1-2

2.

A shock to the system, going from sun- drenched¹ St. Tropez to cloud- shadowed Balmoral. Ivaguely remember that shock, though I can’t remember much else about our first week at thecastle. Still, I can almost guarantee it was spent mostly outdoors. My family lived to be outdoors,especially Granny, who got cross if she didn’t breathe at least an hour of fresh air each day. Whatwe did outdoors, however, what we said, wore, ate, I can’t conjure². There’s some reporting thatwe journeyed by the royal yacht from the Isle³ of Wight to the castle, the yacht’s final voyage.

Sounds lovely.

What I do retain, in crisp detail, is the physical setting. The dense⁴ woods. The deer-nibbledhill. The River Dee snaking down through the Highlands. Lochnagar soaring overhead, eternallysnow-spattered. Landscape, geography, architecture, that’s how my memory rolls. Dates? Sorry,I’ll need to look them up. Dialogue? I’ll try my best, but make no verbatim claims, especiallywhen it comes to the nineties. But ask me about any space I’ve occupied — castle, cockpit,classroom, stateroom, bedroom, palace, garden, pub—and I’ll re-create it down to the carpet tacks⁶.

Why should my memory organize experience like this? Is it genetics? Trauma⁷? SomeFrankenstein- esque combination of the two? Is it my inner soldier, assessing every space aspotential battlefield? Is it my innate⁸ homebody nature, rebelling against a forced nomadicexistence? Is it some base apprehension⁹ that the world is essentially¹⁰ a maze¹¹, and you should neverbe caught in a maze without a map?

Whatever the cause, my memory is my memory, it does what it does, gathers and curates as itsees fit, and there’s just as much truth in what I remember and how I remember it as there is in so-called objective facts. Things like chronology and cause-and-effect are often just fables¹² we tellourselves about the past. The past is never dead. It’s not even past. When I discovered thatquotation not long ago on BrainyQuote.com, I was thunderstruck. I thought, Who the fook isFaulkner? And how’s he related to us Windsors?

And so: Balmoral. Closing my eyes, I can see the main entrance, the paneled front windows,the wide portico¹³ and three gray-black speckled granite¹⁵ steps leading up to the massive front doorof whisky-colored oak, often propped¹⁶ open by a heavy curling stone and often manned by one red-coated footman, and inside the spacious¹⁷ hall and its white stone floor, with gray star-shaped tiles,and the huge fireplace with its beautiful mantel of ornately carved dark wood, and to one side akind of utility room, and to the left, by the tall windows, hooks for fishing rods and walking sticksand rubber waders and heavy waterproofs¹⁸—so many waterproofs, because summer could be wetand cold all over Scotland, but it was biting in this Siberian nook—and then the light brownwooden door leading to the corridor with the crimson¹⁹ carpet and the walls papered in cream, apattern of gold flock, raised like braille, and then the many rooms along the corridor, each with aspecific purpose, like sitting or reading, TV or tea, and one special room for the pages, many ofwhom I loved like dotty uncles, and finally the castle’s main chamber²⁰, built in the nineteenthcentury, nearly on top of the site of another castle dating to the fourteenth century, within a fewgenerations of another Prince Harry²¹, who got himself exiled, then came back and annihilatedeverything and everyone in sight. My distant kin⁵. My kindred spirit, some would claim. If nothingelse, my namesake. Born September 15, 1984, I was christened Henry Charles Albert David ofWales.

But from Day One everyone called me Harry.

In the heart of this main chamber was the grand staircase. Sweeping²², dramatic, seldom used.

Whenever Granny headed up to her bedroom on the second floor, corgis at her heels, she preferredthe lift.

The corgis preferred it too.

Near Granny’s lift, through a pair of crimson saloon doors and along a green tartan floor, was asmallish staircase with a heavy iron banister; it led up to the second floor, where stood a statue ofQueen Victoria. I always bowed to her as I passed. Your Majesty²³! Willy did too. We’d been toldto, but I’d have done it anyway. I found the “Grandmama of Europe” hugely compelling, and notjust because Granny loved her, nor because Pa once wanted to name me after her husband.

(Mummy blocked him.) Victoria knew great love, soaring happiness—but her life was essentiallytragic. Her father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, was said to be a sadist, sexuallyaroused by the sight of soldiers being horsewhipped, and her dear husband, Albert, died before hereyes. Also, during her long, lonely reign²⁴, she was shot at eight times, on eight separate occasions,by seven different subjects.

Not one bullet hit the mark. Nothing could bring Victoria down.

Beyond Victoria’s statue things got tricky²⁵. Doors became identical, rooms interlocked. Easy toget lost. Open the wrong door and you might burst in on Pa while his valet was helping²⁶ him dress.

