Автор: Пользователь скрыл имя, 11 Декабря 2012 в 19:37, реферат
I choose this topic because it’s very interesting for me now. English is closely connected with my feature profession, profession of manager. I think that I will have some attitudes with foreign countries and especially with Great Britain, not at once. People of different countries have their own habits. And I think, it is very important to know customs and traditions of that country, which you are going to visit. The national traditions absorb, accumulate and reflect the historic experience of the part generations.
Introduction………………………………………………………………...3
Everything is the Other Way Round……………………………………...4
Lunch at 1 o’clock………………………………………………………….4
English Sunday……………………………………………………………..5
English Tea…………………………………………………………………5
Fireplaces…………………………………………………………………...6
Pubs ………………………………………………………………………...6
Glossary…………………………………………………………………….7
Literature…………………………………………
PERM STATE UNIVERSITY
TRADITIONS
AND HABITS
OF GREAT BRITAIN
Perm 2002
CONTENTS
I choose this topic because it’s very interesting for me now. English is closely connected with my feature profession, profession of manager. I think that I will have some attitudes with foreign countries and especially with Great Britain, not at once. People of different countries have their own habits. And I think, it is very important to know customs and traditions of that country, which you are going to visit. The national traditions absorb, accumulate and reflect the historic experience of the part generations.
The aim of my work is to describe in details customs and habits of English. And I should say, that English life is full of traditions. Some of them are very beautiful, colorful and picturesque, and seem to be quite reasonable; others are curious, sometimes funny, and they often are maintained simply as a tourist attraction.
But, many English traditions became burdensome, they make no sense in the present day like and only complicate things. But they are preserved because of the well-known traditional English conservatism.
There are many traditions associated with some historical facts, parliamentary, court and state ceremonies, university life, and popular holidays. Others are connected with the mode of everyday life, with customs, manners of behaviour, and habits of the people. Studying them will help me to understand better the English way of life.
Very often when speaking of English traditions we think first of some curious theatrical ceremonies of the court. There come to our mind the medieval uniforms of the guards, the solemn cloaks and wigs of the judges and the invariable umbrellas of the clerks of the London City.
But the word “tradition” does not mean only that. First “tradition” is the generally accepted made or way of living. And there are many very good traditions in the everyday life of the English.
In England everything is the other way round. On Sunday on the Continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit, tries to look respectable, and at the same time the life of the country becomes gay and cheerful; in England even the richest peer or motor-car manufacturer dresses in some peculiar rags, does not shave, and the country becomes dull and dreary.
On the Continent there is one topic, which should be avoided – the weather; in England, if you do not repeat the phrase “Lovely day, isn’t it?” at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull. On the Continent Sunday papers appear on Monday; in England they appear on Sunday.
On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table manners.
On the Continent public orators try to learn to speak fluently and smoothly; in England they take a special course in Oxonian stuttering.
On the Continent learned person love to quote Aristotle, Montaigne and show off their knowledge; in England only uneducated people show off their knowledge, nobody quotes Latin or Greek authors in the course of a conversation, unless he has never read them.
Continental people are sensitive and touchy; the English take everything with an exquisite sense of humour – they are only offended if you tell them that they have no sense of humour.
People on the Continent either tell you the truth or lie; in England they hardly ever lie, but they would not – dream of telling you the truth.
Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game.
Many foreigners are sometimes taken aback when they are faced with this typically English custom for the first time.
Whatever one is doing, no matter how important it is, or seems to be – a parliamentary debate or any kind of business routine – as soon as the clock strikes one everybody breaks for lunch.
The time from one to two o’clock is a “sacred” hour in England. And it appears to be not only good for health – having meals at regular times is certainly healthy – but it is very convenient socially as well. Everybody knows that there is no use trying to get in touch with some official, business executive or firm representative at this time. For punctuality is also one of the English traditions.
The so called Sunday Observance laws prohibiting all kind of public entertainment on Sunday date back to the 17-18 century. The idea was to encourage people to go church and not to allow them “to profane the Lord’s Day” by amusing themselves.
Three hundred years have passed since then. Church services are attended by people now than some decades ago. And the old custom of having a quiet Sunday is still alive. This is another English tradition preserved by law.
On Sunday you may visit a museum or go to a concert but all shops, theatres, dance and music halls are closed. Pubs and restaurants are open only from 12 to 2, and from 5 to 10 p.m. The police are very strict and do not hesitate to withdraw the licence from the proprietors who disregard closing time.
