Unit 9: the Britishness TUnit 9: the Britishness Testest

Unit 9: the Britishness TUnit 9: the Britishness Testest

Brief Introduction• This report is about Britishness and t

he test that immigrants will have to pass before being granted citizenship.

• When you think of Britain, what do you think of?

• Empire? The most expensive currency? Or today a poor country?

Britain map

Before You Watch 1• Immigrant: someone who comes to

live in a country from another country• Ethnic community: groups of people

usually of non-western origin• Multicultural: made up of many races

and cultures• To be granted citizenship: to be given

legally recognized membership of a country

Before You Watch 2• To punch: to hit someone with your

fist• Isolation: when someone is alone or

separated from others • To prescribe: to say what someone

has to do• Curriculum: subjects that are taught• To institute: to start, to establish• Habits and customs: things people do

in a particular society

CNN Reporter • When you think of Britain, what

do you visualize to be particularly British? Changing of the guards at Buckingham palace? Or, perhaps, you think of red telephone boxes, double-decker buses, and black cabs. Or maybe your idea of quintessential Britain is having a cup of tea and some scones.

taxi

visualize• To form a mental image of; envisage:

形成思维图像；设想：• tried to visualize the scene as it was d

escribed.• 尽力设想所描绘的场景

quintessential• having the nature of a quintessence;

being the most typical: 精华的，典型的

• “Liszt was the quintessential romantic” (Musical Heritage Review)

• “ 李斯特是最典型的浪漫主义音乐家”( 音乐精品回顾 )

Changing of the guards

Buckingham palace• 白金汉宫 ( 英国王宫 )

BUCKINGHAM   PALACE 1808

Buckingham Palace• Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of seven generations of British monarchs from 1837 to the present reigning House of Windsor and is today the Queen's official residence. 

• When the Queen is in residence the Royal Standard can be seen flying above the palace.

• It has become the symbol of the Royal Family. But this Palace is more than a home for the Royals. 

• It is the official administrative headquarters of the monarchy and contains the offices of their staff. 

皇家旗帜

Continued • It is the place where all Royal

ceremonies and official banquets are held. The palace contains 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms.Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by the Queen, 19 rooms of the Palace are opened to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September to help raise funds to repair fire-damaged Windsor Castle.

高级包房

[‘winzə] 温莎公爵 ( 即 Edward) 城堡

Grand staircase

1870 today

Drawing Rooms that people can

visit

The blue drawing roomThe Blue Drawing Room is one of the finest rooms in the Palace.  The blue flock paper now in the room was hung by Queen Mary in the early twentieth century, while the Corinthian columns were re-painted to resemble onyx in the reign of Queen Victoria.  Today guests gather there for drinks before large luncheon parties and grand State and diplomatic occasions.

带绒厚纸

科林斯式

缟玛瑙

Green Drawing Room Green Drawing Room, is entered through mirrored doors.  It was redecorated in the 1830's, in the reign of William IV. The porcelain on display in the room, was purchased by George IV, an avid royal collector, after the French Revolution. It forms the ante-room to the Throne Room.

渴望的候见

室王座

The White Drawing Room It contains magnificent French furniture acquired by George IV.  This room is usually the first room on her route, when The Queen meets her guests during Receptions in the State Rooms.

Other State rooms that people can visit

The Throne Room

The Throne Room was used by Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Queen's coronation in 1953.

公爵

加冕礼

The Ballroom The Ballroom was added by Queen Victoria in 1856.

A huge room, it measures over 36 metres long by 18 metres wide.  Today it is used for State Banquets 。

The Palace Music Room The Palace Music Room was used for the baptisms of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew, Duke of York and most recently, Prince William. 

scones• A small, rich, biscuit like pastry or qui

ck bread, sometimes baked on a griddle.

• 烤饼：一种小而味浓象饼干的糕点或速食面包，有时由烤架烤成

面粉糕饼

煎饼用浅锅

CNN Reporter 2

• But those stereotypes just don’t get it. Modern, multicultural Britain is more difficult to define, but the government is trying anyway. It’s asked this man, Bernard Crick, to construct （创立） a test for immigrants. They’ll have to pass it—in English—before being granted citizenship. And if they can’t speak English, the government will give them free lessons.

stereotypes• A conventional, formulaic, and oversim

plified conception, opinion, or image:• 陈规，一种传统的、公式化的、过分简化的理解、

观点• “Regional stereotypes have been part of Am

erica since its founding. . . . Westerners are trendy, Midwesterners are dull, Northeasterners are brainy, and Southerners are lazy” (Brad Edmondson)

• “ 地区性旧习自从美国确立起就成为它的一部分…西部人时髦，中西部人木讷，东北部人机智，南方人懒惰” ( 布拉德 · 埃德蒙森 )

Bernard Crick• We’ll be trying to give a fairly accurate

description of British customs （习惯 , 风俗） and habits. Now, that will have to be at some level of generality （一般性） because, after all, they vary in different parts of the country.

CNN Reporter• In fact, cultural peculiarities （特性）

are cherished. （珍爱）

Bernard Crick• If your good cameraman called me

“Luv” in London, I would punch him. But in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, that is how men talk to men. Little things like that can cause tremendous problems.

Luv• Cameraman: 照相师 , 摄影师• Luv: 爱，爱情• Derbyshire: 德贝郡• Yorkshire: 约克郡

CNN ReporterBut, not being able to speak English

has caused greater problems, leading to a growing isolation of some ethnic communities. Prescribing a curriculum and test for citizens has some Britons concerned.

curriculum• Curriculum: 课程• Briton: 大不列颠人 , 英国人

First Man• The whole idea of compulsion and

setting rules, and so on, is a terrible mistake and is against what I regard as, British traditions.

compulsion• Compulsion: 强迫 , 强制 compulsory

CNN Reporter• British traditions? Well, that’s the

whole problem. Even the British are unsure of what being British means.

• Second Man:• Being British means for me, good

question.

Third Man• Being British means being kind of

united, individual though at the same time.

• First Woman:• I think I feel more European than

British.

Second Woman• I’m proud to be British in the

sense like, you know, I feel that belong here.

CNN Reporter• The proposed citizenship test is still b

eing drafted. Until it is instituted. Perhaps the only real test of Britishness is if you can stomach warm beer on a cold day.

draft• Draft: 起草 , 为 ... 打样 , 设计• Institute: 制定 ,• stomach v. 容忍 bear; tolerate.