Notes on english characters 英国人性格琐谈1-9段中文翻译
EnglishCharacter（英国人的性格）
EnglishCharacter（英国人的性格）The English CharacterTo other Europeans, the best known quality of the British, and in particular of the English,is "reserved".A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited.It is difficult to get to know a reserved person: he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are.English people tend to be like that.Closely related to English reserve is English modesty.Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty.Self-praise is felt to be impolite. If a person is, let us say, very goodat tennis and someone asks him if he is a good player, he will seldom reply "Yes", because people will think him conceited.He will probably give an answer like, "I'm not bad", or " I think I'm very good", or "Well, I'm very keen on tennis."Even if he had managed to reach the finals in last year's local championships, he would say it in such a way as to suggest that it was only due to a piece of good luck.Since reserve and modesty are part of his own nature, the typical English tends to expect them in others.He secretly looks down on more excitable nations, and likes to think of himself as more reliable than they are.He doesn't trust big promises and open shows of feelings, especially if they are expressed in flowery language. He doesn't trust self-praise of any kind.This applies not only to what other people may tell him about themselves orally, but to the letters they may write to him.To those who are fond of flowery expressions, the Englishman may appear uncomfortably cold.。
现代大学英语精读6-notes-on-english-character
First note. I had better let the cat out of the bag at once and record my opinion that the character of the English is essentially middle class. There is a sound historical reason for this，for，since the end of the eighteenth century，the middle classes have been the dominant force in our community. They gained wealth by the Industrial Revolution，political power by the Reform Bill of 1832；they are connected with the rise and organization of the British Empire；they are responsible for the literature of the nineteenth century. Solidity，caution，integrity，efficiency. Lack of imagination，hypocrisy. These qualities characterize the middle classes in every country，but in England they are national characteristics also，because only in England have the middle classes been in power for one hundred and fifty years. Napoleon，in his rude way，called us "a nation of shopkeepers." We prefer to call ourselves "a great commercial nation" -- it sounds more dignified -- but the two phrases amount to the same. Of course there are other classes：there is an aristocracy，there are the poor. But it is on the middle classes that the eye of the critic rests -- just as it rests on the poor in Russia and on the aristocracy in Japan. Russia is symbolized by the peasant or by the factory worker；Japan by the samurai；the national figure of England is Mr. Bull with his top hat，his comfortable clothes，his substantial stomach，and his substantial balance at the bank. Saint George may caper on banners and in the speeches of politicians，but it is John Bull who delivers the goods. And even Saint George-- if Gibbon is correct-- wore a top hat once；he was an army contractor and supplied indifferent bacon. It all amounts to the same in the end.Second Note. Just as the heart of England is the middle classes，so the heart of the middle classes is the public school system. This extraordinary institution is local. It does not even exist all over the British Isles. It is unknown in Ireland，almost unknown in Scotland （countries excluded from my survey），and though it may inspire other great institutions--Aligarh，for example，and some of the schools in the United States--it remains unique，because it was created by the Anglo-Saxon middle classes，and can flourish only where they flourish. How perfectly it expresses their character -- far better for instance，than does the university，into which social and spiritual complexities have already entered. With its boarding-houses，its compulsory games，its system of prefects and fagging，its insistence on good form and on esprit de corps，it produces a type whose weight is out of all proportion to its numbers. On leaving his school，the boy either sets to work at once -- goes into the army or into business，or emigrates -- or else proceeds to the university，and after three or four years there enters some other profession -- becomes abarrister，doctor，civil servant，schoolmaster，or journalist. （If through some mishap he does not become a manual worker or an artist.）In all these careers his education，or the absence of it，influences him. Its memories influence him also. Many men look back on their school days as the happiest of their lives. They remember with regret that golden time when life，though hard，was not yet complex，when they all worked together and played together and thought together，so far as they thought at all；when they were taught that school is the world in miniature and believed that no one can love his country who does not love his school. And they prolong that time as best they can by joining their Old Boys' society：indeed，some of them remain Old Boys and nothing else for the rest of their lives. They attribute all good to the school. They worship it. They quote the remark that "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton." It is nothing to them that the remark is inapplicable historically and was never made by the Duke of Wellington，and that the Duke of Wellington was an Irishman. They go on quoting it because it expresses their sentiments；they feel that if the Duke of Wellington didn't make it he ought to have，and if he wasn't an Englishman he ought to have been. And they go forth into a world that is not entirely composed of public-school men or even of Anglo-Saxons，but of men who are as various as the sands of the sea；into a world of whose richness and subtlety they have no conception. They go forth into it with well-developed bodies，fairly developed minds，and undeveloped hearts. And it is this undeveloped heart that is largely responsible for the difficulties of Englishmen abroad. An undeveloped heart--not a cold one. The difference is important，and on it my next note will be based.For it is not that the Englishman can't feel -- it is that he is afraid to feel. He has been taught at his public school that feeling is bad form. He must not express great joy or sorrow，or even open his mouth too wide when he talks--his pipe might fall out if he did. He must bottle up his emotions，or let them out only on a very special occasion.Once upon a time （this is an anecdote）I went for a week's holiday on the Continent with an Indian friend. We both enjoyed ourselves and were sorry when the week was over，but on parting our behaviour was absolutely different. He was plunged in despair.He felt that because the holiday was over all happiness was over until the world ended. He could not express his sorrow too much. But in me the Englishman came out strong. I reflected that we should meet again in a month or two，and could write in the interval if we had anything to say；and under these circumstances I could not see what there was to make a fuss about. It wasn't as if we were partingforever or dying. "Buck up，" I said，"do buck up." He refused to buck up，and I left him plunged in gloom.The conclusion of the anecdote is even more instructive. For when we met the next month our conversation threw a good deal of light on the English character.I began by scolding my friend. I told him that he had been wrong to feel and display so much emotion upon so slight an occasion；that it was inappropriate. The word "inappropriate" roused him to fury. "What？" he cried. "Do you measure out your emotions as if they were potatoes？" I did not like the simile of the potatoes，but after a moment's reflection I said："Yes，I do；and what's more，I thinkI ought to. A small occasion demands a little emotion just as a large occasion demandsa great one. I would like my emotions to be appropriate. This may be measuring them like potatoes，but it is better than slopping them about like water from a pail，which is what you did." He did not like the simile of the pail. "If those are your opinions，they part us forever，" he cried，and left the room. Returning immediately，he added："No--but your whole attitude toward emotion is wrong. Emotion has nothing to do with appropriateness. It matters only that it shall be sincere. I happened to feel deeply. I showed it. It doesn't matter whether I ought to have felt deeply or not."This remark impressed me very much. Yet I could not agree with it，and said that I valued emotion as much as he did，but used it differently；if I poured it out on small occasions I was afraid of having none left for the great ones，and of being bankrupt at the crises of life. Note the word "bankrupt." I spoke as a member of a prudent middle-class nation，always anxious to meet my liabilities，but my friend spoke as an Oriental，and the Oriental has behind him a tradition，not of middle-class prudence but of kingly munificence and splendour. He feels his resources are endless，just as John Bull feels his are finite. As regards material resources，the Oriental is clearly unwise. Money isn't endless. If we spend or give away all the money we have，we haven't any more，and must take the consequences，which are frequently unpleasant. But，as regards the resources of the spirit，he may be right. The emotions may be endless. The more we express them，the more we may have to express. True love in this differs from gold and clay，That to divide is not to take away.Says Shelley. Shelley，at all events，believes that the wealth of the spirit is endless；that we may express it copiously，passionately，and always；that we can never feel sorrow or joy too acutely.In the above anecdote，I have figured as a typical Englishman. I will now descend from that dizzy and somewhat unfamiliar height，and return to my businessof notetaking. A note on the slowness of the English character. The Englishman appears to be cold and unemotional because he is really slow. When an event happens，he may understand it quickly enough with his mind，but he takes quite a while to feel it. Once upon a time a coach，containing some Englishmen and some Frenchmen，was driving over the Alps. The horses ran away，and as they were dashing across a bridge the coach caught on the stonework，tottered，and nearly fell into the ravine below. The Frenchmen were frantic with terror：they screamed and gesticulated and flung themselves about，as Frenchmen would. The Englishmen sat quite calm. An hour later，the coach drew up at an inn to change horses，and by that time the situations were exactly reversed. The Frenchmen had forgotten all about the danger，and were chattering gaily；the Englishmen had just begun to feel it，and one had a nervous breakdown and was obliged to go to bed. We have here a clear physical difference between the two races--a difference that goes deep into character. The Frenchmen responded at once；the Englishmen responded in time. They were slow and they were also practical. Their instinct forbade them to throw themselves about in the coach，because it was more likely to tip over if they did. They had this extraordinary appreciation of fact that we shall notice again and again. When a disaster comes，the English instinct is to do what can be done first，and to postpone the feeling as long as possible. Hence they are splendid at emergencies. No doubt they are brave--no one will deny that--bravery is partly an affair of the nerves，and the English nervous system is well equipped for meeting physical emergency.It acts promptly and feels slowly. Such a combination is fruitful，and anyone who possesses it has gone a long way toward being brave. And when the action is over，then the Englishman can feel.There is one more consideration -- a most important one. If the English nature is cold，how is it that it has produced a great literature and a literature that is particularly great in poetry？Judged by its prose，English literature would not stand in the first rank. It is its poetry that raises it to the level of Greek，Persian，or French. And yet the English are supposed to be so unpoetical. How is this？The nation that produced the Elizabethan drama and the Lake Poets cannot be a could，unpoetical nation. We can't get fire out of ice. Since literature always rests upon national character，there must be in the English nature hidden springs of fire to produce the fire we see. The warm sympathy，the romance，the imagination，that we look for in Englishmen whom we meet，and too often vainly look for，must exist in the nation as a whole，or we could not have this outburst of national song. An undeveloped heart--not a cold one.The trouble is that the English nature is not at all easy to understand. It has a great air of simplicity，it advertises itself as simple，but the more we consider it，the greater the problems we shall encounter. People talk of the mysterious East，but the West also is mysterious. It has depths that do not reveal themselves at the first gaze. We know what the sea looks like from a distance：it is of one color，and level，and obviously cannot contain such creatures as fish. But if we look into the sea over the edge of a boat，we see a dozen colors，and depth below depth，and fish swimming in them. That sea is the English character--apparently imperturbable and even. These depths and the colors are the English romanticism and the English sensitiveness--we do not expect to find such things，but they exist. And -- to continue my metaphor--the fish are the English emotions，which are always trying to get up to the surface，but don't quite know how. For the most part we see them moving far below，distorted and obscure. Now and then they succeed and we exclaim，"Why，the Englishman has emotions！