爱尔兰共和国，简称“爱尔兰”，位于欧洲大陆西北海岸，西临大西洋，东靠爱尔兰海，与英国隔海相望，是北美通向欧洲的通道。绿树成荫，绿草遍野，故有“翡翠岛国”、“绿宝石”及“绿岛”之美誉。山峦环抱的中原地区多为丘陵和平原。海岸线上绵延崎岖的山崖，翠绿的乡村，蜿蜒的湖岸和纵横的河流。其中香农河是不列颠群岛最长的河流，全长约400公里，贯穿整个爱尔兰岛，发源于奎尔卡山西麓的香农潭，向南流经中央低地，起伏于丘陵之间，穿过湖泊和沼泽泥炭地带，下游转而向西，注入大西洋，是爱尔兰自古以来的重要水道。爱尔兰受墨西哥暖流影响，属典型温带海洋性气候，温和湿润，长年多雨。年平均气温4℃到20℃，四季区别不明显。气温相对均衡，全国气温基本一致。

前辅文
Chapter 00
  Ireland
  Introduction
  Key Facts
Chapter 01 LAND & PEOPLE
  ? Geography and Climate
  ? Irish Society and People
  ? The Importance of History to the Irish
  ? The Making of Modern Ireland
  ? The Main Irish Cities
  ? Politics
Chapter 02 VALUES & ATTITUDES
  ? Irishness
  ? The Irish View of the Outside World
  ? Ireland Today
  ? Sex and Morality
  ? Censorship and Bad Language
  ? Social Attitudes and the TV Screen
Chapter 03 RELIGION & TRADITION
  ? Religion Is Important
  ? The Catholic Church in Ireland
  ? Education
  ? The Irish Way of Death
  ? The Church of Ireland
  ? Ecumenism
  ? The Presbyterian Church
  ? Methodists and Others
  ? The Religious Orders
  ? Irish Saints
  ? Pilgrimage Sites
  ? The Irish Language
  ? Mythology
  ? Irish Fairy Lore
Chapter 04 MAKING FRIENDS
  ? Getting On With the Irish
  ? Home Life
Chapter 05 CULTURAL LIFE
  ? Music, Song, and Dance
  ? Traditional Music
  ? Literature and the Bardic Tradition
  ? Irish Novelists
  ? Film
  ? Festivals
Chapter 06 TIME OUT
  ? Food and Eating Out
  ? Drinking and Pubs
  ? The Sporting Life
Chapter 07 BUSINESS BRIEFING
  ? The Economy
  ? Internationalism
  ? Business Etiquette
  ? Women in Business
  ? Management Style
  ? Meetings, Negotiations, and Communication
  ? Teams and Teamwork
  ? Business Entertaining
  ? Business, Shopping, and Banking Hours, and Public Holidays
Chapter 08 COMMUNICATING
  ? A Love of the Language
  ? The Importance of Understatement
  ? Watch Out for Gossip!
  ? Accent and Idiom
  ? The Media
  ? Communicating and Getting Around
  ? Conclusion
Appendices
  ? Places
  ? People
Exercises