专题 16 英美文化阅读理解专项：英国人性格特点+英国新年前夜+圣帕特里克节- 2024年高考英语常考英美文化阅读专练+素材积累

8. The character of English people英国人的性格特征 The English have the reputation of being very different from all other nationalities. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed some attitudes and habits distinguishing him from other nationalities. Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person among people he knows well. Before strangers he often seems inhibited, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a railway compartment any morning or evening to see the truth. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a corner; no one speaks. An English wit once suggested to overseas visitors, "On entering a railway compartment shake hands with all the passengers.”Needless to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior, which, if broken, makes the person immediately the object of suspicion. It is well known that the English seldom show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion etc. Of course, an Englishman feels no less than any other nationality. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl, A man of more emotional temperament might describe her as “a marvelous jewel", while the Englishman will flatly state “Um, she's all right". An Englishman may recommend a highly successful and enjoyable film to friends by commenting, "It's not bad." The overseas visitors must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest; he must realize that “all right", "not bad" are very often used with the sense of "first class", "excellent". This special use of language is particularly common in English. (277 words) ◆Helper: reputation声誉 claim声称，断言 state说, 陈述 distinguishing有区别的 embarrassed 不安的 doze 打盹 wit风趣的人 suspicion[səs'piʃən]猜疑, 怀疑 temperament ['tempərəmənt] 性格 flatly 平淡地 ◆Brief Introduction: 英国