文:沪江英语(ID:hjenglish)
一年一度的女王圣诞致辞又来啦~
如果要说哪种英式口音最地道,那应该就是女王音了。
毕竟英式英语的代表,一个别称就叫 Queen's English
其实说起来,英国的这个圣诞致辞实际上是他们国家的主旋律宣传啦,所以大部分内容也不要太当真,都是偏重于冠冕堂皇的话。
不过即便如此,这些演讲也是非常有过年氛围的,而且你还能从里面看出英国政府的一些小九九,比如今年女王面前的摆设和视频的剪辑就都有心机:
桌上的家人照片里不光出现了新王妃梅根,还有查尔斯王子的平民妻子卡米拉。
视频中剪辑的新闻片段也给梅根的婚礼加了好几个特写。
而且,梅根在视频里的出场顺序还先于凯特王妃,出现次数也多得多。
嗯,女王大人这是要表达什么呢?
好,接下来就直接看看今年圣诞致辞的完整视频吧,我们也已经将双语字幕为你呈现在了下面:
For many, the service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Cambridge is when Christmas begins.
对于很多人来说,从剑桥国王学院传出的九道日课和圣诞颂歌预示着圣诞节的开始。
Listened to by millions of people around the world it starts with a chorister singing the first verse of Once in Royal David's City.
全世界有数以百万计的人都在收听这首歌,在它的一开始,唱诗班吟诵起《曾经辉煌大卫城》的第一篇章。
The priest who introduced this service to King's College Chapel exactly 100 years ago was Eric Milner White.
那位在整整100年前把这项传统引入国王学院教堂的神父,是埃里克·米尔纳·怀特。
He had served as a military chaplain in the First World War.
他曾经在一战期间担任随军牧师。
Just six weeks after the Armistice he wanted a new kind of service which, with its message of peace and goodwill spoke to the needs of the times.
休战之后的第六周,他想要用一种新的方式来服务世人:他想用自己的话语为这个乱世带来和平与善意。
2018 has been a year of centenaries. The Royal Air Force celebrated its hundredth anniversary with a memorable fly-past demonstrating a thrilling unity of purpose and execution.
2018年是百年难遇的盛大之年。王家空军迎来了自己的百年纪念日,他们用一场难忘的飞行表演展现了惊人的信念与执行力。
We owe them and all our armed services our deepest gratitude.
我们应该向他们,以及我们所有的军人,表达最真挚的感恩。
My father served in the Royal Navy during the First World War.
我的父亲也曾在一战中服役于王家海军。
He was a midshipman in HMS Collingwood at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
在1916年的日德兰战役中,他曾是科林伍德号上的一名海军军校生。
The British fleet lost 14 ships and 6,000 men in that engagement.
英军在那场战役中损失了14艘船和6000条生命。
My father wrote in a letter how and why we were not hit beats me.
我的父亲在一封信中为我讲述了我们最终为何没有被击败,讲述了我们是如何做到的,而那深深地让我感到动容。
Like others he lost friends in the war.
他,就像许许多多其他人一样,也在那场战争中失去了朋友。
At Christmas we become keenly aware of loved ones who have died , whatever the circumstances.
而在圣诞节,我们总会深情地回忆起那些已经失去的亲朋好友。
But of course we would not grieve if we did not love.
而当然,我们之所以为他们感到悲伤,是因为心中有爱。
Closer to home, it has been a busy year for my family.
就我个人而言,这一年也是我们家的忙碌之年。
With two weddings and two babies and another child expected soon it helps to keep a grandmother well occupied.
我们见证了两场婚礼和两位新生儿,还有一个小宝宝也很快要降临人世,这些全都够我这个祖母忙的。
We have had other celebrations too, including the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales.
我们也经历了不少其他的盛事,例如威尔士亲王的七十大寿。
*威尔士亲王就是女王的儿子查尔斯王子
Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom. I'd like to think so.
在一些文化中,人们认为长寿意味着智慧。我觉得确实是这么回事。
Perhaps, part of that wisdom is to recognize some of life's baffling paradoxes such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good, and yet a capacity for evil.
或许,这份智慧的一个侧面就是去接受人生中那些令人困扰的矛盾,比如:人性之中有大善,亦有大恶。
Even the power of faith which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice can fall victim to tribalism.
就连信仰这一强大的力量也不是洁白无瑕,虽然它总是能在人性中激发出慷慨与自我牺牲,但却也可能创造割裂。
But through the many changes I have seen over the years: faith, family, and friendship have been not only a constant for me, but a source of personal comfort and reassurance.
但是,在我经历的这么多年中:信仰、家庭与友谊,一直都是我深信不疑的价值观,同时也是我寻求慰藉与支持的源泉。
In April the Commonwealth Heads of Government met in London.
在4月,英联邦的政府首脑们在伦敦齐聚一堂。
My father welcomed just eight countries to the first such meetings in 1948.
在1948年我父亲执政时,这个会议的成员还只有8个国家。
Now, the Commonwealth includes 53 countries with 2.4 billion people, a third of the world's population.
而现在,英联邦的成员已经有53个国家,有24亿的子民,占据了全世界1/3的人口。
Its strength lies in the bonds of affection it promotes and a common desire to live in a better, more peaceful world.
它的力量来源于我们倡导的那种同胞之情,以及我们对一个更好、更和平世界的共同愿景。
Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding.
即便我们之间可能有很深的差异,但只要我们尊重彼此、将彼此视为人类同胞,那便迈出了相互理解的第一步。
Indeed, the Commonwealth Games held this year on Australia's Gold Coast are known universally as the friendly games because of their emphasis on good will and mutual respect.
这正是为什么今年在澳大利亚黄金海岸举行的英联邦运动会被全世界视为一场友谊之赛,因为我们倡导的是善意以及相互尊重。
The Christmas story retains its appeal since it doesn't provide theoretical explanations for the puzzles of life. Instead, it's about the birth of a child, and the hope that birth 2,000 years ago, brought to the world.
而圣诞的故事之所以魅力不减,正是因为它没有试图对那些人生中的谜题给出任何理论性的解释。它讲述的是一个孩子诞生的故事,以及这次诞生是如何在两千年前为世界带来希望。
Only a few people acknowledged Jesus when he was born; now billions follow him.
在耶稣出生时,没有多少人承认他,但现在他的追随者却是数以十亿计。
I believe his message of peace on earth and goodwill to all is never out of date.
我深信,他那关于地球和平与善意的教诲永远不会过时。
It can be heeded by everyone.
它能被每一个人感知到。
It's needed as much as ever.
我们一直都需要它。
A very happy Christmas to you all.
最后,祝大家能过一个非常幸福的圣诞节。
~~~
好了,女王的圣诞致辞就放送到这里~
主页菌在这里祝大家新年快乐,一起去感知2019即将带给我们的幸福!!