Chapter-4-tradition-and-custom-英语国家概况.ppt

Warming-up Questions How much do you know about British and American traditions and customs? (To set up some examples if possible.) What are the shared customs in both nations according to your knowledge? Talking about the weather is a constant topic of conversation in the UK, as we know. However, why do they like to do so? 4.1 Uncle Sam Nickname popular symbol of the USA A tall cartoon figure with white hair and chin whiskers, wearing a tall hat, a swallow-tailed coat with stars, a vest and striped trousers. 4.1 Uncle Sam Uncle Sam is a national personification of the US, and sometimes more specifically of the American government, with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852. He is often depicted as a serious elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, and dressed in clothing that recalls the design elements of flag of the US. 4.1 Uncle Sam Uncle Sam’s appearance is derived from --- Folklore: Brother Jonathan Yankee Doodle 4.1 Uncle Sam Brother Jonathan was a fictional character created to personify the entire United States, in the early days of the country’s existence. A popular folk tale bout the origin of the term holds that the character derives from Jonathan Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut. It is said that George Washington often uttered the words: “We must consult Brother Jonathan” when faced with a difficult question; however, that origin is doubtful, as neither man made reference to the story during lifetimes and the first appearance of the story has been traced to the mid-19th century, long after their deaths. 4.1 Uncle Sam “Yankee Doodle” is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years’ War. It is often sung patriotically in the US today and is the state anthem of Connecticut. 4.1 Uncle Sam Probably the first US political cartoonist to crystallize the figure of Uncle Sam was Thomas Nast. Thomas Nast: (1840-1902) was a German-born American caricat