悦读联播：英美文化读本（小学第一册）(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：James Blanshard,Nancy Dickmann

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

悦读联播：英美文化读本（小学第一册）试读：

Preface

The world is getting smaller and smaller, but gaps between people have always existed and will continue to exist for the foreseeable future. Different sets of cultures, belief systems and values have shaped today's world. To avoid misunderstandings, we need to learn not only other languages, but the cultures behind the languages as well.

To understand English-speaking people, we first need to understand their culture and shared history and way of life. This series will give students a good general idea of life and culture in the United Kingdom and United States, helping them to fit in quickly if they visit. The articles in this series vividly depict the fabric of Western society from the perspectives of ordinary people — and their own experiences of life. As an American living in the United Kingdom, I am in a better position to know what's best about American culture through the eyes of my British friends, which I'm glad to share with you. Actually, all the articles in this series are written by native English speakers or authors who have lived in the West for a significant period. This ensures that the text presents an accurate picture of life in the English-speaking world.

As a children's publisher, I know that young students in particular need lively lessons that will engage their curiosity and desire to learn. Therefore, topics have been carefully chosen to include those of greatest relevance to children, including games, schools, clothes and festivals. The series also provides an interesting contrast of British and American culture, which gives you an insight into the differences between them and therefore enables you to better understand the two countries. Being aware that the teacher will pass on the information to students, the authors have made sure to present the text in a light-hearted and fun way, with interesting stories inserted where appropriate. This means that the series is a perfect fit for young Chinese students.

Mention should be made that the Chinese editors worked closely with the authors to make sure that the demands of the English curriculum were met. Where necessary, articles were carefully revised to meet the needs of the Chinese market.

British and American Culture Reader is not just another series, but a reflection of our society, a script being performed by the ordinary people in the two countries. Readers of this series will shake off some of the bad stereotypes that they hold about Westerners and may be surprised to find how similar Westerners' way of life is to their own in many ways. I hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as I have enjoyed writing them.Nancy Dickmann

前 言

学习英语必须了解英美文化，因为语言是文化的组成部分，是文化的载体，两者息息相关。大量事实表明，语言理解的障碍往往不在语言结构本身，而在相关文化知识的缺乏。何谓文化？从广义来说，文化是人类在社会和历史发展进程中创造的物质财富和精神财富的总和，包括文学、艺术、音乐、科学、技术、哲学、地理、建筑等。从狭义来说，文化是人们的生活方式、风俗习惯、行为准则等。所有这些，都需要用语言表达。英语有句名言： 想要掌握两种语言，必须掌握两种文化。（To be bilingual, one must be bicultural.）英美文化对于广大的英语学习者的重要性可见一斑，而对于广大的一线英语教师来说，如果能够掌握广博的英美文化，不仅能够提升自己的文化素养，能够更加准确、传神地讲述教材，取得较好的教学效果，还能够进一步激发学生学习英语的兴趣和积极性，扩展他们的国际视野。

外研社基础教育出版分社经过长达四年的调查研究，广泛地听取了广大一线教师的意见，决定开发一套英美文化读本，以满足中小学英语教师的需求，并兼顾大专院校学生和一般读者的需求。为此，中方团队密切关注英美文化发展的最新态势，遵循国家《英语课程标准》的精神和中国学生学习英语的实际，提出选题方案，然后依据文章主题聘请各个领域的英美学者撰稿。在稿件完成后，中方专家又就内容和语言问题提出意见，请英美学者再进行修改和完善而成。

概括起来，这套读本具有以下特点：

一、内容充实，知识性和趣味性较强。两套读物涵盖了英美文化的诸多层面，从国情概况、国民性格、历史、地理、民族、建筑风格到民俗传统、文体生活、社会心态、旅游观光，向读者呈现出立体的、丰富多彩的英美社会风情。

