專(zhuān)八人文知識(shí)精講(8)：大英帝國(guó)的興衰

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688-1990)

大英帝國(guó)的興衰

I. Whigs and Tories

輝格黨人和托利黨人

These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688).

這兩個(gè)政黨名稱(chēng)皆起源于1688年的光榮革命。

The Whig were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whig were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party.

輝格黨人是指那些反對(duì)絕對(duì)王權(quán)，支持新教徒宗教自由權(quán)利的人。輝格黨人在19世紀(jì)中葉與持不同意見(jiàn)的托利黨人組盟組成自由黨。

The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.

托利黨人是指那些支持世襲王權(quán)、不愿去除國(guó)王的人。托利黨是保守黨的前身。

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the "open-field" system ended when the Enclosure Act was passed. The movement lasted for centuries. Agricultural enclosure had good as well as bad results:

18世紀(jì)末、19世紀(jì)初的農(nóng)業(yè)革命期間，隨著《圈地法》的頒布，傳統(tǒng)的"開(kāi)放田地"制結(jié)束。圈地運(yùn)動(dòng)持續(xù)了將近一個(gè)多世紀(jì)。農(nóng)業(yè)圈地運(yùn)動(dòng)的利弊共存：

(1) Farms became bigger and bigger units as the great bought up the small;

由于大農(nóng)場(chǎng)兼并了小農(nóng)場(chǎng)，農(nóng)場(chǎng)成為越來(lái)越大的生產(chǎn)單位;

(2) More vegetables, more milk and more dairy produce were consumed, and diet became more varied;

人們消費(fèi)的蔬菜，牛奶及奶制品越來(lái)越多，飲食種類(lèi)愈加豐富;

(3) Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their lands by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns. Enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World;

圈地對(duì)佃農(nóng)而言是場(chǎng)災(zāi)難，他們被趕出土地，被迫到城鎮(zhèn)找工作。圈地運(yùn)動(dòng)導(dǎo)致了大規(guī)模的移民，尤其是移民至新大陸。

(4) A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships.

農(nóng)村關(guān)系中產(chǎn)生了新的階級(jí)對(duì)立。

II. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)

工業(yè)革命(1780-1830)

1.The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanisation of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

工業(yè)革命指的是18世紀(jì)末、19世紀(jì)初英國(guó)工業(yè)的機(jī)械化，以及因此而導(dǎo)致的社會(huì)結(jié)構(gòu)和經(jīng)濟(jì)結(jié)構(gòu)的變化。

2.Britain was the first country to industrialize because of the following factors:

英

國(guó)成為第一個(gè)工業(yè)化的國(guó)家，原因如下：

(1) Favourable geographical location. Britain was well placed geographically to participate in European and world trade;

優(yōu)越的地理位置：英國(guó)地理位置優(yōu)越，適合參與歐洲與世界貿(mào)易;

(2) Political stability. Britain had a peaceful society, which, after the 17th century, was increasingly interested in overseas trade and colonies. International trade brought wealth to merchants and city bankers. They and those who had done well out of new farming methods provided capital in large quantities for industralization.

政治局面穩(wěn)定。17世紀(jì)后的英國(guó)社會(huì)寧?kù)o，對(duì)海外貿(mào)易和殖民地興趣日增。國(guó)際貿(mào)易給商人和城市銀行家?guī)?lái)財(cái)富，他們加上由于新農(nóng)作法而發(fā)家的人們?yōu)楣I(yè)化提供了大筆資金。

(3) Good foundation in economy. The limited monarchy which resulted from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ensured that the powerful economic interests in the community could exert their influence over Government policy.

1688年光榮革命限制了君主的權(quán)力，這使得強(qiáng)大的經(jīng)濟(jì)利益集團(tuán)能對(duì)議會(huì)政策施加影響。

(4) It was a country in which the main towns were never too far from seaports, or from rivers, which could distribute their products.

英國(guó)的主要城鎮(zhèn)皆靠近海港或河流，貨物運(yùn)送便利。

(5) Britain had many rivers, which were useful for transport but also for water and steam power. Britain also had useful mineral resources.

英國(guó)許多河流不僅用于交通，還提供水力及蒸汽動(dòng)力。英國(guó)還有可用的礦產(chǎn)資源。

(6) British engineers had sound training as craftsmen.

英國(guó)工程師為訓(xùn)練有素的手工藝人。

(7) The inventors were respected. They solved practical problems.

發(fā)明家受人尊重，他們解決了實(shí)際難題。

(8) Probably laissez faire and "Protestant work ethic" helped.

“放手干”及“新教工作道德”很可能也有助力。

(9) England, Scotland, and Wales formed a customs union after 1707 and this included Ireland after 1807. So the national market was not hindered by internal customs barriers.

1707年后，英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾士形成關(guān)稅聯(lián)盟，1807年后愛(ài)爾蘭加入。因此，全國(guó)市場(chǎng)不再受制于內(nèi)部的關(guān)稅障礙。

(10) The enclosures and other improvements in agriculture made their contributions by providing food for the rising population, labour for the factories, and some of the raw materials needed by industry.

圈地運(yùn)動(dòng)和其它農(nóng)業(yè)改良為增加的人口提供了糧食，為工廠提供了勞動(dòng)力，為工業(yè)提供了所需的一些原材料。