美国国家公共电台 NPR--It's hard to think of a Britain without Queen Elizabeth II. What's her legacy?

It's hard to think of a Britain without Queen Elizabeth II. What's her legacy¹?

Transcript²

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Tracy Borman, royal historian and author of Crown and Sceptre, about the life and legacy of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

For now, we're going to turn to Tracy Borman - she is a royal historian - with a long look at the queen's life and legacy.

Tracy, thanks for being with us.

TRACY BORMAN: It's a pleasure.

MARTIN: It's just remarkable³ to think that this woman, Queen Elizabeth, was just 25 years old when she took the throne. And - I mean, it was such an uncertain period of post-war recovery in the country. How did she seek to distinguish herself from not just her father but her other predecessors⁴?

BORMAN: Yes. You're right. What a moment for her to have become queen, and at such a young age, in fact, the same age as the first Elizabeth Queen of England. And it's extraordinary how different attitudes were then. She immediately faced, you know, whole-scale prejudice about the fact that she was a woman, and people just didn't think she was capable of fulfilling this role of queen. And yet she defied all expectations. And I think it was her constancy and sense of duty from the beginning that really set her on the right path. They may not be the most glamorous⁵ of qualities for a monarch⁶. We're not talking about high drama here. But I think it's the very lack of drama that defined her reign⁷ and that was the secret of her success.

MARTIN: People keep using the word decent to describe her...

BORMAN: Yes.

MARTIN: ...Such a sense of decency⁸, which is sort of an interesting word.

BORMAN: Exactly. And it was said very early in her reign that - by the prime minister - that she loves duty, and she means to be queen. And, you know, that was a very accurate remark. And she was also described as a child as being fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. And I think that really applied⁹ throughout her long life.

MARTIN: The role of monarch is not a political job, but she performed it alongside political people - a long list of prime ministers, beginning with Winston Churchill. How significant...

BORMAN: Yes.

MARTIN: ...Were those personal relationships to Britain's trajectory¹⁰?

BORMAN: They were hugely significant, and, of course, as of two days ago, she broke that record - or, three days ago, rather - she broke the record of, you know, greeting the most prime ministers - 15 prime ministers during her long reign. But I think from the beginning, the queen understood and abided by her constitutional role. We must remember that in a sense, the monarch in Britain has less power politically than their subjects because their subjects can vote in a government, whereas the monarch can only acknowledge its arrival. And we certainly saw the queen abiding¹¹ by that constitutional role. But it's a - it's been a pivotal role as well, especially given her long experience. She's played a really important role in advising her prime ministers and her governments.

MARTIN: She saw a lot of change, though, in the United Kingdom - I mean, the the decline of the empire, the decline of Britain as a global power...

BORMAN: Yes. Yes.

MARTIN: ...Brexit, all this uncertainty¹² over Scotland and Northern Ireland. How did those issues complicate¹³ her legacy?

BORMAN: Well, she did oversee¹⁴ a huge amount of change. But - and I think there's always a balance to be struck for any monarch between keeping up with the times, but upholding tradition because tradition does lie at the heart of the British monarchy¹⁵. It was said that an ideal monarch needed to be always changing, always the same. And I do think that the queen got it absolutely right. She did, you know, revolutionize some aspects of the monarchy. And notably¹⁶, I would say her greatest legacy was in finally introducing equality into the succession so that women have equal precedence with men when it comes to inheriting the throne. But, of course, she was a bastion of tradition as well.

MARTIN: You know, people, though, have pointed¹⁷ to relics¹⁸ of the past. The OBE is this honor that is bestowed¹⁹ upon British subjects who are notable for their public service. And the E stands for Empire. And that's become kind of a thing right now, people saying...

BORMAN: Yes.

MARTIN: ...You know, she was modern, perhaps, in some ways but was representative of a part of British history that many people are not proud of.

BORMAN: No, absolutely. But some of the the titles - perhaps they have become anachronistic²⁰. But I think the queen was very, very good at adapting the monarchy to suit the times. And I think that in the future we will see even more of that. There is talk of the new King Charles being defender²¹ of faiths, plural²², not just defender of the faith, as the monarch has been for 500 years. But I think the queen just absolutely hit the right note throughout her reign.

MARTIN: There were a lot of personal problems in the royal family itself - the trauma²³ of the death of Princess Diana, Prince Andrew's ties to the sex offender²⁴ Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Harry²⁵ and Meghan choosing to leave their royal duties.

BORMAN: Yes.

MARTIN: How will her legacy in those moments be remembered?

BORMAN: Well, I think there's a huge amount to learn from the queen's reaction to those moments. And scandal really defined her reign from the beginning. Her sister, Princess Margaret's affair with Peter Townsend, really set the tone for some of the greatest crises of her reign. She always upheld the privacy of her position, and I think she judged that absolutely correctly - 'cause in this age that's obsessed²⁶ with overnight celebrities²⁷ and, you know, global communication, I think the queen upheld that dignity and was this constant, unswerving pressure - sorry - presence, even when everything was falling apart, you know, around her. She was there. She was constant, a really steady hand.

MARTIN: Tracy Borman, a historian whose book "Crown & Sceptre" chronicles the British monarchy.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning for your perspective.

BORMAN: It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

6 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

7 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

8 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

11 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

13 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

14 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

15 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

16 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

17 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

18 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

19 bestowed   

赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
• He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

20 anachronistic   

adj.时代错误的

参考例句：

• In remembering historic events,the mistake you tend to make is anachronistic.在记历史事件时，你容易犯的错误是时代错误。
• English public schools are anachronistic.英国的公立学校已经落伍过时了。

21 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

22 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

23 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

24 offender   

n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者

参考例句：

• They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
• The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。

25 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

26 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

27 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目