新西兰英语 116 Government brings back Sir and Dame title

　　In 2000, the Labour government decided¹ to stop using the titles Sir and Dame² for the people who receive our top honours. Instead these people were called Principal³ Companion or Distinguished⁴ Companion, which does not sound nearly so good. Now the National government will bring back these titles, starting with the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. See June 2nd 2008 for a look at our honours system.
The list of names begins with the words, “The Queen has been pleased … to make the following appointments”. People who receive these honours in the UK go to Buckingham Palace where the Queen gives out the medals. For a Sir or Dame, the Queen taps them on both shoulders with a sword⁵, while they kneel⁶ in front of her. In New Zealand, the Governor-General has taken the place of the Queen.
When the Labour government changed the system, they said it was time NZ had its own honours system, not one that comes from England. Both Canada and Australia have their own honours system now. However, many people will be pleased to have the titles of Sir and Dame back again. They are titles we easily understand. Some famous people whom we admire were given these titles, such as Sir Edmund Hillary who was the first to climb Mt Everest, and the opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
In the last nine years, 85 people received a Principal Companion or Distinguished Companion honour. They can now be called Sir or Dame if they wish.
If New Zealand ever decides to leave the Commonwealth⁷ and become a republic, we will have to go back to our own honours system again.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

3 principal   

adj.主要的；n.负责人，校长，资本

参考例句：

• When he saw the principal,he raised his hand in salutation.他看到校长时举手敬礼。
• Their school gave a reception to their new principal.他们学校为新校长举办了一个招待会。

4 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

5 sword   

n.剑，刀剑，武力，杀戮

参考例句：

• The soldier cut at his enemy with his sword.那位士兵用自己的剑向敌人砍去。
• With a sweep of his sword he cut through the rope.他用剑一挥把绳子砍断了。

6 kneel   

vi.跪，跪下，跪着

参考例句：

• At church people kneel when they pray.人们在教堂祈祷时要下跪。
• Then the two fighters kneel and pray to God.然后两个斗士跪下，向上帝祈祷。

7 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。