二、材料新颖。两套读物紧跟时代潮流，对英美文化中出现的新人新事作了介绍，譬如在谈及英国文化名人时，除了介绍影响力甚广的丘吉尔、达尔文、莎士比亚等历史人物，还介绍了当今青少年极感兴趣的英国球星贝克汉姆和流行歌手罗比·威廉姆斯等；又如小学读本Clothes一章，除了介绍了服饰的历史发展和传统服装，还介绍了当代美国青少年中流行的着装风格等等。

三、语言规范，读者不仅可以多视角地熟悉英美文化，而且可以学到地道的英语。考虑到不同水平读者的需求，小学读本我们采取了中英对照的形式，以便读者准确理解文章的内涵。中学读本采取了注释的形式，对文中所涉及的具有特殊文化背景的内容加以解释，以便读者深入理解原文。

四、图文并茂。考虑到这套读物所涉及的诸多文化内容和现象与中国读者的日常生活存在一定距离，编辑特为文章精心挑选了与文字内容相对应的图片，使读者更加直观地了解文字内容。同时出版社还在英国对每篇文章进行了录音，呈现给读者的是一套文、图、音三者并举的读本，以提升读者的学习效果。

总之，我们相信，读者通过学习这套英美文化读本，将会提高跨文化交际的能力。书中疏漏之处，敬请读者不吝指教。申 立2010年6月

1 General introduction 英美简介

What is Great Britain?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to call it by its full name, is a nation in Western Europe. We call it the UK for short. The people that live in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are called 'British' and the language spoken by people in Britain is English. In Wales, some people speak the Welsh language, and you can see road signs in Welsh and English if you go there.

People visit the UK from all over the world. There are some important towns and cities there, and also lots of farmland. The land is good for raising sheep and cows, as well as for growing vegetables and crops, like potatoes and wheat. Some parts of the UK are mountainous. The highest mountain in the UK is called Ben Nevis, which is in Scotland. There are some nice sandy beaches, forests and marshland too.

In the past, all sorts of people lived in the UK. The Romans invaded 2,000 years ago and lived there for about 400 years. The Romans called the nation Britannia, after a goddess that was worshipped there. The name 'Great Britain' comes from that Roman name. They built many of the cities in England that are still there today, and you can find Roman remains in many places in the UK. Some of the best remains are the Roman baths in the city of Bath, and parts of Hadrian's Wall, which separated the Roman lands from Scotland.

In 410 AD, the Romans left the country, and there came a time people call the 'Dark Ages'. Many tribes from neighbouring countries wanted to live in Britannia and so there were lots of invasions and battles. The Dark Ages lasted around 600 years. Invading tribes of Angles, Saxons, and the fearsome Vikings all conquered parts of the country in the Dark Ages. It was around this time that the name England first came to be used. It means 'Land of the Angles'. Also in those days, the first kings of England ruled. You can read about some of those kings in later chapters of this book." In Wales, some people speak the Welsh language, and you can see road signs in Welsh and English if you go there. "

The last people to conquer England were the Normans (from France) in 1066, after they won the famous battle of Hastings. The wonderful Bayeux tapestry, which is kept in France, shows the history of that famous battle. The history of the British Parliament dates back to Norman England too. Parliament is a group of elected and chosen people that make the nation's laws. Today, they meet in the Houses of Parliament in London, and at other places in Scotland and Wales.

The different people that have ruled Britain have all brought their own languages and ways of life. This is one of the reasons why the English language has some unusual words and customs! Some common words have lots of different meanings. Did you know that the Oxford English Dictionary has over 40 definitions for the words 'round' and 'light' and over 70 for the word 'run'? This can make learning English a tricky task!Houses of Parliament in London

Today, around 60 million people live in the UK, and most of the people live in England. The UK's biggest cities are in England, but there are important cities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too. Some British cities, like London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Oxford and Nottingham are famous around the world for many different reasons. Some are well known for their sports team (like Manchester United football club), their university (like Oxford), their arts and music festival (like Edinburgh), or famous people that lived there in the past (like Robin Hood in Nottingham).Green Scottish countryside and farmland

Look out for these groups, people and places as you read through this book!

