Description of the Englishman. British national character. Their high humor

The population of Great Britain is about 59 million people. The country ranks 18th in the world in terms of population.

According to Scottish scientists from the Royal Scientific Society, certain sounds are to blame for the fact that German-Austrians are often gloomy and completely devoid of a sense of humor German language. The scientists' complaints are caused by the so-called umlauts, denoted by the letters “a”, “o”, “and” with two dots at the top. Pronunciation of these sounds causes the lips to creep down, causing the facial expression to become gloomy. This, according to scientists, leads to negative emotions, bad mood and a fading sense of humor. At the same time, in English and Russian, unlike German, vowel sounds predominate, which encourage a joyful perception of the world and a willingness to help, researchers say.

Residents of Great Britain are often mistakenly called English. In fact, in addition to the English who live mainly in England, the British Isles are inhabited by Welsh, Scots, Irish - people of different nationalities who do not really like being called English.

In England itself, northerners and southerners are especially different from each other in character and speech.

Northerners generally tend to claim that they are more industrious and persistent than Southerners and are more persistent in their work. Foreigners note that northerners are more open and hospitable and easier to make friends with. Northerners have a good appetite: when you arrive in Lancashire or Yorkshire, you can easily see this - the portions of food here are very large.

The character and peculiarities of the pronunciation of the speech of people living in the Midlands represents, as it were, a gradual transition from the southern to the northern type of Englishman.

The people of Scotland are said to be very serious, cautious, tight-fisted, quite inventive and a little mysterious.

Nations of Celtic origin living in the British Isles are considered more temperamental and explosive than the British. They belong to peoples whose national character differs significantly from the British.

The English generally admit that the Welsh are an emotional people, but at the same time rather silent and reserved and not easy to get to know.

The Irish are famous for their charm and liveliness of character, and are considered a very talented nation with a subtle sense of humor and words.

The character of the British is quite contradictory. Tireless sailors and explorers, they show an ardent commitment to their own country, to their home, and besides, they are also passionate gardeners. While admiring the cuisines of other nations, an Englishman will not imitate them at home. An extremely law-abiding people, they love to read about crime and violence.

The main features of the English character are quite clear, they pass through all classes of society and are almost impervious to the influence of time. The British have many more qualities that unite them than those that separate them.

It is also believed that the British are great masters of reticence. They are not inclined to demonstrate either their virtues or the hardships of life they experience. ABOUT personal problems either they don’t mention it at all in conversation, or they say it with a smile, half-jokingly.

Americans have a rather peculiar stereotypical idea of Great Britain and its typical resident. Compare which of these common stereotypes we share. Once in North America There were colonies that belonged to Great Britain, so many Americans perceive Great Britain as something close, although these days they no longer say that they want to go home when they plan a trip to Great Britain, and they could hardly reproduce a map of this country. Many people have a stereotypical idea of Great Britain as a country consisting of London and a village in Scotland, from where one of the ancestors once came to America. The typical Briton wears a bowler hat and always carries an umbrella, he waits patiently in line for the bus, eats fried fish and chips, and constantly drinks tea. He always has a servant and is extremely respectful of the queen. Americans admire the way the British behave, although they would not want so many ceremonies in their own country. Sometimes, depicting a typical Englishman, they show him taking a cup of tea, ceremoniously putting his little finger aside, and speaking, interjecting the word “well, eh” or slurring the words, imitating the prestigious English pronunciation. In addition, the stereotypical image of a British person is that of a person who is always impeccably polite and correct, knows which fork, spoon and knife to use, and constantly says “please”, “sorry”, “thank you”.

Of course, it is enough to remember English football fans, who have a scandalous reputation as bullies and brawlers outside their country, to discover how far this stereotype is from reality.

Americans often emphasize that the British are “eccentric” or “eccentric”, somewhat old-fashioned. This impression of the British, in particular, is explained by the fact that British English uses words and grammatical structures that have long fallen out of use in American English and are perceived by Americans as outdated or official. Americans' favorite adjective, I think, is “Lovely,” which they use to describe anything, including the weather. Americans start smiling when they hear some other words often used by the British: holyday, smashing, brilliant.

Of course, the perception of Britain as a country where everyone behaves, although strangely, is nice, is far from reality, and people who have visited this country usually come with not only positive, but also negative impressions of it. It is sometimes said that the British are snobby and not very friendly, the famous reserve of the British is often perceived as coldness, and, in contrast to the open, outwardly emotional manner of communication of the Americans, it seems that the British do not say what they mean at all. They say, for example, “That’s no problem,” knowing that in reality serious problems may arise, and are perplexed when their interlocutors do not understand what they mean. Americans usually blame the British for overcooked food, cooked in a huge amount of fat and therefore unhealthy and tasteless, a combination of foods that, in their opinion, are incompatible, baths instead of showers, cramped and small homes, dreary or rainy weather. However, in general, Americans have a very warm perception of Britain and everything British. They treat the sound of British English with reverence, sometimes they host parties with an invitation from an Englishman; they ask him to tell something, and they themselves listen to him speak. They call British English refined, consider it somewhat unnatural and affected, sometimes they say that the British are somewhat proud of their English, traditions, culture, flaunt them, but the British respond by saying that they are simply polite.

The distinctive features of a typical Briton are: a spirit of independence, will and endurance. And it is not surprising that the English school has traditionally focused on nurturing precisely these personal qualities in schoolchildren. Independence is the main quality of a person, which family and school are aimed at educating in England. The main thing here is not knowledge in itself, not preparing a person to perform a particular role, but the corresponding personality quality. And in this regard, the English school is strikingly different from ours, and the entire organization of school life is aimed at developing in the younger generation the ability to make independent decisions and successfully overcome difficulties.

The British have a practical approach to moral and ethical problems. School, religion, justice - all these institutions emphasize human behavior, not his motives.

Having heard about the tolerance of the British, many foreigners mistakenly interpret it as the ability of one person to understand the motives of another and thereby justify the actions of another. In fact, the British understand tolerance as non-interference in the lives of others, suggesting in turn that everyone should also respect the privacy of others.

A sense of personal independence is an important factor in human relationships. Personal inclinations and even personal oddities of people do not cause opposition from others. Non-interference in each other's private lives is the cornerstone of English ethics.

Not the least important quality of national character, the development of which is given much attention in privileged private schools - the ability to rise up and manage, to follow the rules of the game. This is where a sense of team is fostered.

Without exaggeration, we can say that the monarchy and traditions of the aristocracy that still persist today have had a tremendous influence on the national character of the British. The values of an aristocrat and a gentleman have practically become the values of an entire nation.

The cult of privacy, the exaltation of the home - axial coordinates national psychology English. Vsevolod Ovchinnikov in “Oak Roots” characterizes the role of “home-centrism” in the national character of the British: “This unique scale of social values gives more prestige to those who can stay at home than to those who are forced to leave on business. Therefore, an Englishman is subconsciously inclined to believe that home occupies a more significant place in his life than work, regardless of whether this is actually so. By downplaying the role of work at the expense of leisure, he seems to raise his own social status... To do one’s business not for the sake of money or a career, but, so to speak, out of love for art, for one’s own pleasure, is, in the English mind, the credo of a true gentleman.”

Each nation has its own special character traits. This applies especially to the English. Every Englishman, no matter where he lives at the moment, has a set of qualities that will not allow him to be confused with a representative of another nationality.

We can say that the characteristics of the British are the result of the historical development of the country, a reflection of its traditions and customs, as well as a consequence of the island position of England.

Many authors have tried to describe from the perspective of a typical Englishman, his character, habits, interests. But we should not forget that each person is unique, so it is important not to simplify or exaggerate information about the life of an entire people.

Constancy of character

Among national characteristics The character of the British is highlighted by one of the main ones - their constancy and commitment to various rituals and traditions. Some traditions turn into performances, such as the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London or the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Some traditions are deeply embedded in the life of the British and even attempts to change something are not considered. An Englishman’s own vision of the world cannot change under the influence of external factors, just as his habit of drinking tea at five o’clock cannot change.

It is believed that the people of England are calm in any situation. Their equanimity and self-control are determined by the fact that from childhood they are taught to react in a certain way to life situations, not to show true feelings, and to overcome hardships and hardships. It is rare to see an expression of emotion on the faces of the British, be it surprise or anger.

Paradoxical and eccentric

Despite the constancy and restraint, among the character traits of the British, not the least important is their eccentricity, which provokes some paradoxical behavior. Showing emotion during football matches is not typical for an Englishman.

Also, the British rarely hold back their emotions when faced with criticism or ridicule of their traditions or way of life. This is a fairly patriotic nation, ready to pay taxes to maintain royal family, which may be dissatisfied with some rules until they are introduced into law.

The paradoxical character of the British is determined by some inconsistency of their behavior. They do not like heat, but love fireplaces, have no idea about the affairs of their neighbors, but know everything about the life of the royal family, can dress casually at home, but even to a large exhibition cattle They will put on a hat and insert a flower into the buttonhole of their jacket.

These features of the national character of the British are inexplicable, but they are invariably proud of them.

The eccentricity of behavior lies in the life of the British without regard to others. They do not care about the opinions of others, although they will listen politely. The British can collect strange things, walk with a folded umbrella in the rain, and dress extravagantly.

This tendency to stand out, to become different from everyone else, probably arose precisely because of the historically established strict norms of behavior, regulations and rules that do not allow one to be very different from others.

Ritualism of behavior

No matter how eccentric and original the inhabitants of England are, for the most part their behavior is ritualistic.

The British observe certain rituals when communicating: even with strangers, they will carry on a conversation about the weather, gardening or minor news, because that’s the custom. It is not even the topic of conversation that is important, but the process itself.

There are certain rituals in organizing entertainment, eating, choosing clothes, organizing leisure time on weekends, and communicating with different categories of people. During the day, an Englishman can perform certain actions, not because he wants to, but because it is prescribed by rituals.

British snobbery

One of the negative characteristics of the British is their snobbery. This quality is often explained as a consequence of the imperial psychology that came from the time when England subjugated almost half the world. The English feel superior to other peoples, and this superiority lies not in having no one above them, but in having someone below them.

