时代周刊:梅根的意义(1)（在线收听）

The Meaning of Meghan

梅根的意义

The monarchy finally catches up with multicultural Britain

王室终于跟上了英国多元文化的步伐

By Afua Hirsch

文/ 阿法·赫希

WHEN THE BRITISH PRESS TAKES notice of a budding royal romance, there is usually a familiar theme.

英国媒体注意到有王室恋情正在萌芽的情节通常都很相似。

They spot the couple "getting flirty" at a polo match, for example, or leaving a nightclub in the early hours.

比如，发现那对情侣在马球比赛中“眉目传情”，或者凌晨时分离开了某家夜店。

But when it came to Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle,

但到了哈里王子和梅根·马克尔的恋情上，

the first clue that there was something different was the tabloids' unfamiliar, almost cryptic reaction.

第一条表明两人有情况的线索竟然是八卦小报少有的几近神秘的反应了。

His new girlfriend was described as a "glamorous brunette"

王子的新女友被形容为“迷人的黑发女郎”

who was "something of a departure from Prince Harry's usual type."

“和哈里王子一贯喜欢的类型有些出入。”

Markle, the public was told, was "not in the society blonde style of previous girlfriends."

公众被告知，马克尔“不像王子的前几任女友那样喜欢社交。”

This language was code for something the press was simultaneously obsessed with

这一措辞堪称是一个密码，暗示了媒体既痴迷又不情愿直接说出来的一个问题：

and uncomfortable addressing directly: Markle is a woman of color.

马克尔是有色人种。

Some references were less covert than others.

而有些报道的措辞就没有这么隐晦了。

A few were blatantly racist.

还有一些甚至公然带着歧视的口吻。

Markle, who grew up in Hollywood and went to private schools,

某出版社就用了“（几乎）冲出康普顿”这样的字眼

was referred to as "(almost) straight outta Compton" by one publication.

来形容在好莱坞长大并就读于私立学校的马克尔。

Her family didn't escape notice either.

马克尔的家人也没有逃过媒体的关注。

Miss Markle's mother is a dreadlocked African-American lady from the wrong side of the tracks, wrote another.

某出版社就写道：“马克尔小姐的母亲是一位来自贫困地区，梳着脏辫的非裔美国人。”

Her mother is a social-worker and yoga instructor.

她的母亲是一名社会工作者兼瑜伽教练。

Markle had embraced her identity as a "strong, confident mixed-race woman" long before her engagement was announced,

早在宣布订婚之前，马克尔就接受了自己是一名“坚强、自信的混血女性”的身份，

but her arrival in the British public's consciousness

但她在走进英国公众的视野时，

was accompanied by a complex—and at times subtle—mix of romantic fairy tale,

她的出现还是被蒙上了一层复杂的——不时还很微妙的——融浪漫童话，

change of tradition and racial slur.

传统的改变和种族歧视于一体的阴影。

Her heritage continues to attract immense attention from the public and press,

她的事迹依旧吸引着公众和媒体的密切关注，

partly because it is such a visible departure for a British royal.

部分原因在于，她的出身明显偏离了英国王室成员的一贯出身。

At the same time, there has been an aggressive tendency to pretend that nobody notices her race.

与此同时，媒体方面也出现了一种咄咄逼人的，假装没有人注意到她的种族的倾向。

Instead, the only reason for any hesitation about Markle stems, some in the commentariat claim,

一些评论家认为，那些对马克尔的身份产生了犹疑无非是因为

from the fact that she is American, an actor, or divorced, or that she went to Catholic school.

她是个美国人，是个演员，或者是因为她离过异，又或者是因为上过天主学校。