2016-07-16

【Aiden in English】

        One would think that the British are strict in regulation. The one area in which this does not come into play is with recreation. As much as Americans are stereotypical, the residents in the UK actually have fun, too. Although we probably would never admit it, their country, in recent years, has been doing a lot better than we have. But now it isn’t about how much the US has been rising and falling, or about the UK leaving the EU. Today was simply a transfer from one luxury ship to another. 

        Jumping back to 1997, the Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia was still functioning as the Royal Family’s seagoing palace. Unfortunately for the Queen, it was retired that year due to a government decision. Nowadays, the boat moors as the floating museum at the Albert Dock Basin on the side of a modern shopping center of Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh. The tour guide led us to parade through the mall to its entrance, which looked exactly like the other ships. At the time, this Britannia would've been considered the best of the best in the cruising business. Everything was measured by rulers, and all crew members were carefully selected. The ship itself isn't anything huge; in fact, I think it is quite small. I guess that's what the architects were going for. The Britannia, although small, is a delicacy. But when looking at the living areas for the Duke and Queen, one would think the ship should be bigger. Then, once you see the crew's quarters, you understand how the ship managed to house eighty people. 

        The layout covers four main decks, with other small coves above and below. The first thing that comes to my mind when viewing the interior is: "wow, this is old". And, to be truthful, that's what it was. It's an old ship. The televisions were black and white, every decoration out of style. I mean, who still sits in a chair with a straight back? The second meaning of 'old' comes with the artifacts. In modern times, the onboard items would be known as 'antiques', each would probably have sold for thousands of dollars. Especially for the special items, or the gifts to the Royal Family, they are worth a fortune. For example, the elephant tusk from an African nation is a treasure, as well as the countless bottles of wine. It alone can make a man rich, and just depends on who it is. Another reason people always wish to sail on the Britannia is because of its perfect, precise, and priceless measurements. The table in the state dining room is set with plates, forks, knives, spoons, cups, and rulers. The distance between each plate, each seat, each crack in the table, each fork and spoon, and each item from the nearest wall, each measured carefully by hand with a ruler. At the time, the world's most powerful people dined on this boat. People that Americans recognize include Ronald Regan, John F. Kennedy, and many more. In fact, the amount of regulations on board is so annoying that I wonder how anyone hardly gets any pleasure in sailing. The crew cannot have a dirty uniform, so they wash it constantly. The crew must be quiet and not disturb the Queen. The crew must salute the Queen, and vice versa when in uniform. The crew must constantly scrub the decks with saltwater. And finally, the crew must always keep all noise away from the Royal Family. Apparently, silence is bliss. 

        The retirement of the Royal Yacht Britannia is, according to the guide, the only time on television that she ever showed tears. But now, on the bright side, we get to see, touch, and absorb their lives aboard the cruise ship of Her Majesty.

【红霞译文】

        有人觉得英国佬讲究规矩，但娱乐例外，与普遍好玩的美国人相比，英国人在这方面同样毫不含糊，也许我们死不承认近年来大不列颠远比美利坚过得舒服活得潇洒，但现在我既不想臧否美国好坏，又不想讨论英国退出欧盟得失，只想将话题从一个豪华游轮转到另外一个豪华游轮上而已。

        追溯到1997年，“不列颠女神号”一直作为皇家海上行宫周游列国，不幸的是英国政府另有打算，决定让它从此告老还乡。如今这艘游艇停泊在爱丁堡现代化购物商场“海运码头”外阿尔伯特港内，导游带领我们一行横穿购物商场径直来到外表看似与其它游轮毫无区别的“不列颠女神号”面前。遥想当年，“不列颠女神号”号称天下首屈一指的游轮，规章制度严格缜密，所有的机组成员全部经过精心挑选而来。船体本身并不算大，相反在我看来却非常小，这恰好反映出建造者用意所在。 “不列颠女神号” 虽说不大，但设计别致，不过一想到公爵和女王生活空间，总觉得应该大点才好。然而，当你看过工作人员居住场所，顿时豁然开朗起来，八十人同舟共济已然相当可观。

        全船主要分成四层，另外楼上楼下还有其它零散隔间，参观完内部构造之后我首先想到的是：“哇塞，这地方真够老掉了牙！”坦率地说，称之为时代产物并不为过，它确实老气横秋，电视仅有黑白两色，装潢不合适宜，我指的是有谁乐意使用靠背笔直的座椅呢？其次，“老式”家具陈设，用现代眼光来看，里面的东西全是“古董”，哪件出手不得成千上万，尤其那些作为贡品馈赠皇家的礼物价值连城。举例来说，某个非洲国家送来的象牙以及不计其数的葡萄酒，每样东西足以叫人发财，当然这也是因人而已。人们想要乘坐“不列颠女神号”的另外一个原因在于它的完美精致可靠。国宴厅餐桌上摆有碟、叉、刀、勺、杯和尺子，每样东西距离墙板多远都要亲手用尺子仔细测量，当年世界权威人物先后来过这里赴宴，美国人熟悉的就有罗纳德·里根、约翰·费·肯尼迪及其他要员。其实船上颁布的清规戒律多到叫人忍无可忍的地步，我好奇他们航海的乐趣何在。工作人员制服必须一尘不染，没辙儿他们只好马不停蹄地清洗衣物；工作人员必须保持安静，不能打扰女王；工作人员必须向女王敬礼，而且需要统一服饰；工作人员必须不停地用海水清洗甲板；最后，工作人员必须让皇家免遭任何噪音干扰。于无声处胜有声。显然，沉默是福。

        根据导游介绍，因为宣布“不列颠女神号”皇家游轮退役，致使女王破天荒头一次在电视上落泪难过，但眼下从好的方面来说，我们才有机会亲眼目睹、亲手触摸、亲身体验女王陛下游轮。