英国简介

大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国是一个西欧国家的全称，我们将其简称为英国。住在英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰的人通称“英国人”，他们所使用的语言是英语。在威尔士，有些人讲威尔士语。要是你去那儿的话，你会看到那儿的路标是用威尔士语和英语两种语言标注的。

世界各地的人到英国参观访问。英国有一些重要的城镇，还有大量的农田。那里的土地适宜养殖牛羊，种植蔬菜以及土豆和小麦之类的农作物。英国有些地方是山区，最高的山峰是本尼维斯山，位于苏格兰。此外，英国还拥有美丽的沙滩、森林和沼泽地。

历史上形形色色的人都在这片土地上居住过。两千年前罗马人入侵英国，并在英国生活了约400年。古罗马人称这个民族为“不列颠（Britannia）”——当地人所供奉的一个女神的名字。“大不列颠（Great Britain）”就是由此演变而来的。罗马人在英格兰建造了许多城镇，这些古老的城镇留存至今。如今你在英国的很多地方都能找到古罗马遗迹。保存最好的遗迹包括巴斯市的罗马浴池和横亘于古罗马帝国领土和苏格兰之间的哈德良长城的残余部分。

公元410年，罗马人离开英国，“黑暗时代”开始了。邻国许多部落都想到不列颠居住，由此引发大量入侵活动和战争。“黑暗时代”持续了约600年。在此期间入侵的部落包括盎格鲁人、撒克逊人，还有可怕的维京人，他们先后征服了这个国家的部分领土。正是在这个时期，“英格兰(England)”这个名字首次得到使用。它的意思是“盎格鲁人的土地”。也正是在这个时期，英格兰最早一批国王开始统治这片土地。本书后面的章节中会向读者介绍他们当中的几位。

1066年，来自法国的诺曼人在著名的黑斯廷斯战役中取得了胜利，成为最后一批征服英格兰的入侵者。保存在法国的、精美的贝叶挂毯就展现了这一著名的战役。英国议会的历史也可以追溯到诺曼人统治时代。议会由一群被选举和挑选出的代表组成，他们负责制定国家法律。如今，议会在伦敦的议会大厦以及苏格兰和威尔士的其他一些地方举行会议。

历史上曾经统治不列颠的民族带来了自己的语言和生活方式。这正是英语中存在着一些特殊词汇和惯用法的原因之一！有些常用词有很多不同的含义。你是否知道《牛津英语词典》中对“round”和“light”的释义有40多个，而“run”的释义有70多个？这无疑使英语学习成为了一项棘手的任务！

现今，约有6000万人住在英国。英国最大的城市和主要的人口都分布在英格兰，但是苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰也有一些重要的城市。英国的一些城市，如伦敦、爱丁堡、曼彻斯特、牛津和诺丁汉，基于不同的原因闻名于世：或是因为它们的体育团队（如曼彻斯特联队足球俱乐部）、大学（如牛津大学）、艺术和音乐节（如爱丁堡），或是因为曾在那里生活的名人（如诺丁汉的罗宾汉）。

读者在阅读本书的时候，不妨留意一下这些团队、人名和地名！

The land of Scotland

Scotland, known in the past as Alba and Caledonia, is a small country. It is only 78,772 square kilometres in area and has a population of around 5.1 million. However, Scottish people can be found in almost every part of the world and many of them have made a significant contribution to the good of the countries that they have moved to. Scotland has been described in boxing talk as 'punching above its weight'. This means that it has made a big impact on the world relative to its small size.

