...v.最近整理的英美概況的筆記，對綜合英英語國家概況名詞解釋系列

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔1〕

ThePuritans清教徒----ThePuritanswerewealthy,well-educatedgentlemen.TheywantedtopurifythechurchofEnglandandthreatenedwithreligiouspersecution,thePuritansleaderssawtheNew

worldasthearefugeprovidedbyGodforthoseHemeanttosave.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔2〕

TheBillofRights〔America〕權(quán)利法案----In1789,JamesMadisonintroducedintheHouseofRepresentativesaseriesofamendmentswhichlaterweredraftedintotwelveproposedamendmentsandsenttothestatesforratification.Tenofthemwereratifiedin1791andthefirsttenamendmentstotheconstitutionwerecalledtheBillsofRightsbecausetheyweretoinsureindividualliberties.

theBillofRights(Britain)

In1689,WilliamandMaryacceptedtheBillofRightstobecrownedjointly.ThebillexcludedanyRomanCatholicfromthesuccession,confirmedtheprincipleofparliamentarysupremacyandguaranteedfreespeechwithinboththetwoHouses.Thustheageofconstitutionalmonarchybegan.

TheEmancipationProclamation解放黑奴宣言----AftertheCivilwarbegan,LincolnissuedtheEmancipationProclamationtowinmoresupportathomeandabroad.ItgrantedfreedomtoallslavesinareasstillcontrolledbytheConfederacy.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔3〕

PilgrimsThanksgivingDay感恩節(jié)----ThePilgrimsin1620,201ofthemsailedtotheNewWorldinashipcalledMayflower.Thefirstwinteraftertheirarrivalwasverycoldandwhenspringcame,halfofthemweredead.ThentheIndianscametotheirhelpandtaughtthemhowtogrowcorn.Theyhadagoodharvestthatyear.SotheyinvitedtheIndiansandheldthefirstThanksgiving

celebrationinAmericatogivethankstoGod.

TheChunnel英吉利海峽隧道----In1985theBritishgovernmentandFrenchgovernmentdecidedtobuildachanneltunnel,whichiscalled“Chunnel〞,undertheStraitsofDoversothatEnglandandFrancecouldbejoinedtogetherbyroad.TheChunnelwasopentotrafficinMay1994.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔4〕

Eisteddfod(一年一度的)威爾士詩人、音樂家大會

---EisteddfodistheWelshwordfor“sitting〞NationalEidteddfodisthemostfamousfestivalofmusicandverseinWales.IttakesplaceeachAugustandlastsforaboutaweek.ThehighlightofthefestivalispetitionforthebestepicpoemaboutWaleswrittenandreadinWelsh.ThewinneriscrownedBoard,consideredthesupremehonourinWales.Inthiswaythe

WelshpeoplekeeptheWelshlanguageandculturealive.

Cockney倫敦佬----AcockneyisaLondonerwhoisbornwithinthesoundofBowBells-theBellsofthechurchofSt.Mary-LeBowineastLondon.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔5〕

Stonehenge巨石陣----ItisagroupofhugemonumentsofgrantrockSlabsonsalisburyplaininsouthwestEnglandbuiltaslongagoastheNewStoneAge.Itisgenerallybelievedthatstonehengeservedsomesortofreligiouspurposes.

TheCelts凱爾特人----TheCeltscametoBritaininthreemainwaves.ThefirstwaveweretheGales,thesecondwaveweretheBrythonsandtheBelgaecameabout150BC.TheCeltswerepractisedfarmers.TheCeltictribesareancestorsoftheHighlandScots,theIrishandtheWelsh,AndtheirlanguagesarethebasisofbothWelshandGaelic.TheyreligionwasDruidism.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔6〕

NormanConquest諾曼征服---TheNormanConquestof1066isperhapsthebest-knowneventinEnglishhistory.WilliamtheconquerorconfiscatedalmostallthelandandgaveittohisNormanfollowers.HereplacedtheweakSaxonrulewithastrongNormangovernment.Sothefeudalsystemwas

pletelyestablishedinEngland.

WilliamtheConqueror

WilliamwasDukeofNormandy.HelandedhisarmyinOct,1066anddefeatedkingHarold.ThenhewascrownedkingofEnglandonChristamsDaythesameyear.HeestablishedastrongNormangovernmentandthefeudalsysteminEngland.

