3-44

44.

Though the press was mostly laying off Meg, mostly staying focused on the approaching wedding,

the harm was already done. After eighteen months of trashing her, they’d riled up all the trolls,

who were now crawling out of their cellars and lairs¹. Ever since we’d acknowledged that we were

a couple, we’d been flooded with racist² taunts³ and death threats on social media. (See ya later,

race traitor⁴!) But now the official threat level, used by Palace security to allocate⁵ personnel and

guns, had reached vertiginous⁶ heights. In pre-wedding conversations with police we learned that

we’d become the prized target for terrorists and extremists. I remembered General Dannatt saying

I was a bullet magnet, that anyone standing⁷ next to me would be unsafe. Well, I was a bullet

magnet again, but standing next to me would be the person I loved most in the world.

There’s been some reporting about the Palace deciding to instruct Meg in guerrilla warfare⁸,

and survival tactics, in the event of a kidnapping attempt. A bestselling book describes the day

Special Forces came to our house, grabbed Meg, put her through several intense days of drills,

pushing her into back seats and car boots, speeding away to safe houses—all of which is utter

nonsense. Meg wasn’t given one minute of training. On the contrary, the Palace floated the idea of

not giving her any security at all, because I was now sixth in line to the throne. How I wished

reports about Special Forces were even partly true! How I longed to phone my mates in Special

Forces, have them come and train Meg and re-train me. Or, better yet, pitch in, protect us. For that

matter, how I wished I could send Special Forces to go and grab that tiara.

Angela still hadn’t delivered it.

Meg’s hairdresser had come in from France for the rehearsal⁹, and the tiara still wasn’t there.

So he’d gone back.

Again, we phoned Angela. Again, nothing.

Finally, Angela appeared out of thin air at Kensington Palace. I met her in the Audience

Room.

She put before me a release, which I signed, and then she handed me the tiara.

I thanked her, though I added that it would’ve made our lives so much easier to have had it

sooner.

Her eyes were fire. She started having a go at me.

Angela, you really want to do this now? Really? Now?

She fixed¹⁰ me with a look that made me shiver. I could read in her face a clear warning.

This isn’t over.

1 lairs   

n.（野兽的）巢穴，窝( lair的名词复数 )；（人的）藏身处

参考例句：

• Beholders usually carve out underground lairs for themselves using their disintegrate rays. 眼魔经常用它们的解离射线雕刻自己的地底巢穴。 来自互联网
• All animals are smothered in their lairs. 所有的小生灵都躲在巢穴里冬眠。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

4 traitor   

n.叛徒，卖国贼

参考例句：

• The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
• He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

5 allocate   

vt.分配，分派；把…拨给；把…划归

参考例句：

• You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
• They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。

6 vertiginous   

adj.回旋的；引起头晕的

参考例句：

• House prices continued their vertiginous decline,with the US,UK,Spain and Ireland leading the way.房屋价格继续他们的旋转式下降，美国、英国、西班牙和爱尔兰引领着这个趋势。
• My small mind contained in earthly human limits,not lost in vertiginous space and elements unknown.我的狭隘思想局限在人类世俗之中，不会

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

9 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

10 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。