Previously, from childhood, a stereotype was implanted in their consciousness that they needed to show the greatness of the British nation, to set an example to the whole world. And even when the empire fell, this idea did not easily leave the subconscious of people.

Also, often the British simply do not delve into the life and characteristics of other peoples, selfishly giving preference to their own internal problems. The island position of England determined the special hostile attitude of the British towards other nations. What happens on the mainland is largely perceived by the people of England as something different from their life as a civilization from the barbarians.

Tolerance of a nation

But we must give the British their due; they will never show their hostility in person, for which they are often considered two-faced. This is determined by their politeness - they will never out loud express dissatisfaction or disagreement with someone else’s opinion, uttering some of the complacent phrases: “This is very interesting idea" or " Quite an interesting reasoning." In reality, this will mean disagreement.

In general, they quite rarely utter categorical phrases. Even when answering the question “What time is it?” from an Englishman you can hear “I believe it is six o’clock” or “I think it is six o’clock.” Those who often communicate with representatives of the British people consider this impolite - such polite treatment for show hides their indifference, indifference and suspicion.

The natives of England do not care how a person dresses, how he speaks, or how he behaves. The eccentricity of others is not condemned and seems to go unnoticed. This principle of their life can be expressed in the words “Live and let others live.”

The British tolerance also extends to their attitude towards nature. England is considered a green country with unique nature. It is not uncommon in Britain to have a lonely house standing among the trees, which shows the presence of humans even in remote areas of the country, or parks and gardens in large cities that look more like wild nature.

The isolation of the British

The isolation of the nation is explained geographical location countries. Insular psychology separates not only England from the mainland countries, but also each person from each other. This nation loves privacy very much. The British have a very difficult time getting along with other people, but they maintain connections with the friends they make for many years.

When meeting with acquaintances, men do not show joy, do not exchange routine smiles, do not hug, but limit themselves to a classic handshake. Women do not exchange real kisses when they meet, but only imitate sounds and gestures somewhere in the area of their friend’s ear.

Physical contact when communicating with friends is considered indecent and unnatural.

In this regard, the British live by the “don’t touch me” principle. Every person tries to avoid contacts with strangers. When such contacts cannot be avoided, for example, on public transport, they do not look each other in the eyes and try to avoid eye contact.

English humor

It seems to all foreigners that the excellent sense of humor of the British is just a myth. Their jokes seem flat, ridiculous, uninteresting and stupid. The British themselves are proud of their sense of humor and react painfully to such assessments from others.

Accusing them of lacking the ability to joke hurts their pride more than condemning other character traits. Perhaps the British lack of a sense of humor is attributed to their inability to laugh at themselves, their traditions and interests.

English humor has more to do with words than with sitcoms or dressing up. Therefore, it traditionally manifests itself in literature - in the comic characters of W. Shakespeare, C. Dickens, D. Austen, L. Carroll and other authors. Also, English humor can manifest itself without words: Charlie Chaplin's short comedies still cause laughter all over the world.

All these qualities define an original, unique and somewhat paradoxical world - a typical English character. It is simply impossible to confuse a representative of this country with someone else.

Which is nothing like the traditional Scottish one, which includes scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. And there is no more terrible insult than, through a slip of the tongue or out of naivety, to confuse one with the other.

This small, in essence, island is a whole world in which everything is “like the big ones.” There are distinct regional differences between North and South, West and East - not only in character, food, traditions, clothing, but also in language - residents of different regions of England sometimes simply cannot understand each other, and certainly no one can understand announcements on regular buses, pronounced with a distinct local accent. And the diversity of nature, landscape, geography, economy turns a small island into a huge country. But the most important thing is the attitude of the British themselves, who perceive this country as having no borders.

They move easily around the world, the average English family has one son working in Morocco, another writing essays in Indonesia, and a third (preferably) working in the City of London to support them all. They easily go on vacation to India and Pakistan, and to New York for shopping. But a trip to Scotland or Cornwall is perceived by them as a very serious journey, for which they need to prepare, plan, pack in advance, not forgetting about the upcoming acclimatization. In the early 1960s, Englishwoman Barbara Moore developed a walking tourist route from the farthest north-eastern point of Scotland - John o' Grote to the most south-western - Land's End (literally - “end of the world”), which amounted to 1,408 km So, there was no limit to the indignation of the British - to humiliate and belittle their huge country in this way!

The British are one of the few peoples in the world who enjoy the inexplicable respect of others. No matter how much one laughs at the properties and characteristics of their character, secret respect breaks through any ridicule, criticism or outright hostility. A striking example is English humor. No one can understand him, especially in his most vivid manifestation - his love for physiological jokes. The refined irony of Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde is understandable to everyone, but falling trousers, toilet witticisms, indispensable hints at various kinds of greasiness and indecency of Mr. Bean or Benny Hill cause undisguised bewilderment among other peoples. But here the effect of “the king’s new dress” comes into play - no one can believe that he is naked, everyone suspects that they simply did not feel something in the subtle English humor, but understood everything to the extent of their depravity.

England is perhaps the only country that does not want to be “Europe”. Italians and Spaniards, secretly having a complex, dream of joining this glorious title, Eastern Europeans want the same thing - noisily and aggressively, Germans pretend that they are Europe, although deep down they are not too sure of this, Scandinavians live in their own world, without even counting on this honor. And only the British consistently refuse such a privilege, separating themselves in every possible way from the whole world, not entering into any association. They want to be on their own. And they succeed. They know that they are the greatest country, a kind of “navel” of the Universe. After all, even the zero meridian passes through their territory.

But for all their deep and sincere conviction in their own superiority, the British are deprived of any frank expression of their own patriotism. It is impossible to imagine an Englishman repeating “proud to be an Englishman” like a prayer, or even simply whispering warm, heartfelt words about his country, as their neighbors on the continent do. Loud, noisy patriotism is characteristic primarily of peoples with a complex of national inferiority and uncertainty about their place in the world. Those who are firmly convinced of their own superiority do not need it. On the contrary, self-irony, ridicule, healthy skepticism towards oneself - all this completely kills the desire in others to look down on the British.

You often hear that the British are extremely hospitable and friendly - and this is true. Ask in broken English on the street of any city, even one as indifferently cosmopolitan as London, how to get to the right place, and they will tell you everything in detail, take you where you need to go, and at parting, in accordance with the linguistic tradition of address, call you affectionately dear or love (which, of course, will not mean a sudden outbreak of passion). However, such politeness in no way reduces their sense of national superiority or their sense of prejudice towards everything foreign.

Moreover, the British themselves have long been aware of this trait of theirs and have been trying to fight it for a long time. Thus, it was here that, back in the 16th century, the tradition of making educational trips to the continent arose, which later became known as the “Grand Tour”. In the era of Elizabeth I, voyages of young Englishmen to Europe were strongly encouraged by the state, and often financed: England needed educated, knowledgeable about the world, widely thinking people, capable of bringing to their country, along with new views, all sorts of practical information - from modern scientific discoveries to information of a political nature.

In the 18th century, visiting European countries became an integral part of the education of an English gentleman, and education in the broad sense - not only of the mind, but also of the soul. In addition to acquiring certain knowledge, the range of which seemed rather vague and foggy, the journey implied the development of taste, improvement of manners, and improvement of communication skills. And most importantly, it was the best way combating their own shortcomings - prejudice against everything foreign, lack of interest in other languages and customs, national isolation and narrow worldview. Much later, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the heroes of the novel by the famous English writer E.M. Foster's "A Room with a View" perfect formula education of English children: "First bring them up among honest provincials for purity, then send them to Italy for refinement, and then, and only then, let them come to London."

These methods helped, however, not too much. In the book “Etiquette for Women,” published in 1902, the author persistently convinces his compatriots to be more lenient towards other nations, at least while traveling. “It cannot be denied,” the author writes, “that the English are absurdly conservative, but when traveling they need to put aside for a while their traditionalism, their coldness, their sense of superiority. Convinced of their superiority, they can afford to be lenient and merciful towards others.” And as recently as 2000, an English journalist was still ironic about the fact that the strait separating England from the continent is a “defensive ditch” for the British, along the steep banks of which they carry out constant service, “scanning the horizon in search of a possible invader ", in a figurative sense, of course.

England and Russia have long-standing and varied ties. It is known that back in Kyiv, at the court of Yaroslav the Wise, there were two Anglo-Saxon princes - the sons of Edmund Ironside, who was killed in 1016. The infamous Harald, who fell in England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, was married to the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Elizabeth, whose hand he sought for a long time. The daughter of the last Anglo-Saxon king, Gita, fled through Denmark to Rus', where she became the wife of Vladimir Monomakh. The opening of the Northern Sea Route in 1553 established strong trade ties between the two countries, which turned out to be very beneficial for both sides and led to close contacts in other areas.

There was also a certain mystical thread connecting two such different and, frankly speaking, not always politically friendly peoples towards each other. For example, the common patron is St. George. Or the St. Andrew's flag - common to the Russian and Scottish fleets. Or the legend preserved in the English Chronicle (for 967) about the death of Baron Robert Sharland from the skull of his beloved horse, which exactly repeated the fate of ours Prophetic Oleg. Or the almost identical resemblance between the last Russian emperor and the English king George V (yes, they are relatives, but not twins). And something completely unexpected - in the 20th century, the English King Edward, who was killed at the age of 16 in 978, that is, even before the official baptism of Rus', was proclaimed a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church (though the one that is “in exile”) .

However, England has never been a place of mass pilgrimage for Russians - as elsewhere, in Russia it was more often respected than loved. In France they had fun and embraced fashion trends, in Germany they rested and received treatment, in Italy they merged with beauty and cherished an aesthetic sense. First of all, diplomats, business people, scientists, and political outcasts went to England.

English character is, on the one hand, perhaps the most contradictory and paradoxical among European peoples, almost all of its features have directly opposite properties, and on the other hand, it is very integral and definite, traceable over many centuries. Its features are most often explained by the island position of the country, even a term has appeared - “island psychology”. But there are many inhabited islands in the world, and England is the only one. Apparently, it took a combination of many factors - the mixing into a single whole of different peoples (Britons, Picts, Celts, Anglo-Saxons and many others), seasoned with Roman and Norman conquests, flavored with close ties with continental peoples, fertilized with victories and conquests and seasoned with climate and geographical location, for this people to appear, so different from other Europeans.

