專八人文知識（8）大英帝國的興衰

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688-1990)
大英帝國的興衰

I. Whigs and Tories
輝格黨人和托利黨人

These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688).
這兩個政黨名稱皆起源于1688年的光榮革命。

The Whig were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whig were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party.
輝格黨人是指那些反對絕對王權，支持新教徒宗教自由權利的人。輝格黨人在19世紀中葉與持不同意見的托利黨人組盟組成自由黨。

The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.
托利黨人是指那些支持世襲王權、不愿去除國王的人。托利黨是保守黨的前身。

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the "open-field" system ended when the Enclosure Act was passed. The movement lasted for centuries. Agricultural enclosure had good as well as bad results:
18世紀末、19世紀初的農業革命期間，隨著《圈地法》的頒布，傳統的"開放田地"制結束。圈地運動持續了將近一個多世紀。農業圈地運動的利弊共存：

(1) Farms became bigger and bigger units as the great bought up the small;
由于大農場兼并了小農場，農場成為越來越大的生產單位；

(2) More vegetables, more milk and more dairy produce were consumed, and diet became more varied;
人們消費的蔬菜，牛奶及奶制品越來越多，飲食種類愈加豐富；

(3) Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their lands by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns. Enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World;
圈地對佃農而言是場災難，他們被趕出土地，被迫到城鎮找工作。圈地運動導致了大規模的移民，尤其是移民至新大陸。

(4) A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships.
農村關系中產生了新的階級對立。

II. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)
工業革命（1780-1830）

1．The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanisation of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
工業革命指的是17世紀末、18世紀初英國工業的機械化，以及因此而導致的社會結構和經濟結構的變化。

2．Britain was the first country to industrialize because of the following factors:
英
國成為第一個工業化的國家，原因如下：

(1) Favourable geopraphical location. Britain was well placed geographically to participate in European and world trade;
優越的地理位置：英國地理位置優越，適合參與歐洲與世界貿易；

(2) Political stability. Britain had a peaceful society, which, after the 17th century, was increasingly interested in overseas trade and colonies. International trade brought wealth to merchants and city bankers. They and those who had done well out of new farming methods provided capital in large quantities for industralization.
政治局面穩定。17世紀后的英國社會寧靜，對海外貿易和殖民地興趣日增。國際貿易給商人和城市銀行家帶來財富，他們加上由于新農作法而發家的人們為工業化提供了大筆資金。

(3) Good foundation in economy. The limited monarchy which resulted from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ensured that the powerful economic interests in the community could exert their influence over Government policy.
1688年光榮革命限制了君主的權力，這使得強大的經濟利益集團能對議會政策施加影響。

(4) It was a country in which the main towns were never too far from seaports, or from rivers, which could distribute their products.
英國的主要城鎮皆靠近海港或河流，貨物運送便利。

(5) Britain had many rivers, which were useful for transport but also for water and steam power. Britain also had useful mineral resources.
英國許多河流不僅用于交通，還提供水力及蒸汽動力。英國還有可用的礦產資源。

(6) British engineers had sound training as craftsmen.
英國工程師為訓練有素的手工藝人。

(7) The inventors were respected. They solved practical problems.
發明家受人尊重，他們解決了實際難題。

(8) Probably laissez faire and "Protestant work ethic" helped.
“放手干”及“新教工作道德”很可能也有助力。

(9) England, Scotland, and Wales formed a customs union after 1707 and this included Ireland after 1807. So the national market was not hindered by internal customs barriers.
1707年后，英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾士形成關稅聯盟，1807年后愛爾蘭加入。因此，全國市場不再受制于內部的關稅障礙。

(10) The enclosures and other improvements in agriculture made their contributions by providing food for the rising population, labour for the factories, and some of the raw materials needed by industry.
圈地運動和其它農業改良為增加的人口提供了糧食，為工廠提供了勞動力，為工業提供了所需的一些原材料。

（責任編輯：liushengbao）