All professional football and cricket matches, as well as horse and dog racing are closed. Now there is a great number of people who like to go to the country or to the sea-side and spend their week-ends fishing, camping or hiking.
But still many Englishmen prefer a quiet Sunday at home. They get up late, go to church in the morning, have a big dinner, sleep afterwards, work in their garden, read books and listen to the wireless.
After three centuries the Puritan influence is still to be felt.
If you are invited to an English home, at five o’clock in the morning you get a cup of tea. When you are disturbed in your sweetest morning sleep you must not say: “Madame I think you are a cruel, spiteful and malignant person who deserved to be shot.” On the contrary, you have to declare with your best smile: “Thank you so much. I do adore a cup of tea, especially early in the morning.” If they live you alone with the liquid, you may pour it down the washbasin.
Than you have tea for breakfast; then you have tea at eleven o’clock in the morning; then after lunch; then you have tea for tea; then for supper; and again at eleven o’clock at night. You mast not refuse any additional cups of tea under the following circumstances: if it is hot; if it is cold; if you are tired; if anybody thinks that you might be tired; if you are nervous; if you are gay; before you go out; if you have just returned home; if you have had no tea for some time; if you have just had a cup…
In English homes, the fireplace has always been, the natural center of interest in a room. People may like to sit at a window on a summer day, but for many months of the year prefer to sit round the fire and watch the dancing flames.
In the Middle Ages the fireplaces in the halls of large castles were very wide. Such wide fireplaces may still be seen in old inns.
There were sometimes columns on each side of the fireplace. In the 18th century, place was often provided over the fireplace for a painting or mirror.
When coal fires became common, fireplaces became much smaller. Grates were used to hold the coal. Above the fireplace there was usually a shelf on which there was often a clock, and perhaps framed photographs.
Do you know what a pub is? It is a public house or building where people go to drink and to meet their friends. The usual opening hours for pubs are on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. On Sundays pubs may remain open for not more than 5 and a half hours.
Pubs usually have two drinking rooms called bars - the public and the saloon bar, which is more comfortable but more expensive. "Bar" also means the counter at which drinks are served.
The main drink served in pubs, is, of course, beer, light or dark. Light beer is usually called bitter. As for other kinds of alcohol, most pubs serve whisky, gin and wine. No alcoholic drinks may be served to young people under eighteen under British law.
In Great Britain today there are some 80,000 pubs situated in different towns, villages, and so on. Every English pub has its own sign and name. Some pub signs present different types of transport such as coaches, trams, ships, airplanes and even flying boards. There are signboards depicting animals, birds, fish, kings and queens, dukes and lords, sailors, soldiers.
In London the famous Sherlock Holmes pub with the big portrait of the famous detective smoking his favourite pipe attracts thousands of visitors.
History, geography, fairytales are kept alive by the name or sign of the "local" pub.
In many pubs one can also enjoy some traditional pub games. There are darts, cards, skittles, and various table games.
Some of these games are difficult to find, because pubs begin to offer TV and video games. There are also other pub entertainments, such as piano playing, singing, jazz performances and even theatres. However, if such table games as billiards or table football which are played with two or four players as well as cards, dominoes are known in this country, skittles and darts are less familiar.
It sounds funny to foreigners but when it is closing time, the pub barman calls "Time!" or "Time, gentlemens!”
