英语文化常识
7个英语文化小常识
7个英语文化小常识1、There's no such thing as a free lunch.天下没有免费的午餐十九世纪的时候，美国有些酒吧给顾客提供“免费的午餐”。
所谓午餐，其实不过是些用来和啤酒一起送出的脆饼；而所谓免费，当然不是真的，不买酒喝就没有饼吃。
所以，当时有人说：There's no such thing as a free lunch.到了二十世纪七十年代，经济学家弗里德曼(Milton Friedman)写的一本书用了这句话做书名。
他在别的著作、演讲里也多次引用这句话。
于是，这句话就又流行了起来。
有时，我们不相信会得到一些优惠，就可以用这句“弗里德曼名言”。
例如：I don't believe he's giving us the money without any ulterior motive.There's no such thing as a free lunch.我不相信他送钱给我们不是别有用心，世上没有免费的午餐。
2、Honeymoon大家一定都知道honeymoon吧？那么honeymoon是不是指的就是新婚夫妇结为伉俪的最初一段时光？结婚后的第一个月？其实并非一定是，但很多人都有这样的错觉。
honeymoon最早出现于16世纪，honey用以喻指新婚的甜蜜，但moon并不是指很多人认为的阴历月份(lunar-based month)。
它是一种苦涩的暗示，旨在告诫人们婚姻固然是幸福甜美的。
但这种甜蜜就像月亮的盈亏，只是暂时的(因此要十分珍惜才对喔!)。
婚姻更多的意味着双方要一起肩负生活的重担，一起承受人生的酸甜苦辣，一起经受生活的风风雨雨。
3、Teach a fish how to swim你听说过有不会游泳的鱼吗？你听说过鱼因不会游泳而淹死的事吗？如果谁有这样的担忧，就和那个被嘲笑了几百年的担心天会塌下来的杞国人没什么差别了，必定会成为人们茶余饭后的笑料！作为一种本能，鱼儿天生就是会游泳的，完全适应水底生活，如果有人想教鱼儿how to swim，这和在鲁班门前卖弄使斧头的功夫，在孔老夫子面前卖弄写文章的本领又有什么区别呢?因此，teach a fish how to swim的含义就是“班门弄斧”，“在孔夫子面前卖文章”。
一些关于外国人常用的英语文化小常识讲解
一些关于外国人常用的英语文化小常识讲解今天大家跟着小编一起来看一下关于英语文化中的一些小常识吧，下次就不会再用错了哦。
一起来学习一下吧。
一、OKOkay可能是除了Yes，No以外在世界上流传最广的英语单词了。
但是，它从何而来呢?历来，语言学家们各执一词。
有人说，okay是印第安人发明的。
有这样一个印第安部落叫Chocktaw，居住在富饶的密西西比山谷中，以种植和捕鱼为生。
每当有问题发生，Chocktaw的领导人们就和部落首领围坐一圈，共同商议，如果有人同意其他人的意见，就点头示意，然后说“Okeh”，意思为“就是这样”。
欧洲人初到美洲时，听到了大量的印第安语，并将之发展为英语词汇。
现在美国的许多城市、河流、山脉，其名称都源于印第安语。
另外还有一种颇具可信度的说法：Okay这个词是在19世纪由一个政治团体发明的。
有一个人叫Martin Van Buren，准备参加总统竞选，他的拥护者成立了一个俱乐部为他做宣传，俱乐部的名称就叫“Okay Club”，据说O和K两个字母取自于Van Buren的故乡，纽约州的Old Kinderhook，那是他出生的地方。
对一个如此popular的词汇，自然每个人都可能有自己的故事，不过，有一点，相信全世界都会同意：okay是一个纯粹的美语词汇，它是词汇跨越不同语言的优秀典范。
只是还有需要小小提醒一下的地方：okay通常用于口语，在书面语中，我们可以用agree，assent，approve，conform等等词汇来代替，使之更为正式化。
二、聚会上如何做介绍在欧美国家，人们会参加很多聚会来扩大交际圈。
与陌生人交往，我们少不了介绍自己，或者向别人介绍自己的朋友和家人。
在做正式的介绍时，英语常常遵循以下原则：1、将年幼者先介绍给年长者2、将职位低的先介绍给职位高的3、如果双方是同辈，则要先将男性介绍给女性。
如果两人地位和年龄相差不大，用非定式的介绍即可。
介绍的过程中，被介绍人务必记住对方的姓名，这样别人有一种被尊重的感觉。
英语国家文化常识
Cultural Knowledge of Major English-Speaking Countries英语国家文化常识1.United States of America:a country of North America with coastlines on the Arctic,Atlanticand Pacific oceans.It includes the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.The area now occupied by the contiguous48states was originally inhabited by numerous Native Americans,the Indians.2.Washington,D.C.:capital of the United States,coextensive with the District of Columbia.Washington is the legislative,administrative,and judicial center of the United States.The city is also a major tourist attraction and cultural center.3.Abraham Lincoln:16th president of America.As president,he is best remembered forleading the Union through the Civil War and freeing Confederate slaves with the1863 Emancipation Proclamation,for delivering the Gettysburg Address,the most famous oration in American history,on19November1863,in which he claimed that government should be “of the people,by the people,for the people”.4.Pearl Harbor:an inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the southern coast of Oahu,Hawaii.It becamethe site of a naval base after the United States annexed Hawaii in1898.On Sunday,7 December1941,Japanese planes attacked the base,and United States entered World War II the following day.5.George Washington:first president and the founding father of the US.He stands as one ofthe three men—the others being Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt—who came to power at the most6.Ralph Waldo Emerson:the most thought-provoking American cultural leader of themid-19th century.As a transcendentalist,Emerson spoke out against materialism,formal religion,and slavery.7.Henry David Thoreau:an American author,naturalist,and philosopher who is best knownfor his essay,Civil Disobedience,an argument for individual resistance to civil government, which would later influence such figures as Mohandas K.Gandhi and Martin Luther King,Jr.8.John Denver:one f the most popular recording artists of the1970s in the US.As country-folksinger/songwriter,Denver’s gentle,environmentally conscious music,like Rocky Mountain High and Take Me Home,Country Roads established him among the most beloved entertainers of his era.9.Mark Twain:American humorist and novelist.Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens,hispseudonym,Mark Twain,was taken from Mississippi riverboat terminology.His humorous tales of human nature,especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1876)and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(1885),remain standard texts in high school and college literature classes.10.Earnest Hemingway:one of the most famous American writers of the20th century.He wrotenovels and short stories about outdoorsmen,expatriates,soldiers and others.He is best known for his short novel The Old Man and the Sea(1952)which won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in1954.11.Rocky Mountains:a major mountain system of Western North America,extending around5,100km from northwest Alaska to the Mexican border.12.The New Deal:the collection of political and economic policies and programs promulgatedby the first two administrations of the presidency of Franklin D.Roosevelt.The New Deal policies were aimed at combating the economic miseries of the Great Depression.13.The Beatles:English top group,formed in Liverpool by John Lennon,Paul McCartney andGeorge Harrison.14.Yesterday Once More:a hit song by The Carpenters from their album Now&Then.TheCarpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo,consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter.They recorded fifteen#1songs in the entire decade of the1970s15.Halloween:celebrated in the United States,Canada,and the British Isles on31October bychildren going door to door while wearing costumes and begging treats and playing pranks.16.Jazz:once described as“the most significant form of musical expression of American blackculture and America’s outstanding contribution to the art of music”.From obscure origins among African Americans in New Orleans a century ago,the music blends elements of African music,work songs,and developing through the blues and ragtime into a new syncopated improvisational style.Jazz flourished in New Orleans before World War I,in Chicago in the1920s,and in New York and throughout the country after that.17.MIT:Massachusetts Institute of Technology,US private university in Cambridge,famous forits scientific and technological training and research.Founded in1861,MIT has schools of architecture and planning,engineering,humanities,arts,social sciences and management(the Sloan School).18.Ping-pong Diplomacy:In1971,a Us table-tennis team paid a visit to China after many yearsof antagonism between the two countries,opening the door for China-US people-to-people contacts.In the fall the same year,the then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited China,followed by another historic visit by President Richard Nixon in1972,which paved the way for the normalization of bilateral relations.19.New York City:the“Big Apple”,the“City That Never Sleeps”—New York is a city ofsuperlatives:America’s most exciting place;its business and cultural capital;the nation’s trendsetter.20.Hollywood:a district of the city of Los Angeles,California,US.Its name is synonymous withthe American movie industry.It became the center of the movie industry by1915.21.Silicon Valley:located around Santa Clara and San Jose,California,being the home of manykey US corporations that specialize in advanced electronic and information technologies.First called“Silicon Valley”by a local news letter writer,the“Valley”became the center of newly developing technologies that many believed would revolutionize computers, telecommunications,and even society itself.22.IMF:the International Monetary Fund,an organization of185countries dedicated topromoting global monetary cooperation and the health and stability of the internationalmonetary system.The IMF supports worldwide economic growth by granting loans and technical assistance to countries in need.The organization was formed in1944.23.University of Cambridge:one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious academicinstitutions.Dating back some800years to1209,Cambridge boasts more than100academic departments and several world-class research centers that have produced more than8-Nobel Prize winners.Its alumni have included such prominent notables as Sir Isaac Newton,Charles Darwin,and Stephen Hawking.24.The British Broadcasting Corporation:usually known as the BBC.Founded in1922as theBritish Broadcasting Company Ltd,it was subsequently granted a Royal Charter and made a state-owned corporation.The corporation produces programs and information services, broadcasting globally on television,radon,and the Internet.25.Stonehenge:a group of standing stones in the west of England.The arrangement of the stonessuggests that Stonehenge might be once used as a religious center and also as an astronomical observatory.26.Robert Burns:widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland,and a lyricist.Among hisbest-known songs are“Auld Lang Syne”and“A Red,Red Rose”.He freely proclaimed his radical opinions,his sympathies with the common people,and his rebellion against orthodox religion and morality.27.Big Ben:one of the world’s largest four-faced clocks,also