VOA新闻杂志2022--围绕伊丽莎白女王二世逝世的仪式

Ceremonies Surrounding the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit Westminster Hall in London this week to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth had been Britain's head of state since 1953. People will be able to see her coffin¹ 24 hours a day until early Monday. Her funeral will be held on September 19.

What will people see?

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flock to London's medieval Westminster Hall from Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, whose coffin will lie in state for four days until her funeral on Monday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flock to London's medieval Westminster Hall from Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, whose coffin will lie in state for four days until her funeral on Monday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

The coffin is closed. It will be covered with the royal flag and other objects, including the crown the queen wore in 1953 during her coronation. The coffin will be on a raised structure in the middle of Westminster Hall with guards on watch.

How long must people wait to see the queen?

There are two main lines people must join in order to get into Westminster Hall. The lines are expected to stretch along the Thames River for many kilometers. Visitors have been warned to expect to wait many hours and possibly overnight.

When they get closer to the hall, visitors will need to pass through security stations, like those used at airports.

What is the coffin made from?

The coffin is made from English oak, a heavy wood. It is lined with the metal lead. It was made many years ago. Sarah Hayes is a supervisor² for the Coffin Works museum in Birmingham, England. She said former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Prince Philip and Princess Diana all had similar coffins³.

She said the special coffins with the lead inside slow the breakdown⁴ of the body. The queen's coffin will not be put in the ground, eventually it will stay in a chapel⁵ at Windsor Castle, about 30 kilometers outside of London. Her husband's coffin will be moved there also.

Who gets to lie in state in Britain?

In Britain, the honor of lying in state is only for special people. They are the head of state – that is the king or queen – their partners, such as a husband or wife, and — sometimes — the prime minister.

Queen Mary, King George VI, and King George V are among those royals who have lain in state in Westminster Hall. Winston Churchill is the only prime minister who was given the honor in more than 100 years.

When did the tradition begin?

The ceremony of lying in state among British leaders started about 500 years ago with the Stuart line of kings. However, the modern tradition of lying in state at Westminster Hall began in 1910 with Edward VII.

Words in This Story

coffin –n. a box that holds a body for burial

coronation –n. the ceremony in which a crown is placed on the head of a new king or queen

1 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

2 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

3 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

4 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

5 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。