Are Britons Conservative? 英国人保守吗？
Feifei: 大家好， 我是冯菲菲。欢迎收听英国问答Ask About Britain, 我们在这个节目中专门回答有关英国文化习俗的各种问题。今天和我在一起的是Helen.
Helen: Hello, everyone. Our question today is from Lace Sun. It’s a very simple question: are British people conservative?
Feifei: 孙文友同学给我们提的问题是英国人保守吗？
Helen: I think the stereotype of British people in many countries is that we’re a conservative nation. Well, let’s find out what British people think of themselves.
Feifei: 好的，让我们先听听海关工作人员 Andy Mulhearn 的看法，他是地道的利物浦人。
Insert
The word conservative means that English people in general tend to be very conservative in their views. It’s only certain issues which, in other countries, would get people’s blood boiling, but it takes a lot for English people to really get annoyed about it, so I think in general we are a very conservative nation.
Feifei: Andy 觉得英国人的观点总的来说还是算比较保守的。
Helen: English people, in general, tend to be very conservative in their views.
Feifei: 有些事情可能在其他国家会引起民众很大的反应，但是英国人就不会这样。
Helen: Andy used a phrase get someone's blood boiling. It means people can get very emotional, they can get very angry.
Feifei: 对了， get somebody's blood boiling 这个短语的意思是使某人热血沸腾，也可以说是非常愤怒。
Helen: So Andy thinks that because it takes a lot for English people to get annoyed, the British are a conservative nation.
Feifei: 那么其他英国人对这个问题有什么看法呢？让我们来听听房屋中介an estate agent Steve 他是怎么说的。
Insert
I would say that's quite a broad generalisation. But I'd say in London no, outside London probably more so yes. Generally you can be quite reserved, but when you get to know them, they can be very nice warm people.
Helen: Steve thinks that to say all British people are conservative would be quite a broad generalisation.
Feifei: Generalisation 归纳，概括。Steve 觉得如果说所有英国人都很保守，那就太笼统了。
Helen: He would say in London, people are not very conservative, but outside London it may be more so.
Feifei: 生活在伦敦的人并不保守，可是生活在伦敦以外的人相比之下可能会显得更保守。
Helen: Sipho has lived in London all his life. Here is what he thinks of the statement.
Insert
Some of them are some of them aren't. Generally I would say they are. I think they're very regimented, quite straightforward, some of them can be adventurous, but generally they like to stick to the rules, and, kind of, go along with what society says you should do.
Feifei: Sipho 和Andy 的观点很相似，英国人总的来说还是保守的。他认为英国人做事很有规律regimented.
Helen: They can be quite straightforward too.
Feifei: 也很直率。有些人有探险精神adventurous.
Helen: But generally they like to stick to the rules and go along with what society says you should do.
Feifei: Stick to the rules 循规蹈矩，遵纪守法。其实也就是办事比较死板，我想在英国居住过的中国朋友可能会比较同意这一点。
Helen: Now what about people from other countries?
Feifei: 幸运的是我们找到了一名在英国念书的美国女孩，让我们来听听她对英国人是否保守这个问题的看法。
Insert
I mean, as a student obviously, the people that I surround myself with are far more liberal than most Americans that I would come across. However, I think, as a whole, the country does tend to sort of lean more towards conservative traditional values, just conservative in the sense that English people seem to be less sort of open to sweeping changes coming in and drastically changing the landscape I think.
Helen: So this young student feels that students in the UK are far more liberal than most Americans that she has come across.
Feifei: Liberal 开放，自由的，这是学生的特征。
Helen: But as a whole, she thinks that Britain tends to lean towards more conservative, traditional values.
Feifei: Lean towards 就是向某方面靠近，英国人更倾向于传统和保守一些的观点。
Helen: She says that English people seem to be less open to sweeping changes coming in and drastically changing the political landscape.
Feifei: Sweeping changes 大规模的改革， drastically 彻底的，大幅度的。英国人不大愿意接受大规模的改革，不论是政治方面还是个人生活方面的变化。
Helen: Well, we're near the end of our programme. I think we can conclude that Britain is a fairly conservative nation. But we are all different and there are different levels of conservatism in people.
Feifei: 我们觉得英国总的来说是一个比较保守的国家，但不是所有英国人都是这样的。好了，我们的节目就到这儿。
Helen: Thanks for listening and see you next time.
Feifei: 下次节目再会。
词汇学习：
1. tend to be 总的来说
2. issues 问题
3. annoyed 恼怒，生气
4. regimented 有规律
5. straightforward 直率
6. stick to the rules 遵纪守法，循规蹈矩
7. liberal 自由，开放
8. drastically 彻底的，大幅度
9. political landscape 政治局面
10. reserved 含蓄的，内向的