Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - Lying-in-State｜又中又英

By the time you read this, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will have ended and her body laid to rest. As I said in my previous column, she received a state funeral which is a ceremonial public funeral usually for a head of state. Before yesterday’s funeral, her coffin was Lying-in-State for four days on a catafalque in Westminster Hall, which was built in 1097. It is the oldest building in the British Parliament complex. Hundreds of thousands of people lined up to say their final goodbye to the Queen while she was Lying-in-State. To be laid to rest means to be buried.
A catafalque is a decorated raised platform where the coffin of a famous person is placed during a funeral or while Lying-in-State. When a deceased person Lies-in-State, it means the coffin, either open or closed, is displayed in a public place for people to pay their respects. Only very famous people Lie-in-State. The Queen’s funeral took place in Westminster Abbey, Britain’s most famous church close to Parliament. The funeral was attended by kings, queens, and heads of state from around the world. Not many people know the Queen’s childhood nickname was Lilibet. As a very young child learning to talk she was unable to pronounce her name. She said Lilibet instead of Elizabeth.

Some people say Britain’s monarchy is an anachronism, which means something or someone that belongs to an earlier time in history and is no longer relevant. I said in my previous column I don’t think Britain’s monarchy will end. British people showed the monarchy is not an anachronism when they lined up for over five miles to say goodbye to the Queen Lying-in-State.
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  当你读到这篇文章的时候，英女皇的葬礼已经结束，她的遗体已入土为安（laid to rest）。正如我在之前的文章中所言，她的葬礼是国葬（state funeral）安排，是一个公开的礼葬，通常为一国之首而设。在昨天的葬礼前，她的灵柩有四天置放于西敏厅的灵柩台（catafalque）上，供公众瞻仰（Lying-in-State）。西敏厅建于一○九七年，是英国国会大厦建筑群中最古老的建筑。数十万计的人排队瞻仰（Lying-in-State）英女皇，向她作最后道别。To be laid to rest意即被安葬。

A catafalque是在名人的丧礼或公众瞻仰（Lying-in-State）期间，用以置放灵柩、配有装饰及升高了的平台。当一位亡者 Lies-in-State，意即其灵柩，或打开或盖上，置于公众地方展示，让人表达敬意。只有非常知名的人士才会有公众瞻仰（Lie-in-State）。英女皇的葬礼假西敏寺举行，它靠近国会，是英国最出名的教堂。这次国葬将会有来自世界各地的国王、王后以至国家元首出席。不是许多人知道，英女皇的乳名为 Lilibet。她非常年幼牙牙学语之时，并不能正确读出自己的名字 Elizabeth，而是读成了 Lilibet。
  一些人说，英国的君主制是个anachronism，意即落伍的人或过时的风俗，是时代的错置。我在之前的文章中也说过，我不认为英国的君主制会结束。英国人排了超过五英里（相当于八公里）的队去瞻仰灵柩（Lying-in-State），向英女皇作最后的道别，正正表明君主制并非一个过时的产物（anachronism）。
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