英语国家概况

《英语国家概况》补充材料

A：名词解释补充

The Pilgrim Fathers（英国清教徒）: This is given to those members who made the first crossing on the famous Mayflower, which landed at Plymouth harbor in December 1620.

Jacksonian democracy（杰克森式民主）:It is used in American politics to describe the period when the “common man” participated in the government, occurring after Jeffersonian democracy. The Progressive Movement（革新运动）:It was a reform movement that reached its height in the early 20th century. This arose as a response to the vast changes brought by industrialization.

The Union Flag（英国国旗）:Also known as the Union Jack. It is the national flag of the UK. It symbolizes the 4 administrative nations, the England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland. The red cross stands for England, the diagonal Red Cross stands for Ireland and the diagonal white cross stands for Scotland.

British Commonwealth（英联邦）:Also known as the Commonwealth of Nations. It includes the UK and the 40 or so former British colonies that are now sovereign states. It was formally established in 1931.

European Union（欧盟）:It is an economic and political union established in 1993. The establishment of the European Union expanded the political scope of the European Economic, especially in the area of foreign and security policies, and provided for the creation of a central European bank and the adoption of a common currency. Domesday Book（末日审判书）: The written record of a census and survey of English landowners and their property made by order of William the Conqueror in 1085-1086.

Stonehenge（巨石阵）:A group of standing stones on a plain in the southern England. The arrangement of the stones suggests that it was used as a religious center and also as an astronomical observatory.

Julius Caesar（凯撒大帝）:He is a roman general, statesman and historian. He invaded British, conquered the army of his political enemy Pompey, and pursued other enemies to Egypt. He returned to Rome, and was given a order by the people to rule as dictator until he was murdered.

Protestantism（新教）: One of the 3 major branches of Christianity, originating in the 16th century Reformation in Europe.

Margaret Thatcher（撒切尔夫人）: She is the first British female Prime Minister who held the office of PM Longer than anyone else in the 20th century. She was elected in 1979, shored up a Conservative-led government, favored privatization plans. Her nickname is “The Iron Lady”; she was elected to three consecutive terms and resigned in1990

Keynesian（凯恩斯主义）: The economic theories of economist Keynes, who advocate government monetary and fiscal programs, designed to increase employment and stimulate business activity.

Westminster Abbey（威斯敏斯特教堂）:A famous church located in London, where English monarchs are crowned and distinguished English subjects are buried. The Poets’ Corner conta ins the graves of great English writers.

Grammar school: Originally meant to educate the young in Latin grammar and that of another European language. These schools in modern UK are intended to teach a highly academic class and teach students to deal with abstract concepts.

The American Revolution（独立战争）: Also known as the War of Independence, it began in 1775 and ended in 1783. It ended 2 centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the United States of America.