AlfredtheGreat阿爾弗雷德大帝----HewaskingofWessex,oneofthesevenAnglo-SaxonKingdoms.ItwashewholedtheAnglo-SaxontoflightagainsttheinvadingDanesandmaintainedpeaceforalongtime.Alfredwasnotonlyabravekingatwartime,butalsoawisekingatpeacetime.Heencouraged

educationandintroducedalegalsystem.Heisknownas“thefatheroftheBritishnavy〞.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔7〕

St.Augustine奧古斯丁----In597,PopeGregoryIsentSt.Augustine,thePriorofSt.Andrew’sMonasteryinRome,toEnglandtoconverttheheathenEnglishtoChristianity.Thatyear,St.AugustinebecamethefirstArchbishopofCanterbury.Augustinewasremarkablysuccessfulinconvertingthekingandthenobility,buttheconversionofthemonpeoplewaslargelyduetothemissionary

activitiesofthemonksinthenorth.

DomesdayBook末日審判書----ItisabookpiledbyagroupofclerksunderthesponsorshipofKingWilliamtheFirstin1086.Thebookwasinfactapropertyrecord.ItwastheresultofageneralsurveyofEngland.Itrecordedtheextent,value,stateofcultivation,andownershipoftheland.ItwasoneoftheimportantmeasuresadoptedbyWilliamItoestablishthefullfeudalsystemin

England.Today,itiskeptinthePublicRecordsOfficeinLondon.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔8〕

GeoffreyChaucer喬叟----HewasanimportantEnglishpoetinthefourteenthcentury.HisbestknownisTheCanterburyTales,whichdescribesagroupofpilgrimstravellingtoCanterburytovisitThomasBecket’stomb.BecausehewasthefirstimportantEnglishpoettowriteinEnglish.Hehas

beenknownasthe“FatherofEnglishPoetry〞.

TheBlackDeath黑死病----Itisamodernnamegiventothedearlybubonicplague,anepidemicdiseasespreadthroughEuropeinthefourteenthcenturyparticularlyin1348-1349.Itcamewithoutwarning,andwithoutanycue.InEngland,itkilledalmosthalfofthetotalpopulation,causingfarreaching

economicconsequences.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔9〕

thebattleofHastings哈斯汀戰(zhàn)役

In1066,KingEdwarddiedwithnoheir,theWitanchoseHaroldasking.William,DukeofNormandy,invadedEngland.OnOctober14,thetwoarmiesmetnearHasting.Afteraday’sbattle,Haroldwaskilledandhisarmypletelydefeated.SothisbattlewasveryimportantonthewayoftheRomanconquest.

theGreatCharter大憲章

KingJohn’sreigncausedmuchdiscontentamongthebarons.In1215,hewasforcedtosignadocument,knownasMangnaCara,ortheGreatCharter.Ithas63clauses.ThoughithaslongbeenregardedasthefoundationofEnglishliberities,itsspiritwasthelimitationoftheking’spowers,keepingthemwithintheboundsofthefeudallawoftheland.

TheWarsofRoses玫瑰戰(zhàn)爭----thenameWarsoftheRoseswasrefertothebattlesbetweentheHouseofLancaster,symbolizedbythereadrose,andthatofYork,symbolizedbythewhite,from

1455to1485.HenryTudor,descendantofDukeofLancasterwonvictoryatBosworthFireldin1485andputhtcountryundertheruleoftheTudors.FromtheseWars,Englishfeudalismreceiveditsdeathblow.Thegreatmedievalnobilitywasmuchweakened.

TheGloriousRevolutionof1688榮耀革命----In1685CharlesIIdiedandwassucceededbyhisbrotherJamesII.JameswasbroughtupinexileinEurope,wasaCatholic.Hehopedtorulewithoutgivinguphispersonalreligiousvies.ButEnglandwasnomoretolerantofaCatholickingin1688than40yearsago.SotheEnglishpoliticiansrejectedJamesII,andappealedtoaProtestant

king,WilliamofOrange,toinvadeandtaketheEnglishthrone.WilliamlandedinEnglandin1688.Thetakeoverwasrelativelysmooth,withnobloodshed,noranyexecutionoftheking.Thiswas

knownastheGloriousRevolution.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔10〕

TheGunpowderPlotof1605火藥陰謀案----TheGunpowderPlotof1605wasthemostfamousoftheCatholicconspiracies.OnNov.5,1605,afewfanaticalCatholicsattemptedtoblowKingJames

andhisministersupintheHouseofParliamentwhereGuyFawkeshadplantedbarrelsofgunpowderinthecellars.TheimmediateresultwastheexecutionofFawkesandhisfellowconspiratorsandimpositionofsevereanti-Catholiclaws.Thelong-termresulthasbeenanannualcelebrationonNov.5,whenabonfireislittoturnaguyandafireworkdisplayisarranged.