accumulate- накапливать
additional-дополнительный
aim-цель
alcoholic-алкогольный
attitudes-отношения
beer-пиво
behaviour-поведение
breakе-прерываться
burdensome-обременительный
castle-замок
circumstances-обстоятельства
cloak-плащ
closely-близко
coache-корета
comfortable-удобный
convenient-удобно
court- королевский двор
counter- стойка
cruel-жестокий
curious-курьезный
customs-обычаи
darts- дротики
decades- десятилетие
disregard- пренебрегать
dreary-мрачный
duke-герцог
dull-скучный
encourage-подталкивать
entertainment-развлечения
expensive-дорогой
exquisite-изысканный
fairytales-сказки
fireplace- камин
flying board-летающая тарелка
flame-пламя
fluently-бегло
generation-поколение
grates- каминная решетка
habits-привычки
influence-влияние
inns- трактир
invite-приглашать
liquid-жидкость
maintained- содержать
malignant-злобный
medieval- средневековый
mirror-зеркало
peer-лорд
pipe-трубка
performance-представление
prohibit- запрещать
picturesque-живописный
preserve-сохранять
profane-осквернять
proprietors-хозяин, владелец
pub – пивная, трактир
punctuality- пунктуальность
quote-цитировать
rags-лохмотья
reflect- отражать
refuse- отказываться
remain open- оставаться открытым
representative-представитель
respectable-порядочный
returne-возвращаться
routine- рутина
sacred- святой
sailor-матрос
sensitive –чуткий
sign-символ
signboard- вывеска
skittles- кегли
solemn- торжественный
strict-строгий
sweetest-сладкий
touchy- обидчивый
traditions-традиции
typically-типичный
week-ends-выходные
wide-широкий
wireless-радио
withdraw-отбирать, забирать
1. Кощеева Н.Е. English Reader Part II. English National Traditions М. 1992.
2. Пинягин Ю.Н. Великобритания: история, культура, образ жизни. – Пермь: Изд-во Перм. Ун-та, 1996. – 296.
3. Сатинова В.М. Читаем и говорим о Британии и британцах. Мн.: Выш. шк., 1997. – 255с.
4. Традиции, обычаи и привычки. М.: ИНФРА-М, 2001. – 127с.
Some greetings in England are very informal: a simple “good morning” or a wave of the hand across the street is quite enough. Handshakes are only exchanged on a first introduction or as a token of agreement or congratulation. “Sorry” takes the place of “no” when you cannot do something for a person or give a positive answer in situation like “May I use your pen?”, “Do you know the time?” or “Have you any size seven shoes?”. “Pardon” is the polite way of asking somebody to repeat what he has said.
English people do not readily ask each other to do anything, they prefer to wait for a service to be offered before asking for it. If they do ask, then they say something like “I don’t really like asking you, but…”
It is considered polite to give up one’s seat a woman who is standing, to open door for her, carry things for her, and so on.
Our manners in public, like our manners in our homes, are based on self-respect and consideration for other people.
It is really surprising how stingy we are with our “Please” when we ask anyone to do something for us. We unwillingly part with our “Thank you”, as if it were the most difficult and costly thing in the world. We don’t stand aside for others to pass us in the trams, buses or the underground. We don’t rice to let people pass us to their seats in the theatres or movies.
Not to make yourself conspicuous, not to attract unfavourable attention to yourself or others, here are some of the rules for correct behaviour in a public place.
Like so many English institutions Parliament has been born of accident, expediency, economy and tradition.
The first Parliament met in Westminster Hall in 1265, as an immediate result of Magna Carta*. Many of the ceremonies carried out in the Parliament are very old.
The sitting of the House of Commons each day is opened by the Procession of the Speaker. Wearing his wig and gown, he is accompanied by the Chaplain, his Secretary and the Sergeant-at-Arms*, carrying the Mace*.
(The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for seeing that strangers do not misconduct themselves in the House, and for arresting members as directed by the Speaker).
On arrival at the Chamber, the Mace is set on the Table, players are read by the Chaplain, and provided a quorum of forty members is present, the Speaker takes the Chair, the Chaplains withdraw, and the business of the day is taken.
Except on Friday the first hour in the House of Commons is set aside for questions, the Speaker calling in turn the Members whose names appear in the notice paper.
After question time new Members, if any, are introduced, and then the Speaker directs the Clerk at the Table to read the Order of the Day, and the regular business is begun. This may entail debating a particular stage of a Public Bill*, going into Committee to discuss the business of supply, considering Lord’s amendments to a Bill, or any other item of business.
No Member may speak in a debate unless he has received permission from the Speaker and this he obtains by what is known as “catching the Speaker’s eye”. In effect what happens is that those members desirous of speaking rise to their feet and the Speaker calls upon one of them whereupon the remainder resume their seats.
Speeches are addressed to the Speaker and may not be read, this however is a rule that has lately been subjected to exceptions.
There is another curious in the Parliament. In front of the Members’ benches in the House of Commons you will see a strip of carpet. When a Member speaking in the House puts his foot beyond that strip there is a shout “Order”. This dates back to the time when the Members had swords on them and during a heated discussion might want to start fighting. The word “order” remind the hotheads that no fighting was allowed in the House. The carpet became the limit, a sort of a frontier.