He actually can feel！" And occasionally we see that beautiful creature the flying fish，which rises out of the water altogether into the air and the sunlight. English literature is a flying fish. It is a sample of the life that goes on day after day beneath the surface；it is a proof that beauty and emotion exist in the salt，inhospitable sea.And now let's get back to terra firma. The Englishman's attitude toward criticism will give us another starting point. He is not annoyed by criticism. He listens or not as the case may be smiles and passes on，saying，"Oh，the fellow's jealous"；"Oh，I'm used to Bernard Shaw；monkey tricks don't hurt me." It never occurs to him that the fellow may be accurate as well as jealous，and that he might do well to take the criticism to heart and profit by it. It never strikes him--except as a form of words -- that he is capable of improvement；his self-complacency is abysmal. Other nations，both Oriental and European，have an uneasy feeling that they are not quite perfect. In consequence they resent criticism. It hurts them；and their snappy answers often mask a determination to improve themselves. Not so the Englishman. He has no uneasy feeling. Let the critics bark. And the "tolerant humorous attitude" with which he confronts them is not really humorous，because it is bounded by the titter and the guffaw.Turn over the pages of Punch. There is neither wit，laughter，nor satire in our national jester--only the snigger of a suburban householder who can understand nothing that does not resemble himself. Week after week，under Mr Punch's supervision， a man falls off his horse，or a colonel misses a golfball，or a little girl makes a mistake in her prayers. Week after week ladies show not toomuch of their legs，foreigners are deprecated，originality condemned. Week after week a bricklayer does not do as much work as he ought and a futurist does more than he need. It is all supposed to be so good-tempered and clean；it is also supposed to be funny. It is actually an outstanding example of our attitude toward criticism：the middle-class Englishman，with a smile on his clean-shaven lips，is engaged in admiring himself and ignoring the rest of mankind. If，in those colorless pages，he came across anything that really was funny -- a drawing by Max Beerbohm，for instance -- his smile would disappear，and he would say to himself，"The fellow's a bit of a crank，" and pass on.This particular attitude reveals such insensitiveness as to suggest a more serious charge：is the Englishman altogether indifferent to the things of the spirit？Let us glance for a moment at his religion -- not，indeed，at his theology，which would not merit inspection，but at the action on his daily life of his belief in the unseen. Here again his attitude is practical. But an innate decency comes out：he is thinking of others rather than of himself. Right conduct is his aim. He asks of his religion that it shall make him a better man in daily life：that he shall be more kind，more just，more merciful，more desirous to fight what is evil and to protect what is good. No one could call this a low conception. It is，as far as it goes， a spiritual one. Yet -- and this seems to be typical of the race -- it is only half the religious idea. Religion is more than an ethical code with a divine sanction. It is also a means through which man may get into direct connection with the divine，and，judging by history，few Englishmen have succeeded in doing this. We have produced no series of prophets，as has Judaism or Islam. We have not even produced a Joan of Arc，or a Savonarola. We have produced few saints. In Germany the Reformation was due to the passionate conviction of Luther. In England it was due to palace intrigue. We can show a steady level of piety， a fixed determination to live decently according to our lights -- little more.Well，it is something. It clears us of the charge of being an unspiritual nation. That facile contrast between the spiritual East and the materialistic West can be pushed too far. The West also is spiritual. Only it expresses its belief，not in fasting and visions，not in prophetic rapture，but in the daily round，the common task. An incomplete expression，if you like. I agree. But the argument underlying these scattered notes is that the Englishman is an incomplete person. Not a cold or an unspiritual one. But undeveloped，incomplete.I have suggested earlier that the English are sometimes hypocrites，and it is not my duty to develop this rather painful subject. Hypocrisy is the prime charge that is always brought against us. The Germans are called brutal，the Spanishcruel，the Americans superficial，and so on；but we are perfide Albion，the island of hypocrites，the people who have built up an Empire with a Bible in one hand， a pistol in the other and financial concessions in both pockets. Is the charge true？I think it is；but what we mean by hypocrisy？Do we mean conscious deceit？Well，the English are comparatively guiltless of this；they have little of the Renaissance villain about them. Do we mean unconscious deceit？Muddle-headedness？Of this I believe them to be guilty. When an Englishman has been led into a course of wrong action，he has nearly always begun by muddling himself. A public-school education does not make for mental clearness，and he possesses to a very high degree the power of confusing his own mind. How does it work in the domain of conduct？Jane Austen may seem an odd authority to cite，but Jane Austen has，within her limits， a marvelous insight into the English mind. Her range is limited，her characters never attempt any of the more scarlet sins. But she has a merciless eye for questions of conduct，and the classical example of two English people muddling themselves before they embark upon a wrong course of action is to be found in the opening chapters of Sense and Sensibility. Old Mr. Dashwood has just died. He has been twice married. By his first marriage he has a son，John；by his second marriage three daughters. The son is well off；the young ladies and their mother -- for Mr. Dashwood's second wife survives him -- are badly off. He has called his son to his death-bed and has solemnly adjured him to provide for the second family. Much moved，the young man promises，and mentally decides to give each of his sisters a thousand pounds：and then the comedy begins. For he announces his generous intention to his wife，and Mrs. John Dashwood by no means approves of depriving their own little boy of so large a sum. The thousand pounds are accordingly reduced to five hundred. But even this seems rather much. Might not an annuity to the stepmother be less of a wrench？Yes -- but though less of a wrench it might be more of a drain，for "she is very stout and healthy，and scarcely forty." An occasional present of fifty pounds will be better，"and will，I think，be amply discharging my promise to my father." Or，better still，an occasional present of fish. And in the end nothing is done，nothing；the four impecunious ladies are not even helped in the moving of their furniture.Well，are the John Dashwoods hypocrites？It depends upon our definition of hypocrisy. The young man could not see his evil impulses as they gathered force and gained on him. And even his wife，though a worse character，is also self-deceived. She reflects that old Mr. Dashwood may have been out of his mind at his death. She thinks of her own little boy -- and surely a mother ought to thinkof her own child. She has muddled herself so completely that in one sentence she can refuse the ladies the income that would enable them to keep a carriage and in the next can say that they will not be keeping a carriage and so will have no expenses. No doubt men and women in other lands can muddle themselves，too，yet the state of mind of Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood seems to me typical of England. They are slow -- they take time even to do wrong；whereas people in other lands do wrong quickly.There are national faults as there are national diseases，and perhaps one can draw a parallel between them. It has always impressed me that the national diseases of England should be cancer and consumption -- slow，insidious，pretending to be something else；while the diseases proper to the South should be cholera and plague，which strike at a man when he is perfectly well and may leave him a corpse by evening. Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood are moral consumptives. They collapse gradually without realizing what the disease is. There is nothing dramatic or violent about their sin. You cannot call them villains.Here is the place to glance at some of the other charges that have been brought against the English as a nation. They have，for instance，been accused of treachery，cruelty，and fanaticism，In these charges I have never been able to see the least point，because treachery and cruelty are conscious sins. The man knows he is doing wrong，and does it deliberately，like Tartuffe or Iago. He betrays his friend because he wishes to. He tortures his prisoners because he enjoys seeing the blood flow. He worships the Devil because he prefers evil to good. From villainies such as these the average Englishman is free. His character，which prevents his rising to certain heights，also prevents him from sinking to these depths. Because he doesn't produce mystics he doesn't produce villains either；he gives the world no prophets，but no anarchists，no fanatics--religious or political.Of course there are cruel and treacherous people in England -- one has only to look at the police courts -- and examples of public infamy can be found，such as the Amritsar massacre. But one does not look at the police courts or the military mind to find the soul of any nation；and the more English people one meets the more convinced one becomes that the charges as a whole are untrue. Yet foreign critics often make them. Why？Partly because they are annoyed with certain genuine defects in the English character，and in their irritation throw in cruelty in order to make the problem simpler. Moral indignation is always agreeable，but nearly always misplaced. It is indulged in both by the English and by the critics of the English. They all find it great fun. The drawback is that while they are amusing themselves the world becomes neither wiser nor better.The main point of these notes is that the English character is incomplete. No national character is complete. We have to look for some qualities in one part of the world and others in another. But the English character is incomplete in a way that is particularly annoying to the foreign observer. It has a bad surface -- self complacent，unsympathetic，and reserved. There is plenty of emotion further down，but it never gets used. There is plenty of brain power，but it is more often used to confirm prejudices than to dispel them. With such an equipment the Englishman cannot be popular. Only I would repeat：there is little vice in him and no real coldness. It is the machinery that is wrong.I hope and believe myself that in the next twenty years we shall see a great change，and that the national character will alter into something that is less unique but more lovable. The supremacy of the middle classes is probably ending. What new element the working classes will introduce one cannot say，but at all events they will not have been educated at public schools. And whether these notes praise or blame the English character -- that is only incidental. They are the notes of a student who is trying to get at the truth and would value the assistance of others. I believe myself that the truth is great and that it shall prevail. I have no faith in official caution and reticence. The cats are all out of their bags，and diplomacy cannot recall them. The nations must understand one another and quickly；and without the interposition of their governments，for the shrinkage of the globe is throwing them into one another's arms. To that understanding these notes are a feeble contribution -- notes on the English character as it has struck a novelist.。
character of Englishman
如果一个人网球打得很好， 当有人问他是不是一个网球 好手时，他很少会回答说 “是”，因为如果他回答 “是”，人们会认为他很自 负。他很可能会这样回答： “还不错。”或者“我觉得 我还行。”或者“嗯，我挺 喜欢打网球。” 即使他在 去年当地的网球锦标赛上打 入了决赛，他也许会说只是 碰上了好运气。
The British character
1，reserve保守刻板 ， 保守刻板 2, modesty谦虚谨慎 3， humor风趣幽默 4， sportsmanship体育风范 5，politeness文明友好
reserve保守刻板 保守刻板
Quality of the British, and in particular of the English, is “reserved.” A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person: he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are. English people tend to be like that. 在其他的欧洲人看来，英 国人，尤其是英格兰人的 最明显的特点是“沉默寡 言”。一个沉默寡言的人 不大同陌生人说话，情感 不大外露，也很少激动。 要想了解一个沉默寡言的 人很困难：他从不谈及他 的身世，即使你与他工作 数年，也许你不知道他家 住在哪里，有几个子女， 有些什么兴趣爱好。英国 人往往就是这样。
4.English-Character
Pun （双关，俏皮话）
Mary: John says I’m pretty. Andy says I’m ugly. What do you think, peter?
