读点好英文:When Love Was the Adventure 爱的艰程

When Love Was the Adventure 爱的艰程

·Patrick·

On a cold January morning in 1936，George V was given a king's burial. Following his coffin was his eldest son, the handsome, much loved, Prince of Wales.He was about to be procIaimed the next king of England.He was that exceptional thing：a model royal.He was at ease in every company.Everyone expected him to shake the stuffiness out of the monarchy.But as time passed, as he span between the royal duties, people began to remark that the prince was approaching 40 and still unmarried.Only a privileged few knew that he'd been stepping out with the mysterious American, a woman who was cheating on her husband with the future king of England.This was the lady known as Wallis Simpson, whom he was determined to marry.

So now he was king, but no one could persuade him to give up Wallis. Not even Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who spoke for the nation when he said Britain did not want an American divorcee for a queen.Ministerial car shuttled between Westminster and Buckingham Palace but the king could not be budged.He was forced to abdicate and all over the country flags flew at half-mast.

In the summer of 1937，there was a quiet wedding in France. The couple looked a bit nervous, especially the groom, but only a year before he'd been a king.Now he and his wife would be called the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

So now the man who'd given up a kingdom and a woman who'd given up two husbands embarked on their endless round of fun and gaiety. In the war years they'd been trapped in the Bahamas, but emerged every now and then to attend the great cultural festivals where they startled the locals with the brilliance of their attire.But the man who'd been a king found he was now only a celebrity.There were even rumors that he and the duchess were breaking up so they had to parade their devotion for the cameras.

Four years later, it was the nation's turn to mourn the Duke and to reflect on one man's decision to trade the crown of England for the love of Wallis and the price they had both had to pay.

帕特里克

1936年1月的一个寒冷的早晨，英国王室为乔治五世举行了国葬。跟在他灵柩后面的是他的长子——英俊而深受爱戴的威尔士王子，他将被宣布成为英国的新国王。他是模范皇室成员，卓尔不群又平易近人。人人都期望着他会一改王室拘谨沉闷的形象。但随着时间的流逝，在他履行王室职责的同时，人们开始注意到王子已年近40却仍然形单影只。只有少数几人知道他一直在和一位神秘的美国女子约会，她瞒着丈夫和未来的英国国王来往。这位女士就是华里丝·辛普森，是王子决意要娶的人。

他是国王，没人能说服他放弃华里丝，连首相斯坦利·鲍德温也不行——他代表国家说英国不想让一个离过婚的美国人成为王后。大臣们的汽车在威斯敏斯特教堂和白金汉宫之间穿梭往返，但国王丝毫不为之所动。他被迫让位，为此举国降下半旗。

1937年的夏天，他们静静地在法国举办了婚礼。两人看起来有点紧张，尤其是新郎，但一年之前他还是个国王。现在他和妻子被称为温莎公爵伉俪。

放弃了江山的他和曾经两度离婚的她开始去尽情地享乐。战争时，他们被困在巴哈马群岛，但偶尔会出席一些盛大的文化节庆，他们的华衣美服让当地人惊叹不已。不过，曾为国君的他发现自己现在只是个名人。甚至有传言说他和公爵夫人将要离异，于是他们不得不在镜头前展现恩爱的一面。

四年后，全国哀悼公爵的逝世，并深思他的抉择——他为了跟华里丝的爱情放弃了英国王位，他们两人都为此付出了代价。

Practising&Exercise　实战提升篇

核心单词

procIaim[prə'kleim]v.宣告；公布；声明

persuade[pə'sweid]v.说服，劝服

abdicate['æbdikeit]v.正式放弃（权力等）；退（位）；辞（职）

emerge[i'mə：dʒ]v.浮现；出现

mourn[mɔ：n]v.哀痛，哀悼

实用句型

There were even rumors that he and the duchess were breaking up so they had to parade their devotion for the cameras.

甚至有传言说他和公爵夫人将要离异，于是他们不得不在镜头前展现恩爱的一面。

①这是由that引导的同位语从句。同位语从句是对先行词的解释、补充和说明。

②break up分离。类似的表达还有break down失败，故障；break into 闯入，打断；break out爆发，突然发生。

翻译练习

1.他装出一副安详自若的样子。（at ease）

2.他们又开始着手一项新的冒险。（embark on）

3.我一直在考虑这件事。（reflect on）