one of London’s most famouslandmarks.The name,which originally referred to the hour bell,was given in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall,the commissioner of works,according to the legend.28.Hyde Park:located in Westminster borough,London,England,a large public park inwest-central London,England.Distinctive features of the park are Hyde Park Corner(also the Speakers’Corner),the meeting place of soapbox orators.29.M artin Luther King,JHr.:an African-American clergyman who advocated social changethrough non-violent means.A powerful speaker and a man of great spiritual strength,he shaped the American civil rights movement of the1950s and1960s.King won the1963Nobel Peace Prize,becoming at the time the youngest recipient ever.30.GM:General Motors Corporation(GM)is the world’s largest automotive manufacturer formost of the20th century and into the21st It was founded in1908by William C.Durant to consolidate several motorcar companies,based in Flint,Michigan.Its arsenal of brands includes Chevrolet,Pontiac,GMC,Buick,Cadillac,Saturn,Hummer,and Saab.31.London Bridge is falling down:one of the widest-know children’s songs in theEnglish-speaking world and has existed both as a nursery rhyme and as a singing game for a very long time.32.The Mississippi River:the largest river of North America.The River has been a focal pointin American history,commerce,agriculture,literature,and environmental awareness.33.Trafalgar Square:in Westminster,London,England,named for Lord Nelson’s victory at thebattle of Trafalgar.Trafalgar Square is a frequent site of political rallies.34.Gladiator:a2000historical action drama film.It is directed by Ridley Scott and stars RussellCrowe.Crowe portrays General Maximus Decimus Meridius,who rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murder of his family and his Emperor.The film who five Academy Awards in the73rd Acadamy Awards ceremony.35.University of Oxford:an autonomous university at Oxford,Oxfordshire,England.It wasfounded in the12th century and modeled on the University of Paris,with initial faculties of theology,law,medicine,and the liberal arts.Oxford has been associated with many of the greatest names in British history.36.Cowboy:used in England meaning“a boy who takes care of cows”.But it is the Americanswho invented two new meanings for it.The first one was the revolutionary patriots’term for pro-British raiders during the American Revolution,while the second kind of cowboy came to national and worldwide attention after the American Civil War,when for two decades thousands of cowboys drove millions of longhorn cattle from Texas to the new transcontinental railroads in Kansas and Colorado.Building on this legend,cowboy today still is used to mean someone who is reckless,impulsive,and dangerous.It can also be modified to mean someone who merely puts one airs of being tough or sophisticated:a drugstore cowboy.37.Canada:with a developed market economy that is export-directed and closely linked withthat of the US,Canada is one of the world’s most prosperous countries.It is a parliamentary state with two legislative houses;its chief of state is the British monarch,whose representative is Canada’s governor-general,and the head of government is the prime minister.Originally inhabited by American Indians and Inuit,Canada was visited in AD1000by Scandinavian explorers,whose settlement is confirmed by archaeological evidence from Newfoundland.38.Sydney:capital of New South Wales,Australia.Sydney is Australia’s largest city,chief port,and main cultural center.The dramatic,modernistic Sydney Opera House complex was largely designed by Jorn Utzon,the Danish winner of an international competition;it is now Sydney’s most famous landmark.39.Salzburg:the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg.Salzburg’s“Old Town”with its world-famous baroque architecture was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The city is noted for the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music,which features famous landmarks in Austria,but focuses mainly on Salzburg.40.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:a prolific and influential composer of the Classical Era in whatis now Austria,but then part of the Holy Roman Empire.He composed over600works,many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic,concertante,chamber,piano,operatic,and choral music.He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.41.Buffalo:the second most populous city in the state of New York,second only to New YorkCity.Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River,Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area.42.The Scilence of the Lambs:a1991horror thriller directed by Honathan Demme and starringJodie Foster,and Anthony Hopkins.It is based on the novel of the same name by ThomasHarris.In the film,Clarice Starling,a young FBI trainee,seeks the advice of the imprisoned Lecter on catching a serial killer known only as“Buffalo Bill”.The film won the top five Academy Awards:Best Picture,Best Actress,Best Actor,Best Director and Best Screenplay.43.Madonna:an American recording artist,actress and entrepreneur.Madonna is ranked by theRecording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female rock artist of the20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States.She has sold over200 million albums worldwide.In2007,Guinness World Records listed her as the world’s most successful female recording artist of all time and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year.44.Bank Holliday:a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and Ireland.There is someautomatic right to time off on these days,although the majority of the population not employed in essential services receive them as holidays;those employed in essential services usually receive extra pay for working on these days.Bank holidays are often assumed to be so called because they are days upon which banks are shut,but this is not in fact the case.Some of the assumed bank holiday are days on which the banks are shut but are not,in fact,a bank holiday(e.g.Good Friday and Christmas Day).Stephen’’s Day:or called the Feast of St.Stephen is a Christian Saint’s Day celebrated on 45.St.Stephen26December in the Western Church and27December in the Eastern Church.Many Eastern Orthodox churches adhere to the Julian calendar and mark St.Stephen’s Day on27December according to that calendar.46.Boxing Day:a public holiday in the United Kingdom,Australia,Canada,New Zealand,andcountries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population.The name derives from the English tradition giving gifts(a“Christmas box”)to less fortunate members of society in the days when people worked in rural economies.Boxing Day is traditionally celebrated on26December.Unlike St Stephen’s Day,Boxing Day has become a secular holiday and is not always on26December.The date of observance of Boxing Day varies between countries.47.Martin Luther King,Jr.Day:a United States holiday marking the birthdate of Reverend.Dr.Martin Luther King,Jr.,observed on the third Monday of January eash year,around the time of King’s birthday,January 5.It is one of three United States federal holidays to commemorate an individual person.After King’s assassination in1968,United States Representative John Conyers introduced a bill in Congress to make King’s birthday a national holiday.On November2,1983,United States President Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating a federal holiday to honor King.It was observed for the first time on January2o, 1986.Washington’’s birthday:a United States feral holiday celebrated on the third Monday of 48.WashingtonFebruary.It is also commonly known as Presidents Day(or Presidents’Day).As Washington’s Birthday or Presidents Day,it is also the official name of a concurrent state holiday celebrated on the same day in a number of states.bor Day:a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September(September7in2009).The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes(“Nine-HourMovement”)first in Hamilton,then in Toronto,Canada in1870s,which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in1872in Canada.In1882,American labor leader Peter J.McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto.Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto,he returned to New York and organized the first American“Labor Day”on September5of the same year.50.Columbus Day:first became an official state holiday in Colorado in1906,and became afederal holiday in1934.The day has been celebrated in the United States since1792in New York City,and it honors Christopher Columbus,who landed in the Americans on October12, 1492.51.Veterans Day:is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans.Both a federalholiday and a state holiday in all states,it is usually observed on November11.It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world,falling on November11,the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.52.Thanksgiving Day:presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November,has been anannual tradition in the United States since1863.It did not become a federal holiday until1941.Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God,and is still celebrated as such by some religious families,but it is now considered a secular holiday as well.In the United States,certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals.Baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any thanksgiving feast table.Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy,sweet potatoes,cranberry sauce,sweet corn,other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.Patrick’’s Day:an annual feast day which celebrated St.Patrick,the most commonly 53.St.Patrickrecognized of the patron saints of Ireland,and is generally celebrated on17th of March.The day is a national holiday of Ireland.It is also a public holiday in Canada,United Kingdom, Australia,the United States,Argentina and New Zealand.It is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.Today,St.Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike.Many people,regardless of ethnic background wear green-colored clothing and items.Celebrations are generally themed around all tings Irish and the color green.The secular version of the holiday is celebrated by wearing green,eating Irish food and/or green foods,imbibing Irish drink and attending parades,which have a particularly long history in the United States.Andrew’’s Day:the first day of Saint Andrew.It is celebrated on30November.Saint 54.St.AndrewAndrew is the patron saint of Scotland,and St.Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official national day.In2006,the Scottish Parliament designated St.Andrew’s Day as an official bank holiday.Although most commonly associated with Scotland,Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Greece,Romania,and Russia.Quiz1.Which of the following states is the capital of the United States?A.New York.B.London.C.Washington.D.California.2.Who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?A.Ralph Waldo Emerson.B.Mark Twain.C.Robert Burns.D.Ernest Hemingway.3.In which city can you see Big Ben?A.Oxford.B.London.C.Cambridge.D.Sydney.4.When does Thanksgiving Day come?A.On the second Sunday in May.B.On the third Saturday of June.C.On the first Monday in May.D.On the fourth Thursdays in November.5.Who gave the famous speech“I Have a Dream”?A.Ralph Waldo Emerson.B.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.C.Christopher Columbus.D.Martin Luther King,Jr.6.Which of the following abbreviations is the world’s largest automotivemanufacturer?A.AMB.GMC.BBCD.MIT7.Which of the following novels was written by Ernest Hemingway?A.The Old Man and the SeaB.The Last IvyC.Pride and PrejudiceD.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn8.Hollywood is synonymous with the American______industry.A.automobileB.movieC.electronicD.novel9.Which of the following rivers is the largest one of North America?A.The Nile.B.The Amazon.C.The Mississippi.D.The Danube.10.Which of the following cities is called the“Big Apple”?A.New YorkB.LondonC.CaliforniaD.WashingtonKeys to Quiz1.C2.B3.B4.D5.D6.B7.A8.B9.C10.A。
初三英语文化常识单选题40题
初三英语文化常识单选题40题1.Which festival is celebrated on October 31st?A.ChristmasB.ThanksgivingC.HalloweenD.Easter答案：C。
万圣节在10 月31 日。
圣诞节是12 月25 日，感恩节在11 月的第四个星期四，复活节日期不固定，但不在10 月31 日。
2.Which festival is associated with giving thanks?A.Valentine's DayB.HalloweenC.ThanksgivingD.Easter答案：C。
感恩节是表达感恩、与给予感谢相关的节日。
情人节是关于爱情，万圣节是关于鬼怪等，复活节是宗教节日。
3.Which festival features a bunny and colored eggs?A.ChristmasB.ThanksgivingC.HalloweenD.Easter答案：D。
复活节有兔子和彩蛋的特色。
圣诞节有圣诞老人等，感恩节是火鸡等，万圣节是鬼怪等。
4.Which festival is known for gift-giving and decorated trees?A.ThanksgivingB.HalloweenC.ChristmasD.Easter答案：C。
圣诞节以送礼物和装饰圣诞树闻名。
感恩节是聚餐表达感恩，万圣节是搞怪，复活节是兔子和彩蛋。
5.Which festival is celebrated on February 14th?A.Valentine's DayB.ThanksgivingC.HalloweenD.Easter答案：A。
情人节在2 月14 日。
感恩节在11 月，万圣节在10 月31 日，复活节日期不固定。
6.Which festival often involves parades and costumes?A.ChristmasB.ThanksgivingC.HalloweenD.Easter答案：C。
英语文化常识
Honeymoon
大家一定都知道honeymoon吧，honey（蜂蜜）和honeymoon指的是新婚夫妇结为伉俪的最初一段时光（并非一定是结婚后的第一个月，虽然很多人都有这样的错觉）。爱情经过长久的期盼和耕耘，相爱的情侣终于手拉手走到了一起，双方的感觉能不像蜜一样甘甜醇美吗？
Mermaid
mermaid 就是传说中的美人鱼，有人类的头和身体，但是长着一条鱼的尾巴。很多人都是从安徒生的童话中认识了那个纯洁、美丽、善良的小美人鱼。今天，小美人鱼的雕像已经成为丹麦首都哥本哈根的著名旅游景点，同时也已成为丹麦的象征。mermaid 这个词由两部分构成，mer 和 maid，这两个词都是从古英语中来的，分别为mere（海洋）和mayde（少女）。早在安徒生之前，就已经有了人鱼的传说，不过那时侯人们心目中的美人鱼虽然同样有着超凡的美貌和魔力，但她会诱惑经过的海员而使航船触礁毁灭，人们称之为siren（海妖）。mermaid 还有一个相对应的merman，用来表示男性人鱼。其实，所有的传说都会有它的起源，那么你知道“人鱼”的原型是什么吗？猜不到吧，是海牛。海牛是一种大型的哺乳类水生动物，生活在温暖的浅水水域，以水下植物为生。雄性海牛称为dugong，雌性海牛称为manatee。每当雌性海牛怀抱小海牛浮出水面哺乳，远远望去，便如同一位慈祥的母亲怀抱孩子浮游在水面上。
例如： His ruddy countenance and stout figure made him look a genuine John Bull.
