Britain Revealed. To anyone from Britain the recent argument in the Congress of People’s Deputies over Russia’s official name sounded very similar

To anyone from Britain the recent argument in the Congress of People’s Deputies over Russia’s official name sounded very similar. After several centuries of stable government, we are still not sure what we are called. The full name of the country ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’ is much too long for normal speech. Only a few polite Russians still call us Great Britain. If you say England, this annoys people from Scotland. The British Isles is reasonable short, geographically accurate, but dreadfully pompous.

The best compromise is to say ‘British’ though even this sounds not quite right. Asked where we come from, most of us end by simply replying ‘The UK’.

Alone of the countries of Europe, Britain has suffered no foreign occupation or domestic dictatorship for more than nine hundred years. In one respect this is a disadvantage, since we have not been faced with the acute moral dilemmas which other Europeans have had to confront – to resist, to go underground, to collaborate in the hope of keeping things from getting worse. Our politics have been placid, unemotional, and sometimes complacent. Yet this unique history has also provided stability and the soil in which a culture of compromise, tolerance, and dialogue can grow.

It is not that other countries have not tried to invade Britain. Many Russians, brought up to think the Second World War began in 1941, do not realise that Britain was fighting Hitler in 1940, the only country unoccupied by Nazi Germany with the exception of its Fascist allies and the neutral Irish, Swedes, and Swiss.

Of course, Britain’s position as an island helped. It made invasion harder, but even in times of peace it has always kept Britain somewhat apart from the continent of Europe. The UK was the last of the major Western European states to join the European Community, for example, becoming a member only in 1973.

For most of the last three centuries British interests were centred beyond Europe. As a maritime nation, Britain became involved in buying raw materials from other continents for its manufacturing industries and in sending settlers to the temperate and sub-tropical zones of the globe, – North America, Australasia, the highlands of Eastern and Southern Africa. From this long imperial adventure, more bloody and cruel than most Britons like to admit, we have inherited the Commonwealth.

Unlike the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States, what we call the Commonwealth is merely a club. It has no federal institutions and makes no effort to be a free trade area or common currency zone. It is a geographical hodge-podge of 50 independent states with a population of some 1, 300 million people.

They are united by nothing more than that they recognise Queen Elizabeth the Second as head of the Commonwealth (although 33 of them have their own Heads of State), that their Prime Ministers meet once every two years for a conference, and that many of their people enjoy the slowest game in the world, called cricket.

In recent years, the main benefit of the Commonwealth has been that Britain has become a multi-racial and multi-religious country. For centuries Britain was a place of refuge for individuals persecuted in their own countries (a scholar called Karl Marx changed the world from a chair in the Reading Room of the British Museum) but until the 1950’s it was never a place of mass immigration.

In the last forty years, hundreds of thousands of people from India, Pakistan, the Caribbean, and Africa have reversed the settlement pattern of previous centuries and moved to Britain. Some five per cent of the British population represents ethnic minorities, about 45 per cent of them of Asian origin, 20 per cent Afro-Caribbean, and the rest from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, or mixed backgrounds.

The British are a conservative people and the change was not easy for many Britons to accept: Racial discrimination is still a major problem. Against the background of unemployment and competition for jobs, it is inevitably a serious factor. At least it has ceased to be a political issue.

Britain’s politics are divided, however, on regional lines. The election confirmed once again that the south of Britain predominantly supports the Conservative party, while the Midlands and the North are Labour. Scotland, where the mood of self-assertion and even outright independence has never been stronger, is overwhelmingly Labour. Partly this reflects income levels, since the South is more prosperous part of the country. The heavy industries which enabled Britain to lead the world's industrial revolution in the 19th century, but have been collapsing in recent years, are mainly located in the Midlands, South Wales, and the North.

Wealth in Britain is unequally divided, and during the Thatcher years the gap between rich and poor widened. The richest 10 per cent owned 53 per cent of the marketable wealth in 1988. The two-tier system of education, split into state-financed and private schools, gives the children of lower-income parents a worse deal than in most other Western European countries.

The April election produced some of the liveliest political discussion in recent years. It was not just that the result was unpredictable, with all the opinion polls pointing to a close finish. The issues were put into sharper focus than usual. In the last period of her eleven years in office as Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher started to boost the private health sector, raising fears in many minds that Britain’s health services would eventually mirror our education system; it split into an under-funded public service for those who cannot pay, and a better one for the rich. The debate over health, and the management of the economy, were the key election issues.