One of the key features of the English character is adherence to tradition - many call this trait conservatism. Indeed, the desire to preserve in their original form the peculiarities of life and behavior, rituals and habits, sometimes brought to the point of absurdity - from a modern and non-English point of view - distinguishes the English from most other peoples, is subjected to sharp criticism by these others, but at the same time makes them touristic. attractive to the whole world.

Everyone knows about right-hand drive and left-hand traffic. Here there is a ban on any replacement of windows and doors in old houses, which forces the entire country to do without double-glazed windows, which is cold, but tolerable. Much more inconvenience is caused by English plumbing, which causes endless surprise among outsiders. It's hard to understand how anyone could be comfortable washing their face under two separate hot and cold taps. cold water. Well, you can also imagine that you fill the sink with water and splash around in it at home. But such a division in public places is not at all clear. In this case, the desire to splash disappears completely.

Further more. A traditional English bath (nationwide they make up the vast majority; changes have affected only metropolitan hotels) also has 2 separate taps and does not have a shower. According to the plan of this amazing people, you need to fill the bath with water, add foam, soak in, wash your hair (!) and get out without washing anything off. Dishes in homes are washed in the same way - water is collected in the sink, like in a basin, washing liquid is added to it, and so, without rinsing, the dishes are placed to dry. Our usual method of washing dishes under running water causes the British to counter-bewilder: “What an unreasonable waste of water!” Sometimes it seems that they live in a waterless desert, and not on an island...

In private hotels and boarding houses, in the toilet next to the toilet there is usually a long, detailed instruction explaining to the guest the rules for draining the water. Remember: a hanging tank with a chain that, if you pull hard, stays in your hands. The instructions often end with the wonderful phrase: “Only after the lever has finally returned to its original position can you try again.” And such repetitions are not uncommon...

The French are the main opponents of the British and have the courage to criticize the latter. Other nations prefer to remain silent, believing that all this is being done only to create inconvenience for foreigners.

The British themselves intuitively feel the deep connection between form and content - change one, the other will invariably change. Preserving two taps, a chain on the toilet, and the right-hand drive ultimately ensures their national integrity and protects their character in the conditions of total globalization.

Traditions live not only in everyday life, they permeate the most different sides English life. Thus, universities take very seriously the maintenance of rituals that arose, for example, in the 16th or 17th centuries. More recently, in reputable universities, some professors allowed students to attend their lectures exclusively in robes, and for certain types of final exams, this uniform has still been preserved. There are cases when both students and professors almost lost consciousness on a hot summer day, steaming in thick, long decorative robes, but they never received permission from the management to take them off. The graduation ceremony is a magnificent theatrical performance, which at the same time does not seem artificial or overly pompous. It seems that all these people were born to wear wigs, professorial caps, and pronounce formulas and words that have been repeated for centuries.

No university in the world has as many conventions and historical traditions as English. The issuance of robes for ceremonies is carried out in strictly defined rooms - separately for professors, separately for doctors, separately for employees without a degree; it is impossible to imagine any democracy here. A gala dinner for any important occasion is unthinkable without a tailcoat and bow tie, even if many have to rent them. The beautiful green lawns at the University of Cambridge can only be trampled by those who belong to the teaching staff, as warning signs placed everywhere inform, others must confine themselves to the paths. During daily joint lunches, held in ancient high halls, by candlelight, with tables covered with museum utensils, everyone, from student to rector, takes a certain place according to his position in the team. However, they all remain modern people, ironic towards their own world, but at the same time devoted to it and secretly proud of it.

The most important part English tradition is a monarchy. Of course, today the British have a bit of a complex about such an “unmodern” institution, laugh at it, and say that scandals recent years, mainly love affairs in which members of the royal family were involved, greatly undermined the prestige of the monarchy. Although all these doubts are largely explained by the fact that this same monarchical power, even if it has turned into a decorative one, is extremely important for the British, and mainly for uniting the nation and maintaining the national spirit. Well, it’s impossible to rally around Tony Blair! There are kings and queens in other countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain - but there, in most cases, they are loved, but not noticed, and nowhere do they cause such a complex and excitement as in England. For the British, this issue is alive and pressing, as before. The death of the Queen Mother last year was excellent evidence that the childish, flesh-and-blood monarchy is alive and well in the hearts of the British. Mountains of flowers, crowds of people reached out to pay their last respects to the more than 100-year-old old woman. Girls in elegant dresses and white socks brought touching drawings with the inscription “We love you!”, elderly, obviously provincial-looking couples stood in line to sign up for the memory book, even sarcastic English journalists wiped away an uninvited tear.

The British have great respect for their history. Museum work in this country is at the highest level, and for good reason. At every corner, around every turn, in every remote place there is a museum, and it is never empty, and it is filled primarily by the inhabitants of the country themselves, who study with constant interest the peculiarities of the life and way of life of their ancestors. The tradition of visiting historic houses and castles appeared in England back in the era of Elizabeth I, when the rest of Europe had no idea what a tour was, and these properties themselves were in private hands. The number of films about Henry VIII and his many wives is growing year by year to meet the needs of the English public, who never tire of admiring their loving idol. The memory of the British Empire, which ruled the seas and lands around the world, has not faded either; boasting about this, of course, is not accepted and not modern, but they have not forgotten about it either.

At the same time, there is no more informal society than the English one, in those cases, of course, when this is allowed by tradition. You can put on the most unimaginable outfit, have an unimaginable hairstyle, behave in the strangest way and be sure that no one in England will pay attention to you. Firstly, because this is a country of eccentrics and eccentrics, secondly, because here everyone is free to do what he wants (unless, of course, this goes against the traditional unwritten principles), and finally, because restraint, self-control and silence are considered one of the basic rules of life. The portrait of a typical representative of the English people was drawn by F.M. Dostoevsky, describing a train trip to Paris: “On the left sat a pure, blood-borne Englishman, red-haired, with an English parting on his head and intensely serious. The whole way he didn’t say a single word to any of us in any language, during the day he read, without stopping, some book... and as soon as it was ten o’clock in the evening, he immediately took off his boots and put on his shoes . It was probably like this all his life, and he didn’t want to change his habits even in the carriage.”

There aren't many things that can set an Englishman off. At the beginning of perestroika, an Englishwoman who came to Russia encountered a surprise: on a tram, a shabby man, apparently deciding to test the foreigner’s strength, suddenly opened his coat, pulled out and shook a huge dead rat in front of her nose. The Muscovites around us screamed in unison. Not a single muscle moved on the English guest’s face; her behavior indicated that she was faced with such things almost every day. Only later, in an intimate setting, did it become clear that she had, after all, experienced a nervous shock.

Restraint, control over one's feelings, often mistaken for simple coldness - these are the life principles of this small but very proud people. In those cases when a representative of the sentimental Latin race or the spiritual Slavic race weeps with tears of admiration or tenderness, the Englishman will say “lovely” (“cute”), and this will be equivalent in the strength of the feelings shown.

The only thing that can piss off a true Englishman is the noisy and defiant behavior of others. Even in London, a city almost entirely given over to tourists and immigrants, you can often see a decorous English couple on a bus, looking with open disgust at a noisy and emotional group of Spanish or Italian tourists, who, even in a fit of sincere indignation, only allow themselves to frown and silently look at each other indignantly . In the museum store in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford, American tourists (who, to put it mildly, are not uncommon there) - noisy, cheerful, excitedly buying tons of a variety of souvenirs and accompanying this process with laughter and loud delight - evoke invariable arrogant contempt and chilling politeness saleswomen The fact that they, tourists, provide them with a livelihood does not change anything even in a market economy.

Even greater and, probably, the strongest emotional indignation among the British is caused by a disdainful attitude towards queues, which are an object of special worship for them. They themselves, according to one apt expression, form a queue of even one person. In places where queues are obviously predictable, special barriers are placed so that no one worries and everyone is sure that even if someone manages to sneak in from somewhere on the side, he will be ignored and showered with contempt by everyone around him, including the one to whom this someone broke through, after which he will still have to stand in line.

In the buffet on the train there was a decorous tall Englishwoman, on whose face was written higher education, her own mansion and a significant bank account, hesitated and did not place an order. After a pause, the modest young man standing behind her risked doing this (the two of them made up the entire line). A tradeswoman at a Moscow market, who is trying to slip counterfeit money or steal tomatoes, would probably look more secular than this pleasant, silent lady, who suddenly burst into a stream of rage that fell on the head of the arrogant rogue who violated the sacred law.

One of the manifestations of the restraint of the English nature is the attitude towards sex in this country. One of the famous jokers once released a phrase, picked up and confirmed by others: “European peoples have sexual relations, the British have hot water bottles in their beds.” Another popular joke refutes this truth: "The English have sex twice a month when the month has a W in it" (similar to the idea that oysters are eaten in months when there is a "G"; for reference: there is no such month with W in the English calendar). Sex and everything connected with it has long been considered in England as something wrong, which is best avoided if possible.

The mid-19th century Book of Manners pointed out that even “compliments and flirting are unacceptable in English society unless they are expressed so delicately as to be completely unnoticeable.” A modern book of etiquette recommends that lovers refrain from overt expressions of feelings and hints about what exists between them intimate relationships, as “this may be confusing for some.” The maximum intimacy acceptable in society, according to the modern author, is walking hand in hand or arm in arm, a light disembodied kiss on the cheek, a distant hug. T-shirts on sale in London: "No sex please, we're British." The English themselves write with resentment that the restraint characteristic of English men is often mistaken for their lack of interest in the female sex.

