武汉理工大学英美文化英国概况Unit3

英美文化与国家概况British and American Studies ( British Part )

Unit Three

大学英语第一教研室余非编

2013年2月

Unit 3 Politics and Law

Contents:

1.Political Parties

2.Elections

3.Justice and Law Courts

4.Legal Profession

1.Political Parties

?In the United Kingdom, politics is under the control of political parties, and this is known as

party politics.

?There are two major political parties that contest the majority of seats of Parliament in the

general election.

?Britain normally holds a general election every five years for British people to elect Members

of Parliament.

?British voters regard the transfer of political powers from one party to another as an effective

way of making the government more responsive to their demands.

?Under the British law, people are free to set up political parties, and a number of political

parties exist in the United Kingdom. The law grants equal treatment to all political parties.

?However, only two of them are most important and they are known as the major parties.

?Consequently, politics in Britain is based on a two-party system instead of multi-party

system.

?The two major parties are respectively called the Conservative Party and the Labor Party.

British Parliament is always dominated by one or the other of these two major parties.

?Small parties, usually called minor parties, cannot win the majority seats of Parliament and

have no chance to control the government.

?The history of political parties in Britain can be traced back to the late 17th century when two

political parties, the Whigs and the Tories, were founded.

The Whigs (辉格党):

1. The name Whig is derived from a derogatory term first applied to Scottish rebels.

2.Towards the middle of the 19th century, the Whigs adopted a new name, the liberal Party.

3.After the First World War, the Liberal Party disintegrated and some of its members later

joined the Labor Party, which was founded in 1900. Its supporters are mainly from trade unions, liberals, socialists, and progressive intellectuals.

4.The basic doctrine of the Labor Party was based on socialism, but its goal was to promote

national and individual growth, not the uprising of one class by overthrowing another one. 5.Many of the Labor leaders are from the working class families, but the party is not a

representative of the working class in its real sense. It represents the interests of confusing class elements.

6.According to statistics from general elections, about 20% of upper-middle class, half of the

middle class, and 60% of the manual workers vote for the Labor Party. It is for this reason that the Labor Party is said to represent the relatively poor or the lower class.

The Tories（托利党）:

1.Those who opposed the doctrine of the Whigs were called the “ Tories ”. The name Tory,

derived from an old Irish word meaning runaway or fugitive.

2.In the mid-19 century, the Tory Party decided to adopt the new name --- The Conservative

Party--- because of the changed situation in Britain. Tory is still often used as a synonym for Conservative.

3.The main support of the Conservative Party comes from the middle and upper-middle classes,

which are believed to be more conservative.

4.The average educational level of the Conservatives is usually higher than that of other

political parties. It can be said that the higher one goes up in social and economic class, the more likely he is to vote for the Conservatives.

5.That is why some people label the Conserv atives as a party of “the rich”.

2.Elections

?Members of Parliament are elected in nationwide general elections. The goal of the two

major parties is to gain the majority of the seats in the House of Commons so as to form its

government.

?There are 659 seats in the House of Commons, representing the whole nation.

?To distribute the seats fairly, the United Kingdom is divided into 659 electoral districts, also

known as constituencies, of equal population. Each constituency is to elect one Member of Parliament.

?Every man and woman aged 18 or over has the right to vote. Each voter can vote for only one

candidate.

?Both parties have their local organizations that choose candidates of their party and help them

with the election campaign. A candidate without party affiliation is known as an independent candidate. Active supporters of the candidates use all kind of methods in the campaign. The most interesting method is “ canvassing ”.

?For the purpose of soliciting votes by canvassing, activists go from house to house and often

rides in cars to the voting place.

?The general election is held on the same day all over the country, but voting is not

compulsory. The voter takes his ballot paper to a booth where he marks the name he intends to vote for and puts it into a large box.

?At the end of the time for voting, all the boxes containing marked ballot papers are sent to a

central point in the constituency.

