VOA标准英语2011--Privilege and Pressure: A Profile of the

Privilege and Pressure: A Profile of the Royal Romance

There are just days to go until British royal Prince William weds¹ Catherine Middleton on April 29, in a ceremony that is expected to be watched by billions around the world. Observers have praised the future princess as a glamorous² new face for the royal family. While Catherine's journey to the palace has not always been smooth, she now faces a life of extraordinary privilege played out in the world's spotlight³.
In November last year, Prince William and Catherine Middleton appeared in front of the cameras to announce their engagement. The bride-to-be answered one reporter's question on why it had taken so long.
"Obviously we have been going out a long time, and we had spoken about our future, and it just seemed a natural step for both of us," Middleton explained.
How they met
The history of the royal couple goes back nearly 10 years - to the Scottish town of St. Andrews, where the prince began university in 2001. It was there, protected from media intrusion, that he met fellow student Kate Middleton.
Observers speculate that Cupid's arrow struck when William saw Kate modeling a see-through dress at a fashion show. They became friends and shared a house with other students. Exactly when they began dating is unclear, but Linda Cunningham, the owner of a local café who claims William wooed his future bride over coffee and cake, says she had early suspicions.
"She used to come in with his friends, and he would be here with his friends," recalled Cunningham. "So they would be in the building together, but not necessarily sitting together. And then when we heard there was something going on between them, we kind of put two-and-two together."
Post-graduation life
After graduation, the couple once again entered the glare of the world's media. That reached a peak in 2007 when William broke off the relationship for several months.
The royal family has long had a fractious relationship with the press. William's mother, Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by photographers on motorbikes. He was determined⁴ to protect Kate from the media scrutiny⁵ his mother endured.
Royal lawyers warned off paparazzi who got too close.
The engagement
The couple got back together, and in October 2010, William proposed while on holiday in Kenya - with the engagement ring of his late mother.
Kate - or Princess Catherine as she will be known after the wedding - is about to enter a world known only to a privileged few.
"Could she have predicted it 10 years ago I wonder? I would guess not," said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty⁶, a magazine devoted⁷ to the royal family. "Yes, there were break-ups in the royal romance but they got back together again and they are clearly stronger than ever. I would imagine that Kate has many surreal moments and will continue to have for many years."
Future challenges
Kate's biggest challenge will be the inevitable⁸ comparisons with Princess Diana.
She was just 20 when she married Prince Charles. The nation and much of the world were captivated.
Middleton was raised in a wealthy family. Her parents are self-made millionaires who run a party accessories website from their home west of London. Kate's mother used to be an air hostess and traces her family back to coal miners and butchers.
In a country obsessed⁹ with class, much has been made of the fact that a commoner is marrying royalty¹⁰.
Little of Majesty magazine says that will benefit the royal family.
"Kate's a breath of fresh air. You could say that there hasn't been any glamour¹¹, dare I say it, in the British royal family for a while and we're just getting a huge injection of that," Little said.
William has long been used to the so-called ‘goldfish bowl' of life as a royal prince.
For Middleton, a journey of rarefied privilege and pressure lies ahead - starting with the wedding itself.

1 weds   

v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Confetti showered down on the newly-weds. 彩屑撒在一双新人身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The newly-weds are head over heels in love. 这对新婚夫正情溶意蜜。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

6 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！

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

8 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

9 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

10 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

11 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。