Peter: A bit of both. I think you’re pretty ugly.
An English teacher wrote these words on the whiteboard: "woman without her man is nothing". The teacher then asked the students to punctuate the words correctly.
Boxing, rugby（英式橄榄球）, football, hockey（曲棍球）, tennis and cricket（板 球） were all first organized and given rules
in Britain.
The swamp soccer
英格兰足球协会标志
3
English sense of humor
另外,即使在一起工作多年的同事也不知道对方 的家庭住址、家庭成员、兴趣爱好等情况,因为 他们从不谈论这些事情。
This reluctance to communicate with others is an unfortunate quality in some ways since it tends to give the impression of coldness, and it is true that the English (except perhaps in the North) are not noted for their generosity and hospitality. On the other hands, they are perfectly human behind their barrier of reserve, and may be quite pleased when a friendly strange or foreigner succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier down. We may also mention at this point that the people of the North and West, especially the Welsh, are much less reserved than those of the South and East.
The English character英国人的性格特征
The English characterTo othe Europeans, the best known quality of the British is "reserve".A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person; he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are. English people tend to be like that. If they are making a journey by bus, they will do their best to find an empty seat; if by train, an empty compartment. If they have to share the compartment with a stranger, they may travel many miles without starting a conversation. If a conversation does start, personal questions like "How old are you?" or even "What is your name?" are not easily asked. Questions like "Where did you buy your watch?" or "What is your salary?" are almost impossible. Similarly, conversation in Britain is in general quiet and restrained and loud speech is considered ill-bred. This unwillingness to communicate with others is an unfortunate quality in some ways, since it tends to give the impression of coldness, and it is true that the English (except perhaps in the North) are not noted for their generosity and hospitality. On the other hand, they are perfectly human behind their barrier of reserve, and may be quite pleased when a friendly stranger or foreigner succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier down.Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred. If a person is, let us say, very good at tennis, and someone asks him if he is a good player, he will seldom reply "Yes," because people will think him conceited. He will probably give an answer like, "I'm not bad," or "Well, I'm very keen on tennis." This self-deprecation is typically English, and, mixed with theirreserve, it often produces a sort of general air of indifference which appears to foreigners difficult to understand and even irritating.The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting-point is self-deprecation, and its great enemy is conce it. It’s ideal is the ability to laugh at oneself —at one's own faults, one's own failures and embarrassments, even at one's own ideals. The criticism, "He has no sense of humor," is very commonly heard in Britain, where humor is so highly prized. A sense of humor is an attitude to life rather than the mere ability to laugh at jokes. This attitude is never cruel or disrespectful or malicious. The English do not laugh at a cripple or a madman, a tragedy or an honorable failure. Sympathy or admiration for artistic skill are felt to be stronger than laughter.Like a sense of humor, sportsmanship is an English ideal which not all Englishmen live up to. It must be realized that sport in its modern form is almost entirely a British invention. Boxing, association football, tennis and cricket were all first organized and given rules in Britain. Rules are the essence of sport, and sportsmanship is the ability to practise a sport in obedience to its rules, while also showing generosity to one's opponent and good temper in defeat. Moreover, sportsmanship as an ideal is applied to life in general. One of the most elementary rules of life is "never hit a man when he's down"─in other words, never take advantage of another person's misfortune. English school-boys often show this sense of sportsmanship to a surprisingly high degree in their relations with each other.。
Character of Englishmen英国人的性格
Character of EnglishmenQuality of the British, and in particular of the English, is “reserved.” A reserved perso n is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person: he never tells you anything about himself, and you may work with him for years without ever knowing where he lives, how many children he has, and what his interests are. English people t end to be like that. 在其他的欧洲人看来，英国人，尤其是英格兰人的最明显的特点是“沉默寡言”。
一个沉默寡言的人不大同陌生人说话，情感不大外露，也很少激动。
要想了解一个沉默寡言的人很困难：他从不谈及他的身世，即使你与他工作数年，也许你不知道他家住在哪里，有几个子女，有些什么兴趣爱好。
英国人往往就是这样。
If they are making a journey by bus they will do their best to find an empty seat; if by train, an empty compartment. If they have to share the compartment with a stranger, t hey may travel many miles without starting a conversation. If a conversation does star t, personal questions like “How old are you?” or even “What is your name?” are not e asily asked. 乘公共汽车旅行时，他们会尽量找到一个空座位；乘火车旅行时，他们会尽量找到一个空隔间。
课文 notes on the english character 英国人的性格特点 译文
英国人的性格特点E·M·福斯特1.首先，我最好和盘托出并且点明我的观点，从根本上来说，英国人的性格特点是中产阶级的性格特点。
此观点拥有详实的历史渊源，因为自18世纪末起中产阶级就成为了英国社会的主导阶级。
中产阶级凭借工业革命发家，凭借1832年的《改革法案》掌权，他们与大英帝国的崛起和构成休戚相关，他们也是19世纪文学的缔造者。
稳重、谨慎、正直、高效、缺乏想像力、虚伪是每个国家中产阶级的特点，然而在英国，上述特点也是全体英国人的特点，因为只有英国的中产阶级掌权长达150年。
拿破仑无礼地称我们为“店老板民族”。
而我们更喜欢称自己为“伟大的商业民族99后者听起来更有尊严，但是二者在本质上是相同的。
当然，英国社会还包括其他阶级，贵族阶级与贫苦阶级。
然而，批评家的眼睛只盯着中产阶级，正如他们只盯着俄国的贫苦阶级与日本的贵族阶级一样。
俄国的典型形象是农民和工人，日本的典型形象是武士，英国的典型形象是布尔先生，他头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿合体的衣服，挺着大肚皮，数着银行的大笔存款。
圣·乔治也许会蹦蹦跳跳地举起标语，发表政治演说，而约翰·布尔则会去送货。
如果基博的观点是正确的，甚至圣·乔治也曾戴上高顶大礼帽，他是一位军火承包商，并且供应质量低劣的熏肉。
最终的结果都是一样的。
2.其次，正如中产阶级是英国的核心一样，公学制度是中产阶级的核心。
这种超乎寻常的体制具有地域性，它还没有扩展到英伦三岛。
爱尔兰和苏格兰都不存在这种体制(这两个国家不在我的调查之列)，尽管这样有利于其他优秀体制的出现，比如仅限于美国某些学校所采用的阿里加体制，因为它产生于安格鲁一萨克逊中产阶级，而且只能在上述阶级中实行。
英国公学制度比充满社会与精神复杂性的大学更充分地体现了中产阶级的特性。
学生寄宿、必修运动项目、高年级同学在差使低年级同学为自己办事时必须对其行为负责，以及高度重视身材与团队精神是英国公学制度的四大特点，正是这些特点使公学的学生具有超乎寻常的影响力。
Enneagram九型人格英文版百科
Enneagram九型人格英文版百科The Enneagram figure is now used for various purposes in a number of different teachingsystems. In more recent years the figure has mostly come into prominence because of its use with what is often called the Enneagram of Personality. The fundamental concepts of theEnneagram of Personality are attributed to Oscar Ichazo.Enneagrams shown as sequential stellationsIt has two forms: {9/2} and {9/4} connecting every 2nd and every 4th points respectively. There is also a star figure, {9/3}, made from the regular enneagon points but connected as acompound of three equilateral trianglesAccording to Gurdjieff, the enneagram is the symbol of the "law of seven" and "the law ofthree" combined (the two fundamental laws which govern the universe), and therefore theenneagram can be used to describe any natural whole phenomenon, cosmos, process in life, or any other piece of knowledge.A basic example of the possible usage of the enneagram is that it can be used to illustrateGurdjieff's concept of the evolution of the three types of ‘food’ necessary for a man: ordinary food, air and impressions. Each point on the enneagram in this case would represent the stage and the possibility of further evolution of food at a certain stage in the human body.Most processes on the enneagram are represented through octaves where the points serve as the notes; a concept which is derived from Gurdjieff’s idea of the law of se ven. In an octave the developing process comes to a critical point (one of the triangle points) at which help fromoutside is needed for it to rightly continue. This concept is best illustrated on the keys of the piano where every white key would represent an enneagram web point. The adjacent white keys which are missing a black key (half note) in between represent the enneagram webpoints which have a triangle point in between. In order that this point would pass onto the next, an external push is required.In the enneagram a process is depicted as going right around the circle beginning at 9 (the ending point of a previous process). The process can continue until it reaches point 3. At point three an external aid is needed in order that the process continu es. If it doesn't receive the ‘help’, theprocess will stop evolving and will devolve back into the form from which it evolved. The process continues until point 6, and later 9, where a similar "push" is needed. If the process passes point 9, the initial process will end, while giving birth to a new one.A Gurdjieff