BloodMary血腥瑪麗----ItisthenicknamegiventoMaryI,theEnglishQueenwhosucceededtothethroneafterHenryVIII.ShewasadevoutCatholicandhadsomanyProtestantsburnttodeaththatsheisrememberedlessbyherofficialtitleMaryIbyhernicknameBloodMary.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔11〕

Thatcherism撒切爾主義----Theelectionof1979returnedtheConservativePartytopowerandMargaretThatcherbecamethefirstwomanprimeministerinBritain.Herpoliciesarepopularlyreferredtoasstate-ownedindustries,theuseofmonetaristpoliciestocontrolinflation,theweakingoftradeforcesunions,thestrengtheningoftheroleofmarketforcesintheeconomy,and

anemphasisonlawandorder.

theBritishConstitution

ThereisnowrittenconstitutionintheUnitedKingdom.TheBritishConstitutionisnotsetoutinanysingledocument,butmadeupofstatutelaw,monlawandconventions.TheJudiciarydeterminesmonlawandinterpretstatues

TheTradeUnionActof1871工會法----Itlegalizedthetradeunionsandgivefinancialsecurity.Itmeantthatinlawtherewasnodifferencebetweenmoneyforbeneficpurposesandcollectingitto

supportstrikeaction.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔12〕

Agribusiness農(nóng)業(yè)產(chǎn)業(yè)----ItreferstothenewfarminginBritain,becauseitisequippedandmanagedlikeanindustrialbusinesswithasetofinputsintotheprocesseswhichoccuronthefarmandoutputsorproductswhichleavethefarm.Theemphasisisuponintensivefarming,designestogivethemaximumoutputofcropsandanimals.

Britishdisease英國病----Theterm“Britishdisease〞isnowoftenusedtocharacterizeBritain’seconomicdecline.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔13〕

Constitutionalmonarchy君主立憲制----ItisapoliticalsystemthathasbeenpractisedinBritainsincetheGloriousrevolutionof1688.Accordingtothissystem,theConstitutionissuperiortotheMonarch.Inlaw,theMonarchhasmanysupremepowers,butinpractice,therealpowerofmonarchyhasbeengreatlyreducedandtodaytheQueenactssolelyontheadviceofherministers.

Shereignsbutdoesnotrule.TherealpowerliesintheParliament,ortobeexact,intheHouseofmons.

PrivyCouncil樞密院----AconsultativebodyoftheBritishmonarch.ItsorigincanbetracedbacktothetimesoftheNormanKings.AftertheGloriousRevolutionof1688,itsimportancewasgraduallydiminishedandreplacedbytheCabinet.Today,itisstillaconsultationbodyoftheBritishmonarch,Itsmembershipisabout400,andincludesalCabinetministers,thespeakerofthe

Houseofmons,theArchbishopsofCanterburyandYork,andseniorBritishandmonwealthstatesmen.

WhigsandTories輝格黨和托利黨

ItreferredtothetwopartynameswhichoriginatedwiththeGloriousRevolutionof1688.TheWhigswerethosewhoopposedabsolutemonarchyandsupportedtherighttoreligiousfreedomforNonformists.TheTorieswerethosewhosupportedhereditarymonarchyandwerereluctanttoremovekings.TheWhigsformedacoalitionwithdissidentToriesandbecametheLiberalParty.TheToriesweretheforerunnersoftheConservativeParty

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔14〕

TheNationalHealthService國民保健署.----ItisaveryimportantpartofthewelfaresysteminBritain.ItisanationwideorganizationbasedonActsofParliament.Itprovidesallkindsoffreeornearlyfreemedicaltreatmentbothinhospitalandoutside.Itisfinancedmainlybypaymentsbythestateoutofgeneraltaxation.Peoplearenotobligedtousethisservice.Theserviceisachievingitsmain

objectiveswithoutstandingsuccess.

prehensiveschools綜合學(xué)校----prehensivesschoolstakepupilswithoutreferencetoabilityoraptitudeandprovideawide-rangingsecondaryeducationforallormostofthechildreninadistrict.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔15〕

Reuters路透社----Itwasfoundedin1851bytheGerman,JuliusReuter.Itisnowapubliclyownedpany,employingover11000staffin80countries.Ithasmorethan1300staffjournalistsandphotographers.