One of the most important life principles of the British can be expressed by the following formula: “We did not come into this world to have fun.” It is on this that many distinctive features of their character and way of life are based. Start with education. It is customary to keep children strictly, and the higher in society you are, the more strict there is. We often see how in a rich English house, with a huge living room, a gigantic bedroom, a majestic study, the so-called children's room is located almost in the attic and is a miserable closet, and this is done quite consciously, for fundamental reasons, so as not to undead, but to harden. Until now, the system of boarding schools is very popular in the country, and separate for boys and girls (since sexual relations are harmful, there is nothing to get used to), and this primarily concerns children from aristocratic and wealthy families. The discipline and order in them to this day are a kind of mixture of prison, barracks and monastery, considered befitting the spirit of education of a real Englishman. It is no coincidence, apparently, that the Boy Scout movement originated in England at the beginning of the 20th century, and its slogan was “Be prepared!” A true Englishman must be ready for any difficulties at any moment.

There is an old English truth - “children should be seen, but not heard.” In English pubs you can often see a “No children, no dogs” sign on the door. And indeed, if an exception may be made for dogs, then for children - no, only in some places, remote provinces, where there is one pub for the entire village, children can be allowed in, as the sign at the entrance happily reports again. But this, of course, is no longer a real pub.

A typical question addressed to a child: “So what do you want to be when you grow up, young man?” - suggests that childhood is just a period that must be experienced in order to become a normal, that is, adult, person. Such strictness, although it sometimes causes natural bewilderment, gives somewhat good results. The British not only conquered half the world in their time, but were also able to survive and gain a foothold in this half. Travellers, sailors, discoverers of lands - this is a real thing for the British, who know how to challenge fate and not be afraid of difficulties. Moreover, a challenge is sometimes more important for them than a victory; they are not afraid to lose.

It is very revealing and interesting to work with English students in Russia. If Americans are ready to endlessly suffer from a faulty toilet tank, which completely deprives them of the opportunity to enjoy life and perceive beauty, English students perceive difficulties quite calmly. On a motor ship on the Sukhona River, which had one toilet for everyone and no shower or bath at all, cheerful young Englishmen learned to wash their hair in a bidet, visit public baths at stops, swim in ice-cold water and took obvious pleasure in the delights of real Russian life, which included warming up with a variety of drinks every night.

Another example is that photographs of the heir to the British crown, Prince William, working in South America, where he was on youth practice. This is exactly what the heir to the English throne must be - unpretentious and not afraid of difficulties - to earn the respect of his fellow citizens.

This attitude towards life extends to such an important part of life as food. Neighbors from the continent never tire of mocking the English cuisine. In the worldwide popular French cartoon about the Gaul Asterix, there is an episode in which he, along with his gluttonous friend Obelix, comes to England, where the heroes painfully try to eat normally. But even the glutton Obelix cannot cope with English dishes generously seasoned with mint sauce.

The main feature, also known as the problem, of English food is that it is aimed at satisfying hunger, and not at obtaining pleasure. Food should be the way it was given by God, the earth, Nature, and all excesses and delicacies come from the evil one (read, the Frenchman). In essence, it is close in type to traditional Russian food - boiled vegetables, stewed or fried meat, pies. A cartoon in an English magazine depicts two chefs, one of whom lists potato dishes: “Boiled, fried, baked, stewed potatoes,” and the second exclaims: “And they also say that English cuisine is monotonous!”

One of the most difficult questions in English life is the place that religion occupies in it. It is known that even the church in England has its own - Anglican, independent of anyone from the outside. And although it is believed that it was introduced by the sensualist Henry VIII in order to be able to marry as many times as he wanted, it is obvious that in its spirit and character it turned out to be close and understandable to the population. You can often hear from the British themselves that the church does not play a big role in their lives. And outwardly this is indeed so - rarely, only on holidays, and even then in the provinces, do any noticeable numbers of people gather in the church.

However, here is a paradox: the principles by which the English live - life is not for pleasure, sex is sinful, physical difficulties strengthen the soul, food should only satiate, and so on - are exactly those to which most churches call their flock. A classic English village certainly has a church in the center; the most important social activities are concentrated around it, especially in those cases and for those people (women, old people, children) when the issue cannot be resolved in another indispensable component of English life - the pub. The vicar is not perceived by others as a shepherd or mentor, but rather as a friend who is respected, who is expected to be active (as you know, in English detective stories they often even have to solve murders), whose role is not to remind others of how to live, but just be ready to help when needed. It is difficult to say how and when such a situation arose. Perhaps the fact is that Christianity in England has long taken deep roots and become a part of life. Back in the 3rd century, when most peoples were not at all sure how to relate to this new phenomenon, and whole centuries remained before their baptism, monasteries were built on this land and monks held conversations about the Faith.

Against the background of the above, other aspects of English life seem paradoxical at first glance. For example, such a phenomenon as comfort, which entered other languages precisely from English. An English house represents a unique pinnacle of comfort and convenience. An environment that includes many objects, tables, ottomans, sofas and armchairs, all in front of a fireplace with crackling wood, a glass of whiskey in hand, what else is needed to meet old age! The British have a special, reverent attitude towards the house; they do not recognize apartments, preferring, albeit small, even in installments with interest, but their own house with a front garden. It is no coincidence that almost all houses in England have names; this creates inconvenience for guests and postmen, but demonstrates the very personal, very reverent attitude of the British towards their homes. A true Englishman is ready for difficulties, but is quite capable of withstanding the most terrible test - comfort and coziness.

The garden evokes even more feelings in an Englishman. English gardens, the main style of which is a skillful imitation of natural nature, lack of symmetry, “wildness” created by human hands, are a strong national passion. In England there are even special “gardening” tours to Europe. A most interesting sight is presented by English grandmothers in bright light skirts and blouses, casually and condescendingly running past the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance towards their cherished goal - the Italian garden. This is where their feelings break through even through the mask of restraint and decency. They sit for hours near flower beds, painting watercolors, making pencil sketches, or simply smiling at the flowers as if they were their beloved grandchildren (whom, by the way, according to English tradition, they see much less often and with less pleasure).

Finally, just go to book Shop, in which huge racks are dedicated to gardens and guides to growing them (“Garden in Winter”, “Garden in Autumn”, “Garden if you’re short on time”, “Garden if you have a lot of time”, etc.) to be sure is that it's really serious.

Each house has its own front garden, and the English owners devote a lot of soul and effort to decorating it. Amazing flowers and shrubs, including exotic ones, are carefully planted around the house (if the garden is neglected, foreigners almost certainly live in it). The arrival of spring in England can be identified by the hum of lawnmowers, since the English lawn is also a source of national pride and reflects many aspects of English nature. First, adherence to tradition, as in the famous joke where an Englishman is asked: “How did you achieve such excellent results?” And he answers: “Very simple! You just have to trim it every day for 400 years.” The joke is not so far from the truth, although the French, for example, believe that the British simply plant fresh grass at night. Secondly, she talks about the love of freedom of the English - after all, you can walk on them freely and they are not trampled on.

Another apparent paradox is that the country of silent conquerors of seas and lands, raising their children in strictness and not tolerating excessive displays of emotions, has created, probably, the richest children's literature and children's world. Charming and touching characters have conquered the whole world: here are Winnie the Pooh and his friend Piglet, and hobbits, and Alice, who visited Wonderland, and Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan, and many other characters dearly loved by the British, but less known to the rest of the world - rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs, whose fates are closer and more important to the British than the fate of the heroes of their own great Shakespeare. The answer is simple: only for the outside world this is all children's literature and characters, but for the British all this is very serious and important, and above all for adults. Just like common games: in pubs, respectable men regularly and everywhere gather to play a fun game of darts, in which you need to hit a wooden circle with an arrow, adult women spend hours collecting pictures from thousands of squares, and everyone solves crossword puzzles and riddles , published in all periodicals and in separate editions. Apparently, childhood, dedicated to strengthening the spirit and body, still takes its toll later, when there is no threat of becoming spoiled and spoiling one’s character.

Serious Englishmen are also famous humorists. “Subtle English humor” has already been mentioned above; the answer lies in its simplicity, in the fact that there is no deep subtext hidden behind it, and physiological or toilet jokes are just that, giving vent to accumulated emotions and feelings. Another thing is examples of English irony, sarcasm, and genuine humor. Laughing at yourself and at others is completely natural for an Englishman. This property has been cultivated for centuries, considered the most important human dignity. Old English books of good manners state that “a sense of humor can and should be cultivated,” and “ ideal man must certainly have a sense of humor, otherwise he will be far from perfect.” Allegory, play on words, paradoxical statements, sharp jokes - all this constitutes the glory of the English people and language. And it is not always equally understandable and pleasant to others, who often “fall for the bait” of English wit.

Henry II's son, Edward I, brought Wales under the English crown in 1284, giving the Welsh an oath that no man who spoke English would stand over them... and installed his newborn son over them (in memory of this event from 1301 years to the present day, the heirs to the English throne bear the title Prince of Wales). In 1948, a major radio station in Washington invited ambassadors from various countries to answer the question by telephone: “What would you like for Christmas?” The French ambassador wished for world peace, the Soviet - victory over world imperialism. His Majesty's Ambassador replied (at live): “That’s nice of you to ask, I’d like some candied fruit.”

The British are a law-abiding people. Respect for the law has become such a natural part of their character and life that in many cases there is no longer even a need for strict control and punishment for non-compliance. Society can already afford to resort to common sense rather than force in solving certain issues. This manifests itself both in small things and in global issues. The British embassy in Moscow is one of the few today that accepts invitations in almost any form: sent by fax, e-mail, handwritten without certification (the point is that you can forge the original with stamps if you wish). Anyone who has gone through border control in London knows that the British are not known for their liberalism in this matter, they observe formalities, but there is no formalism in them. When leaving the country, passports are not checked or stamped at all. For what? After all, a person leaves their country and thank God!.. By the way, in the 19th century, England was the only European country that did not register foreigners, apparently not bothering its apparatus with such insignificant items. The attitude towards other formalities is also surprising: in England, an envelope addressed to a person with the address indicated on it is still an official document in many cases.

So that the English bureaucratic system does not look like some kind of ideal from which it real life far away, one can cite the statement of one humorist who wrote about its difference from the continental one, especially the notorious Italian and French. If in the latter countries you will be tormented by refusals, rudeness, and meaningless paper demands, then in England the official will smile pleasantly at you and will be extremely polite with you. He will ask you to fill out a huge number of questionnaires, most of which are written in a completely incomprehensible language, then he will say that he does not make the decision himself, but the request will certainly be considered, and the next time you come, he will be at a meeting, on a lunch break, or just went out. The result will be the same in both cases with the difference that in Latin countries the issue can ultimately be settled with the help of friends and connections, and in England the law is the law for everyone, which means there is practically no way out of the bureaucratic impasse.

