正餐与快餐 Dinner and Takeaways British food is notorious for its simplicity. Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and consists of two courses---meat or fish and vegetables followed by a dessert or pudding.
In recent years, foreign foods have become a regular part of the British diet. Chinese, Indian and Italian dishes are particularly popular for evening meals. Most supermarkets sell arrange of pre-packed meals to be heated in the microwave.
Takeaways became extremely popular in the 1980s. The most popular has got to be fish and chips served in an old newspaper, and traditionalists prefer to eat them straight out of the paper because they taste better that way!
Now a wider range of take aways is available---from American-style hamburgers to Turkish kebabs, Many families prefer to eat takeaway food for dinner instead of cooking, and it is not unknown for people to buy a takeaway after a visit to the pub or after a night out---in addition to dinner!
The best-known British dish eaten at home has been roast beef, traditionally eaten on Sunday. Roast beef is served with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy--- a sauce made from meat juices and stock, thickened with flour. Yorkshire pudding---better baked in hot fat in the oven---is a favorite accompaniment to roast beef.
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送卡片的风俗 Cards, hundreds of cars! Sending cars is a wide-speed custom in Britain today. Britons send cards for
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英国的食物以其简单而臭名远扬。晚餐通常是一天的主餐，由两个主菜组成---肉或鱼加蔬菜，随后上甜心或布丁。
近年来，异国食物在英国越来越流行。中国菜、印度菜和意大利菜是最受欢迎的晚餐。多数超市都出售可以用微波炉加热的打包食物。
外卖在二十世纪八十年代特别流行。最受欢迎的是用旧报纸包的炸鱼和炸薯条，传统主义者喜欢拿了直接就吃，他们说那样吃起来更香！
现在外卖的种类更加多样化---从美式的汉堡包到土耳其的烤腌羊肉串一应俱全。许多家庭喜欢不煮饭而买外卖当晚餐。人们在去了酒馆或在外玩了一夜后买外卖回家当夜宵，这种做法并不少见。
英国最出名的家庭菜是烤牛肉，通常在周日吃。上菜时，烤牛肉和烤马铃薯、蔬菜和浇汁（一种用肉汁和调料做成的，加上面粉变粘稠的浓汤汁）一起上。约克郡布丁---如果用烤炉加上热油烤过更好---是烤牛肉的最好配菜。
every occasion from buying a house to having a baby, getting a job, getting a
divorce or just saying ―sorry.‖ More than 100 million Christmas cards are sold in Britain every year!
In primary schools, the teacher may display pupils‘ birthday cards in the classroom on their special day. An employee may expect to receive cars from the whole office on a special occasion.
It is a common practice for Britons to send cards to keep in touch with people that they do not know well or they do nor see very often. Companies may print unique company cards and send them to their customers.
Cars can also serve as decoration for the house, particularly during Christmas when people hang the cards on the wall. Birthday cars are usually displayed on the table for everybody to see and read.
衣着与行为Appearance and Behavior 穿衣Appearance
Conservative dress is still very important for both men and women. Dark suits, usually black, or blue, or gray, are quite acceptable.
Men‘s shirts should not have pockets; if they do, the pockets should always be kept empty. Additionally, men should wear solid or patterned ties, while avoiding striped ties, because a striped tie in Britain may represent a public school.
Women are not as limited to colors and styles as men are, though it is still important to maintain a conservative image.
举止Behavior
Always be punctual in England. Arriving a few minutes early for safety is acceptable.
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如今在英国送卡片是非常普遍的风俗。英国人在不同场合送卡片：从祝贺买房子、生小孩、找到工作到安慰离婚或者只是说声“对不起”。每年英国售出的圣诞卡超过一亿张。
在小学里，老师会在学生生日那天展示他/她收到的卡片。雇员会在某个特别的日子收到整个办公室的同事的卡片。
英国人习惯用卡片来与那些不是很熟或者不常见面的人保持联系。有些公司会印刷特别的公司卡寄给它们的顾客。
卡片也可用来装饰房子，特别是在圣诞节期间，人们把卡片挂在墙上。生日卡通常摆在桌面，每个人都可以拿来看，阅读上面的赠言。
保守的装束对男女来说仍然很重要。 深色西装，通常是黑、蓝或灰色都是合意的衣着。
男士的衬衫不能有口袋；即使有，口袋里也不能放东西。另外，男士应该打纯色或有图案的领带，不要用条纹的领带，因为条纹的领带在英国可能代表某间“公学”。 女士服装的颜色和款式不相男士那般受限制，但是保持保守的形象还是很重要的。
在英格兰千万要守时。提早几分钟到是合意的。
A simple handshake is the standard greeting for both men and women for business occasions and for visiting a home.
Privacy is very important to the English. Therefore asking personal questions (marital status, salary, age, religion, etc.) or intensely starting at another person should be avoided.
Eye contact is seldom kept during British conversations.
To signal that something is to be kept confidential or secret, tap your nose.
Personal space is important in England, and one should maintain a wide physical space when conversing. Furthermore, it is considered inappropriate to touch others in public.
交际 Communications
Loud talking and disruptive behavior should be avoided.
One gesture to avoid is the ―V for Victory‖ sign, done with the palm facing yourself. This is a very offensive gesture.