?The candidate who gets most votes wins the election. As soon as the results of the general

election are published, everyone knows which party will govern Britain for the next few years.

?If the Government (the party in power) wins the majority of the seats in Parliament, there is

no need to make changes.

?If it fails to win the majority, the Prime Minister concedes his pa rty’s defeat and resigns at

once. The Queen then appoints the leader of the new majority party Prime Minister and empowers him to organize a new government for the five years.

?The former government would become the Opposition Party and form it “ shadow cabinet ”.

3.Justice and Law Courts

?Britain is a modern democracy based on the rule of law, but it dose not have a single

document that can be called the written constitution because British values stress adherence to tradition.

?Generally speaking, the English law comprises three elements :

1) Act of Parliament （议会法案）

2) Common law （习惯法；判例法）

3) The European Union law. （欧盟法）

?There are also various local laws known as by-laws made by local governments; however,

since local are not allowed to contradict national laws, they cannot be regarded as a separate element.

?Britain has a long judicial history. Its legal system has been emulated throughout the world

and some of its key principles are reflected in the laws of other countries.

?The most important principles derived from British law include due process of law and the

writ of habeas corpus.

?Due process of law is a legal principle that has been adopted by almost all the modern

countries to protect individual rights. It was used for the first time in the Great Charter., also known as the Magna Carter that was signed by King John in 1215.

Note :

英国是一个没有成文宪法的国家。他们的宪法是由一系列的文件和法案组成，其中具有奠基意义的一份，就是在1215年6月15日，由英国国王与贵族们签订的《大宪章》（拉丁文Magna Carter, 英文Great Charter）。这张书写在羊皮纸卷上的文件在历史上第一次限制了封建君主的权力，日后成为了英国君主立宪制的法律基石。

?To institute the principle, the U.S. Constitution says that no person “ shall be deprived of life,

liberty, or property without due process of law.”

?Today, in Britain and the United States, due process of law includes the provision for

ensuring an accused person a fair and public trial.

?Habeas Corpus (La tin: “you have the body”) is also of English origin, first appearing in the

16th century. It refers to a writ (order) issued by a law court to a person , such as a policemen ,

so that he could present it before detaining another person legally.

?An arrested suspect is entitled to ask the police to notify a named person , such as a relative

or a lawyer, about the arrest.

?The police must caution the suspect before charging him. The caution is to remind the

suspect of his legal rights. They would usually say, “You have the right to keep silent.

Nobody will force you to tell anything. But from now on what you say will be used as evidence before the court.”

?The British legal system is well-known for its reliance on common law, which originated in

the 12th century and remains the basis of British law today.

?Common law grew out of the rules and traditions that ordinary people had worked out over

time.

British law courts are based on the three-level system. They are respectively called ：

1) M agistrates’ courts（地方法院）

2) County courts （州/郡法院）

3) The Supreme Court （最高法院）

★The Supreme Court is composed of :

·the Court of Appeals 上诉法院

·the Crown Court 刑事法院

·the High Court 高等法院

?Britain is the first country to institute jury trial. The jury is normally composed of 12

members known as jurors or jurymen. Jurors are selected at random, usually by lot, under the direction of the presiding judge.

?To serve as a juror is the duty, not the privilege, of every citizen, and all British voters are

liable for jury service. Both the prosecutor and the defendant have the right to oppose and eliminate undesirable members from the jury.

?After the court debate, the judge makes a statement of the rules of law to help the jury in

making a correct decision. The jury will discuss the case and court debate in another room.

The discussion will continue without interruption until a verdict is reached.

?In a criminal trial the verdict is “guilty” or “ not guilty.” The verdict must be unanimous

because the stakes are high, meaning imprisonment or liberty for the defendant. If the jury

cannot reach a unanimous agreement, it becomes known as a hung jury. Then a new jury has to be formed, and a new trial is called.

?Like all the other member states of the European Union, Britain has abolished the death

penalty, with life imprisonment becoming the maximum penalty.

