英语国家概况Unit14.pptVIP

Unit14 Irish Culture: Language, Literature and Arts Go over the following focal points before reading the text: 1 the Irish language and colonial policy 2 Hiberno-English 3 the Irish oral tradition 4 folk heritage 5Riverdance 6 Irish literature 7 Nobel Prize winners for Literature 8 James Joyce 9 Irish music and dance 10 popular sports in Ireland 11 hurling 12 science and technology in Ireland 13 Irish identity in the world Language The issue of language, like much else in Ireland, is heavily politicized. Traditionally, the Irish people spoke their own language, called Irish or Gaelic. It is a very ancient (and difficult) language with a rich oral culture. However, under English colonial policy, much pressure was brought to bear to stop the Irish people speaking their own language and to learn standard English instead. Since the Irish people felt, instinctively(本能地)，that to lose their language was to lose their native culture, they resisted this policy strongly. Until the mid-19th century Irish was spoken widely by the peasant classes-although those who had to deal with the British administration-particularly middle-class and professional people-chose to use English. Many of these lost their Irish and never regained it. Oral Culture Ireland is a culture which operates most obviously on an oral level. Foreign businessman are surprised at how much is done by the Irish informally, over lunch, behind office doors, or at sessions, in the pub after the office is shut. The Irish value good talk, and they love a good story . The basis for this is in the original peasant culture , , which made the transfer from an oral to a written culture only slowly in the late 19th century . But even among the most literate classes, great value is extended to the ability to talk spontaneously(即兴地)and with grace and force. Art Culture Ireland is a traditional culture and it is true to say every art form in Ireland derives from its rich folk heritage.(民间传统) Ireland is renowned for