lecture4英国人的性格英国节日英国与I.pptVIP

Lecture 4 (Part One) The English Character English Characteristics (1) To other Europeans, the best known quality of the British, and in particular of the English, is ‘reserve’. A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers, does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to get to know a reserved person; he never tells you anything about himself, where he lives, how many children he has what his interests are. Reasons for the English Reserve(1) It is believed that the English reserve has much to do with the weather in England. The meteorological conditions are special and the weather is changeable unpredictable. In England, it is said that one can experience 4 seasons in the course of a single day. The uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman’s character. It tends to make him careful cautious restrained. The English weather has also helped to make the Englishman adaptable. Reasons for the English Reserve(2) Other people think that the English reserve has something to do with the fact that Britain is an island that is separated/isolated from the European Continent. The isolation has contributed to the cautious nature of the British people. They tend to be very shy, reserved and easily embarrassed. They are not outgoing. Therefore, people from other parts of the world may think them not easy to get along with. English Characteristics (2) Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their heart, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred. Self-depreciation is typically English, mixed with their reserve, it often produces a sort of general air of indifference which appears to foreigners as a pose, difficult to understand even irritating. English Characteristics (3) The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting-point is self-deprec