Unit 15 American Culture美国文化
Text 1 Set Free from Aristocratic Society
The earliest ttlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent, they succeeded. In 1776, the British colonial ttlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation, the United States of America. In so doing, they overthrew(推翻) the king of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people.
They were now free from the power of the kings. In 1789, when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation, they parated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. This greatly limited the power of the church. Also, in writing the Constitution, they expressly forbade titles of nobility (贵族) to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be no ruling class of nobility in the new nation.
The historic decisions made by tho first ttlers have had a profound effect on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy (贵族统治), they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual. The United States came to be associated in their minds with the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most basic of all the American values. Scholars and outside obrvers often call this value individualism, but many Americans u the word freedom. Perhaps the word freedom is one of the most respected popular words in the United States today.
[A] climate [B] concept [C] ensure [D] escape [E] establish [F] govern [G] profound [H] succeeded [I] independence
无贵族社会
最初的殖民者到达北美大陆，为的是建立新的殖民地，摆脱存在于欧洲社会的各种桎梏。他们想逃避国王和政府、牧师和教会以及贵族阶层给他们的生活施加的控制。在很大程度上，他们获得了成功。1776 年，这些英国殖民者宣布他们从英国独立出来，并建立一个新
的国家，即美利坚合众国。这样，他们就推翻了英国国王对殖民地的统治，并宣告权力将掌握在人民的手中。
他们摆脱了国王的控制。在 1789 年，当他们为他们的新国家撰写宪法的时候，他们将教会和政府分离，这样就再也不会有政府支持的教会了。这很大地限制了教会的权力。同时，在撰写宪法时，他们明确地禁止贵族头衔，从而确保社会不会发展成为一个贵族社会。新国家中将没有贵族统治阶级。
那些最初的殖民者所作出的历史性决定对今日美国特征的形成有着深刻的影响。心理辅导课通过限制政府和教会的权力并消除形式上的贵族阶层，他们创造了一种注重个人的自由风气。在他们的头脑中，美国与个人自由的概念联系在了一起。这也许是所有美国价值观中最基本的一点。学者们和外国的观察家常常称这种价值观为个人主义，但许多美国人称之为自由。在今天的美国，自由这个词可能是最受尊重也是最流行的单词之一。
难 句 解 析
1. The earliest ttlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European societies.
【分析】多重复合句。其中包含两个定语从句，第一个 that引导的修饰 colonies，第二个that引导的修饰controls。
2. In 1789, when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation, they parated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church.
【分析】橡皮鱼多重复合句。when 引导的从句作时间状语，so that后接从句表结果。
3. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual.
【分析】复合句。句首为由 by 引导的介词短语作状语，表方式，其中 limiting 和 eliminating 是并列关系，由and连接，where引导定语从句修饰 a climate of freedom。
下面我们学习文中标红的高频词#09#09高频词汇
establish* /I9st{blIS/ @@ vt. 确定，证实；建立，创办
【联想】e ＋ stabl(看作 stable 稳定的) ＋ ish(使…)→使…稳定→确定
【引申】〈同根〉establishment n. 建立，确立；机构〈同义〉t up 创立，建立
【活用例句】The defen attorneys established the innocence of the accud. 辩护律师证明被告是无罪的。
escape* /I9skeIp/ @@ vi. 逃跑；溢出，漏出 vt. 逃避，避开 n. 逃跑，逃避
菜盒子的做法
【联想】es(off) ＋ cape(海角)→离开海角→逃跑
【搭配】have an escape 逃走；make (good) escape (顺利)逃脱；narrow escape 九死一生，幸免于难
【引申】〈同义〉avoid vt. 避免｜flee v. 逃走；逃避
【活用例句】He is a desperate criminal willing to kill anyone to escape. 他是个危险罪犯，为了逃脱可杀掉任何人。
同义↓
flee /fli:/ @@ vi. 逃走，逃掉 轻微痔疮图片vt. 逃离，避开，逃避
【联想】看见要收费(fee)就逃走(flee)
【搭配】flee in panic 吓得逃跑；be forced to flee the country 被迫逃往国外
【活用例句】The customers fled from the bank when the alarm sounded. 警铃响起，顾客们纷纷从银行逃走。
succeed* /s5k9si:d/ @@ vi. 成功；接着发生；继承 vt. 接在…后面；接替；继承
串花【搭配】succeed to the throne 继承皇位；succeed sb as Prime Minister继某人出任首相
【活用例句】But for the help of their group, we would not have succeeded in the investigation.要不是有他们小组的帮助，我们这次调查还没法取得成功呢。
同根↓
successive /s5k9sIv/ @@ a. 接连的，连续的
【搭配】t successive records连续创造纪录
【活用例句】It has rained for ten successive days and as a result many villages were flooded.已经连续下了10天雨，结果许多村庄都被淹了。
住院的病人independence* /8IndI9pend5ns/ @@ n. 独立，自主，自立
【词根】in(not) ＋ depend(依赖) ＋ ence →不依赖→独立
【搭配】independence from繁花的意思... 脱离…
【引申】〈同根〉independent a. 独立自主的，不受约束的｜dependent a. 依靠的，依赖的
【活用例句】The country has made great advances since independence. 独立以来，这个国家取得了巨大的进步。
govern* /9g((f6))vn/ @@ vt. 统治，治理，管理；支配，影响笔记本定时开机
【搭配】govern his behavior 支配他的行为
【引申】〈同根〉government n. 政府；治理｜governor n. 州长；主管〈同义〉rule v. 统治，支配｜control vt. 控制，支配