Even the police allow themselves to understand. An Englishwoman, very hot with drinks, stopped by a policeman and immediately cheerfully informed him that she was returning from an anniversary, received a friendly recommendation “not to do that again” and a knowing smile as she parted. And soon the same lady received a huge fine in the mail for speeding, recorded by a traffic surveillance camera, and almost lost her license...

Speaking about the character of the British, one cannot pass over in silence their most important national passions and hobbies. One of them is love for animals. If children, for educational purposes, are not given the most best places in the house, then a dog or cat will certainly be at the highest honor. They are treated warmer and more tenderly than most family members, and can be allowed to be gentle and loving with them. A walk between two Englishmen is often a melancholic silent procession, but a walk with a dog is almost always a pleasant, albeit somewhat one-sided conversation, full of tenderness and warmth.

Not everyone can afford a passion for horses, but even here the love for them surpasses human relationships in warmth. Horse racing in England is a truly national event. Princess Anne, the daughter of the reigning queen, was once so keen on horses that she became the subject of much ridicule. For example, a typical caption under a photo: “Princess Anne (right) with her favorite horse” (they really looked alike). However, the ridicule was quite good-natured, since this is a feeling that is understandable to any Englishman. The princess got much more when a living person became the object of her passion.

Another national passion is tea. Although many people today, especially in large cities, drink coffee or (even worse) brew tea in a bag, still maintaining a feeling and special relationship with this drink is considered an important component of English culture. English literature testifies to the enormous role that tea drinking had in the life of the country. In detective stories, the person who finds a corpse is offered a cup of tea to maintain strength; in romance novels, it is used to heal broken hearts; friends drink it to celebrate a meeting, and enemies drink it to defuse the situation. Peter Pan, when asked to the children “What do they want more, tea or adventure,” receives an immediate answer: “Tea first, please.”

Everyone knows that in England they drink tea with milk - milk first, tea on top and no water. This tradition is so strong that manufacturers place the warning “Best drunk without milk” on packs of green, fruit and herbal tea, which does not stop the British from creating a terrible mess, for example, consisting of rosehip tea diluted with milk.

Another English weakness is the weather. All the jokes and ridicule they are subjected to for this are completely fair. Every English conversation really revolves around this topic, even semi-formal letters from organizations contain references to good or bad weather. The main problem is that the British are convinced that they have very bad, changeable and unpredictable weather, which, in their opinion, determines many aspects of their lives and character. While completely agreeing with the latter, one has to disagree with the rest. It’s probably bad (read: cold) for the residents of Spain, where the British love to go to warm up. For a normal (read: Russian) person, it’s very good: all year round the grass is greener, even in December flowers are blooming in the flowerbeds, and the occasional rare snowfall from above does not spoil the picture as a whole. Its changeability is also greatly exaggerated (one must hope that the British will not read this, otherwise the offense will be mortal). The nearby coast of France also has similar variability, like all coastal areas, but does not make a cult out of it. As for unpredictability, this is not even worth discussing; this is a question not of the weather, but of the weather services, which can broadcast “It’s raining today” in bright sunshine, as if they have no windows.

Despite this, the weather remains a source of constant surprise and secret fascination for the British, and the whole country plays the same game - “Who would have thought!” In winter, snow falls almost every year and, although not for long, the temperature drops to zero degrees, and sometimes to minus. But England is chronically unprepared for winter, all life is immediately paralyzed, trains do not run, buses stop, telephone communications are disrupted, electricity is supplied intermittently, of course - no one could have imagined this, like every year. This is unpredictability. A similar picture is observed in the summer, when stiflingly hot weather regularly sets in. But you won’t find air conditioning in offices and hotels—why do they need them in such a cold country? And finally, the favorite motive of the British is “the weather is unusual this year” (according to the season, “hot”, “cold”, “rainy”, “windy”, etc. are inserted) - this is always a surprise, a surprise.

The British live in accordance with these principles. If calendar spring has arrived, all mothers put shorts and short-sleeved shirts on their children, which makes their bare legs covered in goosebumps under the icy wind, and their noses turn red and immediately begin to run. But it doesn’t matter - spring has come and no one expects it to be cold, and children have been wearing shorts at this time for 500 years.

There is no heating in houses. Moreover, historically in England, fireplaces became widespread, which, unlike a stove, do not store heat, but only create coziness and are common in countries with warm climates. Firstly, there is no need to indulge and relax. Secondly, spend money on fuel in a country where, although the weather is bad, there is no frost. Thirdly, if it's cold, you can wear another sweater. Therefore, a completely fair stereotypical image of an English bedroom has developed, in which you wake up, shivering from the cold, splash ice water in your face and start a new day very cheerfully. The ritual has remained unchanged from the time of Jane Eyre to the present day. Sometimes, however, it is combined with another national hobby, and then you can get a cup of hot tea right in your ice-cold bed. Almost all English hotels (except those in the capital) certainly have a kettle, cups, tea and milk so that you can immediately prepare tea and drink it right in bed.

As was said at the beginning, the English character is complex, varied and full of contrasts and paradoxes. The small country, thanks to the strength of this character, was able to achieve great respect from others. Moreover, the preservation of this character has become an important goal of this people.

The population of Great Britain is approximately 59 million (58.823000 according to July 1996 data). The country ranks 18th in the world in terms of population.

According to Scottish scientists from the Royal Scientific Society, certain sounds of the German language are to blame for the fact that Germans and Austrians are often gloomy and completely devoid of a sense of humor. The scientists' claims are caused by the so-called umlauts, denoted by the letters "a", "o", "i" with two dots at the top. Pronunciation of these sounds causes the lips to creep down, causing the facial expression to become gloomy. This, according to scientists, leads to negative emotions, bad mood and a fading sense of humor. At the same time, in English and Russian, unlike German, vowel sounds predominate, which encourage a joyful perception of the world and a willingness to help, researchers say.

In England itself, northerners and southerners are especially different from each other in character and speech.

Northerners generally tend to claim that they are more industrious than Southerners and more persistent in their work. Foreigners note that northerners are more open and hospitable

and it's easier to make friends with them. Northerners have a good appetite: when you come to Lancashire or Yorkshire, you can easily see this - the food portions here are very large.

The character and features of the pronunciation of the speech of people living in the Midlands represent a gradual transition from the southern to the northern type of Englishman.

The people of Scotland are said to be very serious, careful, tight-fisted, quite inventive and a little mysterious.

The English generally admit that the Welsh are an emotional people, but at the same time rather silent and reserved and not easy to get to know.

The Irish are famous for their charm and liveliness of character, and are considered a very talented nation with a subtle sense of humor and words. Many of the United Kingdom's greatest writers are of Irish descent (among them: Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw). Sometimes an introductory lecture on British literature at university begins with the phrase: “All the great writers of Great Britain have been Irish.” Ireland is proud of the beauty of its girls.

It is difficult to talk about the character of the English, just as it is difficult to talk about the character of the Russians, the Chinese or any other nation.

kind in general. How many people, so many characters. However, some of the most typical features or norms of behavior certainly distinguish one people from another. Among the British, such generalizing features are stability and constancy, tolerance and non-interference in other people's affairs, isolation and individualism.

Stereotypical images of the British include such traits as reserve (they are considered silent and not inclined to show their feelings outwardly); they are courageous and do not lose their presence of mind in difficult situations. This quality of character is reflected in the phrase “They keep a stiff upper lip,” which can be translated into Russian as “They do not take on a tragic facial expression, with the corners of their mouths downturned, and do not whine.” It is also believed that the British are great masters of reticence. They are not inclined to demonstrate either their virtues or the hardships of life they experience. About personal problems

Mach is either not mentioned at all in conversation, or they say it with a smile, half-jokingly.

Americans have a rather peculiar stereotypical idea of Great Britain and its typical resident. Compare which of these common stereotypes we share. North America was once home to British colonies, so many Americans feel close to Britain, although these days they no longer say they want to go home when planning a trip to Britain, and would struggle to reproduce a map of the country. . Many people have a stereotypical idea of Great Britain as a country consisting of London and a village in Scotland, from where one of the ancestors once came to America (London itself is invariably covered in fog). A typical Brit wears a bowler hat (bowler hat) and he always has an umbrella with him, he waits patiently in line for the bus, eats fried fish and chips (fish and chips) and drinks tea all the time. He always has a servant (everyone in Britain has them) and is extremely respectful of the Queen. Americans admire the way the British behave, although they would not want so many ceremonies in their own country. Sometimes, depicting a typical Englishman, they show him taking a cup of tea, ceremoniously putting his little finger out, and speaking, inserting a word "well, eh" or slurring words, imitating prestigious English pronunciation. Moreover, the stereotypical idea of a British person is that of a person who always

impeccably polite and correct, knows which fork, spoon or knife to use, and constantly says “please”, “sorry”, “thank you”.

Of course, it is enough to remember English football fans, who have a scandalous reputation as bullies and brawlers far beyond the borders of their country, to discover how far this stereotype is from reality.

Americans often emphasize that the British are “eccentric” or “weirdo” (quaint), somewhat old-fashioned. This impression of the British, in part, is explained by the fact that British English contains words and grammatical structures that have long fallen out of use in American English and are perceived by Americans as outdated or official. The British's favorite adjective, according to Americans, is "lovely"(“charming”), used by them to describe anything, including the weather. Americans start smiling when they hear some other words often used by the British: holiday(“holiday”, in British English it means “vacation, vacation”), smashing(amazing) brilliant(brilliant, brilliant).

