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МИНСК

2008

УДК 811.111(075.8)

ББК 81.2Англ-923

C83

А в т о р ы - с о с т а в и т е л и:

Е. В. Жук, С. А. Зудова, А. И. Симончик

Рекомендовано Ученым советом факультета международных отношений 27 сентября 2007 г., протокол № 1

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Р е ц е н з е н т доктор филологических наук, профессор

кафедры лексикологии английского языка МГЛУ

А. П. Клименко

Страноведение Великобритании = British Studies: пособие для

студентов I курса гуманит. спец. фак. международных отношений.

C83 В 2 ч. Ч. 2: Customs, Traditions and Holidays / авт.-сост.: Е. В. Жук, С. А.

Зудова, А. И. Симончик. – Минск : БГУ, 2008. – 80 с.

Пособие предназначено для аудиторной и самостоятельной работы студентов I курса факультета международных отношений и других гуманитарных специальностей.

УДК 811.111(075.8)

ББК 81.2Англ-923

© БГУ, 2008

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Данное пособие по курсу “Страноведение Великобритании” предназначено для студентов первого курса факультета международных

отношений.

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Пособие состоит из 4 идентичных по структуре частей. Первая глава знакомит студентов с основными государственными символами, такими как флаг, герб и гимн; национальными символами, а именно святыми заступниками, национальными флагами и эмблемами каждой страны в составе Соединѐнного Королевства; а также с рядом символов и явлений,

которые по определению британцев являются типично “британскими”.

Последующие три главы посвящены праздникам и традициям. Вторая глава рассматривает официальные праздники, установленные законом, а третья и четвѐртая главы рассказывают о различных праздниках, фестивалях, и

торжествах, а также об обычаях и поверьях связанных с ними.

Каждая часть содержит текст, словарь, лексические упражнения и задания, способствующие лучшему пониманию и усвоению текстового материала и формированию запаса лексических единиц по данной теме, а

также комплекс условно-речевых и речевых упражнений для развития умений разного вида чтения, подготовленной и неподготовленной монологической речи. В пособии также предлагается ряд заданий,

способствующих собственной интерпретации прочитанного и дополнительный фоновый материал. Основная цель пособия – развитие культурной компетенции, знакомство с реалиями, отражающими особенности британской культуры, а также развитие умений самостоятельной работы студентов над текстом посредством выполнения системы упражнений.

Chapter I

NATIONAL SYMBOLS

The most important British symbols are the national flag, the national anthem and the royal coat of arms.

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The UK flag is called the Union Flag. It is sometimes wrongly referred to as the Union Jack, although this name is correct when the flag is flown on a jackstaff at sea. The flag is actually three flags in one. It is made up from the crosses of three patron saints of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England. It was conquered by England in the 13th century and in 1536, under Henry VIII, the Act of Union joined England and Wales officially. Therefore Wales is represented by the English flag instead of the Welsh dragon.

The national anthem is “God Save the Queen”. It originated in a patriotic song first performed in 1745. It became known as the national anthem from the beginning of the 19th century. On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung.

God save our gracious Queen!

Long live our noble Queen!

God save the Queen!

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the Queen!

The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch. Variants of the Royal Arms are used by other members of the Royal Family and by the British Government in connection with the administration and government of the country. In Scotland, the Queen has a separate version of the Royal Arms, giving the Scottish elements pride of place.

The main element of the official coat of arms is the shield which is divided into four quarters. The first and fourth quarters represent England and depict three gold lions passant on a red field; the second quarter stands for Scotland and shows a red lion rampant on a gold field; the third quarter symbolises Ireland and depicts the gold harp of Ireland on a blue field. On the left, the shield is supported by the English Lion. On the right it is held by the Unicorn of Scotland. The unicorn is

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chained because in mediaeval times a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast.

The coat features both the motto of British monarchs “Dieu et mon droit”

(French for “God and my right”) and the motto of the Order of the Garter “Honi soit qui mal y pense” (French for “Evil to him who evil thinks”) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield.

The words “Dieu et mon droit” were the military password chosen by King Richard I before the battle of Gisors in 1198, meaning that he was no vassal of France, but owed his royalty to God alone. The French were defeated in battle, but the password was not adopted as the royal motto of England until the time of Henry VI (1422–1466) and has since been retained by his successors. The motto appears below the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms.