foundation exists which claims an authority based on a line of succession directlythrough Mr Gurdjieff. The foundation preserves Gurdjieff's music and movements andcontinues its own work with the Enneagram figure.Ichazo claims that sometime in the 1950s he received insight into how certain mechanistic and repetitive thought and behavior patterns can be understood in connection with the Enneagram figure and with what he called Trialectic logic as part of a complete and integrated model of the human psyche. The purpose of Ichazo's teachings was to help people transcend theiridentification with - and the suffering caused by - their own mechanistic thought and behavior patterns.This basic, irrefutable understanding of three fundamental Instincts and three possibleattitudes along with the understanding that a human being can be in a state of unity, analyzed with Trialectic logic forms a solid foundation upon which the theory of Fixations is based. As such, the theory of ego Fixations has a particular foundation which can be tested. The idea of "Personality Types" is an invention of intuition without any particular foundation beyond the theory of ego Fixations, and as such can be interpreted to mean whatever any of theEnneagram of Personality proponents chooses it to mean whenever they choose to sointerpret it. Thus we understand why there is no specific, solid agreement among the various proponents of "Personality" as something objective and anything more than a proposition to obfuscate human suffering.By understanding one's Fixations and through self observation, the hold on the mind, andsuffering caused by the Fixations, is reduced and even transcended. There was never anintention or purpose in Ichazo's original work to use this knowledge to reinforce or manipulate what is essentially a source of human suffering. Therefore almost all later interpretations of the Enneagram of Personality are viewed by Ichazo as unfounded and therefore misguided and psychologically harmful as well as spiritually harmful (in the sense of coming to see one'sprocess as such) in light of his original intentions. In other words, the Enneagram Movement can be considered, in most cases, to actually be promoting the strengthening of the basis for the personality disorders we find expositions of in the DSM.It is believed by Enneagram theorists that the points of the Enneagram figure indicate anumber of ways in which nine principal ego-archetypal forms or types of human personality (also often called "Enneatypes") are psychologically connected. These nine types are often given names that indicate some of their more distinctively typical characteristics. Such names are insufficient to capture the complexities and nuances of the types which require study and observation to understand in depth.Some brief descriptions of the Enneatypes are as follows:Whilst a person's Enneatype is determined by only one of the ego-fixations, their personality characteristics are also influenced and modified in different ways by all of the other eight fixations as well.Most Enneagram teachers and theorists believe that one of the principal kinds of influence and modification come from the two points on either side of their Enneatype. These two points are known as the 'Wings'.Observation seems to indicate, for example, that Ones will tend to manifest some characteristics of both Nines and Twos. Some Enneagram theorists believe that one of the Wings will always have a more dominant influence on an individual's personality, while others believe that either Wing can be dominant at any particular time depending on the person's circumstances and development.This aspect of Enneagram theory was originally suggested by Claudio Naranjo and then further developed by some of the Jesuit teachers.The lines of the triangle and hexagon are believed to indicate psychological dynamics between the points connected depending on whether a person is in a more stressed or secure and relaxed state. Therefore the connecting points on the lines are usually called the 'Stress Points' and 'Security Points'. In Don Riso's teachings these lines are also called the 'Directions of Integration' and the 'Directions of Disintegration' as he believes that the security points also indicates the 'direction' towards greater psychological wellbeing and the stress points towards psychological breakdown.The more traditional understanding of the stress and security points is that when people are in a more secure or relaxed state they will tend to express aspects of the 'security' or 'integration' type associated with their main type and aspects of the other direction when stressed. Relaxed or secure Ones, for instance, will tend to manifest some more positive aspects of the Seven personality type, Ones tending to be highly self-inhibitory whereas Sevens give themselves permission to enjoy the moment. On the other hand, stressed Ones will express some more negative aspects of the Four personality, particularly the obsessive introspection; they also share a certain amount of self-loathing and self-inhibition.Another emerging belief about these connections between points is that people may access and express the positive and negative aspects of both points depending on their particular circumstances.Each type also has three main instinctual subtypes - the Self-Preservation, Sexual and Social subtypes. Because each point is different, it may be perceived as having a tendency toward one subtype or another. It requires keen observation and understanding to discover a person's tendency toward a particular subtype.▪Asymmetry in PFC and amygdala activity ▪Triune brain▪Differential neurotransmitter activity。
英国人的性格(英文)
第一章
为什么需要管理情绪
5
Temperament
Conservatism
Conservatism
Self-control Self-control
Self-control, the quality of not being excited, not losing one’s temper, is extraordinarily highly valued in Britain. Quarrelsomeness, violence, truculence, trouble-making these are profoundly taboo.
第一章
为什么需要管理情绪
6
Temperament
Conservatism
Self-control
The traditional opening times of pubs
Conservatism
10 am - 2pm
Self-control
5pm - 11pm
第一章
为什么需要管理情绪
7
Temperament
The British Character
第一章
为什么需要管理情绪
1
√
NO!
第一章
为什么需要管理情绪
2
Conservatism
The British people are usually considered rather conservative. Their conservative attitude usually includes two aspects; an acceptance of things that are familiar, and an inclination to be suspicious of anything that is strange or foreign.
[英语]unit 1 The English Character 英国人的性格特征
![[英语]unit 1 The English Character 英国人的性格特征](https://img.taocdn.com/s3/m/6c79620890c69ec3d5bb75d7.png)
From Politics
1.An old-fashioned government 2.On the basis of constitutional monarchy 3.Head of state: the king or queen 4. In practice: the Sovereign reigns, but does not rule.
Modest：
Adj.
谦虚的，谦逊的，谦恭的
Para 4
Modesty
Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be impolite. How to take other people’s compliments? E.g. ---You play the piano very well! A: (American) ---______________________ B: (British) C: (Chinese) ---______________________ ---______________________
comparechinesecharactersbritishcharacterconservativesocializingreticentaloofpatienthumourhoneststaycalmcoolperseverantexclusivepoliteuprightchinesecharacteristicssmith保全面子face勤劳刻苦industry讲究礼貌politeness漠视时间漠视精确accuracy拐弯抹角indirection顺而不从flexibleinflexibility思绪含混intellectualturbidity缺乏公心publicspirit因循守旧conservatism随遇而安indifferenceperseverance知足常乐contentcheerfulness孝悌为先filialpiety缺乏诚信sincerity多元信仰polytheismpantheism
英国人的性格英文文化PPT
★ 4th
The Typical Englisish and others out of tune with Uncompromising character. Equivocal character of the British the most obvious features, they do not want to speak more than others, and never talk about themselves, feelings are not exposed, but not glowing terms. Other countries is very difficult to understand the inner world of the British.
On the other hand, they are perfectly human behind their barrier of reserve, and may be quite pleased when a friendly stranger or foreigner succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier down.
• human: adj. showing the feelings, esp. those of kindness, which human beings have 有人性的，有人情味的 有人性的， Example
He seems quite human when you know him.
★ 2th modest
★5th sportsmanship
1 Finally, sportsmanship. Like a sense of humor, this is an English ideal which not all Englishmen live up to. It must be realized that sport in this modern form is almost entirely a British invention. Boxing, rugby, football, hockey, tennis and cricket were all first organized and given rules in Britain. Rules are the essence of sport, and sportsmanship is the ability to practice a sport according to its rules, while also showing generosity to one’s opponent and good temper in defeat.
