美国有线新闻 CNN 巴巴多斯成立共和国解除英国女王的国家元首职务

What is the eastern most island in the Caribbean Sea?

加勒比海最东边的岛屿是什么？

The answer to that trivia question is the site of our first report today.

这个琐碎问题的答案对应我们今天的第一篇报道。

The island we're talking about is Barbados.

我们将要谈论的岛屿是巴巴多斯。

Until Tuesday, it's government was a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy² and that monarch¹ was Britain's Queen Elizabeth II but no more.

直到周二，该国政府都是君主立宪制下的议会民主制，而君主是英国女王伊丽莎白二世，但现在不再是了。

In removing Britain's queen as its head of state, Barbados has officially become a republic.

巴巴多斯废除了英国女王的国家元首地位后，正式成为了一个共和国。

The queen's role there was mostly a symbolic³ one.

女王在该国的角色主要是象征性的。

Barbados got its independence from Britain in 1966 and the island's governing power lies with its Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

巴巴多斯于1966年脱离英国独立，该岛的统治权掌握在总理米娅·莫特利手中。

It's replaced the queen's ceremonial role with that of a new president named Barbara Mason, but Barbados' prime minister will still have most of the governing power.

新总统芭芭拉·梅森取代了女王的仪式角色，但巴巴多斯总理仍将拥有大部分执政权。

This Caribbean Island was uninhabited before Britain established a settlement there in 1627.

这个加勒比海岛屿在1627年英国在那里建立定居点之前是无人居住的。

Historians say British sugar plantations⁴ worked by African slaves became a source of private wealth for Britain.

历史学家说，由非洲奴隶经营的英国甘蔗种植园成为英国私人财富的来源。

Slavery was abolished in Barbados in 1834 and in more recent decades, after it achieved independence from Britain, tourism and manufacturing became more economically important to Barbados than sugar production.

巴巴多斯在1834年废除了奴隶制，近几十年来，巴巴多斯脱离英国获得独立后，该国旅游业和制造业在经济上比蔗糖生产更重要。

As the island prepared to become a republic, Barbados' leaders said the time had come for it to fully⁵ leave it's colonial past behind by removing the queen's symbolic status.

随着巴巴多斯准备成为共和国，巴巴多斯的领导人表示，现在是时候取消女王的象征地位，彻底告别殖民历史了。

But Barbadian critics say the public should have had more of voice in the process, possibly through a vote instead of having it handled completely by the Barbadian government.

但是巴巴迪亚的批评人士说，公众应该在这个过程中有更多的发言权，可能是通过投票，而不是完全由巴巴迪亚政府来处理。

For its part, the British monarchy had said the decision was up to Barbados and that the issue had been discussed for a while.

而英国王室则表示，决定权在巴巴多斯，这个问题已经讨论了一段时间。

It was a friendly parting. Prince Charles, Heir to the British throne, traveled to Barbados to attend the transition.

这是一次友好的分离。英国王位继承人查尔斯王子前往巴巴多斯参加交接。

1 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。

2 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。

3 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

4 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。