國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資料庫學習資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：查爾斯三世加冕禮 2023年5月6日，全球數百萬人共同慶祝查爾斯三世(Charles III)加冕成為英國和其他14個大英國協王國的國王。加冕禮在倫敦西敏寺(Westminster Abbey)舉行，充滿古老習俗和傳統，遊行和儀式出動了數千名軍官和擁有百年歷史的黃金馬車，隆重而盛大。想知道更多嗎？讓我們用3分鐘的時間一起來聽聽記者Max McGrath怎麼說吧！

您喜歡這則時事英語廣播嗎?借用你3分鐘的時間讓我們知道你對The World in Brief的喜好與看法吧！ (https://tinyurl.com/jjz9p5bs)

 

【Transcript】

Nora: The biggest news …the best guests …the boldest events …This is ‘The World in Brief’ with Max McGrath.

Nora: Earlier this month, the United Kingdom held an event filled with pageantry and tradition. They crowned their new monarch, King Charles III, with all the pomp and circumstance of an ancient ceremony! To tell us more, roving reporter Max McGrath joins us live from London, UK. Max?

Max: Thanks Nora. I’m in front of Buckingham Palace, the world-famous London residence of the British royal family. Lance Corporal Roger Murray of the Household Cavalry joins me now. Lance Corporal, remind me, why am I sitting on a horse?

Roger: I’m in the cavalry. That’s a part of the army that works with horses. We’re going to ride all the way down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square. It’s the same road King Charles III used for his coronation.

Max: Great, let’s go!

Roger: Eh up!

Max: So, Lance Corporal Murray …

Roger: Call me Roger, I don’t mind! No need to stand on ceremony.

Max: … Stand on what now?

Roger: Nothing! It’s an old English phrase. It means you don’t have to be so formal. Just call me Roger!

Max: OK, thanks Roger! So, what does the Household Cavalry do?

Roger: It protects the royal family. We’re the King’s bodyguards!

Max: Wow! I guess you were busy last week then?

Roger: Not half! That means yes …

Max: OK!

Roger: It was proper hectic! We were busy getting ready for the coronation. Not just us, nearly 4000 members of the UK’s armed forces took part. That’s people from the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy … It was the largest ceremony of its kind for a generation!

Max: That word, ‘ceremony’. What does it mean exactly?

Roger: It’s like a formal celebration. There are certain things you have to do in a ceremony. Old traditions that have to be followed.

Max: Like what?

Roger: Well, look at last week’s coronation. That was a big ceremony, filled with religion and ancient customs, some over 1000 years old!

Max: Can you give us an example?

Roger: There’s a part of the coronation called the ‘investiture’. You know what that is?

Max: Not at all!

Roger: It’s when someone is officially given a rank or title. When I became a Lance Corporal, I was invested too. But the King’s investiture was much grander than mine, I think!

Max: What happened?

Roger: It was the highlight of the whole event. Literally the crowning moment! As the crown was placed on the King’s head, trumpets were blown and gun salutes were fired all over the UK, welcoming our new monarch. It was spectacular!

Max: Folks were firing guns? I thought they were illegal in the UK?

Roger: Not everyone! Only soldiers, the police … people like that.

Max: How did everyone else celebrate?

Roger: There were street parties up and down the country. It was a fantastic day! Even the King enjoyed it, I think.

Max: Was he on a horse too?

Roger: No, he and the Queen were in a big golden carriage. It’s beautiful, but very old … I think we’re more comfy up on our horses, to be honest!

Max: More comfortable than a King! Not bad! Thank you Roger, and thank you too horsey! Whoa there! This is Max McGrath reporting live from London, UK. Nora?

Nora: Thanks Max! Now quit horsin’ around and get back to work! Thanks everyone, I’m Nora Yu.

 

【Vocabulary】

Carriage 馬車(n.), Coronation 加冕典禮(n.), Crowned 受加冕的(a.), Monarch 君主(n.)

After the coronation, the newly crowned monarchs departed in a famously uncomfortable and heavy golden carriage that required eight horses to pull it.

 

Residence 住所(n.)

Buckingham Palace, traditionally the London residence of the British royal family, may not be where King Charles will live.

 

Hectic 忙碌的(a.)

Rehearsing late at night to prepare for the coronation processions was hectic for the 4,000 armed forces members who were taking part in them.

 

Officially 正式地(adv.), Investiture 授權儀式(n.)

Although Charles immediately became king when his mother passed away, the investiture officially made him king.

 

Rank 職銜(n.), Corporal 下士(n.), Pageantry 盛況(n.), Pomp 排場(n.)

Roger’s investiture to the rank of Lance Corporal in the Household Cavalry had none of the pomp and pageantry of King Charles’s.