英美国家文化概况名词解释

英美文化名词解释

威廉征服者

William who was Duke of Normandy, landed his army in southeast England in September 1066. Harold, who had been fighting rebels in north England, armed with bows and arrows. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1066 and became known as William the Conqueror. The Normandy line of kings began to rule England.

大宪章

On June 15, 1215, king John signed and swore to observe the charter the nobles had prepared. The charter, known as the Greater Charter, or the Magna Carta, is as important to the English people as the Declaration of Independence is important to the Americans. It has been regarded as “the corner stone” of English history. The Great Charter was the first step of constitutional experiment and rule of law. It laid down the basic rules for the English and American legal system. It contained provisions that protected life and property.

伊丽莎白一世

One of the greatest monarchs in Britain history. She reigned England Wales and Ireland for 45 years and remained single. Her reign was a time of confident English nationalism and of great achievement in literature and other arts, in exploration and in battle.

综合学校

Comprehensive school

The comprehensive secondary school system requires children to start receiving school education at age of 5. After six years of study at primary schools, they are eleven years old; however, the “eleven plus”is no longer required. All of them are entitled to go to the secondary comprehensive schools.

①90%; ②admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education, teaching students everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking) ; Common law

Since there was no written law to tell the circuit judges how to deal with each case and punish offenders, the judges had to make decisions by relying on English traditions and customs, which varied not only from shire to shire but from one community to another.The circuit judge would have to bring the different local customs and traditions together when they are going to make a decision. After circuit judges applied them to court decisions, local customs became common to all.

A written law gathered from numerous decisions of the courts and other sources.

圈地运动的利与弊Enclosure Acts

Agricultural enclosure had good as well as bad result. It consolidated small fields into large farms, which paved the way for scientific large-scale production, increasing the supply of agricultural products. This made it possible for Britain to develop industry enlarge its urban population, but the enclosure was a disaster for the tenants who were driven off their lands. These displaced peasants were forced to look for a living in towns even though many of them lacked the skills needed for industrial production.

英国工业革命的过程

(1)1733, flying shuttle, John Kay, speeded up hand weaving;

(2)1766, spinning jenny, James Hardgrave’s, enabled one hand laborer to spin threads at a time;

(3)Richard Arkwright’s water frame in 1769;