In recent years the situation has slightly changed. More women succeed in business. Nearly every institution in the country has opened its doors to women now. One of the last to do so was the Anglican Church, which, after much debate [di`beit], decided in favour of the ordination [,o:di`nei∫зn] of women priests in 1993. However, there are a few institutions which still don’t accept female members – for example, the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London, an association [з`sousi`ei∫зn] for graduates of these two universities.
Vocabulary
circuit court – выездная судебная сессия
ordination – посвящение в духовный сан, рукоположение
4. Religion
There are numerous religious groups in Great Britain practising their faiths in the country today.
The Church is divided into two provinces [`provinsiz] (зд. архиепископская епархия) – Canterbury [`kæntзbзri] and York – each with its own archbishop. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior official in the Church of England. The two provinces are divided into a number of dioceses [`daiзsisiz], each with its own bishop; and the dioceses are further split into parishes [`pæri∫]. There are 13 250 parishes in England alone, and every parish has its own church with its own priest or vicar. In 1992 women were first permitted to become priests.
The Church of Scotland is recognized as the official religion of Scotland. It is a Protestant Church and is a Presbyterian [,prezbi`tiзriзn] organization. This means that there is no hierarchy [`haiзra:ki] of archbishops and bishops.
The Church of Scotland is governed by its ministries [`ministriz] (parish priests) and elders – старшины (elected representatives), all of whom are considered to hold equal rank [ræŋk]. Women are allowed to become ministries in the Presbyterian Church.
The Roman Catholic Church. About 10% of the population of Britain are Roman Catholics including more than one-third of the population of Northern Ireland. Recent years have seen attempts to create some form of unity between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, but there are many problems, not least of which is the fact that the Church of England accepted the idea of admitting women to the priesthood, which is totally unacceptable to the Roman Church.
The Free Churches. There are several Protestant churches in Britain which, unlike the churches of England and Scotland, are not officially recognized as state religions. They are called the Free Churches, the most important of which are the Methodists [`meθзdists], Baptists [`bæptists], and the United Reform Church. These churches are particularly strong in the old Celtic areas of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and south-west England. Most of them allow women to become ministries.
As well as these churches there are various other Christian communities such as Orthodox [`o:θзdoks] and Armenian [a:`mi:njзn] Christians.
Non-Christian Religions. There are large numbers of Commonwealth citizens in Britain whose ancestors came from such countries as India, Pakistan [,pa:kis`ta:n], and Bangladesh [`bæŋglз`de∫]. Many of these people are Sikhs [si:k], Muslims [`muslimz], Hindus [hindu:] and Buddhists [`budists]. There are also about 400 000 Jews [dgu:z] living in Britain – one of the largest Jewish [`dgu(:)i∫] community in Europe.
Vocabulary
province – зд. архиепископская епархия
diocese – епархия; церковный округ, управляемый епископом
parish – приход; церковный округ со своей церковью и священником
vicar – викарий, приходской священник
Presbyterian Church – пресвитерианская церковь, протестантская церковь кальвинистского направления, отвергает епископат и представляет собой совокупность самоуправляющихся общин, возглавляемых пресвитерами
hierarchy – иерархия
ministry – священник, священнослужитель. Обычно принадлежит к одной из неепископальных церквей
Methodist Church – методистская церковь
Baptism – разновидность протестантизма, возник в начале 17 в. Баптисты упростили культовую и церковную организации, совершают крещение над взрослыми
United Reform Church – объединенная реформированная церковь. Создана в 1972 г.
Orthodox Church – православная церковь
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Sikh – индуистская секта, основанная в XV в.
Muslim – мусульманин
Hindus – тот, кто исповедует индуизм
Buddhism – одна из трех мировых религий. Возник в древней Индии в V–IV вв. до н. э.
LECTURE 7
The Arts in Great Britain
Plan:
1. The arts in society
2. Annual arts festivals
3. Theatre and cinema
4. Music
5. Literature
6. The fine arts
1. The arts in society
The ‘arts’ is an ‘umbrella’ term for literature, music, painting, sculpture, crafts, theatre, opera, ballet, film. It usually implies – подразумевает – seriousness, so that particular examples of these activities | which are regarded as ‘light’ | may be referred to | simply as ‘entertainment’ instead. The term ‘art’ or ‘fine arts’, is often used to refer to those arts which use space, but not time, for their appreciation [з,pri:∫i`ei∫зn] – оценка – (such as painting and sculpture). The word ‘artist’ can sometimes refer to a person working in the fine arts, and sometimes to a person working in any field of the arts.
Britain’s artistic and cultural heritage [`heritidg] is one of the richest in the world. The origins of English literature can be traced back to medieval [,medi`i:vзl] times, while over the centuries Britain has amassed [з`mæst] – собрала – some of the finest collections of works of art of all kind. The performing arts also have a long and distinguished history.
Nevertheless, interest in the arts in Britain used to be largely confined – ограничен – to a small élite [ei`li:t]. Most British people prefer their sport, their television and videos, and their other free-time activities to anything connected with the arts.
The arts in Britain are met with a mixture of public apathy [`æpзθi] and private enthusiasm [in`θju:ziæzm]. Publicly, the arts are accepted but not actively encouraged. Government financial support for the arts is one of the lowest of any western country. In schools, subjects such as art and music, tend to be pushed to the side lines. In addition, the arts are not normally given a very high level of publicity [pΛb`lisiti] – гласность. Television programmes on cultural subjects are usually shown late at night. Each summer, many high-quality arts festivals take place around the country, but the vast majority of people do not even know of their existence. London has some of the finest collections of painting and sculpture in the world, but tourist brochures [`brou∫uзz] give little space to this aspect of the city. Some British artists have international reputations, and yet most people in Britain don’t ever know their names.