Of course, the perception of Britain as a country where everyone behaves, albeit strangely, but nicely, is far from reality, and people who have visited this country often come not only with positive, but also negative impressions of it. It is sometimes said that the British are snobby and not very friendly, the famous reserve of the British is often perceived as coldness, and, in contrast to the open, outwardly emotional manner of communication of the Americans,

Kansev, it seems that the British are saying something completely different from what they mean. They say, for example, "That's no problem", knowing that serious problems may actually arise, and are perplexed when their interlocutors do not understand what they mean. Americans usually blame the British for overcooked food, cooked in a huge amount of fat and therefore unhealthy and tasteless, the combination of foods that, in their opinion, are incompatible, baths instead of showers, cramped and small homes, and dreary or rainy weather. However, in general, Americans have a very warm perception of Britain and everything British. They treat the sound of British English with reverence, sometimes they host parties with an invitation from an Englishman; they ask him to tell something, and they themselves listen to him speak. They call British English refined, consider it somewhat unnatural and affected, sometimes they say that the British are somewhat proud of their English, traditions, culture, flaunting them (they show off) The British respond by saying that they are simply being polite.

Distinctive features of a typical British person (a Brit) are: the spirit of independence, will and endurance. And it is not surprising that the English school has traditionally focused on nurturing precisely these personal qualities in schoolchildren. Independence is the main quality of a person that family and school are aimed at educating in England. The main thing here is not knowledge in itself, not preparing a person to perform a particular role, but the corresponding personality quality. And in this regard, English

The school is strikingly different from ours, and the entire organization of school life is aimed at developing in the younger generation the skills to make independent decisions and successfully overcome difficulties.

The British have a practical approach to moral and ethical problems. School, religion, justice - all these institutions emphasize human behavior, not his motives.

Having heard about the tolerance of the British, many foreigners mistakenly interpret it as the ability of one person to understand the motives of another and thereby justify the actions of another. In fact, the British understand tolerance as non-interference in the private life of others, suggesting in turn that everyone should also respect the private life of others.

Not the least important quality of national character, the education of which is given much attention in privileged private schools, is the ability to obey and manage, to comply with the rules of the game. A sense of team is also fostered here (it’s not for nothing that Great Britain is the birthplace of many sports, including team sports).

Without exaggeration, we can say that the monarchy and traditions of the aristocracy that still persist today have had a tremendous influence on the national character of the British.

The values of an aristocrat and a gentleman have practically become the values of an entire nation.

“A gentleman, a real gentleman,” wrote Andre Maurois, an admirer and connoisseur of England, “is the most attractive type in the evolution of mammals.” It is believed that the example of the gentleman as an export commodity contributed more to English prestige than the export of English coal. English society adopted him as one of its own, just as it adopted the naming of streets and parks in honor of aristocrats, and corrected foreigners, not sufficiently familiar with local customs, who said "Newton" instead of "Sir Isaac Newton."

The democratization of the concept of “gentleman” can be traced through the editions of the Great Oxford Dictionary or the Encyclopedia Britannica. In early editions of the Oxford Dictionary, the main characteristics of a gentleman are noble birth, family tree, and the right to bear a coat of arms. The later ones emphasize personal merits. In recent editions, the word “gentleman” is devoid of any class or moral content and becomes simply a polite form of address or reference to a person. A speaker who begins his speech with the traditional address: “Ladies and gentlemen!” does not at all have in mind the class position of his listeners, this is only an accepted form of addressing the audience.

The cult of privacy, the exaltation of the hearth and home are the axial coordinates of the national psychology of the British. Vsevolod Ovchinnikov in “Oak Roots” characterizes the role of “home-centrism” in the national character of the English.

Chan: “This peculiar scale of social values gives more prestige to someone who can stay at home than to someone who has to go out on business. Therefore, an Englishman is subconsciously inclined to believe that home occupies a more significant place in his life than work, regardless of whether this is actually so. By downplaying the role of work at the expense of leisure, he seems to raise his own social status... To do one’s business not for money or a career, but, so to speak, out of love for art, for one’s own pleasure, is the creed of a true gentleman in the English mind.”

1. After studying the material in the section, make a list of features
national character of the English, Scots,
Irish, Welsh.

2. Determine which ones match and don't match
ut among the English and Scots; the English and Irish
tsev; among the English and Welsh.

3. Make a list of features of the Russian national
character and compare it with character traits
English, Scots, Irish and Welsh.

4. Identify what you think the stereotype is.
ny ideas about the British in general, about the English
Chans, Irish, Scots and Welsh live in
our society.

5. Give examples from books, films, general experience
theories that confirm or refute stereo
typical representations.

England is a unique and paradoxical phenomenon. To begin with, this country does not have a specific name. That is, of course, everyone knows that England is part of Great Britain, also known as Britain, which also includes Scotland and Wales, which in turn are part of the United Kingdom along with Northern Ireland, which in turn is part of the British islands (with the Republic of Ireland and a number of small islands). The islands are inhabited, respectively, by the British, Scots, Welsh, and Irish, but no one wants to be British, although today it is almost impossible to find a representative of any of these glorious peoples proud of their independence in their “pure form.”

Everything is relative

Analyzing the English character, willy-nilly one has to turn to the British character, although keeping in mind that all the peoples inhabiting this country are not alike. An example of this is the traditional English breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, fried sausage, tomato and mushrooms,
which is nothing like the traditional Scottish one, which includes scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. And there is no more terrible insult than, through a slip of the tongue or out of naivety, to confuse one with the other.

This small, in essence, island is a whole world in which everything is “like the big ones.” There are distinct regional differences between North and South, West and East not only in character, food, traditions, clothing, but also in language residents of different regions of England sometimes simply cannot understand each other, and certainly no one can understand announcements on regular buses, pronounced with a distinct local accent. And the diversity of nature, landscape, geography, economy turns a small island into a huge country. But the most important thing is the attitude of the British themselves, who perceive this country as having no borders.

They move easily around the world, the average English family has one son working in Morocco, another writing essays in Indonesia, and a third (preferably) working in the City of London to provide for them all. They easily go on vacation to India and Pakistan, and to New York for shopping. But a trip to Scotland or Cornwall is perceived by them as a very serious journey, for which they need to prepare, plan, pack in advance, not forgetting about the upcoming acclimatization. In the early 1960s, Englishwoman Barbara Moore developed a walking tourist route from the farthest north-eastern point of Scotland, John o' Grote, to the most south-western point - Land's End (literally - "end of the world"), which amounted to 1,408 km So, there was no limit to the indignation of the British to humiliate and belittle their huge country in such a way!

Most most

The British are one of the few peoples in the world who enjoy the inexplicable respect of others. No matter how much one laughs at the properties and characteristics of their character, secret respect breaks through any ridicule, criticism or outright hostility. A striking example is English humor. No one can understand him, especially in his most vivid manifestation - his love for physiological jokes. The refined irony of Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde is understandable to everyone, but falling trousers, toilet witticisms, indispensable hints at various kinds of greasiness and indecency of Mr. Bean or Benny Hill cause undisguised bewilderment among other peoples. But here the effect of “the king’s new dress” comes into play: no one can believe that he is naked, everyone suspects that they simply did not feel something in the subtle English humor, but understood everything to the extent of their depravity.

Fight and search...

Moreover, the British themselves have long been aware of this trait of theirs and have been trying to fight it for a long time. Thus, it was here that, back in the 16th century, the tradition of making educational trips to the continent arose, which later became known as the “Grand Tour”. In the era of Elizabeth I, voyages of young Englishmen to Europe were strongly encouraged by the state, and often financed: England needed educated, world-knowledgeable, broad-minded people who were able to bring to their country, along with new views, all sorts of practical information from modern scientists discoveries to information of a political nature.

In the 18th century, visiting European countries became an integral part of the education of an English gentleman, and education in the broad sense of not only the mind, but also the soul. In addition to acquiring certain knowledge, the range of which seemed rather vague and foggy, the journey implied the development of taste, improvement of manners, and improvement of communication skills. And most importantly, it was the best way to combat their own shortcomings - prejudice against everything foreign, lack of interest in other languages and customs, national isolation and narrow worldview. Much later, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the heroes of the novel by the famous English writer E.M. Foster's A Room with a View outlined the ideal formula for raising English children: "First bring them up among honest provincials for purity, then send them to Italy for refinement, and then, and only then, let them come to London."

"Russian" trace

There was also a certain mystical thread connecting two such different and, frankly speaking, not always politically friendly peoples towards each other. For example, a common patron St. George. Or the St. Andrew's flag - common among the Russian and Scottish fleets. Or the legend preserved in the English Chronicle (for 967) about the death of Baron Robert Sharland from the skull of his beloved horse, which exactly repeated the fate of our Prophetic Oleg. Or the almost identical resemblance between the last Russian emperor and the English king George V (yes, they are relatives, but not twins). And quite unexpectedly, in the 20th century, the English king Edward, who was killed at the age of 16 in 978, that is, even before the official baptism of Rus', was proclaimed a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church (though the one that is “in exile”) .

However, England has never been a place of mass pilgrimage for Russians; like everywhere else, in Russia it was more often respected than loved. In France they had fun and joined fashion trends, in Germany they rested and received treatment, in Italy they merged with beauty and cherished the aesthetic sense. First of all, diplomats, business people, scientists, and political outcasts went to England.

The logic of paradoxes

The English character is, on the one hand, perhaps the most contradictory and paradoxical among European peoples, almost all of its features have directly opposite properties, and on the other hand, it is very integral and definite, traceable over many centuries. Its features are most often explained by the island position of the country, even the term “island psychology” appeared. But there are many inhabited islands in the world, and England is the only one. Apparently, it took a combination of many factors - the mixing into a single whole of different peoples (Britons, Picts, Celts, Anglo-Saxons and many others), seasoned with Roman and Norman conquests, flavored with close ties with continental peoples, fertilized with victories and conquests and seasoned with climate and geographical location, for this people to appear, so different from other Europeans.

One of the key features of the English character is adherence to tradition; many call this trait conservatism. Indeed, the desire to preserve in their original form the features of life and behavior, rituals and habits, sometimes brought to the point of absurdity from a modern and non-English point of view, distinguishes the English from most other peoples, is subjected to sharp criticism by these others, but at the same time makes them touristic. attractive to the whole world.