课文 notes on the english character 英国人的性格特点 译文
英国人的性格特点E·M·福斯特1.首先，我最好和盘托出并且点明我的观点，从根本上来说，英国人的性格特点是中产阶级的性格特点。
此观点拥有详实的历史渊源，因为自18世纪末起中产阶级就成为了英国社会的主导阶级。
中产阶级凭借工业革命发家，凭借1832年的《改革法案》掌权，他们与大英帝国的崛起和构成休戚相关，他们也是19世纪文学的缔造者。
稳重、谨慎、正直、高效、缺乏想像力、虚伪是每个国家中产阶级的特点，然而在英国，上述特点也是全体英国人的特点，因为只有英国的中产阶级掌权长达150年。
拿破仑无礼地称我们为“店老板民族”。
而我们更喜欢称自己为“伟大的商业民族99后者听起来更有尊严，但是二者在本质上是相同的。
当然，英国社会还包括其他阶级，贵族阶级与贫苦阶级。
然而，批评家的眼睛只盯着中产阶级，正如他们只盯着俄国的贫苦阶级与日本的贵族阶级一样。
俄国的典型形象是农民和工人，日本的典型形象是武士，英国的典型形象是布尔先生，他头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿合体的衣服，挺着大肚皮，数着银行的大笔存款。
圣·乔治也许会蹦蹦跳跳地举起标语，发表政治演说，而约翰·布尔则会去送货。
如果基博的观点是正确的，甚至圣·乔治也曾戴上高顶大礼帽，他是一位军火承包商，并且供应质量低劣的熏肉。
最终的结果都是一样的。
2.其次，正如中产阶级是英国的核心一样，公学制度是中产阶级的核心。
这种超乎寻常的体制具有地域性，它还没有扩展到英伦三岛。
爱尔兰和苏格兰都不存在这种体制(这两个国家不在我的调查之列)，尽管这样有利于其他优秀体制的出现，比如仅限于美国某些学校所采用的阿里加体制，因为它产生于安格鲁一萨克逊中产阶级，而且只能在上述阶级中实行。
英国公学制度比充满社会与精神复杂性的大学更充分地体现了中产阶级的特性。
学生寄宿、必修运动项目、高年级同学在差使低年级同学为自己办事时必须对其行为负责，以及高度重视身材与团队精神是英国公学制度的四大特点，正是这些特点使公学的学生具有超乎寻常的影响力。
Enneagram 九型人格英文版百科
Enneagram 九型人格英文版百科The Enneagram figure is now used for various purposes in a number of different teaching systems. In more recent years the figure has mostly come into prominence because of its use with what is often called the E nneagram of Personality. The fundamental concepts of the Enneagram of Personality are attributed to Oscar Ichazo.It has two forms: {9/2} and {9/4} connecting every 2nd and every 4 th points respectively. There is also a star figure, {9/3}, made from the r egular enneagon points but connected as a compound of three equilateral trianglesAccording to Gurdjieff, the enneagram is the symbol of the "law of seven" and "the law of three" combined (the two fundamental laws which govern the universe), and therefore the enneagram can be used to descri be any natural whole phenomenon, cosmos, process in life, or any other piece of knowledge.A basic example of the possible usage of the enneagram is that it ca n be used to illustrate Gurdjieff's concept of the evolution of the three ty pes of ‘food’necessary for a man: ordinary food, air and impressions. Each point on the enneagram in this case would represent the stage and t he possibility of further evolution of food at a certain stage in the human body.Most processes on the enneagram are represented through octaves wh ere the points serve as the notes; a concept which is derived from Gurdji eff’s idea of the law of seven. In an octave the developing process come s to a critical point (one of the triangle points) at which help from outside is needed for it to rightly continue. This concept is best illustrated on t he keys of the piano where every white key would represent an enneagra m web point. The adjacent white keys which are missing a black key (ha lf note) in between represent the enneagram web points which have a tria ngle point in between. In order that this point would pass onto the next, an external push is required.In the enneagram a process is depicted as going right around the cir cle beginning at 9 (the ending point of a previous process). The process can continue until it reaches point 3. At point three an external aid is ne eded in order that the process continues. If it doesn't receive the ‘help’, the process will stop evolving and will devolve back into the form from which it evolved. The process continues until point 6, and later 9, where a similar "push" is needed. If the process passes point 9, the initial proc ess will end, while giving birth to a new one.A Gurdjieff foundation exists which claims an authority based on a li ne of succession directly through Mr Gurdjieff. The foundation preserves Gurdjieff's music and movements and continues its own work with the En neagram figure.Ichazo claims that sometime in the 1950s he received insight into ho w certain mechanistic and repetitive thought and behavior patterns can be understood in connection with the Enneagram figure and with what he c alled Trialectic logic as part of a complete and integrated model of the h uman psyche. The purpose of Ichazo's teachings was to help people trans cend their identification with - and the suffering caused by - their own m echanistic thought and behavior patterns.This basic, irrefutable understanding of three fundamental Instincts an d three possible attitudes along with the understanding that a human bein g can be in a state of unity, analyzed with Trialectic logic forms a solid foundation upon which the theory of Fixations is based. As such, the theory of ego Fixations has a particular foundation which can be tested. The idea of "Personality Types" is an invention of intuition without any parti cular foundation beyond the theory of ego Fixations, and as such can be interpreted to mean whatever any of the Enneagram of Personality propon ents chooses it to mean whenever they choose to so interpret it. Thus we understand why there is no specific, solid agreement among the various proponents of "Personality" as something objective and anything more tha n a proposition to obfuscate human suffering.By understanding one's Fixations and through self observation, the ho ld on the mind, and suffering caused by the Fixations, is reduced and ev en transcended. There was never an intention or purpose in Ichazo's origi nal work to use this knowledge to reinforce or manipulate what is essenti ally a source of human suffering. Therefore almost all later interpretations of the Enneagram of Personality are viewed by Ichazo as unfounded and therefore misguided and psychologically harmful as well as spiritually ha rmful (in the sense of coming to see one's process as such) in light of hi s original intentions. In other words, the Enneagram Movement can be co nsidered, in most cases, to actually be promoting the strengthening of the basis for the personality disorders we find expositions of in the DSM.It is believed by Enneagram theorists that the points of the Enneagra m figure indicate a number of ways in which nine principal ego-archetypa l forms or types of human personality (also often called "Enneatypes") ar e psychologically connected. These nine types are often given names that indicate some of their more distinctively typical characteristics. Such name s are insufficient to capture the complexities and nuances of the types wh ich require study and observation to understand in depth.Some brief descriptions of the Enneatypes are as follows:Whilst a person's Enneatype is determined by only one of the ego-fi xations, their personality characteristics are also influenced and modified i n different ways by all of the other eight fixations as well.Most Enneagram teachers and theorists believe that one of the princi pal kinds of influence and modification come from the two points on eith er side of their Enneatype. These two points are known as the 'Wings'.Observation seems to indicate, for example, that Ones will tend to m anifest some characteristics of both Nines and Twos. Some Enneagram the orists believe that one of the Wings will always have a more dominant i nfluence on an individual's personality, while others believe that either Wi ng can be dominant at any particular time depending on the person's circ umstances and development.This aspect of Enneagram theory was originally suggested by Claudio Naranjo and then further developed by some of the Jesuit teachers.The lines of the triangle and hexagon are believed to indicate psycho logical dynamics between the points connected depending on whether a pe rson is in a more stressed or secure and relaxed state. Therefore the conn ecting points on the lines are usually called the 'Stress Points' and 'Securi ty Points'. In Don Riso's teachings these lines are also called the 'Directio ns of Integration' and the 'Directions of Disintegration' as he believes that the security points also indicates the 'direction' towards greater psycholog ical wellbeing and the stress points towards psychological breakdown.The more traditional understanding of the stress and security points is that when people are in a more secure or relaxed state they will tend to express aspects of the 'security' or 'integration' type associated with their main type and aspects of the other direction when stressed. Relaxed or s ecure Ones, for instance, will tend to manifest some more positive aspects of the Seven personality type, Ones tending to be highly self-inhibitory whereas Sevens give themselves permission to enjoy the moment. On theother hand, stressed Ones will express some more negative aspects of the Four personality, particularly the obsessive introspection; they also share a certain amount of self-loathing and self-inhibition.Another emerging belief about these connections between points is th at people may access and express the positive and negative aspects of bot h points depending on their particular circumstances.Each type also has three main instinctual subtypes - the Self-Preserva tion, Sexual and Social subtypes. Because each point is different, it may be perceived as having a tendency toward one subtype or another. It requ ires keen observation and understanding to discover a person's tendency to ward a particular subtype.Self-Preservation subtypes pay most attention to physical survival nee ds.Sexual subtypes focus most on intimacy and one-to-one relationships.SocialBecause of differences among teachers in their understanding of thepersonality characteristics of the nine types and moretheoretical aspectsof Enneagram dynamics some skeptics argue that more research needs to be done to test th e Enneagram as an empirically valid typology.Concerning the brain, at least three different models have been propo sed for identifying a basis for the Enneagram in neuroscience:Asymmetry in PFC and amygdala activity Triune brainDifferential neurotransmitter activity。
现代大学英语精读6 notes on english character
First note. I had better let the cat out of the bag at once and record my opinion that the character of the English is essentially middle class. There is a sound historical reason for this， for，since the end of the eighteenth century， the middle classes have been the dominant force in our community. They gained wealth by the Industrial Revolution， political power by the Reform Bill of 1832； they are connected with the rise and organization of the British Empire； they are responsible for the literature of the nineteenth century. Solidity， caution， integrity， efficiency. Lack of imagination， hypocrisy. These qualities characterize the middle classes in every country， but in England they are national characteristics also， because only in England have the middle classes been in power for one hundred and fifty years. Napoleon， in his rude way， called us "a nation of shopkeepers." We prefer to call ourselves "a great commercial nation" -- it sounds more dignified -- but the two phrases amount to the same. Of course there are other classes： there is an aristocracy， there are the poor. But it is on the middle classes that the eye of the critic rests -- just as it rests on the poor in Russia and on the aristocracy in Japan. Russia is symbolized by the peasant or by the factory worker； Japan by the samurai； the national figure of England is Mr. Bull with his top hat， his comfortable clothes， his substantial stomach， and his substantial balance at the bank. Saint George may caper on banners and in the speeches of politicians， but it is John Bull who delivers the goods. And even Saint George-- if Gibbon is correct-- wore a top hat once； he was an army contractor and supplied indifferent bacon. It all amounts to the same in the end.Second Note. Just as the heart of England is the middle classes， so the heart of the middle classes is the public school system. This extraordinary institution is local. It does not even exist all over the British Isles. It is unknown in Ireland， almost unknown in Scotland （countries excluded from my survey）， and though it may inspire other great institutions--Aligarh， for example， and some of the schools in the United States--it remains unique， because it was created by the Anglo-Saxon