Aye or Naw? Scotland and the United Kingdom 撰文及考題設計 英國文化協會 Jeremy Beacock
W
hile many people think of England when they think of the United
Kingdom, September’s vote on Scottish independence brought the British Isles’ second largest country into sharp focus. The two countries have been together for more than 400 years, but have always maintained their separate identities. The Scottish kingdom proper emerged in the early middle ages, when Robert the Bruce unified the country for the first time. Throughout the middle ages, there were sporadic wars with the English, and even in peacetime, Scottish and English warriors raided across the border.
反對獨立的蘇格蘭人9月19日慶祝公投結果 如他們所願。（歐新社）
The first steps to the union were taken in
116
1503 when Henry Tudor, seeking legitimacy for
Scottish capital, provided a home to key scientists and
his line, married his daughter Margaret to James the
philosophers of the period.
Fourth of Scotland. Despite a brief outbreak of war,
It was not just Edinburgh that made Scotland a val-
the alliance held, and on the death of Elizabeth I, King
ued part of the United Kingdom. Glasgow became a
James I of Scotland inherited the throne. The two
great industrial city, and Scots strengthened the British
kingdoms were formally united by the Declaration of
Empire as soldiers, engineers, and colonists. While the
Union in 1707.
English sometimes still treated the Scots as second class
But Scotland remained independent in spirit, and
citizens, forcing people off land and weakening the tra-
the relationship with its larger neighbor was often
ditional Gaelic language, Scotland also became more
fraught. On several occasions, Scottish armies threw
politically influential, sending more MPs to Parliament.
themselves behind different rivals for the crown, with
As ties became closer, the two countries seemed
the last of these being the Jacobite rising of 1745. How-
bound to a common destiny. Scotland retained its own
ever, with the dawning of the Enlightenment, Scotland
cultural identity, expressed in its accent, its religion,
began to forge its own identity in the context of, and
and its traditions, but a vote in 1979 showed only a
not just in opposition to, the union. Edinburgh, the
minority of Scots wanted independence. This began to
全球中央雜誌 2014.11
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英 倫 聚 焦
change in the 1980s, as people felt that the Westmin-
fierce but friendly campaigning on both sides. The
ster government was out of touch with the needs of a
matter was debated on every street corner, and on Sep-
de-industrializing Scotland.
tember 18th, 2014, Scotland went to the polls. There
By 2007, the Scottish National Party, or SNP, had
was an extraordinarily high turn-out, with 85% of the
taken control of the newly devolved Sottish parliament,
electorate voting, but the final result showed that a slim
with a referendum on independence a key part of their
majority of Scots saw their future as part of the UK.
political aims, and in 2011, a date was set for 2014.
With a 55% No vote, Scotland is staying in the union –
The months leading up to the historic vote saw
at least, for now.
蘇格蘭與英國的恩怨情仇 中譯 陳怡君 （中央社編譯）
多人想到英國時，就會自然想到英格蘭。不過9
許
蘇格蘭作為英國瑰寶的原因不只是因為有愛丁
月的蘇格蘭獨立公投，卻讓這個不列顛群島的
堡，格拉斯哥也是卓越的工業城市。蘇格蘭為大英帝
第二大組成區域備受關注。蘇格蘭在400多年前與英
國的軍事、工程領域以及殖民事業貢獻優秀人才。儘
