II. The War of Independence ?III. The Civil War ?IV. America during the two World Wars I. America in the colonial era ?Who were the very first Americans? ?Who was the first one discovering the new continent? ?After whom was the new continent named? I. America in the colonial era ?1.The very first Americans were Indians. ●They created their civilization, known as Maya civilization, dominating Mexico and Central America from 4th to the 10th centuries. ●They were the descendants of the Mongoloid (蒙古人种的) people in Asia. ●About 20,000 years ago, they traveled to the North American continent across the Bering Strait (白令海峡). ?2. Christopher Columbus is believed to have discovered America. ●In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America. However, he believed he had reached India and called the natives Indians. ?In 1500, Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator, also under the Spanish flag, drew the conclusion that what he found was a new continent. 3. The establishment of colonies ?Since the America was found, the Spanish established many colonies: Florida, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. ?In 1588, the Spanish Armada was defeated by the English navy，which put England in a better position to provide support for its New World colonies. 3. The establishment of colonies ?Between 1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. ?These 13 colonies were established in different patterns: ●crown colonies ( 直辖殖民地), ●proprietary colonies ( 业主殖民地), ●charter colonies ( 特许公司殖民地), ●self-governing or compact colonies ( 自治殖民地或契约殖民地). ?1) The first successful English colony in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia , in 1607. ?2) In 1620, a group of Pilgrims sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. They arrived at Plymouth, and built the New Plymouth colony in New England. These Pilgrims drew up the epoch-making Mayflower Compact (五月花契约), which was signed by all adult males on the ship. 3. The establishment of colonies ?3) From 1630 to 1643, some 200 ships transported over 20,000 Englishmen to the Massachusetts Bay colony. ?Plymouth remained a separate colony until 1691 when it was combined with Massachusetts Bay colony. Puritans ?People who criticized or wished to "purify" the Church of England. ?"Puritan" refers to two distinct groups: ?"separating" Puritans, radical Protestants, such as the Plymouth colonists, the pilgrims, who believed that the Church of England was corrupt and that true Christians must separate themselves from it; and ?“non-separating” Puritans, such as the colonists who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed in
初中英语英美文化中英美文化常识素材【word版】.doc
About American 1.What is the full name of America? The United States of America 2 How many states are there in the United States? Fifty states 3 What is the capital of the USA Washington D.C. 4 Where is the Stature of Liberty? In New York 5 Where does the American president live ? In the white house About Britain 1 What does UK stand for ? The United Kingdom 2 What us the full name of the UK? The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3What are the four parts of the UK? England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 4In which continent is the UK situated? In Europe. 5 By which channel is the UK separated The English Channel About China 1.How many ethnic groups are there in China? 56 2.In which continent is China located In Asia 3. what are the four great inventions in ancient China? Paper-making, printing, gunpowder, and the compass 4. What is the largest island in China? Taiwan Island 5. When was the people’s Republic of China founded?
英美概况(英国篇1：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. 英联邦是曾为英国殖民地的、但现已独立国家所构成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50个成员国。 II. Geographical Features 英国的地理特征 1.Geographical position of Britain: 英国的地理位置： Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 英国是一个岛国。它位于大西洋北部，与欧洲大陆的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海将它与欧洲其它部分隔开。 2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands. 英国的西部和北部主要是高地，东部和东南部主要是低地。 III. Rivers and Lakes 河流与湖泊
英美文化概况之英国篇
