Queen's Official Birthday

BBC Learning EnglishWeekenderQueen's Official BirthdayCallum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is Weekender.
　　A few weeks ago I celebrated¹ my birthday. I don't feel anyolder, but nowwhen I write my age I have to add an extra number.
　　For some people birthdays are a time of celebration andrejoicing, for others it's a time of sadness as they worryabout getting older. Birthdays cause a lot of differentemotions, but for most of us it only comes around once ayear.
　　However in Britain the Queen actually celebrates twobirthdays. The first is her actual birthday on 21st ofApril. She also celebrates an official birthday on eitherthe first or the second, and sometimes the third, Saturdayin June. This year's official birthday was celebrated on 17June 2006.
　　On her official birthday there is a big parade in thecentre of London called the Trooping of the Colour. Thiswas originally a military procedure which took place beforea battle..
　　The Colour is the name for the flags for an army. Troopingwas when the flag was shown to the soldiers in the army sothat it could be seen and recognised by the soldiers duringthe battle.
　　In time this became a purely² ceremonial event. This meansit is done for display and exhibition. In 1748 it becamethe ceremony that was used to mark the sovereign'sbirthday.
　　But what has all this to do with the Queen having twobirthdays? Here's BBC Correspondent June Kelly to explain,as she says the second birthday began with one of theQueen's ancestors, Edward the Seventh. Why did he start thepractice of having a second birthday.
　　JUNE KELLYThis was brought in by Edward the 7th, he brought it in,because his birthday was in the winter, he thought it wasn’t a particularly good time to have Trooping the Colour,so therefore the decision was made for to have an officialbirthday. And basically, it was done for that reason,simply because the weather and parades that we see onTrooping the Colour.
　　Callum: So the reason for the monarch³ having an officialbirthday in the summer is simply the British weather. TheTrooping of the Colour is a colourful and spectacularceremony which is best appreciated in the summer. BecauseEdward 7th birthday was in winter he decided⁴ there shouldbe an official birthday in the summer. Listen again.
　　JUNE KELLYThis was brought in by Edward the 7th, he brought it in,because his birthday was in the winter, he thought it wasn’t a particularly good time to have Trooping the Colour,so therefore the decision was made for to have an officialbirthday. And basically, it was done for that reason,simply because the weather and parades that we see onTrooping the Colour.
　　Callum: Edward 7th died in 1910, so what happened afterthat. June Kelly now talks about his successors, hissuccessors, the people who followed after him asmonarch. She also uses a very formal expression to say thatsomething finishedor wasn't done for a while – it 'fell into abeyance⁵' 'fellinto abeyance'. Here's June Kelly again taking about thepractice of the monarch having an official birthday in thesummer.
　　JUNE KELLYThen it fell into abeyance, because his successors hadbirthdays in the summer, so it was alright to have Troopingthe Colour then. But the Queen’s father, George the 6threinstated it, because he too was a winter baby, and theQueen has followed that tradition.
　　Callum: After the death of Edward 7th the practice 'fellinto abeyance', it didn't happen because the monarchs⁶ hadtheir actual birthdays in the summer. The Queen's father,George 6th started it again – or reinstated it as Junesays. Since then the Queen has followed this tradition.
　　Listen again.
　　JUNE KELLYThen it fell into abeyance, because his successors hadbirthdays in the summer, so it was alright to have Troopingthe Colour then. But the Queen’s father, George the 6threinstated it, because he too was a winter baby, and theQueen has followed that tradition.
　　Callum: That's all from this edition of Weekender.

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 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

3 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。

4 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。

5 abeyance   

n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定

参考例句：

• The question is in abeyance until we know more about it.问题暂时搁置，直到我们了解更多有关情况再行研究。
• The law was held in abeyance for well over twenty years.这项法律被搁置了二十多年。

6 monarchs   

君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Monarchs ruled England for centuries. 世袭君主统治英格兰有许多世纪。
• Serving six monarchs of his native Great Britain, he has served all men's freedom and dignity. 他在大不列颠本国为六位君王服务，也为全人类的自由和尊严服务。 来自演讲部分