unit 1 and 2英美概况.doc

I.A complicated country with a complicated name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandEngland Scotland WalesII. The effects of its imperial past* The days of empire ended after World War II1. The effects were mainly encountered in the close relationships which exist with the 50 or more colonies of that empire, and which maintain links through Commonwealth of Nations. But more important international relation is its membership in the European Union since 1973.2. The makeup of the British population- immigration from India, Pakistan, or Caribbean (西印度群岛与中南美洲海域) countries in the 1950s and1960s. 1/20 are non-European ethnicity.III. Racial, gender, class, regional and economic differences in the society1. a multi-racial society: most are Christians and because of immigration, many are Muslims; 2. gender difference: male and female live different lives3. class difference: the class structure of UK society is relatively obvious (A white-collar workers lives are very different from a blue-collar workers.)4. economic and regional difference within each of the 4 countries: - difference between highland and lowland Scots- difference between north and south England (South is on average more wealthy than the north)IV. A significant role of London1. capital city2. in the south; largest city in the country; 1/7 of the nations population3. culture center4. business center5. financial center, one of the 3 major international financial centers in the world (another two are New York and Hong Kong )6. long-standing historical role in the UKEnglandI. A cultural and economic dominance of England1. London dominant in the UK in government, finance and culture2. Englands dominance in size - largest of the 4 nations with largest population is reflected in a cultural and economic dominance- result: people in foreign countries and English people sometimes mistakeEngland for U.K in their talks.II. The conquest of Britain (Before AD. 1st C., made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people)When Who Where from Which part conquered43 ADAD.5th CLatin-speaking RomanMediterranean countriesEngland and Wales (not Scotland or Ireland)AD.5th C1066 Angles and Saxons(the forefathers of the English; the founders of England)GermanyEastern and Southern Britain (not Wales and most of Scotland )mainly EnglandLate AD.8thC AD 10th C.the ferocious VikingsScandinavia (北欧：瑞典、挪威一带。丹麦、芬兰、冰岛等)Northern and Eastern England, ScotlandAD 11th C(1066)Norman French (William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and built the Tower of London)Normandy(northern France)The next few hundred years, joining various parts of the British Isles under English rule (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland)III. Legends 1. King Arthur and his Round Table, giving knights equal precedence and showing knights demand for a more democratic system (During Anglo-Saxons invasion)2. Robin Hood hid in the forest, rebelled against Normans and robbed from the rich to give to the poor (During the period of Norman rule)-a clue to the English Character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity (体现英国人个性的迹象:表面上似乎一致,但实际上保持着一种强烈的独特的生活方式) IV. Parliaments dominance over the throne1. The next few hundred years following the Norman invasion: join together the various parts of the British Isle under English Rule, unite the kingdom internally and externally2. Power gradually transferred from the monarch to the parliament a) 1649, Charles the First was executed. Then England was ruled by parliaments leader, Oliver Cromwell for 11 years.b) In 1660, the son of Charles I restored the monarchy and was called Charles II (ruled 1660-1685) c) Further conflicts between parliament and the king led to removal of the Scottish house of Stuart and the final establishment of parliaments dominance over the throne in 1689.* James II (1685-1689) was the younger brother of Charles II. After James II was overthrown, his daughter and daughters husband Mary and William were imported from Holland to take the throne. This is the “Glorious Revolution.”ScotlandI. Physical features of Scotland1. the 2nd largest of the 4 nations 2. most rugged part of UK, the most confident of its own identity3. in the north - the Highlands mountains and in the south - the Southern Uplands lakesin the middle - the lowland zone with 3/4 of the population4. capital: Edinburgh- east coast, famous for its beauty, dominated by its great castle on a high rock largest city: Glasgow - in the west of Lowland zone Both cities have ancient and internationally respected universities dating from 15th centuryII. Cultural division between highland and lowland1. Scotland was neither conquered by the Romans nor by the Anglo-Saxons2. Around the AD 6th C, people from Northern Ireland invaded the South-west - the lowland zone. They were called Scots and gave the modern country of Scotland its name3. The original Scottish Celts, called the Picts (皮克特人) were left with the non-productive highland zone, where in addition to English, some people speak the old Celtic languageGaelic.* The division between highland and lowland Scotland remains a cultural divide today, in much the same way as north and south England see themselves as different from each other.III. the Battle of Bannockburn (班诺克本战役)Time: 24th June, 1314Who: Scots under the leadership of Robert Bruce and English armyResult: Scots were victorious, leading to 300 years of full independenceIV. Union with England in 1707 1. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died. James the 6th of Scotland took the throne, called James the First of England; uniting the two thrones2. Scotland maintained its separate political identity.3. In 1707, Scotland joined the Union by agreement of the English and ScottisHParliaments4. Scotland sends 72 representatives to the London Parliament. In 1922, only 3 were from the Scottish Nationalist Party, wanting an independent Scotland; 49 was from the Labour Party, wanting to set up a regional parliament for Scotland to manage its own internal affairs within the UK. V. Strong Scottish identityScotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts, philosophy and science.- Robert Louis Stevensons famous novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 吉基尔医生与海德先生shows that: Scotland was superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity.WalesI. A brief introduction of Wales 1. capital: Cardiff, on the south coast2. rich coal deposits3. attract foreign investment from Japan and U.S, etc.- new industries to replace coal and steel4. smallest on the British mainland; close to central England; hilly and rugged5. retains a powerful sense of difference from England 6. retains its own language; 19% population speaking GaelicII. A history of InvasionRoman empireNorman conquest Under pressure from its English neighboursIII. Campaigns for independence of UK - resist the English1. 1267, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd(卢埃林阿普格鲁菲德), forced the English to acknowledge him as Prince of Wales by a military campaign, and unified Wales as an independent nation.2. 1282, he was killed. The English King Edward I named his son the Prince of Wales, trying to bring Wales into the British nation.3. 1400, Owain Glyndwr(欧文格林道瓦尔) led an unsuccessful rising against the English.4. 1536, Wales was brought legally into the UK by an act of the British Parliament.5. Wales sends 38 representatives to the London Parliament. 4 are from the Nationalist Party.I. Population and physical features of Northern Ireland 1. often called Ulster, smallest of the 4 (in area $ population)2. 1.5 million people, smaller than many Chinese cities3. capital: Belfast, the biggest city in the province, east coast4. mostly rural, low hills, beautiful lake district in the south-west, rugged coastline, including its most famous landmark, the Giants Causeway(巨型长堤)II. Political problems1. Ordinary life continues, and troubles are an addition.2. Crime is very low.3. Problems are mainly concentrated in particular areas.III. Active cultural life- theatres, restaurants, pubs and museumsIV. Economy1. has problems: 1) partly because the troubles discouraging investment 2) partly because of its peripherality (周边) in relation to the UK2. wealth per head is the lowest of UK3. living costs are comparatively low4. Industrial companies include the aircraft manufacturers.V. Home Rule Bill (自治法案)From 1801 to 1921, the full name of UK was “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”, because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain. But due to Irish desires for an independent Irish state, a campaign in parliament for “Home-rule” was launched, and the Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914.VI. Guerilla or terrorist activities against the British institutions and the British military forces1. The Easter Rising of 1916 (复活节起义)-the rebels occupied Dublins Post Office and forced the British to take it back by military force. The leaders of the rebellion were executed by the British authorities.2. the Sinn Fein Party- a legal political party, supporters of the Irish terrorists; support the IRAs right to fight by a twin campaign, both political and military which they call the policy of “the Bullet and the Ballot Box” (暴力和民主手段)VII. the religious conflicts between the Irish and the British - Ireland was not invaded by the Romans or the Anglo-Saxons- most Irish are Catholics; most Britain are Protestants- In the 17th C., people emigrated from Scotland and Northern England to the north of Ireland. The peoples of this part thought of themselves as British, and wished to remain a part of the British state. They were Protestants.VIII. A partition of Ireland in 1921A compromise: the Southern 26 counties- an independent “free state” (the Republic of Ireland)The 6 north-eastern counties- a part of the UK.* End 700 years of British rule in southern IrelandNorthern Ireland was given its own Parliament to deal with Northern Irish internal affairs, based at Stormont. (斯多蒙特)IX. Troubles and solutionsThe majority, the Protestants controlled the local democratically- elected parliament and used that power to support their own economic and social dominance in the province. 40% of the population were Catholic Irish, who found it harder to get jobs, or to benefit from social programmes such as public housing. The armed conflict “troubles” developed.1. a Civil Rights Movement (北爱民权运动)In 1960s, Catholics often marched in the streets and fought for equality.2. the presence of British soldiers on Northern Ireland since 1969- first to protect the Catholic people, later were seen as the symbol of British rule in Northern Ireland.3. IRAs violence in the 1970s (IRA: Irish Republic Army爱尔兰共和军，unofficially paramilitary force)1) set up in 1919, Official IRA(正式派): concentrate on a political process, run candidates 2) split in 1969 for election Provisional IRA(临时派): felt armed force was the only way 3) IRA bombed and shot security forces and city-centers in 1970s. Protestants took revenge on Catholics *Result: Northern Irish cities were divided into exclusively Protestant and exclusively Catholic areas. Two communities hardly mix at all.4. Bloody Sunday (血腥星期日，1972/1/30)In 1972, 468 people were killed in Northern Ireland, of whom 13 were Catholics who had been taking part in a peaceful civil rights march. It is an important symbol of British oppression.*Result: strengthen Catholic opposition to the British presence. X.Political solutions to the conflicts 1. power-sharing mechanism 权利分治- to allow the minority Catholics po