英美文化概况之英国篇 英国早期人文历史常识 （一） 英国东邻北海，西、北面对大西洋，南面是英吉利海峡（the English Channel），与法国隔海相望。 地理上，这里被称为“不列颠群岛”（British Isles），由大不列颠岛（Great Britain）和爱尔兰岛（Ireland）这两大岛屿，以及其它几百个小岛组成。 大不列颠岛上分布着英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士（England,Scotland and Wales）三个区域，而爱尔兰岛则分成北爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国（Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland）两块。 政治上，大不列颠和北爱尔兰共同组成联合王国（the United Kingdom），而爱尔兰共和国则是独立于联合王国而存在的独立的国家。我们通常所说的英国，则是指联合王国。 联合王国的首都是伦敦（London）；而爱尔兰共和国的首都是都柏林（Dublin）。 大不列颠岛在政治上被划分成英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士三个区域，其中英格兰面积最大、人口最多，总的来说也最为富裕。因此很多人通常会用“英格兰人”（English）指代“不列颠人”（British），这点当然会引起苏格兰人和威尔士人（Scots and Welsh）的不满。不列颠在大约一百年前曾统治着世界上四分之一的人口和土地，其殖民地遍布全球各大洲。二战之后，随着不列颠国力衰退，各殖民地纷纷独立，不列颠帝国（the British Empire）在1931年起被英联邦所取代。
英联邦（the Commonwealth of Nations）是由英国和已经独立的前英国殖民地或附 属国组成的联合体。英国作为英联邦元首并无政治实权；各国在一定协议上相互进行政治、主要是经济方面的磋商和合作；各成员国也有权利选择退出英联邦。 （二） 英国地势西北高、东南低。其西北地区主要地形是高原；而东部和东南部则主要是低地，他们是整个欧洲平原（the Great European Plain）的组成部分。 英格兰占据了大不列颠南面的最大部分土地，那里地势平缓，多为平原、丘陵和沼泽地。特别是英格兰东部沿海地区，土地肥沃，适于耕种。 苏格兰多为山地、湖泊和岛屿，它拥有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地以及南部山陵。不列颠最高峰尼维斯峰（Ben Nevis）便座落于此，高1,343米。威尔士亦是多山地区，6%的土地被森林覆盖，大部分村庄以放牧为主。 北爱尔兰北部为多岩石、荒蛮的海岸，曲折蜿蜒。其东北部多为高地，东南部为山区，而中部则是低浅的盆地。 不列颠是个岛屿国家，四面环海，它隔着英吉利海峡与欧洲大陆遥遥相望。位处英法两国之间的英吉利海峡最窄之处被称作多佛海峡（Straits of Dover），仅有33公里宽度。1985年英国政府和法国政府决定在多佛海峡处修建海峡隧道。 总长153公里的隧道于1994年五月竣工通车，使得欧洲公路网得以连成一体，被誉为人类工程史上的一个伟业。 英国河流分布细密。塞文河（the Severn）是英国第一大河流，长338公里，它同西
英美概况Unit1-2 Summary
英美概况 Unit1-2 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom 1. It is an island country by the sea. Northwest Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 2. Geographical NAMES the British Isles Great Britain England the United Kingdom (UK) 3.The British Isles: the island of Great Britain the island of Ireland surrounding isles UK=Great Britain + Northern Ireland Great Britain =England +Scotland + Wales 4.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5. Other names: the British Empire (大不列颠帝国) British Commonwealth of Nations（英联邦国家）England 6.London 1) Capital city Largest city Largest port
2) Largest population (one seventh of the nation’s population) 3) Financial and Commercial centre 4) Culture (host the Olympic Games in 1908 ,1948, 2012) 7.Political centre 1) Westminster central government administrative area 2)Palace of Westminster Houses of parliament (Big Ben) 3)Westminster Abbey ancient church 4)Whitehall (street) 8.Downing street, the house of No.10 official residence of the Prime Minster 9. Buckingham palace royal residence of the Queen 10.A complicated country 1) imperial country 2)Commonwealth of Nations 3) member of European Union 4) a member of Group of Seven 5) multiracial 6) a society with a class structure 7) region difference (just like China) 11 The people 1) Total population : about 60 million 2) unevenly distributed
英美概况美国部分整理
America The Founding of Colonies殖民地的建立 First Inhabitants：American Indians Discovery of the New World： 1492 Christopher Columbus →the discoverer of America (Italian)Spanish Queen’ s support 1501-2 Amerigo Vespucci →the new land was name after him as America. reached the mouth of Amazon River America—the New World Europe—the Old World 13 colonies： New England Colonies: Mid Atlantic Colonies: Southern Colonies: Massachusetts →（2nd colony，1620）New York Maryland New Hampshire Pennsylvania Virginia →（1st colony，1607）Rhode Island Delaware North Carolina Connecticut South Carolina Georgia →（the last colony，1733）New England Region（6个）: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont 建立原因： Virginia, 1607 Virginia Company For foreign expansion as a way of easing religious dispute and economic distress in England 105 men (no women) Jamestown in honor of the king Massachusetts In 1620 102 Puritans (“Pilgrim Fathers”), in Mayflower, from Plymouth in England to America First in Plymouth (today’s Massachusetts); and then Boston Seek religious freedom Mayflower Compact <五月花号公约>：self-government Hardships when arrived the help of the Indians Thanksgiving Day to thank the Indians and the God for protection The next three colonies Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire Reasons: 1. religious disputes and struggles in Massachusetts intensified 2. more immigrants
【英美文化】各章节知识点
