英国简介(英文版)

1、ABriefIntroductionoftheUnitedKingdomThefullnameofthecountryistheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland.Itisacomplicatednameforwhatisinmanywaysacomplicatedcountry.Thereefourparts,England,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIreland,whichcompletetotheset.Here,asfollows,areafewaspectsoftheUnitedKingdom.1. P

2、oliticsTheGovernmentoftheUnitedKingdom(1) TheMonarchyTheoldestinstitutionofgovernmentistheMonarchycruelbytheking.ThisdatesbacktotheSaxonwhoruledfromthe5thcenturyADuntiltheNormanConguestin1066.Thepowerofthemonarchywaslargelyderivedformtheancientdoctrineofthe,divinerightofkings”.Itwasheldthatthesovere

3、ignderivedhisauthorityfromGod,notfromhissubjects.WhilethekingintheoryhadGodonhisside,inpracticeeveninmedievaltimesitwasthoughtthatheshouldnotexerciseabsolutepower.(2) TheParliamentThewordparliament"comesfromtheverbtheparley”,thatistodiscussortalk.Thetermwasfirstusedofficiallyin1236todescribethe

4、gatheringoffeudalbaronsandrepresentativesfromcountriesandtownswhichtheoccasionallysummonedifhewantedtoraisemoneyTheGreatCouncilcametoincludeboththosewhoweresummonedbyname”(theHouseofLords)andrepresentativesofcommunities(theHouseofCommons).Thesetwohousesexisttodayandcollectivelywecallthemtheparliamen

5、t.TheCommonsquicklygainedinpoliticalstrength.Theywerewillingtohelpthekingbyraisingtaxesandpassinglaws,butinreturntheywantedanincreasingsayinwhatthekingwasdoing.TheparliamentbecamethemostpowerfulinstituteinBritainwasaftertheRevolutionalWar.Parliamenthasanumberofdifferentfunctions.Firstandforemost,itp

6、asseslaws.Anotherimportantfunctionisthatitprovidesthemeansofcarryingontheworkofgovernmentbyvotingfortaxation.Itsotherrolesaretoscrutinizegovernmentpolicy,administrationandexpenditureandtodebatethemajorityissuesofthedayParliamentissupremeintheBritishstatebecauseitalonehasthepowertochangethetermsofthe

7、constitution.Therearenolegalrestraintsuponparliament.Itcanmakeorchangelaws.Changeoroverturnestablishedconventionsorevenprolongitsownlifewithoutconsultingtheelectorate.However,itdoesnotassertitssupremacybutbearsthecommonlawinmindandactsaccordingtoprecedent.EachParliamentlastsfor5years.TheUpperhouseha

8、snorighttodecide,itonlyhastherighttopassthebillspassedbytheLowerHouse.Thepartywhichholdsamajorityofthoseseats'inparliamentformsthegovernment,withitspartyleaderasthePrimeMinister.Afteragovernmenthasbeeninpowerfor5yearsithastoresignandholdageneralelection",inwhichalBritishadultsaregivethechan

9、cetovoteagainfortheirconstituencyMP.Agovernmentcannotstandforlongerthan5yearsexceptinexceptionalcircumstances.However,thePrimeMinistercancallanelectionsoonerthan5years.ThiscanhappenwhenthegovernmentlosesavoteofnoconfidenceintheHouseofCommons.Thatis,anMPputsforwardastatementfortheMPstovoteonsayingtha

10、tThishousenolongerhaconfidenceinthegovernment，.ThePoliticalPartiesTherearethreemajornationalparties:TheconservativepartyandtheLabourpartyarethetwobiggest,andanygeneralelectionisreallyaboutwhichofthosetwoisgoingtogovern.Butthere?sathirdimportantparty,theLiberalDemocrats,whousuallyreceiveuptoabout20%o

11、fthevotes:notenoughtoformagovernment,butenoughtohaveabigimpactonwhichoftheothertwopartiesdoesso.TheLabourpartyisthenewestofthesethree,createdbythegrowingtradeunionmovementattheendofnineteenthcentury.ItquicklyreplacedtheLaberalpartyasoneofthetwobiggestparties.Labourisasocialistparty.Thatistosaythatth

12、eybelieveasocietyshouldberelativelyequalineconomicterms,andthepartoftheroleofgovernmentistoactasa“redistributiveagent.TheConservativepartyisthepartythatspentmosttimeinpower,basicallytheConservativeareseenasthepartyotheindividual,protectingtheindividual?srighttoacquirewealthandtospendithowtheychoose,

13、andsofavouringeconomicpolicieswhichbusinessmenprefer,suchaslowtaxes.Theyreceivealotoftheirpartyfundingfrombigcompanies.2. Religion(1) QueenorkingistheleaderaswellasthebishopoftheHighChurch.(2) 20%ofBritishcitizenclaimstobeRomanCatholics.(3) 40%ofScotlandcitizenbelieveinRomanCatholic.(4) Twoestablish