Scotland is one of the four entities that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The others are England, Wales and, of course, Northern Ireland.  Although for centuries Scotland shared a queen and government with the rest of the United Kingdom, the Scottish people have always felt that they are a separate nation from England. Scotland's own kings ruled until the year 1603 when a Scottish king was made the English king (James I). From that time there was only one king, who ruled from England, over both countries. In 1707 the Scottish and English parliaments became one. But even in these circumstances, Scottish affairs were dealt with by a separate department until almost 300 years later when, in 1998, Scotland was granted a parliament of its own again to deal with its internal affairs. This Scottish parliament still answers to the UK parliament as it cannot collect its own taxes, but there are many Scottish people who want to change that and who want Scotland to become an independent country once more.Statue of King Robert I of Scotland" Although for centuries Scotland shared a queen and government with the rest of the United Kingdom, the Scottish people have always felt that they are a separate nation from England. "

The Scottish landscape is mainly one of mountains and moorland and open wetlands, inland lochs (the Scottish word for 'lakes') and beautiful rivers. On the western side, the mountains sweep down fairly close to the shore and the shoreline is indented by many inlets and arms of the sea (these are known as sea lochs or sea lakes). The eastern seaboard is less mountainous. Most of the fertile, arable land of the country is to be found there and in the Central Lowlands, which is a broad stretch of lower land across what might be regarded as the waistline of the country. Most of the Scottish population and four of the country's six cities are situated in these Central Lowlands where much of Scotland's economic wealth is generated and along the more level eastern countryside. There is a much sparser population in the Highlands, especially around the western shoreline and in the island groups of the west and north.

Between the Central Lowlands and the boundary with England is a large area known as the Scottish Borders. Here, smooth rounded hills, less rugged than the northern mountains, present a gentle landscape that is the setting for a number of towns in attractive river valleys.

The border with England is a very significant line. Today there are no border posts and passage from one side to the other is free, but it was not always so. When the mighty Roman army swept across Europe and invaded Britain, they managed to occupy England and Wales but not Scotland. After 80 AD the Romans tried to cross the Scottish border many times but were fought off by the local people and turned back. So the Romans built a wall from east to west across the north of England to keep the wild Scots out. Thus the northern limit of the Roman Empire was in the north of present-day England.

But who were these warring tribes who were able to keep the powerful Romans out of their territory? The Romans named the main group who confronted them Picts, meaning painted people. This was on account of the purple war paint they wore in battle. However, the origins of the present population of Scotland (with the exception of more recent immigrants) is a mix of different groups known as Picts, Gaels, Brythons, Angles, Norsemen and Celtic peoples who eventually, through the passage of time, collectively became known as Scots. The name Scot seems to come from a Gaelic (Celtic) tribe from Ireland who originally settled in Scotland's southwest in around 450 AD. Today the term Scot is used to describe all Scottish people.Eilean Donna Castle on Loch Duich

Historians travelling through Scotland can trace evidence of early races and their different cultures. Stone circles, burial mounds and ancient carved stones tell of different tribal religions, cultures and customs. Another example is the many place names in the north and northern islands, such as Laxdale, Lerwick and Seaforth that reveal colonisation by Norsemen or Vikings from Scandinavia. In the Western Isles and parts of the mainland, the Gaelic language is still used and is a living link with the great Celtic 'empire' that existed in this area.

This multi-ethnic mix of peoples bonded together as a single nation—the Scots—with the reputation of being an industrious, enterprising, enquiring and inventive people. They are known worldwide because they can be found in almost every country, usually reminding others of their presence by Scottish celebrations of different kinds.

Many Scots had a hand in the birth of modern nations, for example, Canada and the USA. Also, by discovery and invention, the Scots contributed much to the development of life as we know it today. No one will research the origins of television, pneumatic tyres, the bicycle, the telephone, the hydrofoil, gas lighting, kerosene (paraffin), the steam engine and waterproof fabric without finding the hand of Scotsmen therein. The Scottish also contributed to endeavours such as the development of radar and the cloning of sheep and in the medical field, to the discoveries of penicillin, cures for various tropical diseases, chloroform's anaesthetic qualities and beta blockers. In the field of economics, Adam Smith of Kirkcaldy was the first real international political economist who wrote The Wealth of Nations and has had a profound influence on economic thinking.

With Scotsmen being the inventors, discoverers, founders and chief developers of so much that shapes our lives for the better today, the statement that Scotland 'punches above its weight' is definitely true.

