Chapter 1
第一章
Land and People
英國的國土與人民
I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts
英國的不同名稱及其各組成部分
1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.
地理名稱：不列顛群島，大不列顛和英格蘭。
2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
官方正式名稱：大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯(lián)合王國。
3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.
不列顛群島由兩個大島—大不列顛島（較大的一個）和愛爾蘭島，及成千上萬個小島組成。
4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.
大不列顛島上有三個政治區(qū)：英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾士。
(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.
英格蘭位于大不列顛島南部，是，人口最稠密的地區(qū)。
(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh
蘇格蘭位于大不列顛的北部。它有三大自然區(qū)：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：愛丁堡。
(3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff
威爾士位于大不列顛的西部。首府：加的夫
(4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast.
北愛爾蘭是英國第四個區(qū)域。首府：貝爾法斯特。
5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991.
英聯(lián)邦是曾為英國殖民地的、但現(xiàn)已獨立國家所構(gòu)成的自由聯(lián)合體。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50個成員國。
II. Geographical Features 英國的地理特征
1.Geographical position of Britain:
英國的地理位置：
Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.
英國是一個島國。它位于大西洋北部，與歐洲大陸的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峽和東面的北海將它與歐洲其它部分隔開。
2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands.
英國的西部和北部主要是高地，東部和東南部主要是低地。
III. Rivers and Lakes 河流與湖泊
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m).
本尼維斯山為英國峰，海拔1,343米。
Severn River is the longest river in Britain (338km).
塞文河是英國最長的河流。全長338公里。
Thames River is the second longest and most important river in Britain. (336km).
泰晤士河是英國第二大河，也是英國最重要的河。全長336公里。
Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Britain which is located in Northern Ireland. (396 square kilometres).
訥湖（內(nèi)伊湖）是英國的湖，位于北愛爾蘭。面積為396平方公里。
River Clyde is the most important river in Scotland.
克萊德河是蘇格蘭最重要的河流。
Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales.（1,085m）
斯諾多尼亞是威爾士的點，海拔1,085米。
IV. Climate 氣候
1. Britain's favorable climate 英國有利的氣候條件：
Britain has a maritime climate-winters are not too cold and summers are not too hot. It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The temperature varies within a small range.
英國屬于海洋性氣候：冬季不過于寒冷，夏季不過于炎熱。全年有穩(wěn)定可靠的降雨量，氣溫變化幅度小。
2.The factors influence the climate in Britain:
影響英國氣候的因素：
1）The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer;
環(huán)繞四周的海水。冬天，海水可使島內(nèi)氣溫升高，夏天則使氣溫降低，從而起到平衡季節(jié)溫差的作用；
2）The prevailing south-west winds or the Westerlies blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate;
一年四季盛行的西南風(fēng)和西風(fēng)在冬季從大西洋帶來溫暖、潮濕的空氣，使氣溫適宜；
3）The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.
北大西洋暖流經(jīng)不列顛群島西海岸，使氣候變暖。
3.Rainfall 降雨量：
Britain has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual rainfall in Britain is over 1,000mm. There is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east.
英國全年降雨量穩(wěn)定，平均降雨量超過1000毫米。 英國北部、西部雨量過多，但是南部、東部有所缺乏。
第一章
Land and People
英國的國土與人民
I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts
英國的不同名稱及其各組成部分
1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.
地理名稱：不列顛群島，大不列顛和英格蘭。
2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
官方正式名稱：大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯(lián)合王國。
3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.
不列顛群島由兩個大島—大不列顛島（較大的一個）和愛爾蘭島，及成千上萬個小島組成。
4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.
大不列顛島上有三個政治區(qū)：英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾士。
(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.
英格蘭位于大不列顛島南部，是，人口最稠密的地區(qū)。
(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh
蘇格蘭位于大不列顛的北部。它有三大自然區(qū)：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：愛丁堡。
(3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff
威爾士位于大不列顛的西部。首府：加的夫
(4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast.
北愛爾蘭是英國第四個區(qū)域。首府：貝爾法斯特。
5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991.
英聯(lián)邦是曾為英國殖民地的、但現(xiàn)已獨立國家所構(gòu)成的自由聯(lián)合體。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50個成員國。
II. Geographical Features 英國的地理特征
1.Geographical position of Britain:
英國的地理位置：
Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.
英國是一個島國。它位于大西洋北部，與歐洲大陸的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峽和東面的北海將它與歐洲其它部分隔開。
2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands.
英國的西部和北部主要是高地，東部和東南部主要是低地。
III. Rivers and Lakes 河流與湖泊
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m).
本尼維斯山為英國峰，海拔1,343米。
Severn River is the longest river in Britain (338km).
塞文河是英國最長的河流。全長338公里。
Thames River is the second longest and most important river in Britain. (336km).
泰晤士河是英國第二大河，也是英國最重要的河。全長336公里。
Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Britain which is located in Northern Ireland. (396 square kilometres).
訥湖（內(nèi)伊湖）是英國的湖，位于北愛爾蘭。面積為396平方公里。
River Clyde is the most important river in Scotland.
克萊德河是蘇格蘭最重要的河流。
Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales.（1,085m）
斯諾多尼亞是威爾士的點，海拔1,085米。
IV. Climate 氣候
1. Britain's favorable climate 英國有利的氣候條件：
Britain has a maritime climate-winters are not too cold and summers are not too hot. It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The temperature varies within a small range.
英國屬于海洋性氣候：冬季不過于寒冷，夏季不過于炎熱。全年有穩(wěn)定可靠的降雨量，氣溫變化幅度小。
2.The factors influence the climate in Britain:
影響英國氣候的因素：
1）The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer;
環(huán)繞四周的海水。冬天，海水可使島內(nèi)氣溫升高，夏天則使氣溫降低，從而起到平衡季節(jié)溫差的作用；
2）The prevailing south-west winds or the Westerlies blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate;
一年四季盛行的西南風(fēng)和西風(fēng)在冬季從大西洋帶來溫暖、潮濕的空氣，使氣溫適宜；
3）The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.
北大西洋暖流經(jīng)不列顛群島西海岸，使氣候變暖。
3.Rainfall 降雨量：
Britain has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual rainfall in Britain is over 1,000mm. There is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east.
英國全年降雨量穩(wěn)定，平均降雨量超過1000毫米。 英國北部、西部雨量過多，但是南部、東部有所缺乏。