highlands. The southeast and east are mainly lowlands.
7. The pennies, a range of hills running from north midlands to Scottish border, are the principal mountain chain.
8. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain in Britain, and the Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in Britain.
9. There are three natural zones in Scotland: the highlands in the north, the central lowlands, and the southern uplands. The lowlands in the center comprise mostly the forth and Clyde valleys.
10. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are the capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2012专八人文知识：英国概况第一讲
1. The official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. There are three political divisions on the islands of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.
3. About a hundred years ago, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area.
4. The Britain Empire was replaced by the Britain commonwealth in 1931,which is a free association of independent counties that were once colonies of Britain.
5. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.
2012年英语专八汉译英题目
痛苦纠聚心中，眉心发烫发热，胸口郁闷难展，胃里一股气冲喉而上。院长说这孩子发育迟缓时，她更是心头无绪，她在育生所待的房里来回踱步，这房里还有其他小孩，每人一张围着栅栏的床，整个房间只有一扇窗，窗外树影婆娑，就让这孩子留下来吧，这里有善心的神父和修女，这里将来会扩充为有医疗作用的看护中心，这是留住孩子最好的地方。这孩子是她的秘密，她将秘密留在这树林掩映的建筑里。
出处：台湾作家蔡素芬《烛光盛宴》 原文赏析：
泊珍看他第一眼，彷似一声雷劈头而来，令她晕头涨脑，这一岁的孩子脸型长相如此熟
悉，她心里的第一道声音是，不能带回去！
痛苦纠聚心中，眉心发烫发热，胸口郁闷难展，胃里一股气冲喉而上。院长说这孩子发育迟缓时，她更是心头无绪，她在育生所待的房里来回踱步，这房里还有其他小孩，每人一张围着栅栏的床，整个房间只有一扇窗，窗外树影婆娑，就让这孩子留下来吧，这里有善心的神父和修女，这里将来会扩充为有医疗作用的看护中心，这是留住孩子最好的地方。这孩子是她的秘密，她将秘密留在这树林掩映的建筑里。
她将秘密留在心头。
她专心做生意，她觉得人生剩下的只有不断地赚钱养育孩子，和对往日某些美好时光的眷恋，即使这些时光如此短暂，但也因为短暂而弥足珍贵，她家乡的好山好水、她和桂花的姐妹情谊、留在心中的曾有过的感情，这些美好的部分就够安慰她的余生。她心里也惦念留在家乡的那些人，她的两个孩子、她的父亲，他们都不再有音讯，他们随着时光的流逝，成为心里一个遥远的山水风景，成为眼里模糊的泪水。
背景介绍：
十多年前以《盐田儿女》感动无数台湾读者的小说家蔡素芬，沉潜10年之后，2009年在台推出了最新长篇小说《烛光盛宴》。近日这部小说由时代华语出版公司引进大陆。书中，由大陆小姐泊珍、台湾女子菊子以及故事代述者的现代女性“我”，三种身份、三段时空交错浓缩了台湾近六十年的历史，也交织出三个女子命运的经纬。
如果说1994年《盐田儿女》写的是台湾南部盐田村落的小人物，《烛光盛宴》则完全不同，着眼点是“两岸历史与爱情”。书中，一个外省老太太，颠沛流离来到台湾，与一个本省老太太建立起的数十年友谊的故事，并巧妙穿插“书写者”的角色，堆栈出历史纵深，交织出3个女子的命运经纬。
蔡素芬说：“两岸分离的历史，世界上没有几个国家有，我们为什么不把这独特的经历写出来呢？而且大环境对个人生命、生活确实有些影响。”该书在台湾出版后，有些老先生、老太太或是他们的亲人会跟蔡素芬说，“写的就像是我们的真实故事一样”。
《烛光盛宴》在大陆出版，是她的文字首次与大陆读者见面。蔡素芬说：“凡事都有第一次，不管我的著作中的哪一本在什么时间点在大陆发行，并不重要，重要的是书有没有流通的价值。”
蔡素芬毕业于台湾淡江中文系，美国德州大学圣安东尼奥双语言文化研究所进修，主要作品长篇小说《盐田儿女》、《橄榄树》、《姐妹书》等。（爱思英语网）
英语专八考试汉译英难词集锦
两面派 two-faced
我知道怎样对付两面派，而且一眼就能看出谁是一贯两面讨好的人。
I know how to handle two-faced people and can even tell at the first glance who are in the habit of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.(注：run with the hare and hunt with the hounds 指人两面讨好，不得罪任何一方的做法。)
受气包 doormat
她天生就是个受气包，什么事都不敢说个不字。
She’s born doormat ,afraid of going against anything.
扫帚星 a jinx
有人说那个女人是个扫帚星，谁跟她结婚谁倒霉。
She’s said to be a jinx, who would bring bad luck to whoever she marries.
略胜一筹 be a notch above
论油画，张先生比刘先生画得好。但是，谈到水彩画，刘先生可就比张先生略胜一筹了。 In oil painting, Mr.Zhang paints better than Mr.Li.But when it comes to water colors,Mr.Liu appears to be a notch above Mr.Zhang.
有头脑 be a brain
他可是个有头脑的人，决不会相信你的那一套。
He’s a brain, who wouldn’t be fooled into believing your babbling.
很能干 to have a lot on the ball
我知道李明很能干，但我怀疑他是否真的愿意到我们这儿来工作。
I know Li Ming has a lot on the ball. But I’m not sure if he likes to work here.
有名无实 a poor apology
你刚才提到的那个作家不过是个有名无实的人。他的作品太没意思了。
The man you’ve just mentioned is but a poor apology for a writer. His writings are tedious.
绞尽脑汁 to rack one’s brain
他已经绞尽脑汁了，可是仍未找到问题的答案。
He had racked his brain, but hadn’t been able to work out the answer to the problem.
没骨气 have no guts
真没想到小高那么没骨气，竟然嫁给了坑害过她父亲的人。
I’m surprised to learn that XiaoGao had married the man who had once done her father in. She rally has no guts.
真了不起 really something
他真了不起，竟然一个人对付了那么多的对手。
He overwhelmed so many of his opponents alone. He’s really something.
昙花一现 a flash in the pan
那个歌星也只是昙花一现，出了几张唱片就销声匿迹了。
That singer was only a flash in the pan. He disappeared into the air after having made one or two records.
寡不敌众 be outnumbered
她很勇敢，但终因寡不敌众，被那帮人打晕过去
The girl was brave enough, but as being outnumbered, she was finally knocked into the middle of next week by the gang.
单枪匹马 play a lone hand
在投资时，他总喜欢单枪匹马的去干
When investing in a business, he always likes to play a lone hand.
出师不利 get off one the wrong foot
他的主意不错，可一开始就出师不利。
His idea was good, but he got off on the wrong foot when he started doing it.
嘴硬 never say uncle
那个孩子的嘴特别硬，打死他都不肯认错
That boy never says uncle. He wouldn’t admit he’s wrong for the life of him.