苏格兰概况

苏格兰在历史上曾被称作阿尔巴和喀里多尼亚，是一个面积仅有78，772平方公里、 人口约510万的小国。但是苏格兰人却遍布世界几乎各个角落，且其中不少人为他们所在的国家作出了卓越的贡献。借用拳击术语来说，苏格兰是一个“出拳能量超出身体重量”的国家，这里暗喻苏格兰虽然国家不大，但对世界的影响却巨大。

苏格兰是组成大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国的四个实体之一，其他实体包括英格兰、威尔士，当然，还有北爱尔兰。尽管几百年来，苏格兰和英国其他三个实体一样服从英国女王和英国政府的管辖，但是苏格兰人一直觉得他们与英格兰是两个不同的国家。1603年，苏格兰国王继位成为英格兰国王，即詹姆士一世；而在那之前，苏格兰一直由自己的国王统治。自那以后，由住在英格兰的一个国王统治两个国家。1707年，苏格兰与英格兰议会合二为一。但即使在这样的情况下，苏格兰的事务一直由一个单独的部门处理。直到近300年后的1998年，苏格兰再次获准成立了自己的地方议会来处理其内部事务。苏格兰议会仍然向联合王国议会负责，因为它无权收税，但是许多苏格兰人想改变这种情况，谋求苏格兰的再次独立。Ring of Brodgar in Orkney Islands

苏格兰的自然景观以山地、高原沼地、开放的湿地、内陆湖泊和美丽的河流为主。在苏格兰的西部地区，山峦绵延至海岸，那里的很多入海口与狭长水湾（被称为海湖）使海岸线呈犬牙交错之势。比较之下，东部沿海地区地势则较为平缓，苏格兰的大部分富饶的耕地就位于这里以及被称作中央低地的一片横跨苏格兰腹地的开阔低地。苏格兰的大部分人口和苏格兰六个城市中的四个都分布于这片经济发达的中央低地和地势较为平坦的东部乡村，而苏格兰高地的人口则稀少得多，特别是西部海岸线一带及西部和北部的群岛。

在中央低地与苏格兰和英格兰边境的中间是一大片被称为苏格兰边境的地区。这里平滑浑圆的山丘不像北部高地那样突兀。在这片较为平缓的地区，一些小镇散落在美丽的河谷中。

苏格兰与英格兰的边界线极为重要。今天，那里没有边境检查站，双方的来往通行也不受限制，但过去可并非如此。强大的罗马军团横扫欧洲并入侵英国时，罗马人成功占领了英格兰和威尔士，但对苏格兰却束手无策。在公元80年后，罗马军团曾数次试图跨过苏格兰边境，但却遭到了当地人的顽强抵抗，最后无功而返。为了避免强悍的苏格兰人来找麻烦，罗马人在英格兰北部建造了一道横贯东西的城墙。因此，罗马帝国的北部边界位于今日英格兰的北部。Loch Romond

但是，究竟是哪些能征善战的部族把强大的罗马人拒之境外？罗马人把与其正面交锋的主要族群称作皮克特人，即涂了颜色的人。这源于该族群在交战时脸上涂的紫色颜料。然而，除新移民外，目前的苏格兰人是由皮克特人、盖尔人、布立吞人、盎格鲁人、古斯堪的纳维亚人和凯尔特人等不同族群随着时间的推移逐渐融合而成的。“Scot（苏格兰人）”这个名字似乎源于一个盖尔（凯尔特）部落的名字，这个来自爱尔兰的部族最初于公元450年前后住在苏格兰西南地区。今天，“Scot”被用来称呼所有的苏格兰人。

游览苏格兰的历史学家可以发现这些早期族群以及他们不同的文化所留下的痕迹。石圈、墓冢以及古代石刻都记述了不同部落的宗教、文化及风俗习惯。北部地区和北部岛屿的许多地名如拉克斯戴尔、勒威克和锡福斯，表明它们曾是古斯堪的纳维亚人或维京人的殖民地。而在苏格兰西部诸岛和部分大陆地区，盖尔语仍在使用，它像一条纽带，联系着这里曾经存在过的、伟大的凯尔特“帝国”。

