第1个回答 2009-05-19
This is one of a series of articles about the differences between American English and British English, which, for the purposes of these articles, are defined as follows:
American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States.
British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom.
American English written forms are fairly well standardized across the U.S. An unofficial standard for spoken American English has developed as a result of mass media and of geographic and social mobility. This standard is generally called a General American or Standard Midwestern accent and dialect, and it can typically be heard from network newscasters, although local newscasters tend toward more colourful forms of speech. Despite this unofficial standard, regional variations of American English have not only persisted, but have actually intensified, according to William Labov. Regional dialects in the U.S. typically reflect the elements of the language of the main immigrant groups in any particular region of the country, especially in terms of pronunciation and vernacular vocabulary. Scholars have mapped at least four major regional variations of spoken American English: Northern (really north-eastern), Southern, Midland, and Western (Labov, Ash, & Boberg, 2006).[1] After the American Civil War, the settlement of the western territories by migrants from the east led to dialect mixing and levelling, so that regional dialects are most strongly differentiated in the eastern part of the country that were settled earlier. Localized dialects also exist with quite distinct variations, such as in the Southern Mountains and New York City.
British English also has a reasonable degree of uniformity in its formal written form. The spoken forms though vary considerably, reflecting a long history of dialect development amid isolated populations. Dialects and accents vary not only between the countries in the United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but also within these individual countries. There are also differences in the English spoken by different socio-economic groups in any particular region. Received Pronunciation (RP), which is 'the educated spoken English of south-east England' has traditionally been regarded as 'proper English'; this is also referred to as BBC English or the Queen's English. The BBC and other broadcasters now intentionally use a mix of presenters with a variety of British accents and dialects, and the concept of 'proper English' is now far less prevalent.[2]
British and American English are the reference norms for English as spoken, written, and taught in the rest of the world. For instance, the English-speaking members of the Commonwealth often closely follow British English forms while many new American English forms quickly become familiar outside of the United States. Although the dialects of English used in the former British Empire are often, to various extents, based on standard British English, most of the countries concerned have developed their own unique dialects, particularly with respect to pronunciation, idioms, and vocabulary; chief among them are Canadian English and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in number of native speakers.[3][4]
第2个回答 2012-06-28
联系:(1)判例是主要的法律形式。英美法系的主体部分是判例法,法律的创制、法律原则的形成和发展以及法律的解释往往是通过判例形式实现的。(2)法律风格的一致。强调程序法的重要性。在司法实践中,法院和法官享有重要的地位。
与英国法相比较美国法有如下特点:(1)法律移植中的批判精神。但美国对英国法的运用,以符合美国的国情为前提,对不适合本国国情的普通法规则不予适用。(2)联邦和各州自成法律体系。美国是联邦制国家,联邦和各州有自己的立法机关和司法系统,联邦和各州各有不同的制定法和判例法。(3)判例法与制定法并重。美国实行普通法传统,判例法与制定法并重,联邦制定法无疑高于州的制定法。(4)制定法的明显灵活性。美国联邦法院开创了具有解释宪法和违宪审查权的先例后,美国的制定法较之英国法更具有灵活性。(5)浓厚的种族歧视色彩。美国由不同民族和种族组成,历史上来自欧洲的白种人,一直占据着统治者的地位,他们制定许多种族歧视的法律,主要为歧视黑人的法律,直至今天这种法律还存在某种影响。