The most popular and touristic English speaking cities are, for sure, London and New York. They are symbols of two main cultures: American and European. Although their spirits are different from the rest of their countries they still have this special magic that attracts millions of people.
London
London as well as New York is the first place you think when you go those countries. Of course, London is the capital city of Great Britain whereas New York is only capital of the state of New York. The US capital is Washington. But let’s back to London. Trafalgar Square and its pigeons are the surprising attraction for tourists and almost as important as the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament or the Tower. The rich history is connected with kings and queens, with the Thames River and buildings. London has its ghosts (they live for example in the Tower) and it’s full of unsolved mysteries. London was the scenery of thousand of novels, tragic and romantic ones. Think of Sherlock Holmes. This fiction character is more popular now than his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. Or brutal Jack the Ripper.
London is 625 square miles (1005 km2) and 7 million people live there. As well as in New York there are a lot of emigrants and people of other nations living there.
Londoners are easy-going people but they will never hug you at the first meeting and they don’t talk in a subway train. The way of their living is maybe less surprising for us than American style of life but if you decide to live in London, work there or study, you’ll become a completely different person.
New York
New York is a big city, which is a symbol of the United States for many nations. The truth is that the character of New York is completely different from the rest of the US. In the city of Greenwich Village and Broadway many nations live together, however, they often have their own districts with a stable charm of the country for example Polish or Italian district and world famous Chinatown.
The city is big, very big actually. First of all it is 301 square miles – 484 km2. 7 420 000 people live in the city of New York state by the Hudson River. They have there 12053 licensed cabs – yellow cabs of course.
Now we call New York the „Big Apple”. This name was first used in 1921 by the journalist John J. Fitzgerald and now you may buy a T-shirt with a print „I love New York”, „I love NY” or „I love Big Apple”.
New York wants to be first in everything. Some people say that NY is before Paris and London in giving fashion rules. Actually New York was first in many things: it was the first national capital (1785), had first state constitution (1777), had the first American school (1652), first American World’s Fair (1853). And it was the place of the start of Charles Lindbergh’s first transatlantic flight (1927) and there are 468 subway stations!
W dzisiejszych czasach słowa amerykańskie i brytyjskie używane są w obu krajach. Amerykanie i Brytyjczycy rozumieją się, musisz jednak pamiętać o słowach, które istnieją w obu językach, ale mają różne znaczenie, np. MAD. Po amerykańsku znaczy „zły, wściekły”, a po brytyjsku „szalony”. Wyobraź sobie, że kolega Brytyjczyk troszeczkę Cię zdenerwował. Mówisz do niego
„I am so mad” (Jestem strasznie zły – po amerykańsku). Niestety, on zrozumiał: „Jestem strasznie szalony!”. W takim przypadku do Brytyjczyka lepiej powiedzieć „I am so angry”.
Remember!
When you go to the USA or Great Britain you must remember that there are some differences between American and British English.
in the USA in Great Britain in Poland
bar pub bar, pub
can tin puszka
cab taxi taksówka
fall autumn jesień
gas, gasoline petrol benzyna
hobo tramp włóczęga
the movies the cinema kino
movie film film
truck van, lorry ciężarówka
tire tyre opona (samochodowa)
subway tube, underground metro
drugstore pharmacy apteka
stove cooker kuchenka
elevator lift winda
apartment flat mieszkanie
bike bicycle rower
crazy mad szalony
mad angry zły, zdenerwowany
Między językiem amerykańskim i brytyjskim są także różnice w gramatyce i pewnych zwrotach.
Oto przykłady:
Great Britain USA Poland
I am going to visit you. I am gonna visit you. Mam zamiar cię odwiedzić
I want to eat a cake. I wanna eat a cake. Chcę zjeść jakieś ciastko.
I have got a sister. I have a sister. Mam siostrę.
Have you got a sister? Do you have a sister? Czy ty masz siostrę?
I think we should go. I guess we should go. Sądzę, że powinniśmy już iść.
