Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - “who's who”｜又中又英

London will be buzzing next Monday, September 19 but it will be buzzing not for a happy occasion. September 19 will be a somber occasion because the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place. A long list of who’s who will be in London to attend the state funeral. The slang word “buzzing” used this way usually means full of excitement, such as the buzzing nightlife in Lan Kwai Fong. But it can also mean full of noise and people. The word “somber” means serious and sad. The expression “who’s who” is used to describe the most important or richest people in society.
A state funeral is a ceremonial public funeral usually for a head of state like Queen Elizabeth II or a US president but there can also be state funerals for very important people. The last state funeral in Britain was for the late Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. Leaders and monarchs from around the world will be attending the Queen’s funeral. The word “monarch”, as I have explained before, means either a king, queen, or emperor. US President Joe Biden has said he will attend the state funeral. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito will also attend, as will Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, ruled Britain for over 70 years, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. Britain’s monarchy has a rich history, which means it has a lot of history, culture, and heritage. But now that the Queen’s son Charles has become king, some people believe Britain’s monarchy may end over time because he is not as popular as the Queen. A monarchy is a country with a king or queen. I don’t think it will end because most British people support the monarchy.
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  下星期一，九月十九日，伦敦将会人声鼎沸（buzzing），但它的嘈杂喧闹（buzzing）却并非甚么欢欣的时刻。九月十九日将是个忧伤的（somber）时刻，因为英女皇伊利沙伯二世的国葬（state funeral）将于当天举行。许许多多的名人（who’s who）将到伦敦出席国葬（state funeral）。俚语“buzzing”这样用时通常解作一片热闹喧哗，例如兰桂坊热闹的（buzzing）夜生活；但它也可以解作熙攘嘈杂的。Somber是指肃穆而忧郁的。习语“who’s who”是用来形容社会上最重要或最富有的名人。

A state funeral就是为了一国之首，例如英女皇伊利沙伯二世又或一位美国总统，所举行的公开葬礼仪式，但也有为非常重要有地位的人举行国葬（state funerals）的。英国上一次举行国葬（state funeral）是一九六五年为了前首相温斯顿‧邱吉尔爵士所举行的。这次英女皇的葬礼，将有世界各地的领袖和君主（monarchs）出席。正如我从前解释过的，monarch是指国王、女皇或皇帝。美国总统祖‧拜登已表明他会出席这个国葬（state funeral）。日本德仁天皇及日本首相岸田文雄亦会出席。

英女皇伊利沙伯二世，于九月八日逝世，终年九十六岁，管治英国超过七十年，令她成为英国史上在位时间最长的君主（monarch）。英国的君主立宪制（monarchy）有一个 rich history，意即它拥有悠长的历史、文化与传统。但现在，英女皇的儿子查理斯成了英皇，一些人相信英国的君主制（monarchy）将会随时间过去而终止，因为他不如英女皇般受欢迎。A monarchy就是有君主的国家。我不认为它会结束，因为大部分英国人仍然支持君主立宪制（monarchy）。
Michael Chugani 褚简宁