英国部分名词解释

英国部分名词解释
British Commonwealth 英联邦 07年考
It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are
joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special
powers. At present there are 50 members counties within the commonwealth

the Great
Alfred was a strong king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them.
He founded a strong fleet and is known as
army, making it more efficient. He also translated books and established schools. He formulated a legal
system. All this earned him the title

m the Conqueror 威廉征服
William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct.1066 and defeated king Harold. Then he was
crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government
and the feudal system in England.

4. Heptarchy 七王国
During the Anglo-Saxon's time ,Britain was divided into many kingdoms, These seven principal
kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. They were given the
name of Heptarchy.

5. Witan 贤人会议
Witan was the council or meeting of the was created by the Anglo-Saxons to advise the
king .It's the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.

6. Domesday Book
William sent officials to compile a property record known as Domesday Book, which completed in
1086. It was the result of a general survey of England made in 1085. It stated the extent, value, the
population, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land.

7. the Great Charter
The Great Charter has been also known as Magna Carta which king John was forced to sign in 1215. It
has 63 clauses. Though it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties, a guarantee of
the freedom of the church, its spirit was the limitation of the king’s powers.

8. .The Black Death
It was a modern name given to the deadly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread by rat fleas. It
spread through Europe in the 14th century. It swept through England without warning and any cure. It
killed between half and one-third of the population of England. It caused far-reaching economic
consequences.

9. the Hundred Years’ War
It referred to the intermittent war between France and England that last from 1337 to 1453. The causes were partly
territorial and partly economic. When Edward III claimed the French Crown but the French refused to recognize, the war
broke out. At first the English were successful, but in the end, they were defeated and lost almost all their possessions in
France. The expelling of the English was a blessing for both countries.

10. The Wars of Roses
They referred to the battles between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and
1485. The former was symbolized by the red rose, and the latter by the white one. After the wars,
feudalism received its death blow and the king’s power became supreme.

11. The Glorious Revolution光荣革命
,William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The
takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as
the Glorious Revolution.

12. the Bill of Rights
In 1689, William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly. The bill excluded any Roman
Catholic from the succession, confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy and guaranteed free
speech within both the two Houses.

Mary血腥玛丽
Henry VIII’s daughter and a devout Catholic. When she became Queen, she persecuted and burnt many Protestants. So
she was given the nickname “Bloody Mary”. Mary is also remembered as the monarch who lost the French port of Calais.

14. Whigs and Tories
It referred to the two party names which originated with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Whigs were those who
opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Noncomformists. The Tories were those who
supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Whigs formed a coalition with dissident Tories
and became the Liberal Party. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.

15. Thatcherism

Mrs Thatcher firmly believed in self- reliance and what has come to be known as privatization. Her
policies are popularly referred to as Thatcherism. It included the return to private owner-ship of
state-owned industries, the use of monetarist policies to control inflation, the weakening of trade forces
unions, the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy, and an emphasis on law and order.
撒切尔主义包括国有工业私有化，用货币政策控制通货膨胀，削弱工会 ，加强市场力量在经济中的作用，
强调法律与秩序

16. the Reform Act of 1832
It’s also known as the Greater Charter of 1832,it was passed by Parliament in
1832 .According to the Act, rotten boroughs were abolished, and parliamentary seats were
redistributed more fairly among the growing towns. It also gave the vote to many
householders and tenants, based on the value of their property.

17. Constitutional monarchy君主立宪制 08年考
A constitutional monarchy is a country in which the head of the state is a king or a queen .In
practice ,the Sovereign reigns ,but does not rule

18. the British Constitution
There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. The British Constitution is not set out in any single document, but
made up of statute law, common law and conventions.

19. the House of Commons 10年考
The House of Commons is a part of Parliament ,and it’s members are elected by universal adult suffrage.
It consists of 651members of Parliament. It has the ultimate authority in making laws.

20 . The speaker 09年考
The speaker of the House of Commons in Britain is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament to
preside over the House and enforce the rules of order,and he is acceptable to all shades of opinion in the
House of Commons.


21. The Privy Council
Formerly the chief source of executive power. It gave the Sovereign private (“privy”) advice
on the government of the country. Today its role is mainly formal, advising the Sovereign to
approve certain government decrees and issuing royal proclamation. Its membership is
about 400.

22. The NHS
The National Health Service was established in the UK in 1948 .This Service provides for every resident

a full range of medical services. It is now a largely free service.

23. Christmas Day
December 25
th
,the greatest of Christian festivals to celebrate the birth of Christ. It’s also a time for the
family to get together .

holiday 07，11年考
Official public holiday are also called “bank holidays” The term “bank owes its name to the fact that
banks are closed on the days specified”

25. Comprehensive schools
Comprehensives schools take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide-ranging
secondary education for all or most of the children in a district.

26. The Open University 09年考
It refers to a non- residential university which is “ open” to all to become students. Founding in 1969, it
offers degrees and other courses for adult students of all ages in Britain and the other member countries
of the European Union.

27. The House of Lords
The House of lLords is a part of parliament. It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.
It has a special judicial function and leader is the Lord Chancellor.

28. Beatles
In the early 1960s, four Liverpool boys who joined together in a group called themselves the Beatles.
They represented a new pop culture who writes their own music. The Beatles won the affection and
admiration of people of all ages and social backgrounds.

29. English feudal system 10年考
In this system ,the king owned all the land personally, who gave his barons large estates in England in
return for a promise of military and a proportion of the land’s produce

30. the welfare state
The welfare state id a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social
security of its citizens through its organization of health services, pensions and other facilities .This system
if founded out of nation insurance contribution and taxation.