TheCrownCourt巡回刑事法庭----AcriminalcourtthatdealswiththemoreseriouscasesandholdssessionsintownsthroughoutEnglandandWales.ItispresidedovereitherbyajudgefromtheHighCourtofJusticeoralocalfull-timejudge.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔16〕

TheGreatlakes北美五大湖----TheGreatLakesarethefivelakesinthenortheast.TheyareLakeSuperiorwhichisthelargestfreshwaterlakeintheworld,LakeMichigan(theonlyoneentirelyintheU.S.),LakeHuron,LakeEireandLakeOntario.TheyarealllocatedbetweenCanadaandtheUnitedStatesexpectLakeMichigan.

TheMississippi密西西比河----TheMississippihasbeencalled“fatherofwaters“or〞oldmanriver〞.Itanditstributariesdrainoneoftherichestfarmareasintheworld.ItisthefourthlongestriverintheworldandthemostimportantriverintheUnitedStates.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔17〕

UncleTom’sCabin湯姆叔叔的小屋----ItwasasentimentalbutpowerfulantislaverynovelwrittenbyHarrietBeecherStowe.Itconvertedmanyreaderstotheabolitionistcause.

Gettysburg葛底斯堡演說----ItrefertotheshortspeechPresidentLincolnmadewhenhededicatedthenationalcemeteryatGettyburg.Heendedthespeechwith“thegovernmentofthepeople,bythepeople,forthepeople,shallnotperishfromtheearth〞.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔18〕

TheRedScare紅色恐懼----WhentheWWIwasover,thereexistedahighlyaggressiveandintolerantnationalism.Between1919and1920,theRedScarehappened.OnNov.7,1919andJan.2,1920,theJusticeDepartmentlaunchedtwowavesofmassarrests.Over4000suspectedmunistsandradicalwerearrested.

TheNewDeal新政---InordertodealwiththeDepression,PresidentFranklinRooseveltputforwardtheNewDealprogram.ItpassedalotofNewDeallawsandsetupmanyefficientsocialsecuritysystems.TheNewDealhelpedtosaveAmericandemocracyandthedevelopmentofAmerican

economy.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔19〕

TrumanDoctrine杜魯門主義----OnMar.12,1949,PresidentTrumanputforwardtheTrumanDoctrineinhisspeechtothejointsessionofCongress.TheDoctrinemeanttosupportanycountrywhichsaiditwasfightingmunism.

MarshallPlan馬歇爾方案----ItwasannouncedbyGeorgeMarshallonJune.5,1947,andwastheeconomicaidplanforWesternEurope.ItwasalsousedtopreventthelossofWesternEuropeintotheSovietsphere.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔20〕

Londonsmog倫敦?zé)熿F----In195,thesulphurdioxideinthefour-dayLondonsmog,anunhealthyatmosphereformedbymixingsmokeanddirtwithfog.Itleft4000peopledeadordying.SincethenmostcitiesinBritainhaveintroduced“cleanairzones〞wherebyfactoriesandhouseholdsare

onlyallowedtoburnsmokelessfuel.

FamilyDocto家庭醫(yī)生----InordertoobtainthebenefitsoftheNHSapersonmustnormallyberegisteredonthelistofageneralpractitioner,sometimesknownasa“familydoctor〞.Thefamilydoctorgivestreatmentorprescribesmedicine,or,ifnecessary,arrangesforthepatienttogotohospitalortobeseenathomebyaspecialist.

英語國家概況名詞解釋系列〔21〕

MarvellousMelbourne了不起的墨爾本----Afterthegoldrushin1850sand1860s,therewasanimportantrevolutionintransport,especiallywiththenetworkoftramandrailwaysystems.Thischangedthepaceofurbanlifeandtheappearanceofthecityandsoonpeoplewerecallingthecity“MarvellousMelbourne〞.Butbythe1890soutsiderswerecallingthecity“MarvellousMelbourne〞becauseoftheb