英国简介英文版

ABriefIntroductionoftheUnitedKingdomThefullnameofthecountryistheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland.Itisacomplicatednameforwhatisinmanywaysacomplicatedcountry.There'refourparts,England,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIreland,whichcompletetotheset.Here,asfollows,areafewaspectsoftheUnitedKingdom.PoliticsTheGovernmentoftheUnitedKingdomTheMonarchyTheoldestinstitutionofgovernmentistheMonarchycruelbytheking.ThisdatesbacktotheSaxonwhoruledfromthe5thcenturyADuntiltheNormanConguestin1066.Thepowerofthemonarchywaslargelyderivedformtheancientdoctrineofthe‘divinerightofkings”.ItwasheldthatthesovereignderivedhisauthorityfromGod,notfromhissubjects.WhilethekingintheoryhadGodonhisside,inpracticeeveninmedievaltimesitwasthoughtthatheshouldnotexerciseabsolutepower.TheParliamentTheword“parliament”comesfromtheverb“theparley”,thatistodiscussortalk.Thetermwasfirstusedofficiallyin1236todescribethegatheringoffeudalbaronsandrepresentativesfromcountriesandtowns学习参whichtheoccasionallysummonedifhewantedtoraisemoney.TheGreatCouncilcametoincludeboththosewhoweresummoned“byname”(theHouseofLords)andrepresentativesofcommunities(theHouseofCommons).Thesetwohousesexisttodayandcollectivelywecallthemtheparliament.TheCommonsquicklygainedinpoliticalstrength.Theywerewillingtohelpthekingbyraisingtaxesandpassinglaws,butinreturntheywantedanincreasingsayinwhatthekingwasdoing.TheparliamentbecamethemostpowerfulinstituteinBritainwasaftertheRevolutionalWar.Parliamenthasanumberofdifferentfunctions.Firstandforemost,itpasseslaws.Anotherimportantfunctionisthatitprovidesthemeansofcarryingontheworkofgovernmentbyvotingfortaxation.Itsotherrolesaretoscrutinizegovernmentpolicy,administrationandexpenditureandtodebatethemajorityissuesoftheday.ParliamentissupremeintheBritishstatebecauseitalonehasthepowertochangethetermsoftheconstitution.Therearenolegalrestraintsuponparliament.Itcanmakeorchangelaws.Changeoroverturnestablishedconventionsorevenprolongitsownlifewithoutconsultingtheelectorate.However,itdoesnotassertitssupremacy,butbearsthecommonlawinmindandactsaccordingtoprecedent..EachParliamentlastsfor5years.TheUpperhousehasnorighttodecide,itonlyhastherighttopassthe学习参billspassedbytheLowerHouse.Thepartywhichholdsamajorityofthose“seats”inparliamentformsthegovernment,withitspartyleaderasthePrimeMinister.Afteragovernmenthasbeeninpowerfor5yearsithastoresignandholda“generalelection”,inwhichalBritishadultsaregivethechancetovoteagainfortheirconstituency'sMP.Agovernmentcannotstandforlongerthan5yearsexceptinexceptionalcircumstances.However,thePrimeMinistercancallanelectionsoonerthan5years.Thiscanhappenwhenthegovernmentlosesa“voteofnoconfidencein”theHouseofCommons.Thatis,anMPputsforwardastatementfortheMPstovoteonsayingthat“Thishousenolongerhaconfidenceinthegovernment.”ThePoliticalPartiesTherearethreemajornationalparties:TheconservativepartyandtheLabourpartyarethetwobiggest,andanygeneralelectionisreallyaboutwhichofthosetwoisgoingtogovern.Butthere'sathirdimportantparty,theLiberalDemocrats,whousuallyreceiveuptoabout20%ofthevotes:notenoughtoformagovernment,butenoughtohaveabigimpactonwhichoftheothertwopartiesdoesso.TheLabourpartyisthenewestofthesethree,createdbythegrowingtradeunionmovementattheendofnineteenthcentury.ItquicklyreplacedtheLaberalpartyasoneofthetwobiggestparties.Labourisasocialistparty.Thatistosaythattheybelieveasocietyshouldberelativelyequalin学习参economicterms,andthepartoftheroleofgovernmentistoactasa“redistributiveagent.T”heConservativepartyisthepartythatspentmosttimeinpower,basicallytheConservativeareseenasthepartyoftheindividual,protectingtheindividual'srighttoacquirewealthandtospendithowtheychoose,andsofavouringeconomicpolicieswhichbusinessmenprefer,suchaslowtaxes.Theyreceivealotoftheirpartyfundingfrombigcompanies.ReligionQueenorkingistheleaderaswellasthebishopoftheHighChurch.20%ofBritishcitizenclaimstobeRomanCatholics.40%ofScotlandcitizenbelieveinRomanCatholic.Twoestablishedchurches:ChurchofLondon;ChurchofScotland.RomanCatholicchurches.FreeChurches.CultureHere,IwillemphasisononeaspectofBritain'sartisticoutput,thatforwhichitisperhapsbestknown:Literature.⑴EarlyWritingMuchearlyBritishwritingwasconcernedwithChristianity:Anglo-SaxonsproducedbeautifullyillustratedversionsoftheBible:themostfamousoftheseisthebookofkeels,partywrittenontheScottishislandoflona.