他面色红润，身材胖硕，看起来就是个典型的英国人。
Romance
说起romance，你一定会浮想联翩，这是一个年轻男女们都很喜欢的字眼，你知道这个字是怎么来的吗？
迄今为止最全英语文化小常识
迄今为止最全英语文化小常识常听说这样一句话：There's no such thing as a free lunch.(没有免费的午餐)，同学们，你知道这句话怎么来的?十九世纪的时候，美国有些酒吧给顾客提供“免费的午餐”。
所谓午餐，其实不过是些用来和啤酒一起送出的脆饼;而所谓免费，当然不是真的，不买酒喝就没有饼吃。
所以，当时有人说：There's no such thing as a free lunch.到了二十世纪七十年代，经济学家弗里德曼 (Milton Friedman)写的一本书用了这句话做书名。
他在别的著作、演讲里也多次引用这句话。
于是，这句话就又流行了起来。
有时，我们不相信会得到一些优惠，就可以用这句“弗里德曼名言”。
例如：I don't believe he's giving us the money without any ulterior motive. There's no such thing as a free lunch.我不相信他送钱给我们不是别有用心，世上没有免费的午餐。
Honeymoon同学们一定都知道honeymoon吧，honey(蜂蜜)和 moon(月)结合在一起的意思就是“蜜月”。
honeymoon指的是新婚夫妇结为伉俪的最初一段时光(并非一定是结婚后的第一个月，虽然很多人都有这样的错觉)。
爱情经过长久的期盼和耕耘，相爱的情侣终于手拉手走到了一起，双方的感觉能不像蜜一样甘甜醇美吗?有一种说法认为honeymoon这个词来源于巴比伦的民俗传统。
这个古老的国家一直保留着这样一个传统，在女儿出嫁的第一个月，女孩的父亲每天都会让女婿喝mead(蜂蜜酒)，以希望后辈们的婚姻永远幸福甜蜜。
然而，从词源学的观点来看，这种说法是错误的。
honeymoon 最早出现于16 世纪，honey 用以喻指新婚的甜蜜，但moon并不是指很多人认为的阴历月份(lunar-based month)，它是一种苦涩的暗示，旨在告诫人们婚姻固然是幸福甜美的。
英语文化常识题
英语文化常识题英语文化常识是指与英语语言和英语国家相关的文化知识。
了解英语文化常识不仅可以匡助我们更好地学习和使用英语，还可以增加我们对英语国家的了解，提升我们的跨文化交际能力。
下面是一些关于英语文化常识的题目及其详细解答。
1. What is the traditional British afternoon tea?Traditional British afternoon tea is a cultural practice that involves having tea, sandwiches, and pastries in the afternoon. It is usually served between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. The tea is typically served in a teapot, accompanied by milk and sugar. Sandwiches with various fillings, such as cucumber, smoked salmon, and egg salad, are served along with small pastries like scones, cakes, and biscuits. Afternoon tea is often seen as a social event and is enjoyed by people of all ages.2. What is the significance of the Tower of London?The Tower of London is a historic castle located in central London. It has served various purposes throughout history, including being a royal palace, a prison, and a treasury. One of its most well-known roles was as a prison where high-profile prisoners, including Anne Boleyn and Sir Walter Raleigh, were held. Today, the Tower of London is a popular tourist attraction and houses the Crown Jewels. It is also known for its iconic ravens, which are believed to protect the tower and the kingdom.3. What is Shakespeare's Globe Theatre?Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, a famous Elizabethan playhouse where many of William Shakespeare's plays were performed. The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1613. The current reconstruction, located in London, was opened to the public in 1997. It aims to recreate the experience of watching a Shakespearean play in an authentic setting. The theatre offers guided tours and live performances of Shakespeare's plays.4. What is the significance of the Hollywood Walk of Fame?The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It is a cultural landmark that honors achievements in the entertainment industry. The Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,600 stars embedded in the sidewalk, each representing a different celebrity. These stars are categorized into five different