英国部分名词解释

1、.英国部分名词解释1.The British Commonwealth英联邦07 年考It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special powers. At present there are 50 members counties wit

2、hin the commonwealth2.Alfred the GreatAlfred was a strong king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them. He founded a strong fleet and is known as "The father of the British navy". He reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient. He also translate

3、d books and established schools. He formulated a legal system. All this earned him the title "Alfred the Great".3.William the Conqueror威廉征服William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct.1066 and defeated king Harold. Then he wascrowned king of England on Christmas Day the same yea

4、r. He established a strong Norman governmentand the feudal system in England.4. Heptarchy七王国During the Anglo-Saxon's time ,Britain was divided into many kingdoms, These seven principalkingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. They were given the name of Heptar

5、chy.5. Witan贤人会议Witan was the council or meeting of the wisemen.It was created by the Anglo-Saxons to advise the king .It's the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.6. Domesday BookWilliam sent officials to compile a property record known as Domesday Book, which completed in1086.

6、It was the result of a general survey of England made in 1085. It stated the extent, value, the population, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land.7. the Great CharterThe Great Charter has been also known as Magna Carta which king John was forced to sign in 1215. It has 63 clauses. Though i

7、t has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties, a guarantee ofthe freedom of the church,its spirit was the limitation of the king. s powers;.8. .The Black DeathIt was a modern name given to the deadly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread by rat fleas. It spread through Europe

8、in the 14th century. It swept through England without warning and any cure. Itkilled between half and one-third of the population of England. It caused far-reaching economic consequences.9.the Hundred Years WarIt referred to the intermittent war between France and England that last from 1337 to 1453

9、. The causes were partly territorial and partly economic. When Edward III claimed the French Crown but the French refused to recognize, the war broke out. At first the English were successful, but in the end, they were defeated and lost almost all their possessions in France. The expelling of the En

10、glish was a blessing for both countries.10. The Wars of RosesThey referred to the battles between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and 1485. The former was symbolized by the red rose, and the latter by the white one. After the wars,feudalism received itsdeath blow and the ki

11、ng s power became supreme.11. The Glorious Revolution光荣革命,William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution.12. the Bill of Right

12、sIn 1689, William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly. The bill excluded any Roman Catholic from the succession, confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy and guaranteed free speech within both the two Houses.13.Blood Mary血腥玛丽Henry VIII s daughter and a devout Catholi

13、c. When she became Queen, she persecuted and burnt many Protestants. Soshe was given the nickname“ Bloody Mary” . Mary is also remembered as the monarch who lost the French port of Calais.14. Whigs and ToriesIt referred to the two party names which originated with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Th

14、e Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Noncomformists. The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Whigs formed a coalition with dissident Tories and became the Liberal Party. The Tories we

15、re the forerunners of the Conservative Party.15. ThatcherismMrs Thatcher firmly believed in self-reliance and what has come to be known as privatization. Her;.policies are popularly referred to as Thatcherism. It included the return to private owner-ship of state-owned industries, the use of monetar

16、ist policies to control inflation, the weakening of trade forcesunions, the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy, and an emphasis on law and order.撒切尔主义包括国有工业私有化，用货币政策控制通货膨胀，削弱工会，加强市场力量在经济中的作用，强调法律与秩序16. the Reform Act of 1832It s also known as the Greater Charter of 1832,it was

17、 passed by Parliament in1832 .According to the Act, rotten boroughs were abolished, and parliamentary seats were redistributed more fairly among the growing towns. It also gave the vote to many householders and tenants, based on the value of their property.17. Constitutional monarchy君主立宪制08 年考A cons

18、titutional monarchy is a country in which the head of the state is a king or a queen .In practice ,the Sovereign reigns ,but does not rule18. the British ConstitutionThere is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. The British Constitution is not set out in any single document, butmade up of

19、statute law, common law and conventions.19. the House of Commons10 年考The House of Commons is a part of Parliament ,and itsmembers are elected by universal adult suffrage.It consists of 651members of Parliament. It has the ultimate authority in making laws.20 . The speaker09 年考The speaker of the Hous

20、e of Commons in Britain is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament topreside over the House and enforce the rules of order ,and he is acceptable to all shades of opinion in the House of Commons.21. The Privy CouncilFormerly the chief source of executive power. It gave the Sovereign private (

21、“ privy”on the government of the country. Today its role is mainly formal, advising the Sovereign to approve certain government decrees and issuing royal proclamation. Its membership is about 400.22. The NHSThe National Health Service was established in the UK in 1948 .This Service provides for ever

22、y resident a full range of medical services. It is now a largely free service.;.23. Christmas DayDecember 25 th ,the greatest of Christian festivals to celebrate the birth ofChrist. Italsosatime for thefamily to get together .24.Bank holiday07， 11 年考Official public holiday are also called“bank holid

23、ays ”The term“bank owes its name to the fact thatbanks are closed on the days specified”25. Comprehensive schoolsComprehensives schools take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide-ranging secondary education for all or most of the children in a district.26. The Open Unive

24、rsity09 年考It refers to a non-residential university whichis“ open” to all to become students. Founding in 1969, itoffers degrees and other courses for adult students of all ages in Britain and the other member countries of the European Union.27. The House of LordsThe House of lLords is a part of parliament. It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.It has a special judi