middle classes， and can flourish only where they flourish. How perfectly it expresses their character -- far better for instance， than does the university， into which social and spiritual complexities have already entered. With its boarding-houses， its compulsory games， its system of prefects and fagging， its insistence on good form and on esprit de corps， it produces a type whose weight is out of all proportion to its numbers. On leaving his school， the boy either sets to work at once -- goes into the army or into business， or emigrates -- or else proceeds to the university， and after three or four years there enters some other profession -- becomes a barrister， doctor， civil servant， schoolmaster， or journalist. （If through some mishap he does not become a manual worker or an artist.） In all these careers his education， or the absence of it，influences him. Its memories influence him also. Many men look back on their school days as the happiest of their lives. They remember with regret that golden time when life， though hard， was not yet complex， when they all worked together and played together and thought together， so far as they thought at all； when they were taught that school is the world in miniature and believed that no one can love his country who does not love his school. And they prolong that time as bestthey can by joining their Old Boys' society： indeed， some of them remain Old Boys and nothing else for the rest of their lives. They attribute all good to the school. They worship it. They quote the remark that "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton." It is nothing to them that the remark is inapplicable historically and was never made by the Duke of Wellington， and that the Duke of Wellington was an Irishman. They go on quoting it because it expresses their sentiments； they feel that if the Duke of Wellington didn't make it he ought to have， and if he wasn't an Englishman he ought to have been. And they go forth into a world that is not entirely composed of public-school men or even of Anglo-Saxons， but of men who are as various as the sands of the sea； into a world of whose richness and subtlety they have no conception. They go forth into it with well-developed bodies， fairly developed minds， and undeveloped hearts. And it is this undeveloped heart that is largely responsible for the difficulties of Englishmen abroad. An undeveloped heart--not a cold one. The difference is important， and on it my next note will be based.For it is not that the Englishman can't feel -- it is that he is afraid to feel. He has been taught at his public school that feeling is bad form. He must not express great joy or sorrow， or even open his mouth too wide when he talks--his pipe might fall out if he did. He must bottle up his emotions，or let them out only on a very special occasion.Once upon a time （this is an anecdote） I went for a week's holiday on the Continent with an Indian friend. We both enjoyed ourselves and were sorry when the week was over， but on parting our behaviour was absolutely different. He was plunged in despair.He felt that because the holiday was over all happiness was over until the world ended. He could not express his sorrow too much. But in me the Englishman came out strong. I reflected that we should meet again in a month or two， and could write in the interval if we had anything to say； and under these circumstances I could not see what there was to make a fuss about. It wasn't as if we were parting forever or dying. "Buck up，" I said， "do buck up." He refused to buck up， and I left him plunged in gloom.The conclusion of the anecdote is even more instructive. For when we met the next month our conversation threw a good deal of light on the English character. I began by scolding my friend. I told him that he had been wrong to feel and display so much emotion upon so slight an occasion； that it was inappropriate. The word "inappropriate" roused him to fury. "What？" he cried. "Do you measure out your emotions as if they were potatoes？" I did not like the simile of the potatoes， but after a moment's reflection I said： "Yes， I do； and what's more， I think I ought to. A small occasion demands a little emotion just as a large occasion demands a great one. I would like my emotions to be appropriate. This may be measuring them like potatoes， but it is better than slopping them about like water from a pail， which is what you did." He did not like the simile of the pail. "If those are your opinions， they part us forever，" he cried， and left the room. Returning immediately， he added： "No--but your whole attitude toward emotion is wrong.Emotion has nothing to do with appropriateness. It matters only that it shall be sincere. I happened to feel deeply. I showed it. It doesn't matter whether I ought to have felt deeply or not."This remark impressed me very much. Yet I could not agree with it， and said that I valued emotion as much as he did， but used it differently； if I poured it out on small occasions I was afraid of having none left for the great ones， and of being bankrupt at the crises of life. Note the word "bankrupt." I spoke as a member of a prudent middle-class nation， always anxious to meet my liabilities， but my friend spoke as an Oriental， and the Oriental has behind him a tradition， not of middle-class prudence but of kingly munificence and splendour. He feels his resources are endless，just as John Bull feels his are finite. As regards material resources， the Oriental is clearly unwise. Money isn't endless. If we spend or give away all the money we have， we haven't any more， and must take the consequences， which are frequently unpleasant. But， as regards the resources of the spirit， he may be right. The emotions may be endless. The more we express them， the more we may have to express. True love in this differs from gold and clay， That to divide is not to take away.Says Shelley. Shelley， at all events， believes that the wealth of the spirit is endless； that we may express it copiously， passionately， and always； that we can never feel sorrow or joy too acutely.In the above anecdote， I have figured as a typical Englishman. I will now descend from that dizzy and somewhat unfamiliar height， and return to my business of notetaking. A note on the slowness of the English character. The Englishman appears to be cold and unemotional because he is really slow. When an event happens， he may understand it quickly enough with his mind， but he takes quite a while to feel it. Once upon a time a coach， containing some Englishmen and some Frenchmen， was driving over the Alps. The horses ran away， and as they were dashing across a bridge the coach caught on the stonework， tottered， and nearly fell into the ravine below. The Frenchmen were frantic with terror： they screamed and gesticulated and flung themselves about，as Frenchmen would. The Englishmen sat quite calm. An hour later， the coach drew up at an inn to change horses， and by that time the situations were exactly reversed. The Frenchmen had forgotten all about the danger， and were chattering gaily； the Englishmen had just begun to feel it， and one had a nervous breakdown and was obliged to go to bed. We have here a clear physical difference between the two races--a difference that goes deep into character. The Frenchmen responded at once； the Englishmen responded in time. They were slow and they were also practical. Their instinct forbade them to throw themselves about in the coach， because it was more likely to tip over if they did. They had this extraordinary appreciation of fact that we shall notice again and again. When a disaster comes， the English instinct is to do what can be done first， and to postpone the feeling as long as possible. Hence they are splendid at emergencies. No doubt they are brave--no one will deny that--bravery is partly an affair of the nerves， and the English nervous system is well equipped for meeting physical emergency.It acts promptly and feels slowly. Such a combination is fruitful， and anyone who possesses it has gone a long way toward being brave. And when the action is over， then the Englishman can feel.There is one more consideration -- a most important one. If the English nature is cold， how is it that it has produced a great literature and a literature that is particularly great in poetry？ Judged by its prose， English literature would not stand in the first rank. It is its poetry that raises it to the level of Greek， Persian， or French. And yet the English are supposed to be so unpoetical. How is this？ The nation that produced the Elizabethan drama and the Lake Poets cannot be a could，unpoetical nation. We can't get fire out of ice. Since literature always rests upon national character，there must be in the English nature hidden springs of fire to produce the fire we see. The warm sympathy， the romance， the imagination， that we look for in Englishmen whom we meet， and too often vainly look for， must exist in the nation as a whole， or we could not have this outburst of national song. An undeveloped heart--not a cold one.The trouble is that the English nature is not at all easy to understand. It has a great air of simplicity， it advertises itself as simple， but the more we consider it， the greater the problems we shall encounter. People talk of the mysterious East， but the West also is mysterious. It has depths that do not reveal themselves at the first gaze. We know what the sea looks like from a distance： it is of one color， and level， and obviously cannot contain such creatures as fish. But if we look into the sea over the edge of a boat， we see a dozen colors， and depth below depth， and fish swimming in them. That sea is the English character--apparently imperturbable and even. These depths and the colors are the English romanticism and the English sensitiveness--we do not expect to find such things， but they exist. And -- to continue my metaphor--the fish are the English emotions， which are always trying to get up to the surface， but don't quite know how. For the most part we see them moving far below， distorted and obscure. Now and then they succeed and we exclaim， "Why， the Englishman has emotions！ He actually can feel！" And occasionally we see that beautiful creature the flying fish， which rises out of the water altogether into the air and the sunlight. English literature is a flying fish. It is a sample of the life that goes on day after day beneath the surface； it is a proof that beauty and emotion exist in the salt， inhospitable sea.And now let's get back to terra firma. The Englishman's attitude toward criticism will give us another starting point. He is not annoyed by criticism. He listens or not as the case may be smiles and passes on， saying， "Oh， the fellow's jealous"； "Oh， I'm used to Bernard Shaw； monkey tricks don't hurt me." It never occurs to him that the fellow may be accurate as well as jealous， and that he might do well to take the criticism to heart and profit by it. It never strikes him--except as a form of words -- that he is capable of improvement； his self-complacency is abysmal. Other nations， both Oriental and European， have an uneasy feeling that they are not quite perfect. In consequence they resent criticism. It hurts them； and their snappy answers often mask a determination to improve themselves. Not so the Englishman. He has no uneasy feeling.Let the critics bark. And the "tolerant humorous attitude" with which he confronts them is not really humorous， because it is bounded by the titter and the guffaw.Turn over the pages of Punch. There is neither wit， laughter， nor satire in our national jester--only the snigger of a suburban householder who can understand nothing that does not resemble himself. Week after week， under Mr Punch's supervision， a man falls off his horse， or a colonel misses a golfball， or a little girl makes a mistake in her prayers. Week after week ladies show not too much of their legs， foreigners are deprecated， originality condemned. Week after week a bricklayer does not do as much work as he ought and a futurist does more than he need. It is all supposed to be so good-tempered and clean； it is also supposed to be funny. It is actually an outstanding example of our attitude toward criticism： the middle-class Englishman， with a smile on his clean-shaven lips， is engaged in admiring himself and ignoring the rest of mankind. If， in those colorless pages， he came across anything that really was funny -- a drawing by Max Beerbohm， for instance -- his smile would disappear， and he would say to himself， "The fellow's a bit of a crank，" and pass on.This particular attitude reveals such insensitiveness as to suggest a more serious charge： is the Englishman altogether indifferent to the things of the spirit？ Let us glance for a moment at his religion -- not， indeed， at his theology， which would not merit inspection， but at the action on his daily life of his belief in the unseen. Here again his attitude is practical. But an innate decency comes out： he is thinking of others rather than of himself. Right conduct is his aim. He asks of his religion that it shall make him a better man in daily life： that he shall be more kind， more just，more merciful， more desirous to fight what is evil and to protect what is good. No one could call this a low conception. It is， as far as it goes， a spiritual one. Yet -- and this seems to be typical of the race -- it is only half the religious idea. Religion is more than an ethical code with a divine sanction. It is also a means through which man may get into direct connection with the divine， and， judging by history， few Englishmen have succeeded in doing this. We have produced no series of prophets，as has Judaism or Islam. We have not even produced a Joan of Arc， or a Savonarola. We have produced few saints. In Germany the Reformation was due to the passionate conviction of Luther. In England it was due to palace intrigue. We can show a steady level of piety， a fixed determination to live decently according to our lights -- little more.Well， it is something. It clears us of the charge of being an unspiritual nation. That facile contrast between the spiritual East and the materialistic West can be pushed too far. The West also is spiritual. Only it expresses its belief， not in fasting and visions， not in prophetic rapture， but in the daily round， the common task. An incomplete expression， if you like. I agree. But the argument underlying these scattered notes is that the Englishman is an incomplete person. Not a cold or an unspiritual one. But undeveloped， incomplete.I have suggested earlier that the English are sometimes hypocrites， and it is not my duty to develop this rather painful subject. Hypocrisy is the prime charge that is always brought against us.The Germans are called brutal， the Spanish cruel， the Americans superficial， and so on； but we are perfide Albion， the island of hypocrites， the people who have built up an Empire with a Bible in one hand， a pistol in the other and financial concessions in both pockets. Is the charge true？ I think it is； but what we mean by hypocrisy？ Do we mean conscious deceit？ Well， the English are comparatively guiltless of this； they have little of the Renaissance villain about them. Do we mean unconscious deceit？ Muddle-headedness？ Of this I believe them to be guilty. When an Englishman has been led into a course of wrong action， he has nearly always begun by muddling himself. A public-school education does not make for mental clearness， and he possesses to a very high degree the power of confusing his own mind. How does it work in the domain of conduct？Jane Austen may seem an odd authority to cite， but Jane Austen has， within her limits， a marvelous insight into the English mind. Her range is limited， her characters never attempt any of the more scarlet sins. But she has a merciless eye for questions of conduct， and the classical example of two English people muddling themselves before they embark upon a wrong course of action is to be found in the opening chapters of Sense and Sensibility. Old Mr. Dashwood has just died. He has been twice married. By his first marriage he has a son， John； by his second marriage three daughters. The son is well off； the young ladies and their mother -- for Mr. Dashwood's second wife survives him -- are badly off. He has called his son to his death-bed and has solemnly adjured him to provide for the second family. Much moved， the young man promises， and mentally decides to give each of his sisters a thousand pounds： and then the comedy begins. For he announces his generous intention to his wife， and Mrs. John Dashwood by no means approves of depriving their own little boy of so large a sum. The thousand pounds are accordingly reduced to five hundred. But even this seems rather much. Might not an annuity to the stepmother be less of a wrench？ Yes -- but though less of a wrench it might be more of a drain， for "she is very stout and healthy， and scarcely forty." An occasional present of fifty pounds will be better， "and will， I think， be amply discharging my promise to my father." Or， better still， an occasional present of fish. And in the end nothing is done， nothing； the four impecunious ladies are not even helped in the moving of their furniture.Well， are the John Dashwoods hypocrites？ It depends upon our definition of hypocrisy. The young man could not see his evil impulses as they gathered force and gained on him. And even his wife， though a worse character， is also self-deceived. She reflects that old Mr. Dashwood may have been out of his mind at his death. She thinks of her own little boy -- and surely a mother ought to think of her own child. She has muddled herself so completely that in one sentence she can refuse the ladies the income that would enable them to keep a carriage and in the next can say that they will not be keeping a carriage and so will have no expenses. No doubt men and women in other lands can muddle themselves， too， yet the state of mind of Mr. and Mrs.John Dashwood seems to me typical of England. They are slow -- they take time even to do wrong； whereas people in other lands do wrong quickly.There are national faults as there are national diseases， and perhaps one can draw a parallel between them. It has always impressed me that the national diseases of England should be cancer and consumption -- slow， insidious， pretending to be something else； while the diseases proper to the South should be cholera and plague， which strike at a man when he is perfectly well and may leave him a corpse by evening. Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood are moral consumptives. They collapse gradually without realizing what the disease is. There is nothing dramatic or violent about their sin. You cannot call them villains.Here is the place to glance at some of the other charges that have been brought against the English as a nation. They have， for instance， been accused of treachery， cruelty， and fanaticism， In these charges I have never been able to see the least point， because treachery and cruelty are conscious sins. The man knows he is doing wrong， and does it deliberately， like Tartuffe or Iago. He betrays his friend because he wishes to. He tortures his prisoners because he enjoys seeing the blood flow. He worships the Devil because he prefers evil to good. From villainies such as these the average Englishman is free. His character， which prevents his rising to certain heights，also prevents him from sinking to these depths. Because he doesn't produce mystics he doesn't produce villains either； he gives the world no prophets， but no anarchists， no fanatics--religious or political.Of course there are cruel and treacherous people in England -- one has only to look at the police courts -- and examples of public infamy can be found， such as the Amritsar massacre. But one does not look at the police courts or the military mind to find the soul of any nation； and the more English people one meets the more convinced one becomes that the charges as a whole are untrue. Yet foreign critics often make them. Why？ Partly because they are annoyed with certain genuine defects in the English character， and in their irritation throw in cruelty in order to make the problem simpler. Moral indignation is always agreeable， but nearly always misplaced. It is indulged in both by the English and by the critics of the English. They all find it great fun. The drawback is that while they are amusing themselves the world becomes neither wiser nor better.The main point of these notes is that the English character is incomplete. No national character is complete. We have to look for some qualities in one part of the world and others in another. But the English character is incomplete in a way that is particularly annoying to the foreign observer. It has a bad surface -- self complacent， unsympathetic， and reserved. There is plenty of emotion further down， but it never gets used. There is plenty of brain power， but it is more often used to confirm prejudices than to dispel them. With such an equipment the Englishman cannot be popular. Only I would repeat： there is little vice in him and no real coldness. It is the machinery that is wrong.I hope and believe myself that in the next twenty years we shall see a great change， and that the national character will alter into something that is less unique but more lovable. The supremacy of the middle classes is probably ending. What new element the working classes will introduce one cannot say， but at all events they will not have been educated at public schools. And whether these notes praise or blame the English character -- that is only incidental. They are the notes of a student who is trying to get at the truth and would value the assistance of others. I believe myself that the truth is great and that it shall prevail. I have no faith in official caution and reticence. The cats are all out of their bags， and diplomacy cannot recall them. The nations must understand one another and quickly； and without the interposition of their governments， for the shrinkage of the globe is throwing them into one another's arms. To that understanding these notes are a feeble contribution -- notes on the English character as it has struck a novelist.。
英国人的性格
• Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred. Self-depreciation is typically English, & mixed with their reserve, it often produces a sort of general air of indifference which appears to foreigners as a pose, difficult to understand & even irritating.
Typical English character
reserved
modest
conservative来自humoroussportsmanship
English Characteristics (5)
• Finally sportsmanship. It is an English ideal that not all Englishmen live up to. It must be realized that sport in its modern form is almost entirely a British invention. • Boxing, rugby, association football, hockey, tennis & cricket were all first organized & given rules in Britain. Rules are the essence of sport & sportsman-ship is the ability to practice a sport in obedience to its rules. In Britain they are highly valued.
英国人的性格英文(The Character of the English)
English humor
• An English teacher wrote these words on the whiteboard: "woman without her man is nothing". The teacher then asked the students to punctuate the words correctly. The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing."
What a typical Englishman think? • He secretly looks down on more excitable nations, and likes to think of himself as more reliable than they. • He doesn’t trust big promises and open shows of feelings. • To those who are fond of flowery expressions, the Englishman may appear uncomfortably cold.
The English’s Humor
English humor
• A man asked for a meal in a restaurant. The waiter brought the food and put it on the table. After a moment, the man called the waiter and said: ----"Waiter! Waiter! There's a fly in my soup!" ----"Please don't speak so loudly, sir," said the waiter, "or everyone will want one."
