5月2日，英国王室再添新丁，迅速成为全球各大媒体关注的热点，有关王室的报道持续升温。英国王室是世界上最古老和最著名的王室之一，当今的英国王室虽然并无实权，但对英国社会却有着广泛的影响，王室成员的动态一直是世人瞩目的焦点。本期内容带您一起探访英国王室。
[历久弥新的千年王室]
如今的英国王室，又称温莎王室，其实是一支有着逾千年历史之久的王族的后裔。温莎王朝始于1917年，国王乔治五世的一纸宣言将英王室的正式名称定为温莎王室，摈弃了萨克森-科堡-哥达王室这一历史称呼。现女王伊丽莎白二世是英国温莎王朝第四代君主。
The current British royal family, while referred to as the House of Windsor, is actually the latest part of a line of royal monarchs going back over a thousand years. The House of Windsor came into being in 1917, when the name was adopted as the British Royal Family's official name by a proclamation of King George V, replacing the historic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Queen Elizabeth II is the 4th monarch of the House of Windsor.
在许多英国人的眼中，王室代表着稳定、延续、遗产与传统。不过王室在过去25年中也在不断努力跟上现代化的步伐，避免成为不合时代的事物。其重大举措包括：减少享受公家俸禄的成员数量，自愿缴纳所得税，摈弃皇家游艇，与平民通婚，使用社交媒体，废除王位继承顺序的男性优先权等。
In the eyes of many Brits, the royal family stands for stability, continuity, heritage and traditions. But the royal family has made strenuous efforts to modernize itself to avoid becoming an anachronism in the past 25 years or so. They have reduced the number of members on the public payroll, volunteered to pay income tax, dispensed with the royal yacht, married commoners, used social media, and abolished male precedence in the order of succession to the throne.
[王室成员热心公益事业]
当代王室成员的一项重要工作是支持和鼓励公益与志愿服务。王室成员是约3000个组织的赞助人或负责人，其中女王赞助了600余个组织，爱丁堡公爵的赞助数量超过700，威尔士亲王赞助或担任主席职务的慈善组织有400多家。
An important part of the work of the royal family is to support and encourage public and voluntary service. About 3,000 organizations list a member of the royal family as patron or president. The Queen has over 600 patronages and the Duke of Edinburgh over 700. The Prince of Wales is patron or president of over 400 charitable organizations.
[英国王室的金字招牌]
我们不是王室，我们是一家企业。——乔治六世国王，《国王的演讲》
"We're Not a Family, We're a Firm." –George VI, The King's Speech
资产评估机构品牌金融称王室是英国最有价值的品牌之一，其运作方式像企业一样专业。王室今年预计将为英国经济贡献19亿英镑，而王室的花销是2.5亿英镑。
Asset valuation agency Brand Finance said the monarchy was one of Britain's most valuable brands, run professionally like a firm and set to contribute an estimated ￡1.9b to the British economy this year while costing ￡250m.
自古以来，英国的遗产和文化都与王室紧密相关，是吸引游客来英旅游的主要因素。伦敦主要的景点都属于王室，有的还跻身最吸引外国游客的10大景点，如塔桥(第2位)、白金汉宫(第4位)、温莎城堡(第7位)和爱丁堡城堡(第8位)。王室成员参与的各种典礼活动得到英联邦乃至世界的媒体关注，相当于为英国进行了价值数亿英镑的免费公关活动。
The heritage and culture of the UK is historically entwined with the monarchy and is a major incentive for tourists to visit the country. The main attractions in London belong to the monarchy. Among the Top 10 attractions for foreign tourists: the Tower Bridge (2nd place), Buckingham Palace (4th place), Windsor Castle (7th place), Edinburgh Castle (8th place). The various ceremonies and events attended by the royal family generate media attention from the Commonwealth and round the world, providing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of free publicity for the UK.
每次英国经济出现衰退时，英国王室都通过举办大型皇家庆典活动，充当"救火队员"的角色。当年戴安娜王妃的世纪婚礼轰动全球，同时也让英国赚得盆满钵溢；2011年威廉王子和凯特王妃的大婚相当于给英国经济注入约20亿英镑；2012年英国女王登基60周年庆典又给英国带来5亿英镑的创收；而"王室宝宝"的降生为经济带来的刺激也不容小觑，英国零售研究中心称，2013年王室宝宝的诞生使英国相关产业7-8月的零售额增长2.43亿英镑。
By holding grand royal ceremonies, the royal family has been the salvation of the British economy when there is a recession. Called the "wedding of the century," the wedding of Diana to Charles received global attention and also generated a huge economic benefit for the country. The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 provided an approximately ￡2b shot in the arm for Britain's economy while the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for the Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 brought ￡500m for the country. The Centre of Retail Research said that the royal baby's birth in 2013 boosted linked-in retail sales in the UK by ￡243m in July and August.
[跌宕起伏的王室形象]
上世纪末，以伊丽莎白女王二世为核心的现英国王室因冷对戴妃逝世，威望跌落谷底。此后十几年来，王室通过种种变革逐步挽回形象，前年威廉王子大婚与去年女王登基60周年大大提升了王室威望，而王室宝宝的降生更是引发了新一轮王室热潮。
At the end of the 20th century, the popularity of the current royal family, headed by Queen Elizabeth II, fell to its lowest point after Diana's death for its coldness and remoteness. The royal family gradually rejuvenated its image by reforming itself in the last dozen years or so. The wedding of William and Kate in 2011 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last year pushed the support of the monarchy to new highs. The royal baby has triggered the next wave of enthusiasm for the monarchy.
*聚焦凯特和小公主*
据英国《每日邮报》5月2日报道，英国剑桥公爵夫人凯特王妃在生产完公主不到10个小时后，也就是当地时间2日下午6点，抱着小公主与剑桥公爵威廉王子一同离开位于西伦敦的圣玛丽医院。候在医院外的媒体和民众借此机会目睹了这位英国王室新成员的风采。
小公主裹在白色的毯子里，全程闭着眼睛，似乎在妈妈的怀里安静地睡觉。凯特穿着白底印黄色小花的连衣裙，精神看上去相当不错。她与威廉一同离开医院时在门前站了一会，向等候的民众和媒体人挥手问好。
当天下午，21个月的乔治小王子也抵达医院看望刚出生的小妹妹，这是他自出生后第一次在公众场合露面。
在凯特王妃抵达医院不到3个小时后，即当地时间2日8点34分，小公主出生，体重8磅3盎司（约3.7公斤）。目前外界还不清楚她的名字。这名小公主是英国王室顺位第四位继承人，排在其爷爷查尔斯王储、父亲威廉王子和哥哥乔治王子之后。
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