The motto of the Order of the Garter “Honi soit qui mal y pense” may well have been directed at critics of the King‟s claims to the French throne; however, according to a tradition first recorded by Tudor chroniclers, the motto originated at a feast celebrating the capture of Calais in 1347. The King‟s mistress, the Countess of Salisbury, was mocked by courtiers for losing her garter during a dance, but Edward at once stepped forward and tied the blue ribbon around his own knee, uttering the motto as a rebuke and declaring that the Garter would soon be held in the highest esteem. The Order of the Garter, an ancient order of knighthood of which the Queen is Sovereign, was founded by Edward III in 1348 during the Hundred Years War with France.

Each country in the UK has its own patron saint, flag, national day and floral emblem.

St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St. George‟s emblem was adopted by Richard the Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king‟s soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

St. George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans‟ torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St. George in England comes from the time of the early crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious. One of the best-known stories about St. George is his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England.

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Despite this, St. George is known throughout the world as the dragon-killing patron saint of England.

St. George‟s Day is observed on April 23 but for most people in England it is just another ordinary day. Only one in five people know that this day is a holiday.

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as

England‟s emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses – civil wars (1455– 1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose).

On November 30, Scottish people observe St. Andrew‟s Day. The Scottish flag is the cross of St. Andrew. It is said to be one of the oldest national flags of any country, dating back at least to the 12th century.

St. Andrew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus and brother of St. Peter. He was a fisherman by trade. St. Andrew is believed to have died on a diagonal cross which the Romans sometimes used for executions and which, therefore, came to be called St. Andrew‟s cross. The blue stands for the sky.

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple flower which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence.

St. David‟s Day is celebrated in Wales on March 1 in honour of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, who lived in the 6th century. He spread the word of Christianity across Wales. The most famous story about St. David tells how he was preaching to a huge crowd and the ground is said to have risen up, so that he was standing on a hill and everyone had a better chance of hearing him.

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David‟s Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to be a traditional emblem of Wales. There are many explanations of how the leek came to be adopted as the national emblem of Wales. One is that St. David advised the Welsh, on the eve of the battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps to distinguish friends from enemies. As Shakespeare records in “Henry V”, the Welsh archers wore leeks at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.

On St. David‟s Day, some children in Wales dress in their national costume.

The national flag of Wales, depicting a fiery red dragon against a green and white background, is also flown.

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St. Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland. His emblem, a red diagonal cross on a white background, is the flag of Ireland, and part of the British flag. St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland. Born in Britain, he was carried off by pirates and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary. The most famous story about St. Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. March 17, St. Patrick‟s Day, is an official bank holiday in Northern Ireland.

The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to clover. An Irish tale tells of how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

There are certain symbols and icons which even the British themselves consider as “British”. This is just a selection of those things which spring to mind whenever one hears the word “British”.

Britannia is the personification of British nationalism. She is portrayed as a young woman in a neo-classical dress and helmet, seated by the sea. She is holding a trident in one hand and a shield, decorated with the Union Flag, in the other.

When the Romans conquered a new province just across the sea from Gaul, they called it Britannia, and the coins of the day featured the image of a woman in armour. This image was not used on coins again until the reign of King Charles II. At present Britannia can be seen on the 50p coin.

Britannia became a popular figure in 1707 when Scotland, Wales and England were finally united to form Great Britain. She was immortalised in 1740 when James Thompson wrote the words of “Rule Britannia” and set it to music by Thomas Arne. It was performed on the London stage where it immediately caught the public imagination. The song is still sung every year on the last night of the “Proms” – the Promenade Concerts held in the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The Americans have Uncle Sam, the British have John Bull. He is a fictional character, used to personify the British nation, and is always depicted as an elderly gentleman, rather stout, wearing a full riding kit complete with breeches and boots, and a Union Jack waistcoat. He was created by John Arbuthnot (1667–1735) a Scottish author, scientist, and physician who wrote five satirical pamphlets in 1712 on the politics of the day, using John Bull as the typical Englishman. The character obviously struck a chord in the hearts of the British and has kept on ever since.

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The British bobby is one of the most cherished icons, called after the founder of the modern police force, Sir Robert Peel. The local policeman may also be known as a “copper” from his habit of “copping” wrongdoers. British policemen are not usually armed and there is considerable public support for it remaining that way. The British have a natural dislike to the everyday use of guns, and still yearn for the days when the local bobby could dispense justice to misbehaving teenagers with a quick clout as soon as he caught them.

