时代周刊:梅根的意义(1)

The Meaning of Meghan

梅根的意义

The monarchy¹ finally catches up with multicultural² Britain

王室终于跟上了英国多元文化的步伐

By Afua Hirsch

文/ 阿法·赫希

WHEN THE BRITISH PRESS TAKES notice of a budding royal romance, there is usually a familiar theme.

英国媒体注意到有王室恋情正在萌芽的情节通常都很相似。

They spot the couple "getting flirty³" at a polo match, for example, or leaving a nightclub in the early hours.

比如，发现那对情侣在马球比赛中“眉目传情”，或者凌晨时分离开了某家夜店。

But when it came to Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle,

但到了哈里王子和梅根·马克尔的恋情上，

the first clue that there was something different was the tabloids⁴' unfamiliar⁵, almost cryptic⁶ reaction.

第一条表明两人有情况的线索竟然是八卦小报少有的几近神秘的反应了。

His new girlfriend was described as a "glamorous⁷ brunette"

王子的新女友被形容为“迷人的黑发女郎”

who was "something of a departure from Prince Harry's usual type."

“和哈里王子一贯喜欢的类型有些出入。”

Markle, the public was told, was "not in the society blonde style of previous girlfriends."

公众被告知，马克尔“不像王子的前几任女友那样喜欢社交。”

This language was code for something the press was simultaneously⁸ obsessed⁹ with

这一措辞堪称是一个密码，暗示了媒体既痴迷又不情愿直接说出来的一个问题：

and uncomfortable addressing directly: Markle is a woman of color.

马克尔是有色人种。

Some references were less covert¹⁰ than others.

而有些报道的措辞就没有这么隐晦了。

A few were blatantly¹¹ racist¹².

还有一些甚至公然带着歧视的口吻。

Markle, who grew up in Hollywood and went to private schools,

某出版社就用了“（几乎）冲出康普顿”这样的字眼

was referred to as "(almost) straight outta Compton" by one publication.

来形容在好莱坞长大并就读于私立学校的马克尔。

Her family didn't escape notice either.

马克尔的家人也没有逃过媒体的关注。

Miss Markle's mother is a dreadlocked African-American lady from the wrong side of the tracks, wrote another.

某出版社就写道：“马克尔小姐的母亲是一位来自贫困地区，梳着脏辫的非裔美国人。”

Her mother is a social-worker and yoga instructor¹³.

她的母亲是一名社会工作者兼瑜伽教练。

Markle had embraced her identity as a "strong, confident mixed-race woman" long before her engagement was announced,

早在宣布订婚之前，马克尔就接受了自己是一名“坚强、自信的混血女性”的身份，

but her arrival in the British public's consciousness

但她在走进英国公众的视野时，

was accompanied by a complex—and at times subtle—mix of romantic fairy tale,

她的出现还是被蒙上了一层复杂的——不时还很微妙的——融浪漫童话，

change of tradition and racial slur¹⁴.

传统的改变和种族歧视于一体的阴影。

Her heritage continues to attract immense attention from the public and press,

她的事迹依旧吸引着公众和媒体的密切关注，

partly because it is such a visible departure for a British royal.

部分原因在于，她的出身明显偏离了英国王室成员的一贯出身。

At the same time, there has been an aggressive tendency to pretend that nobody notices her race.

与此同时，媒体方面也出现了一种咄咄逼人的，假装没有人注意到她的种族的倾向。

Instead, the only reason for any hesitation¹⁵ about Markle stems, some in the commentariat claim,

一些评论家认为，那些对马克尔的身份产生了犹疑无非是因为

from the fact that she is American, an actor, or divorced, or that she went to Catholic school.

她是个美国人，是个演员，或者是因为她离过异，又或者是因为上过天主学校。

1 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。

2 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

3 flirty   

adj.爱调戏的，轻浮的

参考例句：

• Add a flirty blouse and cardigan for a super chic weekend look. 再穿一件风情万种的衬衫，搭配开襟羊毛衫，就是超级有型的周末装了。 来自互联网

4 tabloids   

n.小报，通俗小报（版面通常比大报小一半，文章短，图片多，经常报道名人佚事）( tabloid的名词复数 )；药片

参考例句：

• The story was on the front pages of all the tabloids. 所有小报都在头版报道了这件事。
• The story made the front page in all the tabloids. 这件事成了所有小报的头版新闻。

5 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

6 cryptic   

adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的

参考例句：

• She made a cryptic comment about how the film mirrored her life.她隐晦地表示说这部电影是她人生的写照。
• The new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms.新的保险单在编写时没有隐秘条款或秘密条款。

7 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。

8 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

9 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。

10 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

11 blatantly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored. 安全规章被公然置之不顾。
• They walked grandly through the lobby, blatantly arm in arm, pretending they were not defeated. 他们大大方方地穿过门厅，故意炫耀地挎着胳膊，假装他们没有被打败。

12 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

13 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

14 slur   

v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音

参考例句：

• He took the remarks as a slur on his reputation.他把这些话当作是对他的名誉的中伤。
• The drug made her speak with a slur.药物使她口齿不清。

15 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。