Everyone knows about right-hand drive and left-hand traffic. Here there is a ban on any replacement of windows and doors in old houses, which forces the entire country to do without double-glazed windows, which is cold, but tolerable. Much more inconvenience is caused by English plumbing, which causes endless surprise among outsiders. It is difficult to understand how anyone could comfortably wash their face under two separate taps with hot and cold water. Well, you can also imagine that you fill the sink with water and splash around in it at home. But such a division in public places is not at all clear. In this case, the desire to splash disappears completely.

Further more. A traditional English bath (nationwide they make up the vast majority; changes have affected only metropolitan hotels) also has 2 separate taps and does not have a shower. According to the plan of this amazing people, you need to fill the bath with water, add foam, soak in, wash your hair (!) and get out without washing anything off. Dishes in homes are washed in the same way: water is collected in the sink, like in a basin, washing liquid is added to it, and so, without rinsing, the dishes are placed to dry. Our usual method of washing dishes under running water causes the British to counter-bewilder: “What an unreasonable waste of water!” Sometimes it seems that they live in a waterless desert, and not on an island...

The British themselves intuitively feel a deep connection between form and content - change one, the other will invariably change. Preservation of two taps, a chain on the toilet, right-hand drive ultimately ensures their national integrity and protects their character in the conditions of total globalization.

Basics

Traditions live not only in everyday life, they permeate various aspects of English life. Thus, universities take very seriously the maintenance of rituals that arose, for example, in the 16th or 17th centuries. More recently, in reputable universities, some professors allowed students to attend their lectures exclusively in robes, and for certain types of final exams, this uniform has still been preserved. There are cases when both students and professors almost lost consciousness on a hot summer day, steaming in thick, long decorative robes, but they never received permission from the management to take them off. The graduation ceremony is a magnificent theatrical performance, which at the same time does not seem artificial or overly pompous. It seems that all these people were born to wear wigs, professorial caps, and pronounce formulas and words that have been repeated for centuries.

No university in the world has as many conventions and historical traditions as English. The issuance of robes for ceremonies is carried out in strictly defined rooms - separately for professors, separately for doctors, separately for employees without a degree; it is impossible to imagine any democracy here. A gala dinner for any important occasion is unthinkable without a tailcoat and bow tie, even if many have to rent them. The beautiful green lawns at the University of Cambridge can only be trampled by those who belong to the teaching staff, as warning signs placed everywhere inform, others must confine themselves to the paths. During daily joint lunches, held in ancient high halls, by candlelight, with tables covered with museum utensils, everyone, from student to rector, takes a certain place according to his position in the team. At the same time, they all remain modern people, ironic towards their own world, but at the same time devoted to it and secretly proud of it.

Royal tradition

The most important part of the English tradition is the monarchy. Of course, today the British have a bit of a complex about such an “out-of-date” institution, laugh at it, and say that the scandals of recent years, mainly love scandals in which members of the royal family were involved, have greatly undermined the prestige of the monarchy. Although all these doubts are largely explained by the fact that this same monarchical power, even if it has turned into a decorative one, is extremely important for the British, and mainly for uniting the nation and maintaining the national spirit. Well, it’s impossible to rally around Tony Blair! There are kings and queens in other countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain - but there, in most cases, they are loved but not noticed, and nowhere do they cause such a complex and excitement as in England. For the British, this issue is alive and pressing, as before. The death of the Queen Mother last year was excellent evidence that the childish, flesh-and-blood monarchy is alive and well in the hearts of the British. Mountains of flowers, crowds of people reached out to pay their last respects to the more than 100-year-old old woman. Girls in elegant dresses and white socks brought touching drawings with the inscription “We love you!”, elderly, obviously provincial-looking couples stood in line to sign up for the memory book, even sarcastic English journalists wiped away an uninvited tear.

The British have great respect for their history. Museum work in this country is at the highest level, and for good reason. At every corner, around every turn, in every remote place there is a museum, and it is never empty, and it is filled primarily by the inhabitants of the country themselves, who study with constant interest the peculiarities of the life and way of life of their ancestors. The tradition of visiting historic houses and castles appeared in England back in the era of Elizabeth I, when the rest of Europe had no idea what a tour was, and these properties themselves were in private hands. The number of films about Henry VIII and his many wives is growing year by year to meet the needs of the English public, who never tire of admiring their loving idol. The memory of the British Empire, which ruled the seas and lands all over the world, has not faded either; boasting about this, of course, is neither accepted nor modern, but we have not forgotten about it either.

Classic informals

Restraint, control over one’s feelings, often mistaken for simple coldness, these are the life principles of this small but very proud people. In those cases when a representative of the sentimental Latin race or the spiritual Slavic race weeps with tears of admiration or tenderness, the Englishman will say “lovely” (“cute”), and this will be equivalent in the strength of the feelings shown.

The only thing that can piss off a true Englishman is the noisy and defiant behavior of others. Even in London, a city almost entirely given over to tourists and immigrants, you can often see a decorous English couple on a bus, looking with open disgust at a noisy and emotional group of Spanish or Italian tourists, who, even in a fit of sincere indignation, only allow themselves to frown and silently look at each other indignantly . In the museum store in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford, American tourists (who, to put it mildly, are not uncommon there) are noisy, cheerful, excitedly buying tons of various souvenirs and accompanying this process with laughter and loud delight, causing invariable arrogant contempt and chilling politeness saleswomen The fact that they, tourists, provide them with a livelihood does not change anything even in a market economy.

At the buffet on the train, a decorous, tall Englishwoman, on whose face was written a higher education, her own mansion and a significant bank account, hesitated and did not place an order. After a pause, the modest young man standing behind her risked doing this (the two of them made up the entire line). A tradeswoman at a Moscow market, who is trying to slip counterfeit money or steal tomatoes, would probably look more secular than this pleasant, silent lady, who suddenly burst into a stream of rage that fell on the head of the arrogant rogue who violated the sacred law.

Sex the British way

The mid-19th century Book of Manners pointed out that even “compliments and flirting are unacceptable in English society unless they are expressed so delicately as to be completely unnoticeable.” A modern book of etiquette recommends that lovers refrain from openly expressing feelings and hints about the intimate relationship existing between them, since “this may be embarrassing for some.” The maximum intimacy acceptable in society, according to the modern author, is walking hand in hand or arm in arm, a light disembodied kiss on the cheek, a distant hug. T-shirts on sale in London: "No sex please, we're British." The English themselves write with resentment that the restraint characteristic of English men is often mistaken for their lack of interest in the female sex.

On the issue of education

One of the most important life principles of the British can be expressed by the following formula: “We did not come into this world to have fun.” It is on this that many distinctive features of their character and way of life are based. Start with education. It is customary to keep children strictly, and the higher in society you are, the more strict there is. We often see how in a rich English house, with a huge living room, a gigantic bedroom, a majestic study, the so-called children's room is located almost in the attic and is a miserable closet, and this is done quite consciously, for fundamental reasons, so as not to undead, but to harden. The system of boarding schools is still very popular in the country, and separate for boys and girls (since sexual relations are harmful, there is nothing to get used to), and this primarily concerns children from aristocratic and wealthy families. The discipline and order in them to this day are a kind of mixture of prison, barracks and monastery, considered befitting the spirit of education of a real Englishman. It is no coincidence, apparently, that the Boy Scout movement originated in England at the beginning of the 20th century, and its slogan was “Be prepared!” A true Englishman must be ready for any difficulties at any moment.

There is an old English truth: “Children should be seen, but not heard.” In English pubs you can often see a “No children, no dogs” sign on the door. And indeed, if an exception may be made for dogs, then for children no, only in some places, remote provinces, where there is one pub for the entire village, children can be allowed in, as the sign at the entrance happily reports again. But this, of course, is no longer a real pub.

A typical question addressed to a child: “So what do you want to be when you grow up, young man?” suggests that childhood is only a period that must be experienced in order to become a normal, that is, adult, person. Such strictness, although it sometimes causes natural bewilderment, gives somewhat good results. The British not only conquered half the world in their time, but were also able to survive and gain a foothold in this half. Travellers, sailors, discoverers of lands - this is a real thing for the British, who know how to challenge fate and not be afraid of difficulties. Moreover, a challenge is sometimes more important for them than a victory; they are not afraid to lose.

Another example: photographs of the heir to the British crown, Prince William, working in South America, where he was on youth internship, spread throughout the world. This is exactly how the heir to the English throne must be, unpretentious and not afraid of difficulties, in order to earn the respect of his fellow citizens.

Body food...

The main feature, also known as the problem, of English food is that it is aimed at satisfying hunger, and not at obtaining pleasure. Food should be the way it was given by God, the earth, Nature, and all excesses and delights come from the evil one (read, the Frenchman). In essence, its type is close to traditional Russian food - boiled vegetables, stewed or fried meat, pies. A cartoon in an English magazine depicts two chefs, one of whom lists potato dishes: “Boiled, fried, baked, stewed potatoes,” and the second exclaims: “And they also say that English cuisine is monotonous!”

...and spiritual

One of the most difficult questions in English life is the place that religion occupies in it. It is known that even the church in England is its own - Anglican, independent of anyone from the outside. And although it is believed that it was introduced by the sensualist Henry VIII in order to be able to marry as many times as he wanted, it is obvious that in its spirit and character it turned out to be close and understandable to the population. You can often hear from the British themselves that the church does not play a big role in their lives. And outwardly this is indeed so - rarely, only on holidays, and even then in the provinces, do any noticeable numbers of people gather in the church.

However, here is a paradox: the principles by which the English live - life is not for pleasure, sex is sinful, physical difficulties strengthen the soul, food should only saturate, and so on - are precisely those to which most churches call their flock. A classic English village certainly has a church in the center; the most important social activities are concentrated around it, especially in those cases and for those people (women, old people, children) when the issue cannot be resolved in another indispensable component of English life - the pub. The vicar is not perceived by others as a shepherd or mentor, but rather as a friend who is respected, who is expected to be active (as you know, in English detective stories they often even have to solve murders), whose role is not to remind others of how to live, but just be ready to help when needed. It is difficult to say how and when such a situation arose. Perhaps the fact is that Christianity in England has long taken deep roots and become a part of life. Back in the 3rd century, when most peoples were not at all sure how to relate to this new phenomenon, and whole centuries remained before their baptism, monasteries were built on this land and monks held conversations about the Faith.