All Hail the Queen. Avoid giving unsolicited opinions about the Royal family, the British economy, the headlines in the Daily Mail, or any other sensitive issue. Inquire instead. You may, however, comment on the weather; Britons complain about it all the time.
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商业场合和到英国人家作客时，握手是普通的打招呼方式（男女都适用）。
英格兰人很注重隐私。所以应避免询问个人问题（如婚姻状况、薪水、年龄、宗教等）或紧盯着人看。
英国人谈话时眼神接触不多。 如果你要示意某事应该保密，
轻触你的鼻子。
在英格兰，个人空间是非常重要的，谈话的时候要保持一定的距离。此外，人们认为在公众场合用手接触别人是不合适的。
不要大声说话或打断别人
需要避免的一个手势是：手指做出表示胜利的“V”字，但手掌朝着自己。这是一个非常无礼的手势。
赞美女王。若非别人问起，不要对皇室、英国经济或《每日邮报》的头条新闻或其它敏感话题评头论足。相反，采取询问的方式。但是，你可以谈论天气；英国人总是在抱怨天气不好。
英国的迷信The most common superstitions in Britain
There are many superstitions in Britain, 英国很多迷信的说法，但是最普遍的but one of the most widely-held is that it 是在梯子下面走过被认为是非常不走is unlucky to walk under a ladder---even 运的---即使是从人行道走下繁忙的if it means stepping off the pavement 大街！ into a busy street.
If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until 如果你必须从梯子下面走过，你可you have seen a dog. Alternatively, you 以把食指和中指交叉，直到你见到一must lick your finger and make a cross 只狗才把手指松开，这样你就可以避on the toe of your shoe, and not look 开恶运。或者舔湿手指在鞋尖上画一again at the shoe until the mark has 个十字，在十字干之前都不要看鞋子。 dried.
Another common superstition is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the 另一个普遍的迷信是不要在室内house---it will either bring misfortune to 打伞---这可能会给打开伞的人或者全the person that opened it or to the whole 家带来厄运。任何在好天气打伞的人household. Anyone opening an umbrella 都不会受到欢迎，因为他一定会招来in fine weather is unpopular, as it 雨水！ inevitably brings rain! The number 13 is said to be unlucky 对某些人来说，数字13是不吉利的，for some, and when the 13th day of the 如果某个月的13号恰巧是星期五，想month falls on a Friday, anyone wishing 要避免凶兆的人最好呆在室内。 to avoid inauspicious event had better stay indoors.
The worst misfortune that can befall you is incurred by breaking a mirror, as it brings seven years of bad luck! The superstition is supposed to have originated in ancient time, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods.
Black cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft---a witch‘s animal familiar is usually a black cat. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path---although in America the exact opposite belief prevails.
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没有什么比打破镜子更糟糕了，因为这会带来七年的坏运气！人们猜想这项迷信源于古代，那时镜子被认为是神灵的工具。
黑猫在英国被普遍认为可以带来好运，尽管它与魔法有关---供巫婆使唤的妖精通常是一只黑猫。如果一只黑猫在你面前走过，那你就太幸运了---但是在美国，人们普遍认为这很不幸。
Finally, a commonly-held superstition 最后，还有一个很普遍的迷信是摸一is that of touching wood for luck. This 下木头以祈求好运。通常当你说了一measure is most often taken if you think 些不吉利的说话，你才采取这个方法，you have said something that is tempting 例如，“我的汽车从来没有抛锚过---fate, such as ―my car has never broken 摸摸木头，恶运快走！” down, touch wood!‖
开怀一笑 Jokes
“一个吻” A “ Kiss”
At a dinner party, the speaker, who was the guest of honor, was about to deliver a speech when his wife sitting at the 晚宴上，一位贵宾将要致辞，他的夫other end of the table, sent him a piece 人坐在餐桌的另一头，传给他一张纸，of paper with the word ―KISS‖ scribbled 上面草草写着“KISS”。 on it.
The guest seated next to the speaker said, 坐在演讲者旁边的客人说：“您的夫人― Your wife must love you very much, I 一定很爱你，我看见她在演讲前给了saw her send you a ? KISS‘ before you 您一张纸条，上面写着 “KISS”。 began your speech.‖
The speaker smiled and explained, ― You don‘t know my wife. The ?KISS‘ she gave me stands for ?Keep It Short, Stupid.‖
演讲者笑着解释：“你不了解我太太。她给我的 “KISS”代表“简短些，笨蛋。”
Chapter 8 Leisure and Sports 休闲与运动
休闲A leisure Society
British people now have more free time and holidays than ever before. Typical popular pastimes in the UK include shopping, listening to pop music, going to pubs, playing and watching sport, going on holidays, doing outdoor activities and watching TV. The number of people playing sports has risen. As more people become aware of the necessity for exercise, it is estimated that one third of the adult population
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regularly takes part in outdoor sport and about a quarter in indoors sports. Among the most popular sporting activities are walking, swimming, snooker and darts; fishing is the most popular country sport. Football, cricket, horseracing and motorsports are all popular spectator sports. Many magazines are published which relate to popular and minority sports and interests.
Multi-screen cinemas have become