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
英国人性格琐谈E.M 福斯特1.第一条笔记。
我最好是马上说出秘密，告诉大家我的观点吧。
英国人的性格基本都表现在中产阶级身上。
我这样说是因为我有这样一条具有说服力的历史理由，自十八世纪末以来，中产阶级已经成为我们社会中的主要力量。
他们通过工业革命赢得财富，通过1832年的《改革法案》赢得政治权力；他们和不列颠王朝的兴起和组成联系在一起；他们为19世纪文学的繁荣担负了责任。
可靠，谨慎，正直，高效。
缺乏想象力，虚伪。
这些特征是每个国家的中产阶级都具有的，但在英国，它们也成为了国家的象征。
因为只有在英国，中产阶级才能掌权150年。
拿破仑曾无礼的称我们为“一个零售商组成的国家”。
我们更喜欢称自己“一个伟大的商业性国家”----它听起来更有尊严一些----但二者意义是相同的。
当然，也有一些其他的阶级：有贵族阶级；也有穷人阶级。
但是，（在英国）最吸引批评者关注的是中产阶级，正如在俄国人们关注的是穷人，在日本人们关注的是贵族一样。
农民或工厂工人象征着俄国；武士象征着日本；英国的国家形象是布尔先生，他头戴礼帽，身穿舒适的衣服，大腹便便，银行存款很多。
圣乔治可能常活跃于横幅或政治家的言论中，但促使商品流通的是约翰·布尔。
而且，即使是圣乔治----如果吉本是正确的话---也曾戴过一顶礼帽，他也曾签订军火买卖合同，也曾提供质量低劣的熏肉。
这一切的最终意义都是相同的。
2.第二条笔记。
正如中产阶级是英格兰的核心一样，英国公学制度是中产阶级的核心。
这种特殊制度的建立具有地方性。
它甚至不存在于整个不列颠岛上。
爱尔兰没有这种制度，苏格兰几乎无人知晓，尽管它可能会激发起其他伟大制度的建立----例如，阿里格尔，以及美国的一些学校----它仍然独特，因为它是由安格鲁-撒克逊中产阶级创立的，而且它只在它能够繁荣的地方得到繁荣。
英国公学制度比大学更充分表现了英国中产阶级的性格。
社会与精神的复杂性已经进入大学。
依靠它的寄宿公寓，它的必修体育运动，它的学长制，它对良好举止行为和团队精神的执著，它所培养出来的学生产生的社会影响力与学生数量不成比例，前者超过后者。
3.毕业后，男孩子要么开始工作----参军或者经商，或者移居国外----要么继续读大学，读完三年或四年大学后，他们进入其他行业----成为律师，医生，公务员，校长或记者。
（如果遇到某种意外的话，他们就成不了体力劳动者或艺术家。
）在上述事业中，他所受的教育，或者说没有受到的教育，深深的影响者他。
有关于它的各种记忆也影响着他。
许多人回首过去，仍然认为学校那段日子是他们生活中最快乐的时光。
他们带着遗憾的心情怀念那段金色时光。
那时，生活虽然艰苦，但还不算复杂。
那时，他们一起学习，玩游戏，思考，如果说他们是在思考的话。
他们受到的教导告诉他们，学校是个微型世界，他们相信，一个人如果不爱自己的学校，那他就不可能爱自己的国家。
而且，他们通过加入“老男孩”社团的方式来尽量延长那段时光；他们中的某些人确实仍然像老男孩一样，在他们的生命中剩下的时光也是如此。
他们认为学校是最好的。
他们崇拜它。
他引用了那句评论“滑铁卢战役是在伊顿学院的运动上赢得的。
”他们一点也不在意那句评论从历史的角度看并不适合被引用，而且那句话也不是惠灵顿公爵说的，也不在乎惠灵顿公爵是爱尔兰人。
他们继续引用它是因为它表达了他们的情感；他们觉得如果惠灵顿公爵没有发表过这条评论的话，那他就本该发表评论，而且如果他不是一个英国人，他就本该是个英国人。
他们到了一个不完全是公学毕业的人或安格鲁-撒克逊人组成的世界，那里的人像海里的沙粒一样各不相同；他们对那个世界的丰富性和微妙之处毫无理念。
他们进入社会时，体魄健全，智力一般，感情匮乏。
心理发育不健全的人很大程度上要为在国外的英国人所遇到的困难负责。
是发育不健全的心理---而不是冷漠的心。
这个差别很重要，我的下一条笔记就将建立在这个基础上。
4.因为英国人不是不能感受—而是他不敢感受，他在公立学校接受的教育认为感情用事是一种很差的行为。
他不能表现出巨大的惊喜或悲痛，甚至当他讲话都不能把嘴张得太大---如果他那样做烟斗可能会掉出来。
他必须抑制自己的情感，或只在十分特殊的场合下才释放它们。
5.我曾和一印度朋友一起到欧洲大陆上度了一星期假（这是桩轶事）。
我们玩的很尽兴，当一周时间结束时，我们也都很失落，但在离开时我们的行为却截然相反。
他陷入了绝望，因为他觉得假期结束了一切幸福也随之结束了，世界末日来临之前再也没有欢乐可言了。
他将伤心表达到了极点，到了无以复加的程度。
但在我身上表现出强烈的英国人性格。
我提议我们在一至两个月后再见面，在这期间如果有什么话要说可以写信；这种情况下我觉得在没什么可烦恼了。
我们不是生离死别。
振作起来，我说，一定要振作起来。
他拒绝振作起来，我离开了陷入忧郁的他。
6.这个小故事的结尾更说明问题。
因为当我们一个月后再次相见时，我们的谈话对了解英国人的性格很有帮助。
我以责骂朋友的方式开始了谈话。
我告诉他，他在一件如此小事上倾注多的感情是错误的，那样做是不恰当的。
不恰当这个词激怒了他。
什么！他吼道。
难道你是像计量土豆一样计量感情吗？我不喜欢土豆这个比喻，但想了一会儿后我说道，是的，我是这样做的；而且我想我应该这样做。
小场合需要少量感情，大场合需要大量感情。
我希望我的感情是适当的。
这可能像计量感情一样去计量它们，但这比你所说的把感情像泼桶水一样泼出去要好多了。
他不喜欢水桶这个比喻。
如果这些是你的观点，那它将把我们永远分开，他喊道，并离开了房间。
很快他又回来了，补充到，不—你对整个感情的态度是错误的。
感情和是否恰当没有任何关系，它只与真诚与否有关。
我碰巧深深地感受到了它。
我也表现了出来。
我是否该深深感受它，这无关紧要。
7.这话给我留下很深的印象。
但我不同样它，我说我和他一样重视感情，在运用时却有所不同；如果在小场合我把感情都泼出去，恐怕到了大场合就所剩无几了，在生命的紧要关头就要破产了。
主意破产这个词，我是作为谨慎的中产阶级中的一员讲的这番话，我们总惦记着欠的债务一定要偿还。
都是，我的朋友代表了东方人的观点，东方人背后的传统不是中产阶级的谨慎，而是像国王般的慷慨大方与丰富多彩。
他觉得他的资源是取之不尽的，就像约翰·布尔觉得他自己的资源是有限的一样。
对于物质资源，东方人的想法显然是不明智的。
钱不是取之不尽的。
如果我们花完或赠完自己所有的钱，我们就没钱了，而且必须承担那些令人不愉快的结果。
但是，提到精神资源，他可能是正确的。
感情可能是取之不尽的。
我们表达感情越是充分，我们所要表达的感情也就越丰富。
雪莱曾说，真爱不同于泥土或黄金，分隔不会使之减少。
无论怎样，雪莱相信精神的财富是无穷无尽的，他相信我们可以大量的充满激情的在各种场合表达我们的情感，我们无论怎样表现悲哀和欢乐都不过分了。
8.在上面的轶事中，我是一个典型的英国人形象。
现在我将从那令人眩晕和不熟悉的高度下来，回到笔记的正事中来。
一条关于英国人慢性子的笔记。
英国人表现的冷漠和不近人情是因为他的性子真的很慢。
每当一件事情发生，他的大脑可能就快明白了，但过一阵他才能从感情上反应。
曾经有一次，一辆马车载着一些英国人和法国人在阿尔卑斯山上行驶，当他们冲过一座桥时，马突然失控，马车挂着桥上的石头，摇摇欲坠，快要掉到桥下的山谷里。
法国人吓得快要发疯了，他们尖叫着，慌乱的挥动着手臂，跌跌撞撞，正如法国人（遇到这种情况）常做的那样。
英国人则安静的坐着。
一个小时后，马车已经在一个客栈里停下来换马，到那时形式势已经完全扭转了。
法国人已经忘了所有的危险，开心的闲聊着；英国人才刚刚开始感觉到刚才所发生的事，其中有个人精神失常，不得不上床休息。
这里我们看到两个种族的人身体上明显的差别—一种深深的渗透到性格中的差别。
法国人的反应迅速及时，而英国人则需要过一段时间才做出反应，因为他们如果那样做的话，马车可能会翻车。
我们将一次又一次地主意到他们对这种事情超常的判断力。
当灾难来临时，英国人的直觉是做好首先能做的事，尽可能地推迟对它产生的情感。
一次，他们在遇到紧急情况时表现很精彩。
毫无疑问他们很勇敢---没有人会否认这一点---但是勇敢和神经有一定关系，英国人的神经系统对身体上遇到的紧急情况做好了充分准备。
它行动迅速，感觉迟缓。
这二者的结合的确有用，具备这一结合的人多半都很勇敢。
当行动结束了，英国人才能感受得到。
9.另外一个考虑---一个最重要的考虑。
如果英国人天性是冷漠的，他们又怎么能创造出伟大的文学作品，特别是在诗歌上的伟大，文学呢，从它非诗体的文学作品来看，英国文学不属于第一流的，是它的诗歌把它提升到和希腊文学、波斯文学和法国文学一样的高度。
然而，英国人被认为是毫无诗意的。
那这又是怎么一回事呢？一个创作了伊丽莎白戏剧和诞生了湖畔诗人的国家不可能是一个冷漠的，没有诗意的国家。
冰不能出火。
由于文学总是以民族性格为基础的，因此，英国性格中肯定隐藏着激情的源泉，这样才会创造出我们见到的火一般的文学。
我们常常在周围认识的英国人身上寻找热情的同情心，浪漫和想象力，但往往无功而返。
然而，这些品质肯定存在于英国民族整体中，否则我们不可能有如此热情奔放的英国诗歌。