英国概况1

英美文化与概况

British and American Studies

( British Part )

Unit One

大学英语第一教研室 余非

2011年2月

Unit 1 The Country and the People

1. Geographic Features

2. Climate and Weather

3. People and Religion

4. Official and Local Languages

1. Geographic Features

1.1 Component （组成部分）

 To the west and off the European Continent, several thousand of islands exist on the Continental Shelf. They are generally called the British Isles.

 Of all these isles, the largest one is called Great Britain. For the sake of convenience, Great Britain is often shorten to Britain.

 The island of Great Britain runs nearly 1,000kilometers from south to north . It extends , at the widest part, about 500 kilometers from west to east.

 Still to the west of Great Britain is Ireland , the second largest island. It is politically divided into two parts, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ( U.K.) is made up of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and a number of smaller islands around them. The total area of U.K. is over 240,000 square kilometers. Its total population is about 59.6 million (2001)

 Traditionally, Great Britain is divided into three countries or political regions: England in the south , Scotland in the north, and Wales in the southwest.

 England is the largest and most developed of all the three. Its area is about 130,000square kilometers ,which takes up almost 60% of the whole island. Its population is more than 50million , which makes up 85% of the country‟s total population. The importance of England is so great in Britain that some foreigners just say “England” when they mean Britain, and they say the “English people” when they mean the British people.

 Scotland is the second largest both in area and population. It has an area of about 78,760 square kilometers. Its population is more than 5 million.

 Wales is the smallest of the three both in area and population. Its area is about 20,700 square kilometers and its population is about 2.7 million.

 Northern Ireland „s area is about 14,000 square kilometers , and its population is about 1.5 million.

Supplement 1 :

 Ireland

 Ireland was an independent kingdom before the Anglo-Norman invaders came. Henry VIII was the first English king to conquer

Ireland and force English law on the Irish people. Soon after the conquest, large numbers of Scottish immigrants came in and established a colony in Ulster (阿尔斯特), another name for Northern Ireland.

 The Irish people were mostly Roman Catholics and they were opposed to the English occupation. The English Government put down the rebellion made by the Irish people and passed the Penal Law (刑法) in 1690, which deprived the Irish Catholics of all their legal rights.

 Irish people never stopped fighting for independence. Their successful struggle finally led to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1927 within British Commonwealth（英联邦）. In 1948 Ireland withdraw from Commonwealth and declared itself a republic.  However, since most of the immigrants from Britain were Protestants (新教徒) , they refused to separate themselves form their home country. They held the northeast of the island , and up to now they continue to keep it within the United Kingdom. It is today‟ s Northern Ireland.

Supplement 2:

 Irish Republican Army ( IRA)

 Nowadays, in Northern Ireland there are one-third of people are still Roman Catholics ,who demand independence from Britain that is

dominated by Protestantism (新教徒, 新教徒主义).

 Therefore, some radical Roman Catholics organized a military group fighting for the independence of Northern Ireland. It often resorts to terrorist campaigns （战役；活动）of bombing, murdering and arson. The political wing （派别）of IRA is called Sinn Fein. （爱尔兰新芬党）.

1.2 Physical Features（自然特色）

 Leaving Ireland on one side, The island of Great Britain can be divided into two parts according to its geographic features: the Highland Zone in the north and west and the Lowland Zone in the south and southeast.

 Britain is an island country, with its coastline running about 8,000 kilometers.

 Great Britain‟s coastline is highly irregular with many bays and inlets that provide lots of harbors and shelters for ship and boats.

 As an island country, Great Britain does not share a land border with any other countries except the Republic of Ireland.

 To the north of Great Britain the seaway is open and leads to the Arctic Ocean(北冰洋).

 Across the North Sea Britain faces such countries as Holland, Germany , Denmark and Norway.

 To the southeast and across the English Channel is France , which is

linked with Britain by a tunnel called the Channel Tunnel (海峡隧道)，open to traffic in 1994, was built by British and French private investors. The main tunnel is 50-km long at an average depth of 40 meters below the seabed.

 The tunnel has great symbolic importance as an unbroken link between Britain and the European Continent.

 The Highlands of Scotland: Scotland is a mountainous country , with its highlands taking up over half of the country. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain, with an elevation of 1,300 meters in North Scotland.

 The Central Lowlands ( Middle Valley ) of Scotland: Lying to the south of the Highlands of Scotland is a great valley which forms the Central Lowlands of Scotland , also called the Middle Valley. It is the most important economic region in Scotland and accommodates three-quarters of Scotland‟s total population.

 The Southern Uplands: The land on the southern side of the Central Lowlands of Scotland is known as the Southern Upland. The area includes some very old mountains with round tops.

 The Pennines ( Pennine Chains 奔宁山脉)： in the northern part of England, include some old mountains which make up a kind of plateau. Pennine Chains run about 120 kilometers from south to north , known as the backbone of England. (see PPT)

 The Lake District: well-known for its unique lakes, is situated on the western side of the Pennines. The area has the finest scenery in Britain. It is also well-known in the history of English literature because it was home to Lake Poets (湖畔[派]诗人)，such as William Wordsworth 华兹华斯(1770-1850)；Robert Southey (1774-1843).  The Welsh Massif: This massif embraces all the hill masses that near to the west of middle part of England.

2. Climate and Weather

2.1 Characteristic of Climate and Weather

 Britain has maritime climate and changeable weather.

 British people are fond of discussing the weather. Perhaps it is nothing more than a habit, but the habit has something to do with the changeability of the English weather.

 Even the most reliable English weather experts find it hard to give a correct and reliable weather forecast.

 Another characteristic of the English climate is its mild or “strange” temperature. The temperature in winter is “too high” and in summer “too low” if compared with weather in other countries of the same latitude.

