第11章 二战后的英国
11.1 复习笔记
I. The Post-War Years (1945—1952)
1. Nationalization and Social Security
2. Austerity
3. Independence of India and Pakistan and the Cold War
II. The Latter Half of the 20th Century (1952—1999)
1. The 1950s and 1960s
2. The Stormy 1970s
3. Britain in the 1980s
4. Britain in 1990s: John Major and Tony Blair John Major’s Trouble Time
I. The Post-War Years (1945—1952) (战后)
1. Nationalization and Social Security (国有化和社会保障)
(1) Britain was no longer a major power. The Labor Government struggled to deal with the problems: to improve standards of living, move to a “mixed economy,” close the trade gap.
(2) The Labor Government took control of industry and public utilities, including the nationalization of the Bank of England; the coal industry; air transport, etc.
(1) 英国不再是世界强国。工党政府试图提高人民生活水平，转为混合型经济，消除贸易逆差。
(2) 工党政府控制工业和公共事业，包括英格兰银行的国有化，煤矿产业，和航空运输，等等。
2. Austerity (紧缩)
(1) A fuel shortage severely curtailed exports, food was still severely rationed. In 1947, relief appeared in the Marshall Plan.
(2) Compared to Japan and Germany, Britain pre-war industrial-strength was severely weakened.
(1) 能源短缺严重缩减出口，食品需要定量供应。1947年，马歇尔计划缓和了这一状况。
(2) 与日本和德国相比，英国战前的工业力量严重削弱。
3. Independence of India and Pakistan and the Cold War (印度和巴基斯坦的独立，冷战)
(1) Indians and Pakistanis then celebrated on August 15, 1947, as Independence Day.
(2) Nowadays Kashmir remains to be a troubled area between India and Pakistan.
(3) After the War, most Eastern European countries became Soviet satellites.
(4) In 1949, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established.
(1) 1947年8月15日，印度和巴基斯坦宣布独立。
(2) 克什米尔地区仍是印度和巴基斯坦的遗留问题。
(3) 二战后，大多数东欧国家成为苏联的同盟国。
(4) 1949年，北大西洋公约组织成立。
II. The Latter Half of the 20th Century (1952—1999) (20世纪的后半期(1952—1999) )
1. The 1950s and 1960s (20世纪50年代和60年代)
(1) In the early 1950’s, Britain’s first atomic bomb was tested.
(2) The later 50’s and early 60’s then resulted in a boom time for Britain with increasing prosperity, rising wages and a manageable economy.
(3) In 1965, Chelsea became an international conglomerate of fashion, cosmetics and other consumer items.
(1) 20世纪50年代初期，英国的首个原子弹试验成功。
(2) 50年代后期和60年代早期，英国经济持续发展，工资上涨，经济形式良好。
(3) 1965年，切尔西成为时尚，化妆品和其他消费品的跨国企业集团。
2. The Stormy 1970s (暴风雨般的70年代)
(1) Continuing violence between Catholics and Protestants led to the Government imposing direct rule over Northern Ireland.
(2) Britain entered a period of depression in the 1970s.
(3) In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the nation’s first woman Prime Minister.
(1) 天主教徒和新教徒的矛盾导致政府直接统治北爱尔兰。
(2) 20世纪70年代，英国进入不景气时期。
(3) 1979年，玛格丽特·撒切尔成为英国历史上第一位女首相。
3. Britain in the 1980s (20世纪80年代的英国)
(1) The “iron lady” Thatcher made tight economic control, the privatization of industry and British Gas and British Telecom, etc. Thatcher ministry glorified the Victorian values of self-help and nationalism.
(2) In January 1998, Thatcher became the longest continuously serving prime minister
(3) The 1990’s saw the birth of the famous sheep Dolly and then Polly, a transgenic animal produced through cloning.
(4) Britain was also busy creating its own ‘“silicon valleys”.
(1) “铁娘子”撒切尔严格控制经济，使工业和英国天然气，英国电信公司私有化。撒切尔政府发扬了维多利亚时代的自助和民族主义精神。
(2) 1998年2月，撒切尔成为在任时间最长的英国首相。
(3) 90年代，克隆羊多利出生。通过克隆技术，转基因动物波利出生。
(4) 英国忙于建设自己的“硅谷”。
4. Britain in 1990s: John Major and Tony Blair John (20世纪90年代的英国：梅杰和布莱尔政府)
(1) In 1990 John Major was elected as Prime Minister. He was committed to keeping “Thatcherism” alive.
(2) In 1997, Tony Blair became the Prime Minister.
①Blair granted the Bank of England the power to determine interest-rate policy.