这是一个由多民族融合在一起组成的单一民族——苏格兰。苏格兰人遍布全球，以勤劳、进取、善于探究和创新闻名于世。他们通常用各种各样的具有苏格兰特色的庆祝活动来提醒世人他们的存在。

许多苏格兰人参与缔造了一些现代国家，如加拿大和美国。另外，他们的发现和发明对我们现今拥有的生活贡献巨大。任何人在调查电视、充气轮胎、自行车、电话、水翼艇、煤气照明、煤油、蒸汽发动机和防水面料的起源时，都会发现其中有苏格兰人的参与。在雷达的研发、绵羊克隆以及在医学领域内青霉素、各种热带疾病的治疗方法、氯仿的麻醉质量、β-受体阻滞药的发现方面，苏格兰人也功不可没。在经济学领域，《国富论》的作者、（苏格兰）柯卡尔迪人亚当·斯密是第一位真正的国际政治经济学家，对于经济思维有着深远的影响。

如此多的发明和发现极大地改善了我们今天的生活，而苏格兰人作为发明者、发现者、创建者和主要研发人员，印证了小小的苏格兰“出拳能量超出身体重量”绝非浪得虚名。

America

The United States of America is a large country in North America. Many people call it the US, USA, or just 'America'. It is made up of 50 separate states that each have their own government, capital and laws. However, the national government, based in Washington, D.C., oversees many aspects of daily life. The main language in the USA is English, although many other languages are spoken. Over 35 million people speak Spanish, which is the second most popular language.Geography

The USA is the fourth largest country in the world, and it stretches about 3,000 miles from east to west. Two main mountain ranges run north to south through the country: the Rocky Mountains in the west, and the Appalachian Mountains in the east. Between them, great rolling prairies stretch for hundreds of miles. Here, farms grow huge crops of wheat and corn. The area is nicknamed 'America's Breadbasket'. In the southwest corner of the country, the land is more like a desert, with many weird and wonderful rock formations such as the Grand Canyon. The United States also includes Hawaii, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and Alaska, a huge wilderness that extends into the Arctic Circle." One of the symbols of America is 'Uncle Sam'. This character is an old man with a white beard, who wears clothes that look like the American flag. "History

The first people to live in the United States were the Native Americans, sometimes called 'Indians'. These people lived in many tribes scattered across the land. The first European settlers arrived in the 16th century. By 1775, the British controlled a string of colonies along the east coast. The colonists began to get angry with the British taxes, and they started a war of rebellion. They won the war, and in 1783 they became an independent country.

After independence, the country grew quickly, and its borders soon extended all the way to the west coast. There were only 13 states at the beginning. Over the years, more and more were added as the country grew. Millions of immigrants came to the United States from other countries. They hoped to have a better life than they had had in their own country. America was called the 'land of opportunity', and although life was hard for the immigrants, many of them did succeed in their goal. Even today, American culture, language and food show the influence of these immigrants. The country is often called a 'melting pot' because different cultures have mixed together, like the ingredients in a stew or soup!

One of the symbols of America is 'Uncle Sam'. This character is an old man with a white beard, who wears clothes that look like the American flag. He is based on a real person who supplied food to the army in the 1800s.America today

More than 300 million people now call the United States home. Many of them live in cities or suburbs, but there is also a sizeable rural population. The country is made up of regions that often have their own accent, food and culture. The northeast part of the country is called 'New England'. It has some of the oldest settlements and a large Irish-American population. The southeast is often called just 'the South'. This area has a large African-American population. Many of these people are descended from the African slaves who once worked the farms. Louisiana is home to a group called 'Cajuns'. The area was originally settled by French-speaking people from Canada, and touches of French language and culture still remain.

The Midwest is an area known for its large farms. The West is where the legend of the cowboy started, and there are still many ranches and rodeos. Some people wear cowboy hats! California is famous for Hollywood and for its beautiful scenery and coastline.

Although the people in different regions of the United States may speak and act differently, they all share a sense of the nation's history and values. Americans are all proud to be American!

试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]

下载完整电子书