The most terrible test

Finally, just go to the bookstore, which has huge racks dedicated to gardens and guides to growing them ("Garden in Winter", "Garden in Autumn", "Garden When You're Short on Time", "Garden When You're Plenty of Time" and so on) to finally make sure that this is really serious.

Perfect world

Another apparent paradox is that the country of silent conquerors of seas and lands, raising their children in strictness and not tolerating excessive displays of emotions, has created, probably, the richest children's literature and children's world. Charming and touching characters have conquered the whole world: here are Winnie the Pooh and his friend Piglet, and hobbits, and Alice, who visited Wonderland, and Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan, and many other characters dearly loved by the British, but less known to the rest of the world rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs, whose fates are closer and more important to the British than the fate of the heroes of their own great Shakespeare. The answer is simple: only for the outside world this is all children's literature and characters, but for the British all this is very serious and important, and above all for adults. Just like common games: in pubs, respectable men regularly and everywhere gather to play a fun game of darts, in which you need to hit a wooden circle with an arrow, adult women spend hours collecting pictures from thousands of squares, and everyone solves crossword puzzles and riddles , published in all periodicals and in separate editions. Apparently, childhood, dedicated to strengthening the spirit and body, still takes its toll later, when there is no threat of becoming spoiled and spoiling one’s character.

Their high humor

Serious Englishmen are also famous humorists. “Subtle English humor” has already been mentioned above; the answer lies in its simplicity, in the fact that there is no deep subtext hidden behind it, and physiological or toilet jokes are just that, giving vent to accumulated emotions and feelings. Another thing is examples of English irony, sarcasm, and genuine humor. Laughing at yourself and at others is completely natural for an Englishman. This property has been cultivated for centuries, considered the most important human dignity. Old English books of good manners claim that “a sense of humor can and should be cultivated,” and “the ideal man must certainly have a sense of humor, otherwise he will be far from perfect.” Allegory, play on words, paradoxical statements, sharp jokes - all this constitutes the glory of the English people and language. And it is not always equally understandable and pleasant to others, who often “fall for the bait” of English wit.

Henry II's son, Edward I, brought Wales under the English crown in 1284, giving the Welsh an oath that no man who spoke English would stand over them... and installed his newborn son over them (in memory of this event from 1301 years to the present day, the heirs to the English throne bear the title Prince of Wales). In 1948, a major radio station in Washington invited ambassadors from various countries to answer the question by telephone: “What would you like for Christmas?” The French ambassador wished world peace, and the Soviet ambassador wished victory over world imperialism. His Majesty's Ambassador replied (live): "How nice of you to ask, I would like some candied fruit."

Voluntary hostages

The British are law-abiding people. Respect for the law has become such a natural part of their character and life that in many cases there is no longer even a need for strict control and punishment for non-compliance. Society can already afford to resort to common sense rather than force in solving certain issues. This manifests itself both in small things and in global issues. The British Embassy in Moscow is one of the few today that accepts invitations in almost any form: sent by fax, e-mail, handwritten without certification (meaning, if you wish, you can forge the original with stamps). Anyone who has gone through border control in London knows that the British are not known for their liberalism in this matter, they observe formalities, but there is no formalism in them. When leaving the country, passports are not checked or stamped at all. For what? After all, a person leaves their country and thank God!.. By the way, in the 19th century, England was the only European country that did not register foreigners, apparently not bothering its apparatus with such insignificant items. The attitude towards other formalities is also surprising: in England, an envelope addressed to a person with the address indicated on it is still an official document in many cases.

So that the English bureaucratic system does not look like some kind of ideal, from which it is far from in real life, we can cite the statement of one humorist who wrote about its difference from the continental one, especially the notorious Italian and French ones. If in the latter countries you will be tormented by refusals, rudeness, and meaningless paper demands, then in England the official will smile pleasantly at you and will be extremely polite with you. He will ask you to fill out a huge number of questionnaires, most of which are written in a completely incomprehensible language, then he will tell you that he himself does not make decisions, but the request will certainly be considered, and the next time you come, he will be at a meeting, on a lunch break, or just came out. The result will be the same in both cases, with the difference that in Latin countries the issue can ultimately be resolved with the help of friends and connections, but in England the law is the law for everyone, which means there is practically no way out of the bureaucratic deadlock.

Not a day without passion

Speaking about the character of the British, one cannot pass over in silence their most important national passions and hobbies. One of them is love for animals. If children, for educational purposes, are not given the best places in the house, then a dog or cat will certainly be in the most honorable place. They are treated warmer and more tenderly than most family members, and can be allowed to be gentle and loving with them. A walk between two Englishmen is often a melancholic silent procession, but a walk with a dog is almost always a pleasant, albeit somewhat one-sided conversation, full of tenderness and warmth.

Not everyone can afford a passion for horses, but even here the love for them surpasses human relationships in warmth. Horse racing in England is an event of truly national scale. Princess Anne, the daughter of the reigning queen, was once so keen on horses that she became the subject of much ridicule. For example, a typical caption under a photo: “Princess Anne (right) with her favorite horse” (they really looked alike). However, the ridicule was quite good-natured, since this is a feeling that is understandable to any Englishman. The princess got much more when a living person became the object of her passion.

Another national passion is tea. Although many people today, especially in large cities, drink coffee or (even worse) brew tea in a bag, still maintaining a feeling and special relationship with this drink is considered an important component of English culture. English literature testifies to the enormous role that tea drinking had in the life of the country. In detective stories, the person who finds the corpse is offered a cup of tea to maintain strength; in romance novels, it is used to heal broken hearts; friends drink it to celebrate a meeting, and enemies drink it to defuse the situation. Peter Pan, when asked to the children “What do they want more – tea or adventure,” receives an immediate answer: “Tea first, please.”

Another English weakness is the weather. All the jokes and ridicule they are subjected to for this are completely fair. Every English conversation really revolves around this topic, even semi-formal letters from organizations contain references to good or bad weather. The main problem is that the British are convinced that they have very bad, changeable and unpredictable weather, which, in their opinion, determines many aspects of their lives and character. While completely agreeing with the latter, one has to disagree with the rest. It’s probably bad (read: cold) for the residents of Spain, where the British love to go to warm up. For a normal (read: Russian) person, it is very good: the grass is green all year round, flowers bloom in the flower beds even in December, and the occasional rare snowfall from above does not spoil the picture as a whole. Its changeability is also greatly exaggerated (one must hope that the British will not read this, otherwise the offense will be mortal). The nearby coast of France also has similar variability, like all coastal areas, but does not make a cult out of it. As for unpredictability, this is not even worth discussing; this is not a question of the weather, but of weather services, which can broadcast “It’s raining today” in bright sunshine, as if they had no windows.

Despite this, the weather for the British remains a source of constant surprise and secret admiration, and the whole country plays the same game “Who would have thought!” In winter, snow falls almost every year and, although not for long, the temperature drops to zero degrees, and sometimes to minus. But England is chronically unprepared for winter, all life is immediately paralyzed, trains do not run, buses stop, telephone communications are disrupted, electricity is supplied intermittently, of course - no one could have imagined this, like every year. This is unpredictability. A similar picture is observed in the summer, when stiflingly hot weather regularly sets in. But you won’t find air conditioning in offices and hotels - why do they need them in such a cold country? And finally, the favorite motive of the British “this year the weather is unusual” (according to the season, “hot”, “cold”, “rainy”, “windy”, etc. are inserted) it is always a surprise, a surprise.

And so on until the end, without end...

There is no heating in the houses. Moreover, historically in England, fireplaces became widespread, which, unlike a stove, do not store heat, but only create coziness and are common in countries with warm climates. Firstly, there is no need to indulge and relax. Secondly, spend money on fuel in a country where, although the weather is bad, there is no frost. Thirdly, if it's cold, you can wear another sweater. Therefore, a completely fair stereotypical image of an English bedroom has developed, in which you wake up, shivering from the cold, splash ice water in your face and start a new day very cheerfully. The ritual has remained unchanged from the time of Jane Eyre to the present day. Sometimes, however, it is combined with another national hobby, and then you can get a cup of hot tea right in your ice-cold bed. Almost all English hotels (except those in the capital) certainly have a kettle, cups, tea and milk so that you can immediately prepare tea and drink it right in bed.

Happiness
Despite significant increases in living standards, the proportion of Britons who are completely satisfied with their lives has remained unchanged over the past 25 years and remains at 1/3 of the population.

Money
According to a sociological study conducted in Great Britain, 45% of the country's residents remember how much money they have in the bank with an accuracy of 10 pounds, and 25% with an accuracy of a penny. About 10% of respondents check their account up to 4 times a day. Among those who use online and telephone account management systems, 35% regularly check their account at least 3 times a day.

Religion
About 1 million Britons attend Sunday services in more than 11 thousand parishes of the Anglican Church. 1.2 million believers come to churches every week. 6% of the population (3 million people) take part in the Christmas service.

Sex
British statisticians have found that 30% of the country's residents love sex more than anything else. According to 25% of British respondents, the most important thing when choosing a partner is appearance; in second place is a sense of humor; 18% of British people “voted” for it.

Family
Over the past decades, the institution of marriage in Great Britain has undergone significant changes. There are fewer and fewer two-parent families with 2 x 3 children. In 25% of cases, one of the parents prefers to raise children on their own (20 years ago this figure was 10%). More than 7 million Britons live alone today, up from 2 million in 1961.

Beer
According to data collected by Austrian researchers, over the past 5 years the number of beer lovers around the world has increased by 20%. In England, contrary to this trend, their number decreased by 5% compared to previous years. There, per person per year there is only 95 liters of intoxicating drink.

A game
According to sociologists, the UK has the highest concentration of players in the world - 75%. According to experts, by 2010 the British will spend 2.1 billion pounds sterling per year on online games (Internet, cable and satellite television, SMS, etc.) (currently 588 million). Although today the British gambling market continues to be dominated by casinos, accounting for 46% of all gambling business.

Anna Pavlovskaya, doctor historical sciences, Professor