?Punishments in Britain are mostly in the form of fines or imprisonment. In addition to the

provision that allows suspects to be out on bail, the English law also permits convicted offenders to be out on probation if the offence is not serious and the offender has no previous convictions.

?Britain has a reputation for its tradition that policemen do not carry fire arms. As a result, the

public has cultivated a strong aversion to anyone who uses violence against the police.

?Only on special occasions will English policemen be armed with guns. This furnishes a sharp

contrast between England and America where policemen are never on duty without a gun.

2)Legal Profession (法律职业)

?The English legal profession is divided into two branches: solicitors and barristers. Solicitors

are regarded as lawyers of the low level while Barristers are regarded as lawyers of the high level.

?It is not easy to become a solicitors in Britain. He has to study law and pass the qualification

examination given by the Law Society

?It is even more difficult for one to become a barrister. He must first be a member of one of

the four Inns of Court （英国伦敦培养律师的四个学院）in London. He must pass the Bar examination and study several years at one of the Inns.

注：四个培养律师的学院为：

1.Inner Temple 内殿法学院

2.Middle Temple 中殿法学院

3.Lincoln's Inn 林肯律师学院

4.Gray's Inn 格雷律师学院

? A barrister does not make much money during the initial years, but after he is well

established in the profession, his pay will increase greatly.

? A number of barristers are elected to Parliament because they know the law and they are in

constant touch with common people.

?Eminent barrister and some solicitors may “ take silk “--- to become Queen’s Counsel ors.

The change is said to “ take silk “ because they switch from wearing cotton gowns to silk gowns in court.

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英美文化作业：英美文化差 异(英文版) -标准化文件发布号：（9456-EUATWK-MWUB-WUNN-INNUL-DDQTY-KII

the differences of British and American culture The British are, in some ways, less conservative than Americans - the drinking age is 18, not 21, homosexual civil unions are legal, and abortion hasn't been a serious political issue in years. Mixing religion and politics is extremely rare in the UK. On the other hand, there are stricter controls on some things - it's much harder to get a driving licence, and the age requirement is higher than in most states, there are speed cameras everwhere, CCTV cameras in many public places (although they may or may not be working), and carrying weapons or other objects for "self defence" is illegal (in particular, note that pepper spray is illegal). Getting into a debate about the right to bear arms will be very time consuming, and may also lead people to think that you're a gun-nut before they've got to know you properly. Smoking in enclosed public places is illegal that includes pubs, the underground, train stations... more or less any non-residential building actually... (similar to New York, so not so much of a cultural difference there). The British apparently have a wider vocabulary of swear words than Americans. While most Britons will use them fairly freely in a social setting, things are a lot more reserved in formal settings & talking to strangers. I've not yet encountered an American "pub" which bears more than a passing resemblance to a typical British pub. People might go to a pub just to drink and socialise, have a pub lunch, or as part of an attempt to get alchohol poisioning (otherwise know as a "pub crawl"), as well as to watch sporting fixtures (which seems to be the main purpose in America). Going to the pub does not usually imply getting drunk. Although the drinking age is 18, bartenders are supposed to ID anyone who looks under 21. Though I doubt your friend will do much driving, he should be aware of the following things: Most cars in the UK have manual transmission. Cars are smaller and more efficient, petrol is more expensive. Speed limits are higher, but enforced more rigourously. Driving in London is not worth it. Central London has a congestion

