English and its history

　　All through① history, people from many different countries and cultures have lived together in Britain.The English language is made up of② the grammar and vocabulary③ these people brought to Britain.That is why English has so many difficult rules that confuse people④. 　　①all through 一直，从来就

　　②be made up of 由......组成/构成

　　make up 编造；构成；弥补(for)；和解；化妆

　　③vocabulary/və'kæbjələrI/n.词汇

　　these people brought to Britain是定语从句，修饰先行词the grammar and vocabulary，关系代词省略了。

　　④why引导表语从句，其中又包含that引导的定语从句。 　　

　　英语及其历史

　　有史以来，在不列颠共同生活着来自许多不同国家和文化背景的人们。英语就是由这些人带到不列颠的语法和词汇构成的。那就是英语有如此多令人困惑不解的规则的原因。

　　Old English

　　Old English is very different from⑤ the English we speak nowadays⑥.In fact⑦， we would not be able to understand it if we heard it today.Before the middle of the 5th century, people in Britain all spoke a language called Celtic⑧.Then two Germanic⑨ groups from the European mainland⑩ - the Angles⑪ and the Saxons⑫ - occupied⑬ Britain.Old English consisted of⑭ a mixture⑮ of their languages.(Both the English language and the English people are named after⑯ the Angles; the word Angle was spelt Engle in Old English.) Aside from⑰ place names such as London, very few Celtic words became part of Old English.At the end of⑱ the 9th century, the Vikings⑲， people from Northern European countries such as Denmark and Norway⑳， began to move to Britain.They brought with them their languages, which also mixed with Old English\s\up1(21(21).By the 10th century, Old English had become the official\s\up1(22(22) language of England.

　　When we speak English today, we sometimes feel puzzled about which words or phrases\s\up1(23(23) to use.This is because English has many words and phrases from different languages\s\up1(24(24)， but with similar meanings.For example\s\up1(25(25)， the word sick came from a word once used by the Angles and the Saxons\s\up1(26(26)， while ill came from a word once used by the Norwegians\s\up1(27(27).

　　⑤be different from ...与......不同

　　⑥nowadays/'naʊədeIz/adv.现在，如今

　　⑦in fact 事实上

　　⑧Celtic/'keltIk/n.凯尔特语

　　⑨Germanic/dʒɜː'mænIk/adj.日耳曼语(族)的

　　⑩mainland/'meInlænd/n.大陆

　　⑪Angle/'æŋɡl/n.盎格鲁人　⑫Saxon/'sæksn/n.撒克逊人

　　⑬occupy/'ɒkjʊpaI/vt.占领；占用(时间、空间等)

　　⑭consist of 由......组成/构成(＝be made up of)，无被动语态。

　　consist/kən'sIst/vi.组成，构成

　　⑮mixture/'mIkstʃə(r)/n.混合，混合体

　　⑯name after 以......命名

　　⑰aside from 除......之外　aside/ə'saId/adv.除......之外

　　⑱at the end of ...在......末

　　⑲Viking/'vaIkIŋ/n.维京人，北欧海盗

　　⑳people from ...and Norway是the Vikings的同位语。

　　\s\up1(21(21)which引导非限制性定语从句，修饰languages。

　　\s\up1(22(22)official/ə'fIʃl/adj.官方的，正式的

　　\s\up1(23(23)phrase/freIz/n.词组，短语

　　\s\up1(24(24)This is because ..."这是因为......"，because引导表语从句。其中介词短语from different languages作定语，修饰words and phrases。

　　\s\up1(25(25)for example 例如

　　\s\up1(26(26)过去分词短语once used by ...作后置定语，修饰a word。

　　\s\up1(27(27)while为并列连词，意为"而，然而"，表对比。