Take Away English-The Queen: Sixty Years of Married Life 女王六

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their wedding day, 1947.

How would you celebrate your wedding anniversary? A party with your friends perhaps, or maybe a dinner for two in a small intimate restaurant?

Britain’s reigning¹ monarch² Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip have celebrated³ their 60th wedding anniversary, called their diamond anniversary, with a service in Westminster Abbey, with 2000 guests.

Amongst the guests were five choristers from the Queen’s wedding in 1947, as well as 10 couples who married on the same day.

The service was also watched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as his predecessors⁴ John Major and Baroness⁵ Thatcher⁶.

The Queen is the first British monarch to reach a diamond wedding anniversary.

One of the couples, who married on the same day as the Queen, Margaret and Horace Bunn, said meeting the royal couple had been the "icing on the cake".

Mr Bunn told BBC News: "We had a bit of an idea we might meet the Queen but we didn't know it was going to happen."

His wife added: "We were really looking forward to meeting her and she was so nice."

More than 30 Royal Family members were there at the ceremony, and the party isn’t about to end soon. As if such a huge celebration wasn’t enough, the Queen has released sixty fabulous⁷ facts about the British monarchy⁸ as a way of getting the whole nation involved. They make interesting reading.

Top of the list comes news of the Duke of Edinburgh’s pre-marriage party celebration, his ‘stag’ party. A stag party is an all male event often held just before a man gets married. Not content with just one party, The Duke of Edinburgh had two before his wedding to the Queen in 1947!

Checkout⁹ www.royal.gov.uk for the full list of facts.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

british monarchy 英国君主 ceremony （庆祝）仪式 diamond anniversary 钻石婚 icing on the cake 锦上添花，好上加好 （指一件原本已经很好的事情变得更好） intimate 适合约会的（餐厅或气氛） stag party 只限男子参加的聚会 （尤指 为准新郎举行的）

celebrate 庆祝 choristers 唱诗班歌手 huge celebration 大型庆祝活动 interesting reading 有趣儿的读物 reigning monarch 执政君主 wedding anniversary 结婚纪念日

1 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

2 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。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

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 baroness   

n.男爵夫人，女男爵

参考例句：

• I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you.我相信男爵夫人能够把家里的事替你安排妥当的。
• The baroness,who had signed,returned the pen to the notary.男爵夫人这时已签过字，把笔交回给律师。

6 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

7 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

8 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。

9 checkout   

n.（超市等）收银台，付款处

参考例句：

• Could you pay at the checkout.你能在结帐处付款吗。
• A man was wheeling his shopping trolley to the checkout.一个男人正推着购物车向付款台走去。