新西兰英语 154 Queen’s Birthday Honours

　　Listen to the item on Queen’s Birthday last year. This will give you an idea about these honours. See June 2nd 2008.
Today is Queen’s Birthday and the Queen has honoured a number of people for their service to their community. For the first time in 9 years, we have a Sir and two Dames² – Sir John Walker, Dame¹ Jennifer Gibbs and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi.
The Labour government got rid of these titles in 2000, saying that we needed our own Kiwi awards, but the National government brought them back again earlier this year. See March 8th 2009.
John Walker is famous as an Olympic athlete who won the 1500m race in 1976 in Montreal, Canada. He was a great athlete, winning many races. Later in life he developed Parkinsons disease³, a disease which can make walking difficult, but he is still very active in life. He is on the Manukau City Council⁴ and is involved in a programme to help more children take part in sport.
Jennifer Gibbs’ honour is for services to the arts. She bought a building next to the Auckland Art Gallery which is now used for contemporary art, that is modern art. She has given money for a prize every second year for contemporary art. She gave money to help the Auckland orchestra⁵, opera and the Writers and Readers Festival. She was on the University Council for 24 years and is still very involved with the university.
Iritana Tawhiwhirangi received her honour for services to Maori education. She was one of the people who started the kohango reo – the Maori pre-school where children are taught the language Te Reo – and Maori culture. The first kohango reo began in 1982 and by 1994 there were more than 800 kohango reo throughout New Zealand with about 14,000 children. They have provided⁶ a model around the world for keeping native languages from dying⁷ out.

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 dames   

n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• Dames would not comment any further. Dames将不再更多的评论。 来自互联网
• Flowers, candy, jewelry, seemed the principal things in which the elegant dames were interested. 鲜花、糖果和珠宝看来是那些贵妇人的主要兴趣所在。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

4 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

5 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

6 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

7 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。