Hilpoltstein (HK) The year 2010 has begun since we last met. So, first of all, I should like to wish all my readers a very happy, healthy New Year.
In 2010 the focus of my articles will change. The articles will keep the same format: a short article with a lexicon of the more uncommon words to help you understand the article and to help increase* your English vocabulary. The articles will however be shorter and the lexicon more extensive*. An important change in the character* of the articles is that they will contain my personal opinion*. You are free to comment, agree and disagree.
I have decided to move away from describing the ancient and traditional English customs. Away from describing an England buried* in the past. This England is of course interesting and beautiful, but it is not representative of England today. It is an England clean and without spots*. It is not the real England of the cities, and streets. It is not the everyday England of the common Englishman.
I will now comment on the modern every day* England. The living England. The new European England: the multi-cultural, Afro-Indian-Old-Empire England of the present. I hope you will enjoy this series of articles as much as you did the last.
I have been thinking a lot since the start of the New Year about poverty*. There is a lot of poverty in England.
When I was training to be an actor in London, I used to go to the National Theatre on the Thames Embankment* very often. To get to the National Theatre I would have to walk through "Cardboard City"*. A city of homeless people living out of cardboard boxes! The contrast* of the big beautiful and expensive theatre and the poor cardboard houses was always very shocking*. It hurt.
"Cardboard City”, became a symbol of "Thatcher’s Britain", an icon* of "The divide* between the rich and the poor", or of "the new consumerist* Britain".
I sympathised* with these homeless people. I was not homeless but I had very little money. Yet I am ashamed* to admit* that my attitude* was not very forgiving*. I was determined* not to be poor. I would not be a burden* to society* like them!
"Thatcher’s Britain" created* a culture of greed* among* the English people, which sadly* is still dominant today. A culture of rich and poor. Yes, it succeeded in destroying* class divisions*, and the trade unions*, but with them it destroyed something of far greater value*. Community*.
The Greek word for this is "polis" from which the English word "politics*" is derived. Yes, Thatcher’s Britain made many people richer, but in doing so, it squeezed* the love out of its people by encouraging* a less caring and more isolationist society. It achieved* the direct opposite* of what "politics" mean.
Do we still care in Britain? Yes, of course. The English are still very caring, well mannered* and friendly. The situation is not hopeless. However, the disease* of "consumerism" which is now eating up all the rich countries in the world is, in my opinion, winning.
Lexicon
*increase: verstärken
*extensive: umfangreich
*character: Charakter
*opinion: Meinung
*buried: begraben
*spot: Pickel, Fleck
*every day: alltäglich
*poverty: Armut
*Thames Embankment: Ufer der Themse mitten in Londons Westend
*Cardboard City: existierte von 1983 bis 1998. Das Imax- Kino steht jetzt auf diesem Platz.
*contrast: Kontrast
*shocking: schockierend
*icon: Ikone
*divide: Trennung
*consumerist: konsumorientiert
*sympathise:– Mitleid haben
*ashamed: sich schämen
*admit: zugeben
*attitude: Einstellung
*forgiving: versönlich
*determined: entschlossen
*burden: Last
*society: Gesellschaft
*created: verusachte/schaffte
*greed: Gier
*among: unter
*sadly: traurigerweise
*destroying: ruinierend/zerstörend
*class divisions: gesellschaftschichtliche Trennungen
*trade unions: Gewerkschaften
*value: Wert
*community: Gemeinschaft
*politics: Politik
*squeezed: herausgepresst
*encouraging: ermutigend
*achieved: zustande gebracht
*direct opposite: ganz im Gegenteil
*well mannered: gute Mannieren haben
*disease: Krankheit
