專八人文知識精講(4)：英國人口

V. The People

人口

1.population distribution

人口分布：

Britain has a population of about 57 millions and it is very unevenly distributed. 90% of the population is urban and only 10% is rural. The population of Britain is made up mainly of the English (81.5%), the Scottish (9.6%), the Welsh (1.9%), the Irish (2.4%), the Northern Irish (1.8%) and other peoples (2.8%).

英國人口約5700萬，分布極不均勻，90%是城市人口，只有10%是農(nóng)村人口。英國人口組成為：英格蘭人(81.5%)，蘇格蘭人(9.6%)，威爾士人(1.9%)，愛爾蘭人(2.4%)、北愛爾蘭人(1.8%)和其他民族居民(2.8%)。

2.The difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots, Welsh and Irish:

英倫三島民族的祖先：

The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts.

英格蘭人祖先屬于盎格魯-薩克遜人，而蘇格蘭、威爾士和愛爾蘭人的祖先屬于凱爾特人。

3.The difference in character

個性差別：

The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people. They are music lovers and are proud of their past.

威爾士人感情豐富，情緒高漲，熱愛音樂，為過去感到自豪。

The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious and thrifty people, and they are also hospitable, generous and friendly.

蘇格蘭人通常被認為嚴肅、謹慎而且節(jié)儉，但是他們同樣也熱情、大方且友好。

The Irish are charm and vivacity.

愛爾蘭人充滿魅力，生性活潑。

4.The difference in speech between southern England and northern England:

英格蘭南方人和北方人語言上的差別：

Southerners speak the type of English close to BBC English; In northern England, regional speech is usually "broader" than that of southern England.

南方人講的英語接近BBC，北英格蘭人的發(fā)音通常要比南英格蘭人寬。

5.The Welsh keep their language and culture in this way:

威爾士人以這樣的方式使他們的語言及文化保持活力：

Throughout the year they have festivals of song and dance and poetry called Eisteddfodau. The great event of the year is the National Eisteddfod. On these occasions competitions are held in Welsh poetry, music, singing and art.

一年中他們有稱之為"藝術年會"的歌唱、舞蹈、詩歌節(jié)。一年中最重要的節(jié)日是全國詩歌音樂比賽。在這些場合會舉行威爾士詩歌、音樂、歌唱和藝術比賽。

6.The main problem in Northern Ireland:

北愛爾蘭存在的主要問題：

The fight between the Protestants who are the dominant group, and the Roman Catholics, who are seeking more social, political and economic opportunities.

作為社會主體的新教徒和要求更多社會、政治及經(jīng)濟權利的羅馬天主教徒之間的斗爭。

7.Immigrants:

移民：

About three million have come to Britain to live and find work since World War II.

自從二戰(zhàn)以來約有三百萬人來到英國生活和工作。