The guards at the Tower of London are called beefeaters. The name is thought to come from the French word buffetier. Buffetiers were guards in the palace of

French kings. They protected the king‟s food. Beefeaters were originally established in 1485 as King Henry VII‟s bodyguards, immediately after his victory at Bosworth. They are best known for their scarlet and gold dress uniforms which date from 1552 and are worn on state occasions. The beefeaters used to guard the Tower and its prison. Today, they work mostly as guides for the many visitors to the Tower of London.

The bowler hat calls up an instant image of Britishness. The hat was called so partly because of its maker William Bowler but also because of its bowl-like shape. It is still possible to see bowler hats being worn on the streets of London today as they form part of the unofficial “uniform” of the city gentleman, always accessorised with a rolled black umbrella.

Cricket, not the commercialised, multicoloured specially-for-TV show, but the real game. At a local level, cricket has county teams, club, village and even school teams, and families play their own versions of the game on playing fields and beaches every summer. Cricket is a leisurely game. Test matches take up to five days, and three or two-day matches are usual at the higher levels of play. Even a village cricket match may take all day, and on a fine, sunny Sunday, village greens and cricket playing fields around the country will see families picnicking on the grass around the boundary while watching the match in play.

Tea is definitely Britain‟s national drink. A good cuppa is not just a means of refreshment, it is also a social ritual and any hostess or host will put the kettle on immediately after greeting visitors. Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Great importance is attached to the use of freshly boiled water, which is poured onto the leaves and then the tea is left to brew for a few minutes. Most people in Britain prefer a rich, strong cup of tea with milk, and sugar is sometimes added to taste.

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A full English breakfast (usually abbreviated to simply “full English”) is an excellent way to start the day, if you have time to cook and time to sit down and eat it! A real full English consists of several courses and in country houses used to be set out as a hot buffet for guests to help themselves. Nowadays the only time most people eat a full English breakfast is on Sundays and on holiday when they can spend a more leisurely morning – such a meal needs time to “go down” and digest. Either kippers or porridge will start the meal with brown bread and butter; porridge (oatmeal) can be eaten with brown sugar and cream or milk. After this

“starter” comes the main course: bacon, eggs, sausages, black pudding if you‟re in the north, grilled or fried tomatoes, maybe kidneys and possibly a slice or two of fried bread. Finally, if you have any room left, toast and marmalade will finish off the meal, all washed down with copious quantities of tea.

English pubs appear in all sorts of places, but if they‟re not in England – they‟re not English pubs! There is an alarming trend towards “modernisation” and “theme pubs” but there is also a growing backlash against modern interior and loud music. You can find good pubs in both town and country, although city pubs have almost succumbed to the needs of younger clients. A good pub will have “atmosphere” – a cheerful and friendly landlord or landlady, helpful and chatty bar staff and “locals” willing to gossip with any visitor.

The bulldog symbolises the very essence of Britishness. He is solid, reliable, unshakeably loyal, very individual, very nice when you get to know him and kind of cute in his own funny little way!

The robin is everyone‟s favourite bird: when a national newspaper conducted a poll to decide Britain‟s national bird millions voted, and the robin won by a landslide. The robin is immediately recognisable – no other British bird has the same red breast, which is present in both sexes, and it is the one bird everyone can identify even if they can name no other bird! Robins are so familiar because they are so tame: this seems a characteristic of British robins, which elsewhere in their range are shy woodland birds. Here, they will approach people closely and will go so far as to perch on a gardener‟s spade in order to be first to the worms being turned up. It‟s as if they know that everyone loves them!

VOCABULARY FOCUS

anthem n – гимн

coat of arms n – герб, гербовый щит; arms n – (pl.) герб

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jackstaff n – гюйс-шток (стойка, на которой поднимается военно-морской флаг)

cross n – крест

patron saint n – святой покровитель, заступник pride of place – почѐтное место

shield n – щит

passant adj – (геральд.) идущий с поднятой правой передней лапой и смотрящий вправо (о животном)

rampant adj – (геральд.) стоящий на задних лапах (о животном) harp n – арфа

unicorn n – (миф.) единорог motto n – девиз

garter n – подвязка

rebuke n – укор, упрѐк; rebuke v – упрекать, осуждать to hold smb in esteem – уважать

torture n – пытка; torture v – пытать, мучить crusade n – крестовый поход

disciple n – ученик, последователь; апостол thistle n – (бот.) чертополох

preach v – проповедовать, читать проповедь daffodil n – (бот.) желтый нарцисс

leek n – (бот.) лук-порей

missionary n – миссионер, проповедник shamrock n – (бот.) трилистник

the Trinity n – (религ.) Троица, триединый Бог (в христианстве)

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