英伦广角 查尔斯王储称赞为国家牺牲的英国军人

 I am delighted to have this opportunity to send you all a Christmas message, for while many of the current news headlines around the world appear rather grim, they have reminded us all of the vital importance of the armed forces.

 

Sometimes it would appear that there is no real threat facing Britain and that therefore defense¹ can perhaps seem somewhat irrelevant². However, the extent of current global deployments of the United Kingdom's armed forces only goes to highlight the continued, essential role of the armed forces in today's society. 

 

In this regard, I know only too well that whether in the Middle East, the Far East, the Mediterranean³ or Atlantic, thousands of you from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, Royal X Artillery⁴, the Army of the Royal Rifles are deployed⁵ on a multitude of tasks operations every Christmas. Some of them will be essentially⁶ humanitarian⁷. Some will involve training and advice, while others will put our service people in great danger as they carry out their challenging duties. Whatever the case, managing the many crisis in a modern world demands a unique kind of professionalism, understanding and cultural sensitivity, which you continue to demonstrate so aptly when given the chance to do so. 

 

As I record this message, I know full well that even at this special time of the year, you continue your extraordinary work, emphasizing human values on operations, even though unlike most of us, you are far away from your loved ones, whose loyalty⁸ and constant support are such a crucial part of the remarkable⁹ selflessness of the whole military family.

 

I can only wish you all the happiest possible Christmas and send you a sincere and heartfelt thank you for your continued service and personal sacrifice. I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that this is hugely valued and appreciated."

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

3 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

4 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。