14、edchurches:ChurchofLondon;ChurchofScotland.(5) RomanCatholicchurches.(6) FreeChurches.3. CultureHere,IwillemphasisononeaspectofBritairlsartisticoutput,thatforwhichitisperhapsbestknownLiterature.(1) EarlyWritingMuchearlyBritishwritingwasconcernedwithChristianity:Anglo-Saxonsproducedbeautifully川ustrat

15、edversionsoftheBible:themostfamousoftheseisthebookofkeels,partywrittenontheScottishislandoflona.ElizabethanDramaTherewasageneralfloweringofculturalandintellectuallifeinEuropeduringthe15thand16thcenturieswhichisknownasTheRenaissance,inBritishcultureoneofthemostsuccessfulandlong-lastingexpressionsofth

16、isdevelopmentlayindrama.18th-centuryEnglishliteratureismarkedbyaratherlargeshiftfromthemoodandtoneof17th-centuryliterature.TheRomanticPeriodRoughlythefirstthirdofthe19thcenturymakesupEnglishliterature®romanticperiod.Writersofromanticliteraturearemoreconcernedwithimaginationandfeelingthanthepowe

17、rofreason,whichmarkedthe18thcentury20thCenturyLiteratureThe20thCenturymarkedtheendoftheBritishEurope,whichwasreplacedbytheCommonwealthofNations.YetEnglishcivilizationandculturecontinuetohaveastronginfluenceontherestoftheworld.TheheritageofEnglishliteratureformsanoutstandingpartofthatculture.20thCent

18、uryliteraturecanbebroadlydividedintotwostylisticperiods:Modernism,andPostmodernism.Theseperiodsroughlycorrespondtoliteraturewrittenafterit.Botharecharacterizedbyahighdegreeofexperimentation.4. EconomyNationaleconomiescanbebrokendownintothreemainareas:primary”industries,suchasagriculture,fishingandmi

19、ning,Secondary'industries,whichmanufacturecomplexgoodsfromthoseprimaryproducts;andtertiaryindustries,oftendescribedasservices,suchasbanking,insurance,tourism,andthesellingofgoods.Britain'sagriculturalsectorissmallbutefficient,producing58%oftheUKRfoodneedswithonly2%ofitsworkforce.Threequarter

20、sofBritain'slandisusedforagriculture,withaboutaquarterofthatundercrops-wheatandbarleyarethetwocommonest.Therestisgrazingforanimals.Thefishingindustryprovides55%oftheUKdemandforfish.Scottishportslandthemajorityofthefishcaught.EnergyproductionisanimportantpartoftheUKeconomyaccountingfor5%ofthenati

21、onalwealth.Inthesecondarysectoroftheeconomy,manufacturingindustryremainsimportant,producing22%ofnationalwealth.TheservicesectoroftheUnitedKingdomisdominatedbyfinancialservices,especiallyinbankingandinsurance.LondonisoneoftheworldslargestfinancialcenterswiththeLondonStockExchange,theLondoninternation

22、alFinancialFuturesandOptionsExchange,andtheLloyd?sofLondoninsurancemarketallbasedinthecity.Italsohasthelargestconcentrationofforeignbankbranchesintheworld.5. Britishdiplomaticaffairs(1) Britain?sforeignpolicies:ThecontemporaryforeignpolicyoftheUKisgreatlyinfluencedbyitsimperialhistoryandalsobyitsgeo

23、politicaltraits.PerhapsthemostimportantsinglefactorwhichinfluencesBritishpolicy-makersisitshistory.AseconddecisiveinfluenceuponthewayBritainconductsitsexternalaffairsisgeopolitical.Britainisanislandstate,andthisisconsideredanimportantpsychologicalfactoraswellasonewhichhasinfluencedBritain?economican

24、dmilitarydevelopmentasanationofseafarerswhoroamedtheglobelookingforterritoryandeconomicopportunities.Howtheseforeignpoliciesmade:ThegeneraldirectionofBritain&foreignpolicyismainlydecidedbythePrimeMinisterandCabinet.ThemaingovernmentdepartmentisofcoursetheForeignandCommonwealthOffice,butmanyother

25、governmentministersalsoplayapartinformulatingandexecutingthegovernment?sdecisions.TheMinistryofDefenceisresponsibleforensuringBritain&defenceandmanagingBritain&involvementinitsmilitarytreatycommitments.AndtheDepartmentofTradeandIndustryisfortheinternationaltradepolicyandBritishcommercialrelationswithothercountries.(2) BritainandInternationalInstitutions:Nowadaysitsforeignpolicyislargelyshapedbyitsparticipationinanumberofimportantinternationalinstitutions.Britainisoneofthefivepe