 In spite of its maritime climate, Britain still has discernable seasons.  Broadly speaking, the English summer consist of June, July and August. In summer the days are long: the sun rises before 4:00 a.m.

and does not set until after 8:00 p.m.

 The temperature in summer is not very high, only about 20°C most of time, seldom over 32°C. In winter, even in the coldest month, the average temperature seldom dips below 3°C.

 The English weather is also characterized by abundant rainfall. The annual average rainfall is about 1,000 mm in most parts of England. More than half of the days of the year are rainy days.

 In London , for example, there are more than 160 rainy days each year while in the west part of the country rainy days number more than two hundred.

2.2 Factors Influencing English Weather

 The shore of the British Isles, especially the western shores, are bathed by a warm drift of water. It is called the North Atlantic Drift, which is a continuation of the Gulf Stream originating in the Gulf of Mexico.

 The British Isles lie wholly within what has long been called the westerly wind belt. Generally speaking , the west wind is the dominant wind in Britain. Coming from the Atlantic Ocean, the wind is mild and moist.

 There are numerous rivers and inlets in Britain. They allow the oceanic influences to come inland easily.

2.3 Inland Water

 Since Britain has a moist climate with much rainfall, rivers and lakes are numerous.

 Most rivers in Britain are not long because the country is not large.  The longest river is the Severn River（塞文河），which runs 355 kilometers and empties into the Bristol Strait. (布里斯托尔海峡)  The second longest and most important river is the Thames River（泰晤士河）, which is 332 kilometers long and runs through the south of England，the most important plain in Britain.

 Most of the large lakes in the United Kingdom are located in the upland areas of Scotland and northern England although Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in the United Kingdom.  Loch Lomond （洛蒙德湖） , on the southwestern edge of the Highland of Scotland, is the largest on the island of Great Britain.

3. People and Religion

3.1 People

 The United Kingdom has a population of 59.6 million (2001), with an average population density of 244 persons per sq km.

 British‟s population is overwhelmingly urban, with about 90% living in urban areas and 10% living in rural areas.

 Like U.S.A, the United Kingdom is also a melting-pot of different cultures. It has a diverse population that includes people from almost

every continent of the world , such as Indians, Chinese and Africans, but a majority of them are white westerns.

 Immigrants from India make up 1.5% of the population; Chinese, 0.3%; and Africans, 0.03%.

 Asian and black minorities are still suffering from discrimination and disadvantages.

 However, the British government has passed laws to ensure fairness and justice for ethnic minorities. The Race Relations Act of 1976 makes it illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, nationality, or origin, and it is a criminal offense to incite racial hatred.

 Ethnic component of white people in Britain :

① English people : originate from the descendents of

English-speaking Anglo-Saxons and the Jutes(朱特人), who arrived in Britain as invaders from North Germany between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D.

② Scottish and Welsh people: Most of them originate from Celts

---The first settlers who lived on this land, but later driven to the North and West by later arrivers.

③ French-speaking Normans: conquered England in 1066,

adding another ethnic component to the nation.

 The U.K. has a smaller percentage of younger people and a higher

percentage of older people, with more than 20% of the people over the age of 60; those under the age of 15 years make up only 19.5 of the population.

 Life expectancy in Britain is 75 years for men and 81 years for women. (2001)

3.2. Religion

 The British law protects religious freedom. Everyone has the freedom to believe any church, or not to believe any religion at all. Most of the world‟s religions have followers in Britain.

 The majority of the British people believe in Christianity., which is the religion of the followers of Jesus Christ. The first Christian church was established at Canterbury (坎特伯雷，英格兰东南部一座自治市)。

 Churches are important in Britain because they represent the public demand for self-government and freedom from government control.  The U.K. has two established churches（国定教会）: the Church of England and the Church of Scotland （英格兰圣公会和苏格兰长老会）。An established church is an official church founded and financially supported by the state.

 Another important church in Britain is the Roman Catholic Church, which has its traditional structure made up of provinces, dioceses and local parishes. About 20% of the British citizens claim to be Roman

Catholics.

 Other religions in Britain:

① The Jewish Community in Britain is the second largest in Europe and has about 350 congregations(圣会).

② The Muslim Community is around 1 million and there are over 600 mosques and prayer centers through Britain.

③ The Sikh Community

④ The Hindu Community

⑤ The Buddhist Community

 Archbishops and bishops are members of House of Lords.

4. Official and Local Languages

 Standard English is the official language of the United Kingdom as well as the first language of the vast majority of its citizens.

 Local languages are mainly Cockney, Celtic language, Scottish language, Irish, Welsh. Cockney is spoken in East London and Northern England.

 The development of English is usually divided into three major periods: Old English, Middle English and Modern English.

① Old English ( 5th-12th) --- was spoken by the ancient Germans , and brought by Anglo-Saxons during their invasion of England.

② Middle English (12th-15th) --- The Middle English period began soon after the Norman conquered England in 1066. For nearly 300 years

after the Norman Conquest, there were two languages in England because the Norman brought their French language and continued to speak it. As a language spoken by the ruling class, French influenced the evolution of English extensively, including spelling and sounds. ③ Modern English (15th---) --- By the end of the 15th century, London English had been accepted as a standard literary language in most parts of the country. There were several contributing factors. First, London was the most important center of population and activities. Second, after painting was introduced into England in 1740, London became the center of book-publishers in England. They published many books in London English, which were read by people all over the country. Third, the development of trade and social contacts required the service of an accurate language accepted by all the citizens.

 Modern English has become an important international language. The expansion of the British Empire helped to spread English into many countries and places all over the world.

 Now English is spoken as the native language in the United States, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa.  English is also one of the working languages of the United Nations.  Almost all famous scholars and scientists seek to publish their research papers in English.