So too was the voting system itself. Britain has long prided itself on having the oldest Parliament in the world. The current debate in Russia over whether to have a presidential or parliamentary system was settled in Britain in favour of parliament decades ago. Parliament in Britain is sovereign. The Prime Minister and other ministers have to be members of one of the two chambers of Parliament. The legislature decides policy, and the executive is subordinate and answerable to it. Unfortunately, this has not entirely prevented in recent years an accretion of powers by the Prime Minister and a tightenining of central administration.

Unlike most of Europe, Britain has no written constitution. This sometimes makes it hard to challenge administrative decisions in the courts. Britain is also unusual in having no system of proportional representation in its voting system. For most of this century British elections have been contests between three parties, but a candidate in each constituency only needs to get more votes than his or her opponents in order to win. We do not have the system common in most of Europe of giving a proportion of the seats in Parliament according to each parties’ total of votes, nor the Russian system of a second round if the leading candidate gets less than 50 per cent plus one vote. As a result, Labour and Conservative governments in Britain have always been elected with little more than 40 per cent of the vote, because the opposition is split.

This was the case again this year. The Conservatives won 42 per cent, Labour 35.4 per cent, and the Liberal-Democrats 17.8 per cent. The result has prompted a serious debate on the British Left about a pact between Labour and the Liberal-Democrats at the next election, or even a merger of the parties. The general feeling is that on its own Labour can never overtake the Conservatives, but with the Liberal-Democrats it might. The liberal-Democrats’s policies are closer to Labour’s and in this year’s election they virtually coincided.

Results of this debate will not be known for at least a year or two. Each of the two parties has its own history, and loyalties. Giving up one’s identity for the sake of a political merger is a radical a move – perhaps too radical in a country where traditions are extremely strong.

 

Commentary:

 

 

It is not that (which, who)… – ни то, чтобы не…

It is not that other countries have not tried to invade Britain. – Не следует думать, что Британию никогда не пытались захватить.

unlike – прил. 1. 1) разный, отличный, непохожий на, не такой, как

The two brothers are quite unlike. — Братья совершенно разные.

He was very unlike to any other man. — Он очень отличался от других людей.

unlike charges — разноименные заряды

unlike poles — разноименные полюсы unlike signs — знаки плюс и минус

Syn: different, dissimilar

2) неравный, неравноценный unlike amounts — неодинаковые, неравные количества

Syn: unequal

3), невероятный, неправдоподобный

Syn: improbable

2. – предл. в отличие от

Unlike his other questions, that one was very interesting. — В отличие от других вопросов, которые он задавал, этот оказался очень интересным.

Syn: different from

 

as – предл. 1. 1) в качестве, как

He was employed as a teacher — Он служил учителем.

As a writer, he's wonderful — Как писатель, он прекрасен.

This is regarded as his best novel — Это считается лучшим его романом.

She was dressed as a man — Она была одета мужчиной.

2) в бытность

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. — Портрет художника в юности.

2. нареч. 1) как

do as you are told — делайте как (вам) сказано as per order — согласно заказу

2) как например some animals,

as the fox and the wolf — некоторые животные, как например лиса и волк

3) в качестве (кого-л.) to appear as Hamlet — выступить в роли Гамлета

to work as a teacher — работать преподавателем

3.мест. 1) вводит придаточные определительные предложения или обороты с

such, the same, so в главном предложении какой, который, как, что

He did the same thing as you. — Он сделал то же, что и ты.

2) вводит придаточные определительные предложения, относящиеся ко всему главному что, как

He is a foreigner, as is evident from his accent. — Он иностранец, что заметно по акценту.

As you can see, he is alone. — Как видишь, он один.

Syn: that

1., who, which

4. союз1) (вводит обстоятельственные предложения причины) так как; поскольку

As you are ready, let's go. — Раз ты готов, пойдем.

2) (вводит обстоятельственные предложения времени; часто just as) когда; пока; в то время как

The thought occurred to me as I was watching the procession. — Эта мысль пришла мне в голову, когда я наблюдал за процессией.

3) (вводит обстоятельственные предложения сравнения) как

The book was banned in the US, as were two subsequent books. — Эта книга, как и две последующие, была запрещена в США,

4) (вводит обстоятельственные предложения образа действия) так, как; таким образом, что

I'll behave toward them as I would like to be treated. — Я буду вести себя с ними так, как хотел бы, чтобы обращались со мной.