格蘭合併，但雙方一直有各自的身分認同。
管英格蘭人有時對待蘇格蘭人宛若次等公民，迫使
蘇格蘭在羅伯特．布魯斯（Robert the Bruce）帶
民眾離鄉背井，並弱化蘇格蘭傳統的蓋爾語，不過隨
領下首次統一全境，蘇格蘭王國在中世紀初於焉成
著蘇格蘭在英國國會的議員席次增加，政治影響力
形。不過在整個中世紀，蘇格蘭和英格蘭偶而有爆發
也不可同日而語。
戰爭，即便是在承平時期，蘇格蘭和英格蘭戰士仍 會越界突擊。
隨著雙方愈走愈近，英格蘭與蘇格蘭似乎更加休 戚與共。蘇格蘭仍保有自身文化認同、獨特的蘇格蘭
兩個王國統一的第一步是在1503年，當時英王亨
腔英語以及自己的宗教和傳統，不過1979年公投顯
利七世為尋求王位繼承合法性，將他的女兒瑪格麗
示只有少數人希望獨立。這種情況自1980年代開始轉
特嫁給蘇格蘭國王詹姆斯四世。儘管雙方短暫發生
變，蘇格蘭人民認為西敏寺政府沒有回應已非工業
過戰爭，聯盟仍持續維持。英格蘭女王伊麗莎白一世
化蘇格蘭的需求。
逝世後，蘇格蘭國王詹姆士六世繼承王位成為英格
蘇格蘭民族黨在2007年以前已掌控新成立的蘇格
蘭王詹姆士一世，這兩個王國遂在1707年經由《聯合
蘭議會多數席次，而獨立公投是其重要政治目標，他
宣言》正式結合。
們在2011年便規劃要在2014年舉行獨立公投。
不過蘇格蘭仍在精神上維持獨立，與比它大的鄰
在這場歷史性公投舉行前的幾個月，雙方陣營為
居英格蘭時有齟齬。蘇格蘭軍隊有幾次支持英國不
宣傳各自的理念彼此激烈較勁但不失和氣，蘇格蘭
同派系的王位繼承人，這類對立的最後一次是1745
獨立與否，成為街頭巷尾的討論話題。2014年9月18
年的詹姆斯黨人起義。不過隨著啟蒙運動興起，蘇
日，蘇格蘭舉行公投，投票率高達85%。不過最後
格蘭開始在大英聯盟的脈絡下建立自身認同，而不
結果是統派以些微差距贏過獨派，55%民眾投下反
只是一味反對聯盟。蘇格蘭首府愛丁堡，在這段時期
對票，因此蘇格蘭會繼續留在英國─至少目前還
培育出多位重要科學家與哲學家。
會。
CNA NEWSWORLD
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Key Words Aye or Naw? – 蘇格蘭發音的「Yes」跟「No」 yes or no in the Scottish accent. sporadic [adj.] – 偶發的 occasional line [noun] – 繼承順位 a king or queen’s family and the descendants who will be rulers after him fraught [adj.] – 關係緊張的 difficult; causing worry or nervousness the crown [n.] – 王位繼承權 the right to be king or queen the Enlightenment [noun] – 啟蒙運動 a European and American cultural movement that began in the late 17th century, arguing for the use of reason in science, philosophy and literature instead of faith and tradition.
雅思考試粉絲團： www.facebook.com/ielts.testcentre
to forge [v.] – 鍛造 to make Gaelic [n.] – 蓋爾語 a language, related to Welsh, which was widely spoken in Scotland until the twentieth century. bound to a common destiny [idiom] – 休戚與共 sharing a common fate de-industrializing [adj.] – 去重工業的 losing heavy industry such as steel making or ship-building from an area devolved [adj.] – 權力下放的 a political term meaning giving more power to local regions over a central government. referendum [n.] – 公投 a public vote on an important issue
雅思考試模擬試題 IELTS questions
Questions:
For questions 1 to 3, choose the best answers to complete the sentences. 1. Scotland and England have a long and complicated history... 2. Scotland first became a true kingdom... 3. Scotland and England formally became the United Kingdom... A. when the Declaration of Union was signed. B. dating back close to 500 hundred years. C. when King James I became king of England. D. after the Jacobite uprisings of the 18th Century.
For questions 4-7, complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN 2 words or a number 4. Even after the move to unification began, Scotland remained _. 5. The _ of 1745 was the last major conflict between Scotland and England. 6. _ period saw Scotland begin to accept union with the UK. 7. _ became a major centre of production. For questions 8-10, choose YES, NO, or NOT GIVEN. 8. The writer suggests that the independence movement has always been a strong political force in Scotland.
E. when it was united by Robert the Bruce.
9. The writer believes the Scots should have voted for independence.
F. when Henry Tudor married his daughter to the King of Scotland.
10. The writer feels the Scots may vote for independence in the future.
1. B 2. E 3. A 4. Independent 5. Jacobite rising 6. The Enlightenment 7. Glasgow 8. NO 9. NOT GIVEN 10. YES Answers 118
全球中央雜誌 2014.11