Worse, you might blunder in as he was doing his headstands. Prescribed by his physio, theseexercises were the only effective remedy for the constant pain in Pa’s neck and back. Old poloinjuries, mostly. He performed them daily, in just a pair of boxers²⁷, propped against a door orhanging from a bar like a skilled acrobat²⁸. If you set one little finger on the knob you’d hear himbegging from the other side: No! No! Don’t open! Please God don’t open!

Balmoral had fifty bedrooms, one of which had been divided for me and Willy. Adults called itthe nursery. Willy had the larger half, with a double bed, a good-sized basin, a cupboard withmirrored doors, a beautiful window looking down on the courtyard, the fountain, the bronze statueof a roe²⁹ deer buck³⁰. My half of the room was far smaller, less luxurious³¹. I never asked why. I didn’tcare. But I also didn’t need to ask. Two years older than me, Willy was the Heir, whereas I was theSpare.

This wasn’t merely how the press referred to us—though it was definitely that. This wasshorthand often used by Pa and Mummy and Grandpa. And even Granny. The Heir and the Spare—there was no judgment³² about it, but also no ambiguity³³. I was the shadow, the support, the PlanB. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to providebackup, distraction³⁴, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion³⁵.

Speck¹⁴ of bone marrow³⁶. This was all made explicitly³⁷ clear to me from the start of life’s journey andregularly reinforced thereafter. I was twenty the first time I heard the story of what Pa allegedlysaid to Mummy the day of my birth: Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare—mywork is done. A joke. Presumably. On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of highcomedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet with his girlfriend. So. Many a true word spoken injest.

I took no offense³⁸. I felt nothing about it, any of it. Succession was like the weather, or thepositions of the planets, or the turn of the seasons. Who had the time to worry about things sounchangeable? Who could bother with being bothered by a fate etched in stone? Being a Windsormeant working out which truths were timeless, and then banishing³⁹ them from your mind. It meantabsorbing the basic parameters⁴⁰ of one’s identity, knowing by instinct who you were, which wasforever a byproduct of who you weren’t.

I wasn’t Granny.

I wasn’t Pa.

I wasn’t Willy.

I was third in line behind them.

Every boy and girl, at least once, imagines themselves as a prince or princess. Therefore, Spareor no Spare, it wasn’t half bad to actually be one. More, standing⁴¹ resolutely⁴² behind the people youloved, wasn’t that the definition of honor?

Of love?

Like bowing to Victoria as you passed?

 

1 drenched   

adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
• The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 conjure   

v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法

参考例句：

• I conjure you not to betray me.我恳求你不要背弃我。
• I can't simply conjure up the money out of thin air.我是不能像变魔术似的把钱变来。

3 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

4 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

5 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

6 tacks   

大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法

参考例句：

• Never mind the side issues, let's get down to brass tacks and thrash out a basic agreement. 别管枝节问题，让我们讨论问题的实质，以求得基本一致。
• Get down to the brass tacks,and quit talking round the subject. 谈实质问题吧，别兜圈子了。

7 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

8 innate   

adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的

参考例句：

• You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
• Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

9 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

12 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

13 portico   

n.柱廊，门廊

参考例句：

• A large portico provides a suitably impressive entrance to the chapel.小教堂入口处宽敞的柱廊相当壮观。
• The gateway and its portico had openings all around.门洞两旁与廊子的周围都有窗棂。

14 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

15 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

16 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

17 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

18 waterproofs   

n.防水衣物，雨衣 usually plural( waterproof的名词复数 )v.使防水，使不透水( waterproof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Put on your waterproofs. It's going to rain. 穿上你的雨衣。天要下雨了。 来自辞典例句
• Did you pack an umbrella and some waterproofs? 你有没有带雨伞及一些防水衣物？ 来自休闲英语会话

19 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

20 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

21 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

22 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

23 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

24 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

25 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

26 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

27 boxers   

n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 acrobat   

n.特技演员，杂技演员

参考例句：

• The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.杂技演员让一根长杆在他的左肩上保持平衡。
• The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.这个杂技演员可以把身体蜷曲成圆形。

29 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

30 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

31 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

32 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

33 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。

34 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

35 transfusion   

n.输血，输液

参考例句：

• She soon came to her senses after a blood transfusion.输血后不久她就苏醒了。
• The doctor kept him alive by a blood transfusion.医生靠输血使他仍然活着。

36 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

37 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

38 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

39 banishing   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And he breathes out fast, like a king banishing a servant. 他呼气则非常迅速，像一个国王驱逐自己的奴仆。 来自互联网
• Banishing genetic disability must therefore be our primary concern. 消除基因缺陷是我们的首要之急。 来自互联网

40 parameters   

因素，特征； 界限； （限定性的）因素( parameter的名词复数 )； 参量； 参项； 决定因素

参考例句：

• We have to work within the parameters of time. 我们的工作受时间所限。
• See parameters.cpp for a compilable example. This is part of the Spirit distribution. 可编译例子见parameters.cpp.这是Spirit分发包的组成部分。

41 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

42 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。