你有过对不同文化的习俗感到困惑的经历吗？在英国，有些异乎寻常的习俗可能会让来自其它国家的人感到疑惑和惊讶。比如，为什么在英国车辆靠左行驶？为什么英国的水龙头是 “冰火两重天” — 一边出热水，一边出凉水？一旦你了解了前因后果，就会发现，这些看似奇怪的现象并非全无道理，它们背后都有相应的历史起源。
English tea
>本文音频戳这里<
article
To an outsider, any culture can seem quirky, confusing, peculiar or just downright bizarre. And the UK's got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows. Brits are quite capable of befuddling visitors with their idiosyncrasies. However, understand the why and things might be less perplexing. Here are the reasons for three of Britain's more puzzling practices.
In a world where 61% of nations drive on the right, the unorthodox Brits drive on the left. Why? "Most people think it goes back to Medieval, maybe even Roman times," explains Stephen Laing, curator of the British Motor Museum. This unusual behaviour makes sense when you remember that right-handed people wear a sword on their left hip. Travelling on the left allowed you to keep your weapon arm toward your opponent, who would be on your right. This practice persisted until the 18th Century when a law was passed requiring all traffic crossing London Bridge to keep to the left.
Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is solely for hot water, the other exclusively cold. Either can make washing very uncomfortable. So, why this oddity? "It relates to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination," Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering says. Drinkable cold water came from a mains supply, but hot water came from attic tanks and was not considered suitable for consumption. So they were kept apart.
Millions of people drink tea worldwide, but the eccentric Brits put milk in theirs. Why? This mystifying practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th Century when tea was first imported. For the majority of Brits, "the cups available couldn’t withstand the heat of the boiling water and would shatter, so milk was added first," Simon Hill, Tea Buyer at Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate tells the Sun newspaper. This cooled the cup enough to withstand the water. And this practical tweak soon became a national habit.
There's a method to the madness, they say. As you can see, these quirky Brits have perfectly coherent reasons for left-hand driving, two-tap sinks and tea with milk. But until you comprehend them, they can seem unfathomable. Even if they still seem strange, at least now you're in the know.
vocabulary
quirky 古怪奇特的
confusing 令人困惑的
peculiar 奇怪的
bizarre 怪诞的
downright (adj./adv.) 完全地; 彻底地; 全然; 直率的，直截了当的
raise (a few) eyebrows 引人惊诧，使人震惊
be capable of doing 有能力做...
befuddle [bɪ'fʌdl] 使烂醉，使…感到迷惑
idiosyncrasy 癖好
perplexing 令人费解的
puzzling 令人不解的
unorthodox 非传统的
go back to...追溯到...
Medieval 中古时代
curator [kjʊəˈreɪtə(r)] （图书馆等）馆长，监护人，管理者
unusual 不同寻常的
make sense 说得通
opponent 对手
sink
vi. 淹没;下落;退去;渐渐进入
vt. 使下沉;使下垂;砸入地面;使败落
n. 水池;洗涤槽;污水坑
exclusively 唯一地，专门地，特定地
oddity 奇怪现象
contamination 污染，沾染
chief execute officer CEO
eccentric 古怪的
attic tanks 阁楼上的水箱
mystify 让人感到云里雾里的
mysterious 神秘的
withstand 经受，承受
shatter
vt. 使破碎，使碎裂，砸碎;使…成为泡影;使…痛不欲生;使…散开
vi. 粉碎，损坏，落叶
n. 碎片，碎块;落花（叶等）
tweak
n. 捏;拧;扭;苦恼
vt. 稍稍调整（机器、系统等）
there's a method to the madness 看似疯狂，实则有理（来自莎士比亚的戏剧）
coherent 连贯的;一致的;条理分明的;清楚明白的
coherence （n.）连贯性
comprehend （v.）领会、理解
comprehensive
adj. 综合的;广泛的;有理解力的，悟性好的;[保险业]总体担保的
n. [常用复数]专业综合考试;综合学校;综合性中学
comprehension （n.）理解能力
unfathomable [ʌnˈfæðəməbl] 高深莫测的
in the know 知情的
make sentences
-
When he arrived at the funeral in a brightly-coloured coat, it certainly raised a few eyebrows.
-
While not the best player, his quirky style of play made him popular with the fans.
-
Our computer model predicted 99% of the data. The other 1% should be considered an oddity.
-
How did I pay £10, give you a £20 and end up with £5? That doesn't make sense.
-
Some of the brightest minds in history have also been more than a little eccentric.
question
What would happen to the 18th Century cups when they encountered boiling water?
answer
They couldn't withstand the heat of boiling water and would shatter.
网友评论