準備 Life in the UK Test？這 5 個英國文化知識一定要知道！
「Life in the UK Test」是英國公民入籍考試，凡是希望成為英國公民或申請永久居留的人，都必須參加這場多選題測驗，內容涵蓋許多英國文化，包括體育、藝術、歷史、政治等方面！
英國在歐洲有時候被視為一個有點「特立獨行」的國家，「特立獨行」是比較委婉的說法，直白點可以理解為「古怪」，但它也帶有更正面的含義，更像是「獨特」；或許這和英國是個島國、沒有與歐洲大陸相連有關。不管原因如何，英國人確實挺愛自得其樂（看看英國脫歐就知道了！）。
The “Life in the UK test” is the British citizenship test. Anyone who wishes to become a British citizen or apply for permanent residence in the UK must take this multiple-choice quiz, which covers a wide range of topics all to do with British culture – sport, art, history, politics, and more.
The UK is sometimes seen as a slightly “eccentric” country within Europe. “Eccentric” is a polite way of saying “weird”, but it also has a more positive connotation – more like “unique”. It might be because we’re an island nation and not connected to the continent, but whatever the reason, we do seem to enjoy doing our own thing (see: Brexit!).
Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
所以，當你翻開《Life in the UK handbook》，會發現不少有趣，甚至有點奇怪的英國文化知識。以下是我最喜歡的幾個：
It’s no surprise, then, that flicking through the Life in the UK handbook reveals some interesting – if quite strange – facts about British life. Here are some of my favourites:
1. 我們最有名的國王，以感情生活聞名！
Our most famous king is best known for his love life!
亨利八世（Henry VIII，VIII 讀作「the eighth」，發音類似「ay-th」）可能是英國歷史上最有名的國王。他在歷史上的確舉足輕重，因為他脫離了天主教會，創立了英國國教（Church of England）。
但說實話，大多數英國人記住他，還是因為他的婚姻故事——他總共結了六次婚！他的幾任妻子命運多舛，為了記住她們的結局，英國小學生還會學一首簡單的歌謠：「離婚、斬首、病逝，離婚、斬首、倖存！」
亨利八世至今仍是英國文化中經常被提及的人物，從電影、電視劇、小說到音樂劇，他的故事層出不窮！
King Henry VIII (pronounced “the eighth”, which sounds like “ay-th”) is arguably the best-known British monarch. He was a pretty important historical figure because he broke away from the Catholic Church and started his own (the Church of England).
BUT – most of us remember him because he kept marrying different women – six in total! Many of his wives met unfortunate ends, and in school, we learn a rhyme to remember their fates – “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived!”
Henry VIII remains a popular figure in British culture. You’ll find him in tons of movies, TV series, novels, and even a musical!
2. 英國發明了很多東西
The UK invented a lot of things.
英國人雖然不太喜歡過度的「愛國情懷」（畢竟英國人更愛抱怨政府、吐槽自己），但談到發明創造，還是頗有「炫耀的資格」！你知道嗎？英國人發明了：
電視機
雷達
胰島素
DNA雙螺旋結構
噴射引擎
試管嬰兒技術（IVF）
核磁共振（MRI）掃描儀
全球資訊網（World Wide Web）
是不是挺厲害的？
While excessive patriotism can sometimes be frowned upon in the UK (we often prefer to moan about our government and poke fun at ourselves), we do have bragging rights when it comes to some groundbreaking inventions (note: “bragging rights” means the opportunity to speak proudly because you’ve done something impressive). Did you know that the UK is responsible for inventing:
The television
Radar
Insulin
The structure of the DNA molecule
The jet engine
IVF
MRI scanners
The World Wide Web!
Not bad, right?
3. 英國各地方使用不同貨幣——這可不一定是好事！
We have different banknotes – but this might not be a good thing!
