英语国家概况精讲系列（十九）

　　III.The Cabinet and Ministry

　　内阁和内阁部长

　　1. The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet， is responsible for the allocation of functions among ministers and informs the Queen at regular meetings of general business of the Government. Cabinet members hold meetings under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister for a few hours each week to decide Government policy on major issues.

　　首相主持内阁，负责分配大臣们的职能，在定期会见女王时向女王报告政府事务。内阁在 首相的主持下，每周开会几小时，以决定在重大问题上政府的政策。

　　2. Ministers are responsible collectively to Parliament for all Cabinet decisions； individual Ministers are responsible to Parliament for the work of their department.

　　内阁的所有决定由大臣集体向议会负责，各大臣又为各自部门的工作向议会负责。

　　IV.The Privy Council

　　枢密院

　　1. The Privy Council was formerly the chief source of executive power in the state and give private advice to the King. So the Privy Council was also called the King‘s Council in history. Today its role is largely formal， advising the sovereign to approve certain government decrees.

　　枢密院原来是政府行政权力的源泉，给君主提供“私人”建议。它在历史上也称为国王议会。今天它的主要作用是礼节性的，如建议君主批准政府的法令。

　　2. Its membership is about 400， and includes all Cabinet ministers， the speaker of the House of Common and senior British and Commonwealth statement.

　　它的主要成员有400人左右，包括内阁阁员，下议院院长及英国，英联邦的高级政治家等。

　　V.Government Department and the Civil Service

　　政府各部和公务员部

　　1. The principal Government department main includes： the Treasury， the House of office， the Foreign and Commonwealth office， the Ministry of Defense…

　　主要的政府部门包括：财务部，内务部，外交部，国防部等。

　　2. Members of the Civil Service are called Civil Services. They staff government departments. Civil Servants are recruited mainly by competitive examination. Civil servants do not belong to any political party. Changes of Government do not involve changes in departmental staff， There are about 541800 civil servants in Britain now.

　　文职人员部的成员被成为公务员。公务员主要是通过竞争考试录用。公务员部门不属于任何政党，政府的变更并不影响部门职员的变更。英国现约有541800名公务员。

　　VI.Local Government

　　地方政府部门

　　1. There are two main tiers of local authority throughout England and Wales： counties and the smaller districts. Now， England and Wales are divided into 53 counties which are sub-divided into 369 districts.

　　英格兰和威尔士实行两级地方政府制—郡和比郡小的区。现在英格兰和威尔士分为53个郡，郡下分为369个区。

　　2. Greater London is divided into 32 boroughs.

　　大伦敦被分为32个行政区。