По материалам страноведения.
Известно, что овладение иноязычной речью как средством международного общения невозможно без знаний о социокультурных особенностях страны изучаемого языка. Коммуникативно – деятельностный и лингвострановедческий подходы к обучению иностранному языку взаимно обусловлены и неразрывно связаны.
Характерной чертой лингвострановедческого аспекта преподавания английского языка является обращение к обычаям и традициям Великобритании. Этот материал является занимательным фоном нашего изучения английского языка.
И действительно, мы не можем представить Великобританию без её традиций: торжественный выезд королевы и её тронная речь по случаю очередной сессии парламента, спикер, восседающий на мешке с шерстью в палате лордов, караул в старинной форме у Букингемского дворца, во́роны, живущие в Тауэре на государственном довольствии.
Обычаи и традиции каждого народа – отражение его истории, его психологии. Знакомство с ними позволяет нам лучше понять душу этого народа, его искусство и литературу.
THE CEREMONY OF THE KEYS.
Every night at 9.53 p.m. the Chief Warder of the Yeomen Warders (Beefeaters) of the Tower of London lights a candle lantern and then makes his way towards the Bloody Tower. In the Archway his Escort await his arrival. The Chief Warder, carrying the keys, then moves off with his Escort to the West Gate, which he locks, while the Escort «present arms». Then the Middle and Byward Towers are locked.
The party then return to the Bloody Tower Archway, and there they are halted by the challenge of the sentry. «Halt!» he commands. «Who goes there?» The Chief Warder answers, «The keys». The sentry demands, «Whose keys?» «Queen Elizabeth's keys», replies the Chief Warder. «Advance, Queen Elizabeth's keys; all's well», commands the sentry.
Having received permission to proceed through the Archway, the party then form up facing the Main Guard of the Tower. The order is given by the officer-in-charge to «Present Arms». The Chief Warder doffs his Tudor-style bonnet and cries, «God preserve Queen Elizabeth». «Amen», answer the Guard and Escort.
At 10 p. m. the bugler sounds the «Last Post». The Chief Warder proceeds to the Queen's House, where the keys are given into the custody of the Resident Governor and Major.
The Ceremony of the Keys dates back 700 years and has taken place every night during that period, even during the blitz of London in the last war. On one particular night, April 16, 1941, bomb blast disrupted the ceremony, knocking out members of the Escort and Yeomen Warders. Despite this, the duty was completed.
Only a limited number of visitors are admitted to the ceremony each night. Application to see it must be made at least forty-eight hours in advance at the Constable's office in the Tower. Visitors with permission are admitted at 9. 40 p. m. and leave at 10 p. m.
TROOPING THE COLOUR.
During the month of June, a day is set aside as the Queen's official birthday. This is usually the second Saturday in June. On this day there takes place on Horse Guards' Parade in Whitehall the magnificent spectacle of Trooping the Colour, which begins at about 11.15 a. m. (unless rain intervenes, when the ceremony is usually postponed until conditions are suitable).
This is pageantry of rare splendour, with the Queen riding side-saddle on a highly trained horse.
The colours of one of the five regiments of Foot Guards are trooped before the Sovereign. As she rides on to Horse Guards' Parade the massed array of the Brigade of Guards, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, await her inspection.
For twenty minutes the whole parade stands rigidly to attention while being inspected by the Queen. Then comes the Trooping ceremony itself, to be followed by the famous March Past of the Guards to the music of massed bands, at which the Queen takes the Salute. The precision drill of the regiments is notable.
The seremony ends with the Queen returning to Buckingham Palace at the head of her Guards.
The Escort to the Colour, chosen normally in strict rotation, then mounts guard at the Palace.
A Giant Christmas Tree.
In Trafalgar Sguare, in front of the National Gallery,*
stands an enormous Christmas Tree. It is a gift from the people of Oslo. Every winter they cut down a tree for London. Then horses pull it through the snowy forest to the docks. When the tree arrives, police on motor cycles escort it to Trafalgar Square.
It is over fifty feet high. There it stands, as straight as the pillars behind it, and it looks taller than the dome of the National Gallery.
It is brightly decorated. Right at the top is a large shining star. The branches are draped with tinsel and hung with big, brilliant stars that sparkle in the light.
Bright, shining balls of different colours and different sizes cover the Tree from top to bottom. Imitation snow lies soft and silvery white on the dark green branches.
No wonder whole families – boys and girls, and grownups too – stand and stare. Here is a Christmas Tree bigger than any they have ever seen in their lives.
Under a darkening sky in the heart of London this sparkling tree seems to catch the spirit of Christmas.
Christmas Gifts.
The giving of presents at Christmas-time has a long pre-Christian ancestry. Before Christianity was known in the world, gifts of various kinds used to be exchanged at some of
the pagan religious festivals of midwinter.
Children in the British Isles, the United States and elsewhere in the English-speaking world, look to Father Christmas (or Santa Klaus)* for their gifts on Christmas Eve. Or
at least, they still do so in the early years of their lives until the multiplication of "Father Christmases" in shops, or the detection of some adult in disguise begins to sow doubt in their young minds. In England, Father Christmas was certainly know as far back as the fifteenth century, for he is named in a carol of that period beginning “Hail, Father Christmas, hail to thee!” In the modern version of his legend, Father Christmas has become a very old but never-ageing man, dressed in red robes and furs, who comes from the Far North in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, and deposits his gifts by night in the houses, unseen and unheard.
Christmas Box.
A gratuity given on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day) . Boxes placed in churches for casual offerings used to be opened on Christmas Day, and the contents, called the “dole of the Christmas box” or the “box money” were distributed next day by the priests. Apprentices also used to carry a box round to their maters’ customers for small gratuities. Postmen received such gifts until after World War II and some dustmen and errand-boys still call to collect them.
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