Outline of chapters After learning this chapter you should learn to Chapter 1 I. terms: culture, iceberg, culture shock, low context culture/ high context culture, collectivism/ individualism, relationship-oriented/ task-oriented, multicultural person, monocultural person, multilingual person, the characteristics of culture II. Questions: 1. List some cultural differences between the west and east. at least 5. 2. What is cultural stereotype and its influence on cultural learning? 3. What kind of attitude shall we take towards cultural learning and cultural generalizations? Chapter 2 I. Terms: value, individualism, collectivism, individual-oriented society, group-oriented society II. Questions： 1. The core value of the U.S.: individualism, privacy, equality, informality, directness and assertiveness. 2. The core value of Britain: class system, British food, socializing, understatement and so on. 3. Different value in American and British daily life. 4. Cultural reasons of cheating. 5. The child-parent relationship in different culture. 6. The difference of American dream and Chinese dream. Chapter 3: I. Terms： Western-style conversation, Japanese-style conversation, low-context communication, high-context communication II. Questions: 1.Can you use different ballgames to explain western-style conversation and Japanese-style conversation? 2.What are the differences between low-context and high-context communication? 3.How should students organize their expository writing in English? 4.What are the unspoken rules for a language? 5.Can you give a specific example of directness in verbal interaction between Americans? Chapter 4 1.Illustrate the importance of nonverbal communication. 2.Know at least 5 aspects of silent language. 3.Explain the functions of nonverbal cues. 4.Explain Americans’ perception of time and their time concept.
东师英美概况(二)20秋在线作业2【标准答案】
英美概况（二）19春在线作业2-0003 试卷总分:100 得分:100 一、单选题 (共 20 道试题,共 60 分) 1.()is the second largest US city in terms of population in the United States of America and the largest industrial city in the country. A.Los Angeles B.Philadelphia C.Chicago D.California 答案:C 2.() has the power to interpret the constitution. A.The President B.The Congress C.The Supreme Court D.The House of Representatives 答案:C 3.() serve as the media between producers and retailers, or producers and wholesalers. A.Producers B.Retailers C.Wholesalers D.The government 答案:C 4.The symbol of the Republican Party is (). A.a monkey B.an elephant C.a horse D.a donkey 答案:B 5.(), the steel capital of the country, is the oldest and largest steel making center. A.Chicago B.Detroit C.Pittsburge D.Birmingham 答案:C 6.America occupies the leading position in the modern technology in the following areas except (). A.atomic energy https://www.wendangku.net/doc/9414796282.html,puters C.space
英美概况 美国篇
一、概况 1.50 States Its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. 2.Races and Population 在东部时间2006年10月17日早晨7点46分，美国人口总数突破三亿大关，这是美国人口史上具有里程碑意义的一刻。3.06188亿（2009年，世界国家和地区第3名，次于中国、印度） 3.The Composition of American Population 1)The Majority:the descendants of immigrants from European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Spain;“Pilgrim Fathers”;Potato famine 2)The Minorities:The African Americans: black slaves from Africa;Indians: the number of native Americans has been falling, no more than a million;The Hispanics: immigrants or descendents of immigrants from Latin America, such as Cuba and Mexico (Mexicans are the most numerous among them);Asian-Americans, from China, Japan and Korea;More than a million Chinese-Americans, most of whom live in Hawaii, on the West Coast and in some big cities;5 million Jews in America, many of whom went there during the Second World War and achieved great success in America. 3)“The Melting Pot”:It means immigrants from different nations all over the world have mixed to make up the American nation.“old immigrants”: came to America before 1860;“new immigrants”, after 1860.The Immigration Quota Law was passed by the American government in 1924. 二、Early History 1.Columbus：1492 Christopher Columbus arrived at Salvador Island, thus discovered the “New World”.(Amerigo V espucci: named “America”) 2.The first English permanent settlement:1607 The first group of English colonies came to America and built their settlement of Charleston which later was expanded into the first English colony known as Virginia. 3.Pilgrim Fathers:1620 Some English immigrants (Puritans) sailed into Plymouth on a ship called the “Mayflower”.102 Puritans, 60 days.Mayflower Compact, “one man one vote”, “one-man rule” 4.The values of Puritans:hard work; commercial success; the importance of education 5.Thanksgiving:1621 Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated by the pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony. 三、American Revolutionary
