在新西兰有很多小岛，岛上有部落，部落有各自的首领，当他们的王去世后，你见过他们的祭奠仪式吗？

 

Chris: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Chris.

Rosie: And I'm Rosie.

Chris: Rosie, have you ever heard of the island of Tonga?

Rosie: It sounds familiar, but I’m not too sure where it is.

Chris: It’s a small South Pacific island, near New Zealand. The people of Tonga are in

mourning this week as their King, George Tupou V, recently died.

Rosie: That’s very sad news. Has the funeral taken place?

Chris: Yes it has. And he was a popular king too. We’ll hear just how popular he was

in the report, but before we hear it, I have a question for you about kings and

queens – or monarchs as they are sometimes called.

Rosie: I’m fairly good with history, so let’s see if I can get your question right.

Chris: Who has been the longest-serving monarch in Europe?

a) Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

b) King Afonso I of Portugal

c) King Louis XIV of France

Rosie: I know Queen Victoria served for a long time, so I think I’ll go for A, Queen

Victoria.

Chris: OK. Well, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. But let’s go

back to our story about the funeral of the king of Tonga.

Rosie: I’m surprised to hear that they still have a monarchy in Tonga.

Chris: Yes, it’s the only monarchy left in the Pacific Ocean, and it is spread across

nearly 200 islands. About 100,000 people live there.

Rosie: So the king ruled over almost 200 islands – that’s a large area. It must have

been a big funeral.

Chris: Well, let’s hear BBC Correspondent Duncan Kennedy’s report from the funeral.

You’ll hear him mention ‘the late king’ but he doesn’t mean that he was late

for the funeral does it?

Rosie: No, here the word 'late' means that he has died. So when Duncan Kennedy

describes George Tupou V as 'the late king' it just means the king that has

died. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012

 Page 2 of 4

Chris: OK, let’s take a listen. See if you can hear who also took part in the ceremony.

BBC Duncan Kennedy:

1,000 pall-bearers took part in the ceremony to carry the coffin of the late king during the

funeral ceremony. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and thousands of other mourners were

present at the Christian burial service, many wearing woven ta'ovala grass mats around

their waists.

Rosie: The report mentioned that 1,000 pall-bearers took part in the ceremony. A

pall-bearer helps to carry the coffin. But a thousand people, how did they all

manage that?

Chris: The coffin was passed along the organised group of people, so they took

turns to carry the coffin.

Rosie: And a thousand people to carry the coffin means he really was quite popular.

Chris: Well, when he first became king in 2006, he wasn’t so popular. Many Tongan

people protested for democratic reform which led to riots in which eight

people died.

Rosie: Following these protests the king then chose to reduce his powers and let his

country have democratic elections for the first time in 2010.

Chris: So he is credited with bringing democracy to Tonga. He helped to reform his

country.

Rosie: And he even lost some of his powers when he introduced these reforms.

Chris: Yes, in a traditional and conservative country like Tonga, he achieved a lot in

a short amount of time.

Rosie: He was also an interesting character, wasn’t he?

Chris: He was. Some people even called him eccentric – which means he had some

unusual habits. See if you can hear what the next clip mentions about one of

his unusual or eccentric habits…

BBC Duncan Kennedy:

King George is credited with bringing democracy to Tonga, a country with a population of

100,000 spread over nearly 200 islands. And although he was criticised for spending too

much time out of the country his other characteristics, like driving around in a London taxi

endeared him to many of his people.

Rosie: So he drove around Tonga in a London taxi? That is quite odd.

Chris: He also wore a monocle, a piece of glass you wear over just one eye.

Wearing a monocle is quite unusual these days – most people wear glasses

over both eyes.

Rosie: But being eccentric isn’t really a bad thing is it?

Chris: No, not necessarily. As the report mentioned, the king’s unusual

characteristics endeared him to many people. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012

 Page 3 of 4

Rosie: And to be endearing means you are regarded with affection. So he was liked

for his unusual characteristics.

Chris: Yes, absolutely.

Rosie: Now that he has died, will they keep the monarchy in Tonga?

Chris: Yes they will still maintain a monarchy. His brother will become the new king.

He’s also called George, so he will become George VI.

Rosie: So a new monarch will ascend the throne.

Chris: The late King George V of Tonga ruled for six years, but going back to the

question I asked at the beginning of the programme, which European

monarch served, or ruled, for the longest amount of time? Was it:

a) Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

b) King Afonso I of Portugal

c) King Louis XIV of France

Rosie: Ah yes. I said Queen Victoria.

Chris: You said Victoria. And you were wrong I'm afraid. The correct answer was B,

Afonso I. He ascended, or took the throne in the year 1112 and died in 1185

after a reign of 73 years.

Rosie: It rained for 73 years?

Chris: No, no. To reign - R.E.I.G.N. - or to rule for a period of time. So he ruled

Portugal for 73 years.

Rosie: That’s a long time. I can’t imagine doing the same job for 73 years.

Chris: It’s a very long time if you consider that in those days most people did not

even live beyond forty years of age. So on that note, Rosie, please could you

remind us of today's words?

Rosie: Of course. They are:

 mourning

 monarchs

pall-bearers

took turns

to reform

eccentric

monocle

endearing

ascend

reign

Chris: Thanks very much Rosie. And that's all we've got time for today. Bye for now.

Rosie: Bye.