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英美文化概况简答论述整理

英美文化概况简答论述 简答： 1.The Functions of Parliament ① First and foremost, it passes laws. ②provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. ③scrutinize government policy, administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day. ④There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. However, it does not assert its supremacy, but bears the common law in mind and acts according to precedent. Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. 2.George Washington George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States. 3.The Open University The Open University ―founded in the 1960’s for people who might not get the opportunity for higher educarion for economic and social reasons.It’s open to everybody and doesn’t demand the same formal educational qualifications as the other universities. Universities courses are following through TV, correspondence,videos and a net work of study centers. Ath the end of their studies at the Open University, successful students are awarded a university degree. Universities in the UK. 4.The strategy of Preemption In an address delivered to the West Point graduates, President Bush, for the first time, put forward the strategy of preemption（先发制人）, which is formalized in the National Security Strategy issued in Sept. 2002. By preemption, the US means that when it determines that a country which is repressive and hostile to the US has acquired or produced weapons of mass destruction（大规模杀伤性武器）or has the potential to possess such weapons, the US should use force to remove this threat to US security and should not wait till the danger becomes imminent or until the Us is attacked. This is known as Bush Doctrine. 5. Comprehensive schools Comprehensive schools are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today. Such schools admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education. Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking. 6. The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791. The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.

英美文化英国历史资料整理

1. The Norman Conquest of England (1066) The Medieval 1．Reasons for William’s invasion of England after Edward’s death. It was said that king Edward had promised the English throne to William, but the Witan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England 2．The Norman Conquest and its consequences The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated(查抄，充公) almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts. 3．The English is a mixture of nationalities of different origins. The ancestors of many English people were the ancient Angles and Saxons. Some English people are of the Norman-French origin. 2.名词解释: The crusades It's a religous war. Pope urban Ⅱlaunched the crusades in 1095,He issued a call for a "Holy War" to gain control over the Holyland of the middle East.It includes social and political factors.That was the battle cry of the thousands of Christians who joined crusades to free the Holy Land from the Muslims. From 1096 to 1270 there were eight major crusades and two children's crusades, both in the year 1212. Only the First and Third Crusades were successful. In the long history of the Crusades, thousands of knights, soldiers, merchants, and peasants lost their lives on the march or in battle. Richard lion-heart T he crown of England passed from Henry II to his 32-year-old son Richard, a.k.a. Lion Heart. Ri chard I had spent six months of his ten-year-reign abroad.His courage and military(军事的) talent, even before he became king, was famous, earning him the nickname of Coeur de Lion (Lion's heart). By the young age of 16 he was already commanding troops in France, putting down rebellions（叛乱）, and he led the Third Crusade. Meet one's waterloo: used to describe someone who has been defeated badly 3.The Hundred Years war The main reason for this war ? Disputes about the territories and throne between England and France were

英美文化试卷2006下学期(A卷)

济南大学学年学期考试试卷（卷） 课程英美社会与文化授课教师 -- 考试时间班级 姓名学号 Ⅰ 1. Which of the following is Not considered a characteristic of London? A. The cultural centre B. The business centre C. The financial centre D. The sports centre 2. The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the centre of London, was built by ______ . A. King Arthur B. Robin Hood C. Oliver Cromwell D. William the Conqueror 3. Who were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England? A. the Anglo-Saxons B. The Normans C. The Vikings D. The Romans 4. The capital of Wales is . A. Edinburgh B. Glasgow C. Belfast D. Cardiff 5. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of British government? A. It offers the Queen high political status and supreme power. B. It is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. C. It is the oldest representative democracy in the world. D. It has no written form of Constitution. 6. Which of the following kings was executed in the civil war? A. James Ⅰ B. James Ⅱ C. CharlesⅠ D. CharlesⅡ 7. Under whose reign was the Bill of Rights passed? A. James Ⅱ B. GeorgeⅠ C. William of Orange D. Oliver Cromwell 8. Which of the following is Not correct? A. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. B. Strictly speaking, the Queen is part of the Parliament. C. Parliament has the supreme power of passing laws. D. Parliament has no power to change the terms of the Constitution. 9. Who is the leader of the Labor party at present? A. John Major B. Tony Blair C. Harold Wilson D. Margaret Thatcher 10. In Britain, the great majority of parents send their children to ______. A. private schools B. independent schools C. state schools D. public school 11. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of the Open University? A. It’s open to everybody. B. No university degree is awarded.