英语听力精选进阶版 6115

The Queen’s 82nd Birthday 英女王82岁生日

The Queen has celebrated¹ her official birthday with the Trooping the Colour parade in central London.

Thousands of spectators joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the annual military spectacle that has been performed for centuries at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

This year there were more than 1,100 soldiers taking part in the display of military pomp and pageantry on Horse Guards Parade. The route along The Mall was lined by members of the Foot Guards regiments² of the Household Division - wearing bearskin hats and red tunics³.

After the Queen took the salute⁴, the royals headed back to Buckingham Palace to gather on the balcony. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also watched one of the biggest flypasts in recent years to mark the 90th anniversary of the RAF.

The planes taking part ranged from a 68-year-old Spitfire to the RAF's newest aircraft, the Typhoon.

The Queen's actual birthday was on 21 April, when she turned 82.

The term ‘Trooping the Colour’ comes from an old military tradition. Before a battle, Colours - or flags - were carried, or "trooped", along the rank of soldiers so they could be seen and recognised. In 1748, it was decided⁵ the trooping would also be used to honour the sovereign's birthday.

In an interview with the BBC, Prince Charles said Trooping the Colour was a "stirring and moving occasion".

"It's splendidly British and I hope it will go on for as long as possible because I think the world would be a sadder, drearier⁶ and greyer place without it," he said.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

Trooping the Colour 皇家军队阅兵

spectacle 壮观场面

Horse Guards Parade 皇家骑兵卫队阅兵场

pomp and pageantry 炫耀的展示

bearskin hats 黑熊皮帽 

salute 致敬/敬礼

flypasts 飞机编队飞过

recognised 辨认

stirring 令人心潮起伏的

splendidly 精彩的

spectators 观众

display 展示

regiments 兵团

red tunics （军人穿）红色紧身短上衣

balcony 阳台

RAF 皇家空军

sovereign 君主

occasion 活动/场面

dreary 令人压抑的/乏味的

1 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。

2 regiments   

（军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物

参考例句：

• The three regiments are all under the command of you. 这三个团全归你节制。
• The town was garrisoned with two regiments. 该镇有两团士兵驻守。

3 tunics   

n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍

参考例句：

• After work colourful clothes replace the blue tunics. 下班后，蓝制服都换成了色彩鲜艳的衣服。 来自辞典例句
• The ancient Greeks fastened their tunics with Buttons and loops. 古希腊人在肩部用钮扣与环圈将束腰外衣扣紧。 来自互联网

4 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

5 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。

6 drearier   

使人闷闷不乐或沮丧的( dreary的比较级 )； 阴沉的； 令人厌烦的； 单调的

参考例句：