fields: motion pictures, television, music, radio, and theatre. The Walk of Fame attracts millions of tourists each year and is considered a symbol of Hollywood's fame and glamour.5. What is the traditional Thanksgiving meal in the United States?The traditional Thanksgiving meal in the United States typically includes roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, and various side dishes such as green beans, corn, and sweet potatoes. It is often accompanied by dinner rolls and followed by desserts like pumpkin pie or apple pie. Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a time for families and friends to come together, express gratitude, and enjoy a festive meal.通过回答以上问题，我们对英语文化常识有了更深入的了解。
英语文化常识
公历一年有12个月，但不少人并不知道12 个月的英语名称的来历。
公历起源于古罗马历法。
罗马的英语原来只有10 个月，古罗马皇帝决定增加两个月放在年尾，后来朱里斯-凯撒大帝把这两个月移到年初，成为1月、2月，原来的1月、2月便成了3月、4月，依次类推。
这就是今天世界沿用的公历。
January——1月在罗马传说中，有一位名叫雅努斯的守护神，生有先后两副脸，一副回顾过去，一副要眺望未来。
人们认为选择他的名字作为除旧迎新的第一个月月名，很有意义。
英语January，便是由这位守护神的拉丁文名字January演变而来的。
February——2月每年 2 月初，罗马人民都要杀牲饮酒，欢庆菲勃卢姆节。
这一天，人们常用一种牛、草制成的名叫Februa的鞭子，抽打不育的妇女，以求怀孕生子。
这一天，人们还要忏悔自己过去一年的罪过，洗刷自己的灵魂，求得神明的饶恕，使自己成为一个贞洁的人。
英语2月February，便是由拉丁文Februar-ius（即菲勃卢姆节）演变而来。
March-----3月3月，原是罗马旧历法的1 月，新年的开始。
凯撒大帝改革历法后，原来的1月变成3月，但罗马人仍然把3 月看做是一年的开始。
另外，按照传统习惯，3月是每年出征远战的季节。
为了纪念战神玛尔斯，人们便把这位战神的拉丁名字作为3月的月名。
英语3月March，便是由这位战神的名字演变而来的。
April——4月罗马的4月，正是大地回春.鲜花初绽的美好季节。
英文4月April便由拉丁文April（即开花的日子）演变而来。
May——5月罗马神话中的女神玛雅，专门司管春天和生命。
为了纪念这位女神，罗马人便用她的名字——拉丁文Maius命名5月，英文5月May便由这位女神的名字演变而来。
June——6月罗马神话中的裘诺，是众神之王，又是司管生育和保护妇女的神。
古罗马对她十分崇敬，便把6月奉献给她，以她的名字——拉丁文Junius来命名6 月。
英语6月June便由这位女神的名字演变而来。
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公历一年有12个月，但不少人并不知道12 个月的英语名称的来历。
公历起源于古罗马历法。
罗马的英语原来只有10 个月，古罗马皇帝决定增加两个月放在年尾，后来朱里斯-凯撒大帝把这两个月移到年初，成为1月、2月，原来的1月、2月便成了3月、4月，依次类推。
这就是今天世界沿用的公历。
January——1月在罗马传说中，有一位名叫雅努斯的守护神，生有先后两副脸，一副回顾过去，一副要眺望未来。
人们认为选择他的名字作为除旧迎新的第一个月月名，很有意义。
英语January，便是由这位守护神的拉丁文名字January演变而来的。
February——2月每年2 月初，罗马人民都要杀牲饮酒，欢庆菲勃卢姆节。
这一天，人们常用一种牛、草制成的名叫Februa的鞭子，抽打不育的妇女，以求怀孕生子。
这一天，人们还要忏悔自己过去一年的罪过，洗刷自己的灵魂，求得神明的饶恕，使自己成为一个贞洁的人。
英语2月February，便是由拉丁文Februar-ius（即菲勃卢姆节）演变而来。
March-----3月3月，原是罗马旧历法的1 月，新年的开始。
凯撒大帝改革历法后，原来的1月变成3月，但罗马人仍然把3 月看做是一年的开始。
另外，按照传统习惯，3月是每年出征远战的季节。
为了纪念战神玛尔斯，人们便把这位战神的拉丁名字作为3月的月名。
英语3月March，便是由这位战神的名字演变而来的。
April——4月罗马的4月，正是大地回春.鲜花初绽的美好季节。
英文4月April便由拉丁文April（即开花的日子）演变而来。
May——5月罗马神话中的女神玛雅，专门司管春天和生命。
为了纪念这位女神，罗马人便用她的名字——拉丁文Maius命名5月，英文5月May便由这位女神的名字演变而来。
June——6月罗马神话中的裘诺，是众神之王，又是司管生育和保护妇女的神。
古罗马对她十分崇敬，便把6月奉献给她，以她的名字——拉丁文Junius来命名6 月。
英语6月June便由这位女神的名字演变而来。
也有学者认为，Junius可能是个代拉丁家族中一个显赫贵族的姓氏。
July——7月罗马统治者朱里斯-凯撒大帝被刺死后，著名的罗马将军马克-安东尼建议将凯撒大帝诞生的7月，用凯撒的名字——拉丁文Julius（即朱里斯）命名之。
这一建议得到了元老院的通过。
英语7月July由此演变而来。
August——8月朱里斯-凯撒死后，由他的甥孙屋大维续任罗马皇帝。
为了和凯撒齐名，他也想用自己的名字来命名一个月份。
他的生日在9月，但他选定8月。
因为他登基后，罗马元老院在8 月授予他Augustus（奥古斯都）的尊号。
于是，他决定用这个尊号来命名8月。
原来8月比7月少一天，为了和凯撒平起平坐，他又决定从2月中抽出一天加在8月上。
从此，2月便少了一天。
英语8月August便由这位皇帝的拉丁语尊号演变而来。
September——9月老历法的7月，正是凯撒大帝改革历法后的9月，拉丁文Septem是“7”月的意思。
虽然历法改革了，但人们仍袭用旧名称来称呼9月。
英语9月September，便由此演变而来。
October——10月英语10月，来自拉丁文Octo，即“8”的意思。
它和上面讲的9月一样，历法改了，称呼仍然沿用未变。
November——11月罗马皇帝奥古斯都和凯撒都有了自己名字命名的月份，罗马市民和元老院要求当时的罗马皇帝梯比里乌斯用其名命名11月。