There appears to be a general assumption [з`sΛmp∫зn] – предположение – in Britain that artistic creation is a personal affair, not a social one. It is not something for which society should feel responsible. In Britain hundreds of thousands of people are involved in one or other of the arts, but with a more-or-less amateur [`æmзtз:] or part-time status [`steitзs]. Every town in the country has at least one amateur dramatic society, which regularly gives performances. All over the country, thousands of people learn handicrafts (such as pottery) in their free time, and sometimes sell their work in local craft shops. There are thousands of musicians of every kind, performing around the country for very little money and making their own recordings in very difficult circumstances. Some amateur British choirs, such as the Bach [ba:k] Choir of London and King’s College Chapel [`t∫æpзl] Choir in Cambridge, are well-known throughout the world.
The main characteristic of British work in the arts is its lack of identification [ai,dentifi`kei∫зn] with wider intellectual [,inti`lektjuзl] trends – течения. It is not usually ideologically [`aidiз`lodgikзli] committed, nor associated [з`sou∫ieitid] with particular political movements. British playwrights and directors, novelists [`novзlists] and poets tend to be individualistic [,individjuз`listik], exploring [iks`plo:riŋ] – изучая –emotions rather than ideas, the personal rather than political. It is quite common for British playwrights and novelists to claim that they just record “what they see” and they do not consciously intend any social or symbolic [sim`bolik] message. Similarly, British work in the arts also tends to be individualistic within its own field. Artists do not usually consider themselves to belong to this or that ‘movement’. In any field of the arts, even those in which British artists have strong international reputations, it is difficult to identify a ‘British school’.
The style of the arts also tends to be conventional. The avant-garde [,ævo:ŋ`ga:d // ,æva:ŋ] exists, of course, but, with the possible exception of painting and sculpture, it is not through such work that British artists become famous. In the 1980s, Peter Brook was a highly successful theatre director. But when he occasionally directed avant-garde productions, he staged them in Paris!
Vocabulary
‘umbrella’ term – общий термин
appreciation – оценка
amass – собирать (коллекцию)
élite – элита
apathy – безразличие
enthusiasm – энтузиазм
publicity – гласность
brochure – брошюра
assumption – предположение
avant-garde – авангард
2. Annual arts festivals
Annual festivals of music and drama are very popular in Britain. Some of them are famous not only in Britain, but all over the world. The most well-known art festivals are:
· Aldeburgh [`o:ldbзrз]. Is held every summer in June. Classical music. Relatively informal atmosphere.
· Edinburgh International Festival. Is held during three weeks in late August and early September. All the performing arts, including avant-garde [,ævo:ŋ`ga:d // ,æva:ŋ]. More than ten different performances every day around the city. World famous.
· The Promps (promenade [,promз`na:d] concerts). July–September. London. Classical music. ‘Promps’ is short for ‘promenades’, so-called because most of the seats are taken out of the Albert Hall, where the concerts take place, and the audience stands or walks around instead.
· Glyndebourne [`glaindbo:n]. All summer. Is held in a 16-century country house (Glyndebourne) in a village in Sussex. An annual opera festival. Is attended by rich, upper-class people.
· Royal National Eisteddfod [ai`stedfзd]. July. Wales. Music, poetry and dance from many different countries. Mostly in the form of competition.
· Glastonbury and Reading [`glæstзnbзri] [`rediŋ]. Probably the two most well-established rock music festivals.
· Bradford and Cambridge [`brædfзd]. Folk music festivals.
· International Shakespeare Festival. Is held in the Aldwych [`o:ldwit∫] Theatre in London. During the festival famous companies from abroad perform Shakespeare’s plays.
Vocabulary
Aldeburgh
Glyndebourne
Eisteddfod
Glastonbury and Reading
Bradford and Cambridge
Aldwych Theatre
3. Theatre and cinema
Britain is one of the world’s major centers for theatre, and has a long and rich dramatic tradition. There are many companies based in London and other cities and towns, as well as numerous touring companies which visit theatres, festivals, arts centers and social clubs. Every large town in the country has its theaters. Even small towns often have “repertory” [`repзtзri] theatres, where different plays are performed for short periods by the same group of professional actors (a repertory company).
Britain has about 300 theatres intended for professional use which can seat between 200 and 2,300 people. Some are privately owned but most are owned municipally [mju:`nisipзli]. In summer there are also open air theatres. 15 of many London’s theatres are permanently occupied by subsidized [`sΛbsidaizd] companies. These includes:
· the Royal National Theatre, which stages a wide of modern classical plays;
· the Royal Shakespeare Company, which presents mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries as well as some modern work;
· the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane [`sloun] Square, London, which stages the work of many talented new playwrights.
Among the best-known British actors and actresses, who played or play at the West End theatres are Sir Laurence [`lorence] Olivier [з`liviei], Sir John Gielgud [`gi:lgud], Sir Alec [`ælik] Guinness [`ginis], Sir Michael Redgrave [`redgreiv] and his daughter Vanessa [vз`nesз] Redgrave, Sir Ian [`i:зn] McKellen [mз`kelзn], Dame Judy [`dgu:di] Dench [dent∫], Dame Maggie Smith. Many British directors who enjoy international reputation include Sir Peter Hall, Trevor [`trevз] Nunn, Jonathan [`dgonзθзn] Miller, Terry Hands. As a rule, the plays are magnificently staged – costumes, dresses, scenery, everything being done on the most lavish [`lævi∫] – щедро – scale.