②The Blair government also had many things to deal with the internal and external relations. On July 1 1997, Hong Kong was formally returned to Chinese sovereignty; how much should Britain integrate itself into Europe; Wales and Scotland required local autonomy; Britain joined the European Union in January 1973; In 1992, Britain had to withdraw the pound from the Exchange Rate Mechanism.
(3) The 1990s were a period of tragedy, transition, controversy, and continuity in the United Kingdom, especially for the British royal family.
(1) 1990年，梅杰被选为英国首相。他力求保持撒切尔政策。
(2) 1997年，布莱尔当选英国首相。
①布莱尔给予英格兰银行决定税率的权利。
②布莱尔政府要解决很多国内和国外难题。1997年7月，香港正式回归中国；英国融入欧洲的比例；威尔士和苏格兰要求自治；1973年，英国加入欧盟；1992年，英国不得不把英镑从欧洲汇率体制中撤出。
(3) 对英国来说，20世纪90年代是个悲剧，转变，争论和持续的年代，尤其是英国王室。
11.2 课后习题详解
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What changes took place in Britain immediately after the end of World War II?
Key: Immediately after the end of WW II, Britain underwent enormous social changes.
1) The country was bankrupt after the war. The Labor party returned to power with a huge majority. Britain took a long time to recover from the cost of war nothing less than a reconstruction of the nation.
2) With the War over, Britain had to face the fact that it was no longer a major power.
3) The Labor Government struggled heroically to deal with the problems about improve standards of living and took on an emergency welfare responsibility, which was called a “cradle-to-grave” social security to build a “Welfare State”.
4) The Labor Government also took control of industry and public utilities, and a two-year period beginning in 1946, saw the nationalization of the Bank of England, the coal industry; electricity and gas; air transport, along with road rail and waterways.
2. What was the Clean Air Act?
Key: Since the time of the Industrial Revolution, air pollution has been a major public health problem. So in October 1955, London passed this act. The purpose of the Act is to ban the burning of untreated coal to prevent a recurrence of the killer smog in London.
3. Why 1970s is called “the Age of Stagflation” in Britain?
Key: Along with most of the industrialized nations of the world, Britain entered a period of depression in the 1970’s. In 1974, the great strike by the country’s coal miners caused the Conservatives to lose the general election but under Labor, inflation spiraled and economic decline continued despite the social contract between the government and the trade unions. Therefore, 1970s in British history is called the Age of Stagflation.
4. What was the situation of Thatcher government in 1980s?
Key: Mrs. Thatcher’s government took numerous measures to improve the efficiency of the economy during the 1980s. First, the government brought down the rate of inflation and achieved price stability. Second, Thatcher’s government cut back of expenditures on health, social services and education, which made the government extremely unpopular with the masses. Thirdly, the government continued the policies of tight economic control, the privatization of industry and dismantling of the welfare state. The 1980s, indeed, were a decade of prosperity.
5. State briefly the new development in science and technique in the last two decades of the 20th century Britain.
Key: In 1974, the computed axial tomography scanner was developed in England. In 1978, British doctors at London’s Oldham Hospital created the world’s first “test tube baby” Louis Brown. The 1990s saw the birth of the famous sheep Dolly (the first mammal produced from a doctor cell taken from an adult rather than from an embryo); and then Polly, transgenic animal produced through cloning. Britain was also busy creating its own “silicon valleys”. In 1981, the World’s longest bridge, Humber Bridge was completed. The world’s longest high-speed optical fiber link connected Birmingham with London.
Exercise 2. Explain the following terms:
1. NATO
Key: Its full name is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, established in 1949. It is an international military alliance created to defend Western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion.
2. “Super Mac”
Key: It is nickname for Harold Macmillan. Macmillan was Prime Minister of Britain from 1957 to 1963. For his efficiency and skill, he was known “Super Mac”.
3. Margaret Thatcher
Key: She was the first woman Prime Minister in British history. She had her administration for two terms (1979—1990). She gained her reputation as the” iron lady” for her tight control of Britain’s monetary policy. Mrs. Thatcher really gained prosperity of Britain in 1980s. Under ten years of her ministry, Britain was beginning to come to terms with the loss of much of its heavy industry and the increasing reliance on finance, communications, oil, insurance, tourism, accounting and other service industries.
4. Diana Princess of Wales
Key: It refers to Lady Diana Spencer. In July 1981 Diana Spencer married Prince Charles of Wales, and then she became Princess of Wales. This marriage was known as the “Wedding of the Century” and it brought much glamour to the Royal family. The Couple had two sons and soon they had divorce. Diana Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
5. The Downing Street Declaration
Key: This is an agreement between Britain and Ireland. It was signed in 1993, agreeing that the future of Northern Ireland should depend on the wishes of the majority.
6. IRA
Key: It refers to Irish Republican Army. It is generally regarded as a terrorist organization.