英鎊(£)雖然是英國的官方貨幣，但奇妙的是，北愛爾蘭和蘇格蘭發行的鈔票和英格蘭的不太一樣。理論上，這些鈔票可以在全英國流通，但實際上，商家並沒有義務收下它們。所以，如果你從北愛爾蘭或蘇格蘭，跑去英格蘭或威爾士，最好趁還在當地時先把錢花掉，或者乾脆換成英格蘭鈔票，免得到時候結帳時鬧出尷尬場面！
The UK uses the pound sterling (£) and this is the only currency accepted here. However, Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes, which are technically valid throughout the UK. The catch? Shops and businesses aren’t legally required to accept them. So, if you’re travelling from Northern Ireland or Scotland to England and Wales, you might want to consider a last-minute splurge at the airport before leaving – or risk an awkward moment at the checkout on the other end.
4. 煎餅節！
Pancake Day!
你可能沒想到，英國居然有一個專屬於「煎餅」的節日！這其實和基督教的四旬齋 (Lent) 有關——四旬齋是復活節前的40天，人們傳統上會禁食，而現在則多是選擇戒掉某種東西，比如巧克力、酒或糖。
四旬齋開始的前一天，叫做懺悔星期二 (Shrove Tuesday)，但大家更熟悉的名稱是——煎餅節！ 這個習俗可以追溯到過去，人們會把雞蛋、奶油和牛奶等食材做成煎餅，以免浪費。如今，每逢煎餅日前夕，超市裡的煎餅粉和各種配料都會特別熱銷！
You might be surprised to learn that the UK has a national Pancake Day! This is linked to the Christian holiday of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter. Traditionally, people fasted during Lent, but nowadays, many choose to give up something like chocolate, alcohol, or sugar.
The day before Lent begins is known as Shrove Tuesday or “Pancake Day”! Historically, pancakes were made to use up ingredients like eggs, fat, and milk before the Lent fast. Today, supermarkets stock up on pancake mix and toppings in the lead-up to the big day.
5. 英國沒有「成文」憲法
We don’t have a “written” constitution.
不像美國或其他現代民主國家，英國沒有一部完整的「成文憲法」，所以我們的憲法常被稱為「不成文憲法」。
為什麼沒人去整理一份正式的憲法呢？說白了，英國從來沒有經歷過一場徹底推翻舊體系的大革命。相反地，我們的制度是慢慢演變而來的——一開始削弱王權，後來又稍微恢復了一點，再削弱一點，又爆發了內戰，然後復辟王朝……這樣反反覆覆地持續了好幾百年！
有些人認為，應該制定一部明確的憲法，讓制度更穩定，但也有人覺得，保持靈活性才是英國的一大優勢。
Unlike the USA and other modern democracies, the British constitution isn’t written down in any single document. Instead, it’s described as “unwritten”.
If you’re wondering why, exactly, no one has ever bothered to formally write it down in one place, it’s because Britain’s never had a dramatic revolution that completely reset the system. Instead, we took power away from the monarchy… then gave a bit back… then took more away… then had a civil war… then restored the monarchy… then slowly eroded its power over centuries!
Some people think it would be better to have a written constitution, but others argue we have more flexibility without one.
如果你想了解更多有趣（甚至有點怪）的英國歷史、深入認識英國的現代生活，還想順便提升英語能力——那就來看看我們的全新「全方位了解英國文化2.0」課程吧！我們將幫助你順利通過 Life in the UK Test，了解當地文化，讓你更像一個真正的英國人！
If you’d like to learn more fun facts about our (sometimes strange) history, gain a solid understanding of modern life in the UK, and improve your English skills – all at once – check out our brand-new UK Culture 2.0 course. We’ll cover everything you need to pass the Life in the UK test, fit in with the locals, and sound like a native Brit!
詞彙補充：
Eccentric (adj)：特立獨行
Patriotism (n)：對自己的國家感到自豪
Bragging rights (n)：做出某些厲害的事情後，可以驕傲地談論它
A last-minute splurge：在最後一刻花大筆錢買東西
To erode：削弱
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