⑵ElizabethanDrama学习参TherewasageneralfloweringofculturalandintellectuallifeinEuropeduringthe15thand16thcenturieswhichisknownas“TheRenaissance”,inBritishcultureoneofthemostsuccessfulandlong-lastingexpressionsofthisdevelopmentlayindrama.⑶18th–centuryEnglishliteratureismarkedbyaratherlargeshiftfromthemoodandtoneof17th–centuryliterature.⑷TheRomanticPeriodRoughlythefirstthirdofthe19thcenturymakesupEnglishliterature'sromanticperiod.Writersofromanticliteraturearemoreconcernedwithimaginationandfeelingthanthepowerofreason,whichmarkedthe18thcentury.⑸20thCenturyLiteratureThe20thCenturymarkedtheendoftheBritishEurope,whichwasreplacedbytheCommonwealthofNations.YetEnglishcivilizationandculturecontinuetohaveastronginfluenceontherestoftheworld.TheheritageofEnglishliteratureformsanoutstandingpartofthatculture.20thCenturyliteraturecanbebroadlydividedintotwostylisticperiods:Modernism,andPostmodernism.Theseperiodsroughlycorrespondtoliteraturewrittenafterit.Botharecharacterizedbyahighdegreeofexperimentation.EconomyNationaleconomiescanbebrokendownintothreemainareas:“primary”学习参industries,suchasagriculture,fishingandmining,“Secondary”industries,whichmanufacturecomplexgoodsfromthoseprimaryproducts;andtertiaryindustries,oftendescribedasservices,suchasbanking,insurance,tourism,andthesellingofgoods.Britain'sagriculturalsectorissmallbutefficient,producing58%oftheUK'sfoodneedswithonly2%ofitsworkforce.ThreequartersofBritain'slandisusedforagriculture,withaboutaquarterofthatundercrops-wheatandbarleyarethetwocommonest.Therestisgrazingforanimals.Thefishingindustryprovides55%oftheUKdemandforfish.Scottishportslandthemajorityofthefishcaught.EnergyproductionisanimportantpartoftheUKeconomy,accountingfor5%ofthenationalwealth.Inthesecondarysectoroftheeconomy,manufacturingindustryremainsimportant,producing22%ofnationalwealth.TheservicesectoroftheUnitedKingdomisdominatedbyfinancialservices,especiallyinbankingandinsurance.Londonisoneoftheworld'slargestfinancialcenterswiththeLondonStockExchange,theLondoninternationalFinancialFuturesandOptionsExchange,andtheLloyd'ofsLondoninsurancemarketallbasedinthecity.Italsohasthelargestconcentrationofforeignbankbranchesintheworld.5．Britishdiplomaticaffairs（1）Britainsfor'eignpolicies:.学习参考.ThecontemporaryforeignpolicyoftheUKisgreatlyinfluencedbyitsimperialhistoryandalsobyitsgeopoliticaltraits.PerhapsthemostimportantsinglefactorwhichinfluencesBritishpolicy-makersisitshistory.AseconddecisiveinfluenceuponthewayBritainconductsitsexternalaffairsisgeopolitical.Britainisanislandstate,andthisisconsideredanimportantpsychologicalfactoraswellasonewhichhasinfluencedBritain'seconomicandmilitarydevelopmentasanationofseafarerswhoroamedtheglobelookingforterritoryandeconomicopportunities.Howtheseforeignpoliciesmade:ThegeneraldirectionofBritain'sforeignpolicyismainlydecidedbythePrimeMinisterandCabinet.ThemaingovernmentdepartmentisofcoursetheForeignandCommonwealthOffice,butmanyothergovernmentministersalsoplayapartinformulatingandexecutingthegovernment'sdecisions.TheMinistryofDefenceisresponsibleforensuringBritain'sdefenceandmanagingBritain'sinvolvementinitsmilitarytreatycommitments.AndtheDepartmentofTradeandIndustryisfortheinternationaltradepolicyandBritishcommercialrelationswithothercountries.（2）BritainandInternationalInstitutions:Nowadaysitsforeignpolicyislargelyshapedbyitsparticipationinanumberofimportantinternationalinstitutions.BritainisoneofthefivepermanentmembersoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil,alongwithRussia,China,theUsandFrance.Itisalsothesixthlargestcontributortothe学习参UN'sbudget.AsaSecurityCouncilmember,Britainretainstheabilitytohavealargeinfluenceonworldaffairs.AndthemoreimportanttoBritaintodayinrunningofitsaffairsisitsmembershipintheEU.BritainisalsoamemberoftheCommonwealth.EventhoughBritaingranteditscolonialterritoriesindependence,itcontinuedtofeelclosetothesenewcountriesandwantedtocontinuetoworkwiththem.（3）SecurityandDefencePolicy:Britaindependsmoreondefencethanmostotheradvancedindustrialcountriesandmaintainslargerprofessionalforces.ThekeystoneofBritishdefencepolicyisitsparticipationinNATO,whichiscommonlyknownastheNorthAtlanticTreatyOrgnasition.InadditiontoitsNATOcommitments,Britainretainsanindependentnuclearweaponscapabilitybutitishighlyunlikelyforittouse,orneedtousethecapability.学习参