英美文化知识点整理
Chapter 1 1.the geographical composition of the U.K.: two/four parts 2.the population: the majority / the earliest inhabitants 3.the English language: the Germanic group of the Indo-European family / three periods Chapter 2 4.Westminster Abbey 5.1066, Norman Conquest, feudalism 6.Henry II—jury system 7.Magna Carta 8.the Hundred Years’ War 9.House of Tudor: medieval to modern 10.Religious Reformation: the Roman Catholic Church VS. Henry VIII 11.two camps of the Civil War 12.the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights, constitutional monarchy 13.the Industrial Revolution: reasons / effects 14.the British Empire —colonization 15.Three Majestic Circles Chapter 3 16.the British Constitution: three parts 17.a division of powers among three branches 18.Parliament —the law-making body; two houses The House of Commons —center of parliamentary power 19.the role of the Prime Minister 20.The House of Lords —Supreme Court 21.Scotland —a distinct legal system 22.right/left wing party 23.a general election —every 5 years 24.The Commonwealth —decolonization; an unpolitical union of sovereign states Chapter 4 25.Margaret Thatcher and her controversial policies 26.three sectors of economy —primary, secondary and tertiary 27.the major trends in the British economy 28.two pillar industries of the current British economy Chapter 5 29.British compulsory education —5 to 16 30.four stages secondary education —comprehensive school further education —sixth form 31.two systems
英美文化知识小点总结
Historic events 一)Hundred Years’ war 百年战争 It was a series of separate conflicts between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France and their various allies for control of the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. Time: From1337 to 1543 The war is commonly divided into three or four phases, separated by various unsuccessful truces: ①the Edwardian War (1337–1360); ②the Caroline War (1369–1389); ③the Lancastrian War (1415–1453); Cause: The background to the conflict is to be found in 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, led an invasion of England. He defeated the English King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, and had himself crowned King of England. As Duke of Normandy, he remained a vassal of the French King, and was required to swear fealty to the latter for his lands in France; for a king to swear fealty to another king was considered humiliating, and the Norman Kings of England generally attempted to avoid the service. On the French side, the Capetian monarchs resented a neighboring king holding lands within their own realm, and sought to neutralize the threat England now posed to France The King of England directly ruled more territory on the continent than did the King of France himself. This situation – in which the kings of England owed vassalage to a ruler who was de facto much weaker – was a cause of continual conflict. John of England inherited this great estate from King Richard I. However, Philip II of France acted decisively to exploit the weaknesses of King John, both legally and militarily, and by 1204 had succeeded in wresting control of most of the ancient territorial possessions. Significance: The Hundred Years' War was a time of military evolution. Weapons, tactics, army structure, and the societal meaning of war all changed, partly in response to the demands of the war, partly through advancement in technology, and partly through lessons that warfare taught. The war also stimulated nationalistic sentiment. It devastated France as a land, but it also awakened French nationalism. The Hundred Years' War accelerated the process of transforming France from a feudal monarchy to a centralized state. The conflict became one of not just English and French kings but one between the English and French peoples. There were constant rumours in England that the French meant to invade and destroy the English language. National feeling that emerged out of such rumours unified both France and England further. The Hundred Years War basically confirmed the fall of the French language in England, which had served as the language of the ruling classes and commerce there from the time of the Norman Conquest until 1362 Important Figures: England King Edward III 1327–1377 Edward II's son