Against – предл. 1) значение нахождения на определенном месте, в определенной позиции а) прямо напротив, лицом к, перед чем-л. over against

In a direct line against them stood the three witches. — Перед ними в ряд стояли три колдуньи.

Syn: over against

б) к, в отношении к Hope is against the holy ghost. — Надежда пребывает в духе святом. The legal rights of subjects as against each other and the constitutional rights of subjects against the government. — Юридические права подданных по отношению друг к другу и конституционные права подданных по отношению к правительству.

в) (более общее значение) к передней части чего-л., рядом, по соседству,

I met him against the pond. — Я встретил его у пруда.

Three of their ships lay against the walls. — Под стенами пришвартованы три их корабля.

2) значение движения по направлению к чему-л. а) (по направлению к чему-л. вплоть до соприкосновения) о,

в Till I break my ship against rocks. — Пока мой корабль не разобьется о скалы.

The sharp sleet is pattering against the window-panes. — Злая пурга стучится в ставни.

I was jostled against him in the crowd. — Меня притерло к нему в толпе.

run against – случайно встретить кого-то

б) (опираясь на, в контакте с) о, к

Lean your back against my arm. — Обопрись о мою руку.

Then shall he be set against a brickwall. — А затем его прислонят к кирпичной стене.

He pressed his hands against his forehead. — Он прижал ладони ко лбу.

в) на фоне (прямое значение)

The picture stands out better against the dark wall. — На фоне темной стены эта картина смотрится лучше.

3) значение движения или действия против кого-л. или чего-л.

а) (в противоположном направлении, в противодействие некоей силе) на

He ran furiously up against a hill. — Как бешеный он взбежал на холм. –

against the grain, – against the hair - против шерсти

б) (в противоположность тенденции или характеру; в несоответствии с чем-л.) против, несмотря на (или в зависимости от контекста)

She actually went with them, though much against her heart. — Она все же пошла с ними, хотя и против собственного желания.

May, against common conjectures, will be no very busy month. — В мае, несмотря на то, что говорят многие, завала на работе не будет.

It is against my general notions to trust to writing. — Не в моих принципах доверять написанному.

в) (о словах или действиях, направленных против кого-л.) с, против

Fight against them that fight against me. — Сражайтесь с теми, кто сражается против меня. The whole gentry were against him. — Против него выступали все уважаемые люди.

The Law against Witches does not prove there be any. — Наличие закона против ведьм не означает, что они есть.

г) (о соревновании) с

I always felt as if I was riding a race against time. — Я всегда чувствовал, что бегу наперегонки со временем.

4) а) (значение защиты) от (или в зависимости от контекста) I am proof against their enmity. — Я защита от их вражды.

The gate would have been shut against her. — Ворота захлопнулись бы перед ней, ее бы не пустили на порог.

б) значение предупреждения, обычно переводится в зависимости от контекста

On his guard against the sins which beset literary men. — И он всегда следил за тем, чтобы не погрязнуть в грехах, присущих писателям.

Passengers are cautioned against crossing the line. — Предупреждение пассажирам - переходить линию опасно.

The Public are cautioned against pickpockets. — Осторожно! Карманные воры.

5) (о взаимной противоположности) в обмен на, в счет за, вместо

When men used to exchange wheat against bullocks. — Когда люди меняли зерно на волов.

6) (в споре и играх типа тотализатора, о ставках) к

I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is six to five against. — Я давно понял, что в этой жизни все ставки - шесть к пяти.

As opposition to Mrs Thatcher mounts, I hear that the Commons' unofficial bookie offers odds of 7 4 against her still being prime minister by the end of next year. — По мере того, как оппозиция г-же Тэтчер растет, неофициальный букмекер Палаты Общин, как я слышал, предлагает ставки 7 к 4 против того, что она сохранит свой пост до конца следующего года.

7) в ожидании, в подготовке; к определенному времени

To close the business against Thursday. — Закрыть фирму к четвергу.

Some additions to my book against the next edition. — Некоторые добавления к моей книге в свете ее будущего переиздания.

When the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, he had built, against her arrival, a palace. — Когда царица Савская приехала к Соломону, он построил к ее прибытию дворец.

against a rainy day – на черный день