The English 英语

Notsolongago,writesJeremyPaxman,theEnglishwere"polite,unexcitable,reserved,andhadhot-waterbottlesinsteadofasex-life".TodaytheendofempirehaskilledofftheBulldogBreed-"fearlessandphilistine,safeintaxisandinvaluableinshipwrecks"-andtransformedthegreatpublicschools.PrincessDianawasmournedwiththeeffusiveemotionalismofanItaliansaint.Leader-writersin"TheTimes"evenpraisethesexualskillsofEnglishlovers...Sowhatarethedefiningfeaturesof"Englishness"?Howcanacountryoffootballhooliganshavesuchanastonishinglylowmurderrate?Doesthenation'ssenseofitselfextendtomillionsofblack,AsianandotherimmigrantBritons?Isitgroundedinarrogant,nostalgicfantasyorcanitformthebasisforbuildingarealisticfuturewithinEurope?Toanswerthesecrucialquestions,PaxmanlooksforcluesintheEnglishlanguage,literature,luke-warmreligionand"curiouslypassionlessdevotion"tocricket.HeexploresattitudestoCatholics,thecountryside,intellectuals,foodandtheFrench.Andhebringstogetherinsightsfromnovelists,sociologistsandgentlemanfarmers;theeditorof"ThisEngland"magazine(launchedin1967withtheslogan"asrefreshingasacupoftea");abankerenthusiasticaboutthe"Englishvice"offlagellation;andateamattheOEDlookingforthefirstoccurrenceofphraseslike"badhairday"and"thedog'sbollocks".作者简介：JeremyPaxmanwasborninYorkshireandnowlivesinLondonandOxfordshire.HeisthemainanchormanforNewsnight,chairmanofUniversityChallengeandafrequentreviewer.--Thistextreferstoanoutofprintorunavailableeditionofthistitle.