英国部分名词解释.doc

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 within 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 translated 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 was crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.4. Heptarchy 七王国During the Anglo-Saxons time ,Britain was divided into many kingdoms, These seven principal kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. They were given the name of Heptarchy.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 .Its the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.6.Domesday Book William sent officials to compile a property record known as Domesday Book, which completed in 1086. 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 it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties, a guarantee of the freedom of the church, its spirit was the limitation of the kings 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 in the 14th century. It swept through England without warning and any cure. It killed 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. 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 English 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 its death blow and the kings 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 RightsIn 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 VIIIs daughter and a devout Catholic. When she became Queen, she persecuted and burnt many Protestants. So she 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. The 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 were 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 monetarist policies to control inflation, the weakening of trade forces unions, 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 1832Its also known as the Greater Charter of 1832,it was passed by Parliament in 1832 .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 constitutional 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, but made up of statute law, common law and conventions. 19. the House of Commons 10年考The House of Commons is a part of Parliament ,and its members are elected by universal adult suffrage. It consists of 651members of Parliament. It has the ultimate authority in making laws.20 . The speaker 09年考The speaker of the House of Commons in Britain is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament to preside 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 (“privy”) advice 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 every resident a full range of medical services. It is now a largely free service. 23. Christmas DayDecember 25th ,the greatest of Christian festivals to celebrate the birth of Christ. Its also a time for the family to get together .24.Bank holiday 07，11年考Official public holiday are also called “bank holidays” The term “bank owes its name to the fact that banks 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 University 09年考It refers to a non-residential university which is “ open” to all to become students. Founding in 1969, it offers 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 Lords The House of lLords is a part of parliament. It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal. It has a special judicial function and leader is the Lord Chancellor. 28. Beatles In the early 1960s, four Liverpool boys who joined together in a group called themselves the Beatles. They represented a new pop culture who writes their own music. The Beatles won the affection and admiration of people of all ages and social backgrounds.29. English feudal system 10年考In this system ,the king owned all the land personally, who gave his barons large estates in England in return for a promise of military and a proportion of the lands produce30. the welfare stateThe welfare state id a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social security of its citizens through its organization of health services, pensions and other facilities .This system if founded out of nation insurance contribution and taxation.