VOA标准英语2012--Britain Prepares for Jubilee Celebrations

 

Britain Prepares for Jubilee¹ Celebrations

Palace staff members have put the finishing touches on the queen's ceremonial carriage, which will carry her through the streets of London in a royal procession.

Even the horses have to rehearse for their roles. In the end, it will look similar to the procession that took Queen Elizabeth to the opening of parliament last month.

The pomp and ceremonies of royalty² are alien to many modern democracies. But the queen's longevity³ and the dignified⁴ way she carries out her duties appear to have cemented the monarchy⁵'s place in 21st-century Britain.

The city is being dressed up for the big party, including a huge poster of the queen and her family during her 25th-year celebrations.

MAN1: "I think the Diamond Jubilee is absolutely terrific. She's been the queen for 60 years. It's a celebration of all that she's given to this country, all the service she's given us over 60 years."

MAN2: "It's a fantastic occasion. Everyone is on a high. There's a lot of things to be not so pleased about going on in the world at the moment, so it's nice to have something that brightens up everybody's lives for a bit. So, yeah, it's great, fantastic, really looking forward to it."

Elizabeth is the only queen most Britons have ever known. She came to the throne as a young woman of 26, and pledged to serve for "all the days" of her life.

Those days have not been without controversy⁶ and tragedy, but at age 86, the queen has emerged as a hugely popular figure. Talk of ending the British monarchy has all but ended. 

And when the queen joins the river pageant⁷ on Sunday, on board this specially⁸ built barge⁹, and heralded¹⁰ by a boatload of bells, hundreds of thousands of people will gather along the river to cheer, just as they have throughout her jubilee year. 

1 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

2 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

3 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

4 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

5 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。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 pageant   

n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧

参考例句：

• Our pageant represented scenes from history.我们的露天历史剧上演一幕幕的历史事件。
• The inauguration ceremony of the new President was a splendid pageant.新主席的就职典礼的开始是极其壮观的。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

10 heralded   

v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• The singing of the birds heralded in the day. 鸟鸣报晓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。 来自《简明英汉词典》