英美文化教程

1英美文化教程复习资料一、知识点：英国部分1、英国组成，国旗，国歌：TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritianandNorthernIrelandisaunionmadeupoffourconstituentcountries:England,Scotland,Wales,andNorthernIreland.TheUnionJackisthenationalflagandGodSavetheKing/Queenisusedasthenationalanthem.2、英国语言经历点阶段：hehistoryoftheEnglishlanguagehasgenerallybeendividedintoOldEnglish,spokenbytheancientGermanslastingfrom450to1150;MiddleEnglishfrom1151to1500;andModernEnglishbeginningfrom1501.3、抵抗丹麦的皇帝：AlfredtheGreat,KingofWessex大宪章：TheGreatCharterTheGreatCharterisamostimportantdocumentinEnglandhistory.Ithasbeencalled“thecornerstone”ofEnglishhistory.TheGreatCharterprovidesthatthekingshouldpermitmerchantstomoveaboutfreelyandshouldobservetheprivilegesofthevarioustowns,whichweregrowinginnumberandsize.4、宪章运动In1837theLondonWorkingman’sAssociationworkedoutthefamousdocument,ThePeople’sCharterThePeople’sCharterconstitutedsixpoints:（人民宪章）(1)Votesforallmales.(2)AnnualelectionofParliament(insteadofgeneralelectioneverysevenyears).(3)PaymentofMembersofParliament(sothatpoormencouldaffordtotakepartinpoliticalactivities).(4)Secretvoting(sothattoavoidbriberyandintimidation).(5)AbolitionofpropertyqualificationsforParliamentMembers(sothatworkerscouldseektobeelected).(6)Equalelectoraldistricts(sothatthelargepopulationoftheworkerscouldenjoyacorrespondingshareofthevotes).ThePeople’sCharterwasformallyadoptedatameetingofworkersheldonAugust8,1838,onNewhallHill.In1840,theChartistMovementwitnessedthesecondupsruge.In1848,theChartistMovementexpericencedthethirdandlastupsruge.5、英国两院制上议院、下议院(议会)Theparliament(议会)isbicameral(两院制),withanupperhouse,thenon-electedHouseofLords,andalowerhouse,theelectedHouseofCommons.TheHouseofLordsincludestwodifferenttypesofmembers:theLordsSpiritualandtheLordsTemproal.TheHouseofLordstodayismoreaplaceofdiscussionanddebatethanoneofsubstantialpower.Itmainfunctionsincludedebatingtheissuesofthedayandimprovingcertainnon-taxbillsinadequatelyconsideredbytheCommonsbeforetheyarepassedintolow.Insomerarecases,itmaydelaythepassageofbillsapprovedbytheCommons,butonlyforuptoayear.TheHouseofCommonsisademocraticallyelectedchamberwithelectionstoit,heldatleastevery5years.ThetwoHousesmeetinseparatechambersinthePalaceofWestminster,intheCityofWestminsterinLondon.HouseofCommonsisthelowerhouseoftheParliamentoftheUK.TheCommonsisademocraticallyelectedbody,consistingof646members.TheleaderofthepartywiththemajorityofseatsbecomesthePrimeMinister,headofthegovernment.Heorshethenchoosesaninnercabinetofkeyministersandappointsjuniorministersinvariousministers.Power:1.Legislative(立法权)：TheHouseofCommonshasthesupremeauthorityofthelegislation,theirmotioncandirectlygetRoyalAssent.2.finacepower(财政权)：onlythehouseofcommonshastherighttoproposethemotionontaxorsupply(只有下议院才有权力提出税收及供应的权力)3.Suprvisethegovernment(监督政府)：astheheadofthegovernment,iftheprimeministerwantstocontinueinoffice,he/shemustbeadmittedbytheHouseofCommons.Ithastherighttoimpeach(弹劾)theprimeministerorthegovernment.Functions:MembersofParliamentareinvolvedinconsideringcandraftingnewlaws.MPscanusetheirpositiontoaskgovernmentministersquestionsaboutcurrentissues.Tosupervise,oroverseefinance.6、两大政党TheConservativeParty:1relativelyrichandprivileged;2maintenanceoftheexistinginstitutionsasits2policy;3lastwordindecidingpolicybyitsleader;4conferencefortheleader’guidancebutadeviceformakingtheparty’spolicyTheLaborParty:1relativelypoorandunderprivileged;2strongintheheavily-populatedindustrialareasandparticularlyassociatedwiththeworkingclass;3nationwideorganization,fewresourcesandheavilydependsonthetradeunions;4conferenceformakingthepartypolicy(1)TheConservativePartysupportsfreeenterpriseandprivatizationofstate-ownedenterprises.Itisagainsttoomuchgovernmentintervention,especiallynationalization,whichnotonlytakescontrolawayfromtheownersandbuildersofindustry,butalsoleadstoinefficiency.TheConservativePartyfavorsreducingtheinfluenceoftradeunionsandminimizingexpendituresonsocialwelfare.Itpoliciesarecharacterizedbypragmatismandabeliefinindividualism.(2)TheLaborPartybelievesinanegalitarian(平等主义的)economy,transferringwealthfromtherichtothepoorbymeansoftaxingthemostaffluentmembersofsocietyandprovidingsupportforthepoorinsociety.Theydeemthegovernmentresponsiblefortheprovisionofrangeofpublicservices,suchassocialwelfare,educationandpublictransport.TheLaborgovernmentthatcametopowerin1945hadamajoreffectonBritishsociety.ItsetuptheNationalHealthServicetoprovidehighquality,freehealthcareforall,“fromcradletograve”,providingarangeofwelfarepayments,andmostcontroversially,it“nationalized”awiderangeofindustries,makingamixedeconomyofbothprivate-andstate-ownedenterprises.TheLaborPartybecameknownasapartyofhightaxation.7.TheOpenUniversity（开放大学）adegree-grantinginstitutionthatprovidescoursesofstudyforadultsofallagesthroughtelevision,radio,producedbooks,audio/videocassettes,correspondencecoursesandlocalstudyprogrammes.8.19世纪末英国经济绝对—相对衰退AbsoluteDeclineandRelativeDecline9英国教育：四大私立中学，大学四大私立中学：EtonHarrowRugbyWinchester大学：AncientUniversitiesfoundedbeforethe19thcenturyLondonUniversitiesfoundedinthe19thandearly20