不排隊(duì)會死星人：英國人的排隊(duì)強(qiáng)迫癥從何而來？.

　　“英國人就算獨(dú)自一人，也會整整齊齊地排成一個(gè)人的隊(duì)伍。”(&aposAn Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.&apos)

　　匈牙利作家喬治·麥克斯(George Mikes)的這句名言貼切地總結(jié)了英國人對于排隊(duì)的態(tài)度。外國游客經(jīng)常會感嘆英國人對排隊(duì)的執(zhí)著與熱愛——看比賽要排隊(duì)，逛超市要排隊(duì)，就連等公交也排隊(duì)!“排隊(duì)強(qiáng)迫癥”甚至成為了一個(gè)英國人自黑的經(jīng)典梗。

　　This quote, from Hungarian author George Mikes, could be said to sum up the British attitude towards queuing. Visitors to Britain often remark on our almost obsessive love for standing in line - be it at sporting events, the supermarket, or even when waiting for the bus - and it is a frequent source of humour even among the British themselves.

　　排隊(duì)的習(xí)慣深深植根于英國的民族精神中，以至于發(fā)展出了一整套排隊(duì)禮儀。比如，如果隊(duì)伍前段有兩個(gè)人弄不清誰先誰后，他們會拼命請對方先上，同時(shí)還要一個(gè)勁地說：“您先請!您先請!”。插隊(duì)則會引起人們的極度反感。不過，在人人含蓄內(nèi)斂、不喜爭執(zhí)的英國，萬一真的有人插隊(duì)，也不會產(chǎn)生激烈的沖突，最多只會招來不滿的輕噓聲。

　　The habit of queuing is so ingrained in our national psyche that we have even developed an entire etiquette surrounding it. For example, if it is unclear to two people at the front of a queue who is next, expect to see them both desperately attempt to usher the other to go first, each urging &aposAfter you! After you!&apos. Queue-jumping is heavily frowned upon - although, this being reserved, non-confrontational Britain, in the rare event that someone does actually push in, their only recrimination will come in the form of mildtutting.

　　話說回來，英國人的排隊(duì)“強(qiáng)迫癥”到底從何而來?有人認(rèn)為，這種習(xí)慣可以追溯到十八世紀(jì)末至十九世紀(jì)初的第一次工業(yè)革命時(shí)期。當(dāng)時(shí)，農(nóng)村人口大量涌入大城市務(wù)工定居，由于城市人口的急速增長，商店等公共場所變得人流眾多，因此迫切需要一種有秩序的等候方式——排隊(duì)。

　　But just where does this custom come from? There are arguments that the practice dates back to the Industrial Revolution, in the late 1700s and early 1800s.This was a time when rural people suddenly migrated en-masse to our largest cities looking for work, and the sudden population growth in urban centres forced a need for more structured systems of waiting in places where many people gathered, such as shops.

　　然而，也有人稱，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)(1939-1945年)才是讓英國人養(yǎng)成排隊(duì)習(xí)慣的關(guān)鍵。在艱苦的戰(zhàn)爭年代，衣物、汽油乃至食物都嚴(yán)重供應(yīng)不足，政府鼓勵人們?yōu)樯鐣暙I(xiàn)自己的一份力量，在物資短缺時(shí)期耐心等待配給。在這樣的時(shí)代背景下，排隊(duì)就成了英國社會所倡導(dǎo)的美德的象征——公平競爭、正直得體而又彬彬有禮。即使在今天，也有不少人將排隊(duì)視作英國“國民精神”的體現(xiàn)——注重實(shí)效、冷靜理性、恬淡寡欲。

　　However, it was arguably the Second World War (1939-45) that really established the art of queuing as a British institution. During the tough war years – when clothes,petrol, and even food was in very short supply – the government heavily encouraged people to &aposdo their bit&apos for society, and patiently wait their turn through shortages. The queue thus came to be symbolic of a number of principles valued in British society: fair play, decency, and politeness. Even today, the queue is seen by some to represent what they think of as the British &aposnational character&apos - pragmatic, un-emotional, and stoic.

　　最能體現(xiàn)英國人的排隊(duì)禮儀的當(dāng)屬溫布爾頓網(wǎng)球公開賽的購票隊(duì)伍。溫網(wǎng)是英國人民喜聞樂見的重大賽事。盡管比賽轟動全國，但購票現(xiàn)場從沒起過爭執(zhí)。排隊(duì)的人群總是井然有序，耐心等候。大家可能要排隊(duì)等上幾小時(shí)、幾天，有時(shí)甚至露營徹夜等候，但沒有人覺得不安，因?yàn)樗麄兩钚?，只要耐心等待，總會輪到自己?/p>

　　Perhaps nothing sums this up quite like the queue for tickets at Wimbledon, the annual tennis tournament beloved by many Brits. Despite it being a national sensation,there is never a mad rush - just a patient, orderly queue. Those assembled wait for hours or days, sometimes camping overnight - but satisfied in the knowledge that they, like everyone, will eventually have their turn.