TheWelshlanguagehasalwaysbeentheultimatemarkerofWelshidentity,butagenerationagoitlookedasifWelshwouldgothewayofManx,oncewidelyspokenontheIsleofManbutnowextinct.Governmentfinancingandcentralplanning,however,havehelpedreversethedeclineofWelsh.RoadsignsandofficialpublicdocumentsarewritteninbothWelshandEnglish,andschoolchildrenarerequiredtolearnbothlanguages.WelshisnowoneofthemostsuccessfulofEurope’sregionallanguages,spokenbymorethanahalf-millionofthecountry’sthreemillionpeople. Therevivalofthelanguage,particularlyamongyoungpeople,ispartofaresurgenceofnationalidentitysweepingthroughthissmall,proudnation.LastmonthWalesmarkedthesecondanniversaryoftheopeningoftheNationalAssembly,thefirstparliamenttobeconvenedheresince1404.TheideabehinddevolutionwastorestorethebalancewithintheunionofnationsmakinguptheUnitedKingdom.Withmostofthepeopleandwealth,Englandhasalwayshadbraggingrights.ThepartialtransferoflegislativepowersfromWestminster,implementedbyTonyBlair,wasdesignedtogivetheothermembersoftheclub—Scotland,NorthernIreland,andWales—abiggersayandtocountercentrifugalforcesthatseemedtothreatentheveryideaoftheunion. TheWelshshowedlittleenthusiasmfordevolution.WhereastheScotsvotedoverwhelminglyforaparliament,thevoteforaWelshassemblyscrapedthroughbylessthanonepercentonaturnoutoflessthan25percent.Itspowerswereproportionatelylimited.TheAssemblycandecidehowmoneyfromWestminsterortheEuropeanUnionisspent.Itcannot,unlikeitscounterpartinEdinburgh,enactlaws.Butnowthatitishere,theWelsharegrowingtoliketheirAssembly.Manypeoplewouldlikeittohavemorepowers.Itsimportanceasfigureheadwillgrowwiththeopeningin2003,ofanewdebatingchamber,oneofmanynewbuildingsthataretransformingCardifffromadecayingseaportintoaBaltimore-stylewaterfrontcity.MeanwhileagrantofnearlytwomilliondollarsfromtheEuropeanUnionwilltacklepoverty.WalesisoneofthepoorestregionsinWesternEurope—onlySpain,Portugal,andGreecehavealowerstandardofliving. NewspapersandmagazinesarefilledwithstoriesaboutgreatWelshmenandwomen,boostingself-esteem.TofamiliarfacessuchasDylanThomasandRichardBurtonhavebeenaddednewiconssuchasCatherineZeta-Jones,themoviestar,andBrynTerfel,theoperasinger.Indigenousfoodslikesaltmarshlambareinvogue.AndWalesnowboastsanationalairline,AwyrCymru.Cymru,whichmeans“landofcompatriots”,istheWelshnameforWales.Thereddragon,thenation’ssymbolsincethetimeofKingArthur,iseverywhere—onT-shirts,rugbyjerseysandevencellphonecovers. “UntilveryrecenttimesmostWelshpeoplehadthisfeelingofbeingsecond-classcitizens,”saidDyfanJones,an18-year-oldstudent.Itwasawarmsummernight,andIwassittingonthegrasswithagroupofyoungpeopleinLlanelli,anindustrialtowninthesouth,outsidetherockmusicvenueoftheNationalEisteddfod,Wales’sannualculturalfestival.ThedisusedfactoryinfrontofusechoedtothesoundsofnewWelshbands. “Therewasalmostagenetictendencyforlackofconfidence,”Dyfancontinued.EquallycomfortableinhisWelshnessasinhismembershipintheEnglish-speaking,globalyouthcultureandthenewfederalEurope,Dyfan,liketherestofhisgeneration,isgrowingupwithasenseofpossibilityunimaginabletenyearsago.“Weusedtothink.Wecan’tdoanything,we’reonlyWelsh.NowIthinkthat’schanging.” Accordingtothepassage,devolutionwasmainlymeantto_____.
A.maintain the present status among the nations. B.reduce legislative powers of England. C.create a better state of equality among the nations. D.grant more say to all the nations in the union.正确答案C
