He may be the crowning jewel in Britain's cultural crown, with commemorative events to mark to the 400th anniversary of his death dominating museums, galleries, television and theatre for months.

 

莎士比亚也许是英国文化的瑰宝，连续好几个月博物馆、画廊、电视和剧院都被莎士比亚逝世400周年的纪念活动所占据。

 

But British people understand and like the works of William Shakespeare significantly less than those abroad, a survey has shown.

 

Four in ten Britons claim they do not think Shakespeare’s works are relevant to the modern day, simple enough to grasp or even enjoy, according to the study for the British Council.

 

The YouGov poll, commissioned to find the economic boost Shakespeare gives to Britain, found countries including India, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and China have significantly higher appreciation¹ for the Bard² than his British homeland.

 

The report questioned 18,000 respondents in 15 countries, with 78 percent of those polled having experience of Shakespeare plays in some form.

 

Overall, 76 percent said they liked his plays and sonnets³, 69 percent understood them and felt they were still relevant.

 

In the UK, however, just 59 percent said they liked Shakespeare’s work, with a significant 34 percent choosing to disagree. It placed 11th out of the 15 countries surveyed in terms of making positive judgment⁴ about Shakespeare.

 

Just 19 percent of those outside the UK, many of whom will be reading or watching plays in translation, chose to dislike it.

 

Respondents from Germany showed strong dislike for Shakespeare, with just 44 percent saying they like it and 42 percent thinking it had any relevance⁵.

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