阅读理解

The English and the Continentals

　　In England everything is the other way round．On Sundays on the Continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit, tries to look respectable, and at the same time the life of the country becomes gay and cheerful; in England even the richest lord(勋爵)or motor-manufacturer dresses in some peculiar(特别的, 罕见的)rags, does not shave, and the country becomes dull and sad．On the Continent there is one subject which should be avoided－the weather; in England, if you do not repeat the phrase “lovely day, isn’t it?” at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull．On the Continent people use a fork as though a fork were a shovel(铲子); in England they turn it upside down and push everything－including peas－on top of it．

　　On the Continent almost every nation whether little or great has openly declared at one time or another that it is superior to all other nations; the English fight heroic wars to combat these dangerous ideas without ever mentioning which is really the most superior race in the world．Continental people are sensitive and touchy(易生气的); the English take everything with a sense of humor－they are only offended if you tell them that they have no sense of humor．On the Continent the population consists of a small percentage of criminals, a small percentage of honest people and the rest are a vague transition(过渡, 转变)between the two; in England you find a small percentage of criminals and the rest are honest people．On the other hand, people on the Continent either tell you the truth or lie; in England they hardly ever lie, but they would not dream of telling you the truth．

　　Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game．