![]() |
Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
REVEALED: the nation that dare not speak its name
The British Broadcasting Corporation has decided, that "British" is an offensive word. The corporation, whose own motto has for more than 65 years been "Nation shall speak peace unto nation", now also deems the word "nation" to be insulting. Top BBC news presenters and correspondents were informed last week which words and phrases can be used as devolution takes hold, and those that are forbidden. At a series of seminars, they were instructed that "British" can no longer be used to describe the generality of people living the British Isles because it might cause offence among the Scots and Welsh. "When we talk about things affecting the "whole nation" ... those phrases can mean different things to our audiences in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland", explains a style book, called "Changing UK", which was issued at the seminar. In place of "nation", it urges presenters to use United Kingdom. The use of the word "British" is acceptable only in established commercial contexts, such as British Broadcasting Corporation and in description of "British" forces — even if they include Scots and Welsh. The word "welsh" when used in the context of "welshing on an agreement", is out. The Welsh are also very touchy about their image as simpletons. BBC executives insist the Scots are upset that football hooligans are often called "British hooligans" on news bulletins. There are only "English" hooligans, according to the style book. Several senior BBC journalists regard the changes — brainchild of Philip Harding, controller of editorial policy — as "political correctness run amok". It is, one said, the revenge of the Scots and Welsh for not being given their own Six O' Clock News. Exercise 5 Define the following terms used in the article. Use an English- English dictionary if necessary. Find the Russian equivalents. MOTTO, DEVOLUTION, IMAGE, BRAINCHILD, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, REVENGE Exercise 6 Suggest the Russian translation for the following English phrases. 1) to cause offence; 2) to affect a nation; 3) to issue a book; 4) to welsh on an agreement; 5) to run amok Exercise 1 Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrase from exercises 5and 6.
Exercise 8 Fill in the gaps with the English phrases instead of the Russian ones, given in brackets. 1. The party think-tank should have envisaged that the new (лозунг) would (нанесет оскорбление) to the party loyal supporters. 2. (Передача) of power to regional assemblies is sure to (повлиять на) the whole country. 3. As was to be expected, once he started speaking on his (замысел) he immediately (стал как одержимый). 4. On the eve of the elections a book was (выпущена). It promoted a completely new (образ) of the party leader. 5. No amount of (политкорректности) can conceal the (оскорбление) to patriots that was (нанесено) by the permission for the neo-nazis to hold a rally in the centre of the town (выданное) by the local authorities. 6. It was the unusual (лозунг) of the insurance company that had helped them to (надуть) their clients. 7. The (месть) was too unexpected for them to give proper resistance. Exercise 9 Render the following passage into the English language, using the following words and phrases in the correct forms. self-identification to taint common to register collapse to cause offence vulnerable to retain to take smth for granted resilient Можно бесконечно иронизировать над политической корректностью, изобличая ее лицемерность или указывая на очевидную комичность профессиональных борцов с hate- speech. Но сколь бы уязвимой для критики политкорректность ни была, она принесла очевидные плоды и оказалась устойчивым понятием. Быть заподозренным в расистских предрассудках — значит запятнать репутацию. Национальность у нас часто определяется не по культуре и не по самосознанию, а по крови. Нация в расхожем понимании — это не гражданское, а именно кровнородственное сообщество. Клише расистского мышления настолько распространены в наших средствах массовой информации, что их просто перестают замечать, когда телекомментаторы и репортеры не понимают, что наносят оскорбление своему народу, когда делят противоборствующие стороны на «наших» и «чужих». После краха советской идеологии многие русские почувствовали себя «обворованными», лишенными этнической идентичности, единственным народом, всерьез поверившим в возможность советской идентичности и поэтому оставшимся ни с чем, тогда как их нерусские сограждане сохранили свою идентичность и в результате оказались в выигрыше. As a group discuss the following questions: 1. How did people come to think of themselves as British (Britons) rather than Englishmen, Scotsmen, or Welshmen? Americans rather than Indians, Italians, or Irishmen? Soviet rather than Russian, Ukrainian, or Georgian? 2. Did those processes differ from nation to nation or did they follow a pattern? 3. What holds multinational states together? In the article below Don Carleton talks to Linda Colley about what constitutes "Britishness". Read the introduction to the article to understand what provoked Linda '$ interest in " Britishness ". FORGING THE NATION Linda Colley at first sight looks like an establishment figure, she is Leverhulme Research Professor at the European Institute, London School of Economics. She was previously a Professor at Yale University; she was the first female Fellow at Christ's College Cambridge; and she became a best-selling author (of Britons, about how the British came to think of themselves as British). She has just delivered two of the most prestigious series of lectures in her field. "I began by looking at what patriotism meant in the 18th century. It soon became clear to me that patriotism was not enough. It was too confining. There was something else going on. I began to be struck by the number of times terms like "Britishness" and "Briton" were mentioned. I asked myself: how did people come to see themselves as "Britons" rather than Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welshmen and, to a lesser extent, Irishmen? It took me ten years to find and publish the answers". |
Последнее изменение этой страницы: 2019-04-10; Просмотров: 759; Нарушение авторского права страницы