万花筒 Kaleidoscope 2007-04-28&29, 英女王81岁生日

Celebrations are taking place across Great Britain today as Queen Elizabeth II turns 81. She has been on the throne for more than half a century. But as NBC’s Donna Frozen explains, her popularity has never been stronger.
At her age, most people are enjoying retirement¹, but not Queen Elizabeth II. At 81 she’s still hard at work. As the gun saluted² her birthday in London this morning, the Queen seems to be taking aging like everything else --- perfectly³ in stride, and she’s as beloved by her subjects as ever before.
She's a wonderful lady. I think we should be very proud that we’ve got her.
We are one of the luckiest peoples in the world to have a Queen govern us. No other countries got it, and we are pride of it.
She is steadfast⁴ true. She's become something of a rock for the nation in a turbulent and dangerous age. And she’s something to look up to, an icon⁵ that people can respect.
She attends about 450 engagements every year, has met 10 US Presidents from Harry⁶ Truman to JFK, and Bill Clinton. She's traveled to more countries than any monarch⁷ in history and next month, she's off to the US for a 6-day State Visit.
At 81, she's a phenomenal powerhouse of energy, but the celebrations today will be low-key, just a private dinner at Windsor Castle and a more formal traditional ceremony in June called the Trooping of the Color.
Since her coronation 55 years ago, the first to be televised, she's become a familiar face around the world, balancing motherhood and monarchy⁸, stoically enduring family scandals, including two of her sons’ divorcing, and then the death of Princess Diana. As the world mourned, there was criticism the Queen was aloof⁹ and out of touch with the public mood. The future of the monarchy seemed under threat, a moment captured in the film The Queen.
No member through our family will speak publicly about this, since it's a private matter.
But in the end, she did speak publicly.
I, for one, believe there are lessons to be drawn¹⁰ from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death.
And the film which revealed the inner life of a woman to whom public duty is everything won actress Helen Mirren an Academy Award and won the real Queen new respect.
We now understand that she did show emotion at the time of Diana’s death but was never allowed to show it publicly, because she has in a way to be seen to rise above that sort of outpouring of emotion. Making The Queen perhaps the best actress of them all, who's showing no signs of stepping off the stage.
For today, Donna Frozen, NBC News, London.

1 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

2 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

4 steadfast   

adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的

参考例句：

• Her steadfast belief never left her for one moment.她坚定的信仰从未动摇过。
• He succeeded in his studies by dint of steadfast application.由于坚持不懈的努力他获得了学业上的成功。

5 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

6 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

7 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。

8 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。

9 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。