但梯比里乌斯没有同意，他明智地对大家说，如果罗马每个皇帝都用自己的名字来命名月份，那么出现了第13个皇帝怎么办？于是，11月仍然保留着旧称Novem，即拉丁文“9”的意思。
英语11月November便由此演变而来。
December——12月罗马皇帝琉西乌斯要把一年中最后一个月用他情妇的Amagonius的名字来命名，但遭但元老院的反对。
于是，12月仍然沿用旧名Decem，即拉丁文“10”的意思。
英语12月December，便由此演变而来。
英语文化小常识---耐人寻味的小短语Walk on eggs我们常以“如履薄冰”形容一个人做事十分小心谨慎，像在薄冰上步行。
英语中类似的说法是walk on eggs，或者tread on eggs，就是非常小心地步行的模样，美语中则有这样的一个词组“walk Spanish”，原意是指小孩子在游戏的时候被人提着衣领踮着脚尖步行。
这个词引申后的意思变为“小心地走路解”，但现在又常作被解雇，被罢免以及被驱逐解。
一个人被公司解雇，可以说：He is walkedSpanish by his company。
Walk on eggs 令人想起放轻脚步走路。
美国俚语以walk soft指言行平静：He walks a lot softer than before（他比以前文静多了）。
但是walk softly和walk soft 不同，是源于圣经的成语。
列王记上二十一章二十七节的旧英译：He (Ahab) rent his clothes... and went softly，是“沮丧地走开”的意思。
Breakfast timeContinental breakfast (欧陆式早餐)之名据说是和English breakfast (英式早餐) 相对的。
英式早餐一般以谷类食物(cereal)、熏肉(bacon)为主，欧陆早餐则仅面包、咖啡（或红茶）而已。
朋友M多年前参加旅行团游美，早餐十分丰富：They serve a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs and fruit。
他以为美国人早餐吃得多，但是后来在美国朋友家作客，见到他们通常在厨房中用早餐。
厨房中有小桌，置于墙角，称为breakfast nook，是吃早餐用的。
标准美式早餐是：juice (果汁)、toast (面包)、egg (鸡蛋)、milk (牛奶) 或者coffee (咖啡)或tea (红茶）。
面包是toast，或者roll，总之是相当简单的。
有人说美国人不大讲究吃，早餐更加随便。
据说一般人结婚后都会经过一个危急时期，被称作“早餐时间”(breakfast-time)。
夫妻两人心情都不佳，像坐下来吃早餐时的心情。
但是，一般在吃完了早餐心情转好，互相谅解，也就相安无事了。
西谚有：Sing before breakfast, cry before night，亦作：Cry before breakfast, sing before night。
以sing表示欢乐，cry表示悲哀，喻人生之变化无常也。
Mickey Mouse“Mickey Mouse”, 不就是“米老鼠”嘛。
是的，“Mickey Mouse”作为“米老鼠”的意思是为大家所熟知的，但“Mickey Mouse”绝不仅有“米老鼠”的意思。
人们在日常用语中用“mickey mouse”来指胆小怕事和愚蠢的人，例如: “There are many Mickey Mice in office across the country，from both parties and at all levels of government.” (Business Week July 27，1974）在澳大利亚，mickey mouse用来指便宜或者不可信的产品。
在美式和英式英语中，mickey mouse通常是形容词，用来形容乏味的或者琐碎的活动，例如: “The big reason that they don’t have enough men (police officers) on the highways is because they're doing too much other Mickey Mouse” (Kansas City Star January 8 1974). 此外，学生们用这个词来形容那些完成起来易如反掌的课程或者作业: “The athletes…are encouraged to take specially-tailored mickey-mouse courses so as not to jeopardize their athletic standing.” (Rapoport and Kirshbaum, Is theLibrary Burning? 1969)“mickey mouse”还被用于军事领域，例如越战时期的“Mickey Mouse ears”radio--一种二战中的战斗机上炸弹投放设备；二战时期还有一部介绍性病的教学影片名位Mickey Mouse，例如: “a two minute Mickey Mouse would be added, a trailer of clinical shots showing diseased organs in full color” (W.Stevens Gunner 89 1966, ref. to WWII).而我们目前经常使用的意思是“（企业、公司）规模小的，过于简陋的”(small and unimportant)，常含贬义，例如: “He calls himself the managing director but his company is just a Mickey Mouse operation that he runs from his own house.” (他自称为总经理，但他的公司就是再他自己家里经营的一个微不足道的商号。
) “Mickey Mouse”可怜的米老鼠！也许你会认为从这样一个深受人们喜爱的经典卡通形象派生出来的词义一定很美妙。
但是事实上“mickey mouse”这个词并没有“甜美、可爱”的意思；相反它的意思是“胆怯、愚蠢、乏味、毫无意思的、吹毛求疵的或者不可*的”。
Miss, Mrs. and MsMiss, Mrs. 和Ms三个词都是对女士的称呼, 那么如何区别三者, 并在不同的场合正确地使用不同的称呼呢?Miss和Mrs.是mistress的缩写。
在中世纪英语中，mistress这个词有很多意思，其中的一些沿用至今，例如女主人，女神，某一行业的女专家，女教师，和女家庭教师等等。
Mistress总的说来是指“具有一定专业知识和能力的女人”，它也用作对未婚和已婚妇女的礼貌称呼。
到1600年左右,mistress的意思逐渐缩小为对已婚妇女的称呼。
Miss首次出现在1645年《约翰·伊夫林日记》中，当时miss一词的意思是“a concubine；a kept mistress”，即小妾，被供养的女人。
大约20年后，萨缪尔·佩皮斯第一次将这个词第一个字母m大写(Miss)用在女孩或未婚妇女的名字前面。