The Queens Diamond Jubilee weekend promises to be “more exciting than the Olympics”, the Mayor of London said as details of the centrepiece Thames river pageant were made public.1

Boris Johnson said he had been struck by how many people saw the Queens Diamond Jubilee as the landmark event of 2012, rather than the Olympics, as Britain prepared for “a summer like no other”.

On Sunday, June 3 the Jubilee weekend will come to a climax with a seven-mile flotilla of 1,000 boats making up the biggest gathering on the Thames in 350 years.2

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be at the centre of the water-borne procession on the royal barge, while senior members of the Royal family will travel on other boats.3

These will include more than 40 of the “l(fā)ittle ships” used in the evacuation of Dunkirk4, dragon boats, house boats, pleasure cruisers, steamers and naval vessels, in a “quite stunning” event which is expected to draw 1.5 million people to the rivers banks.

Mr. Johnson said: “Millions of people will be there and perhaps hundreds of millions will be watching around the world, so lets have a fantastic party…who knows, it may even be more exciting than the Olympics.”

Diamond Jubilee is in every respect a truly special occasion for British Monarch. There are only two Diamond Jubilees in its history, one for the incumbent5 Queen Elizabeth II, and the other for Queen Victoria in 1897.

Initially Queen Victoria had hoped for a quiet commemoration following her popular Golden Jubilee 10 years earlier, but realised the people were intent on marking the occasion in style.6 The then Secretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain suggested that the anniversary should be used to celebrate the British Empire and the Queen approved.7 It became a glittering celebration, with troops from across the Empire processing through the streets in her honour.8

On June 20, 1897, Victoria, dressed in black silk with a black bonnet decorated with white ostrich feathers and diamonds, processed through London in a carriage to St. Pauls Cathedral for a service9, across London Bridge, through south London and back past Parliament to Buckingham Palace.

She was moved by the experience, writing in her journal that night: “No one ever, I believe, has met with such an ovation10 as was given to me, passing through those six miles of streets... The crowds were quite indescribable and their enthusiasm truly marvellous and deeply touching.”

Now we are given a rare opportunity to live through the most remarkable celebration in British history. On this day, we will celebrate the common values that link our monarch to her legendary predecessor—duty, strength, constancy.11 And this same day, we will witness the dear Queen turn 86 years old, commemorating the 60 superb years she has given to the country. The Queen typically celebrates her birthday with more intimate12 celebrations, such as small gatherings of the royal family and other such people. But it seems like her wish cannot be granted13 after all.

1. Diamond Jubilee: 鉆石慶典，即60周年慶典。依據(jù)原來的英國傳統(tǒng)，“鉆石慶典”一般指的是某人75歲生日或某個事件的75周年紀(jì)念日。但是維多利亞女王統(tǒng)治期間英國政府對這一傳統(tǒng)進行了修改。1861年維多利亞女王的丈夫阿爾伯特親王去世后，維多利亞女王基本上不參與公眾活動，幾乎退出了公眾視線，當(dāng)時英國群眾由于不滿產(chǎn)生了一些騷亂。因此，英國政府決定將維多利亞女王的鉆石慶典提前到1897年她登基的60周年紀(jì)念日舉辦。從此之后，鉆石慶典就被視為60周年慶典了；pageant: 盛會，露天表演。

2. climax: 高潮，頂點；flotilla: 小型船隊，小艦隊。

3. water-borne: 由水浮起的，水運的；procession: 隊伍，列隊行進；barge: 駁船，游艇。

4. the evacuation of Dunkirk: 敦刻爾克大撤退，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)中英法聯(lián)軍最大規(guī)模的軍事撤退。在這次軍事行動中，英國利用各種船只最終撤出了大量的部隊。

5. incumbent: 現(xiàn)任的，在職的。

6. commemoration: 紀(jì)念，慶典；Golden Jubilee: 50周年慶典；in style:氣派，隆重。

7. Secretary of State for the Colonies: 殖民大臣，即20世紀(jì)中期前英國專門負(fù)責(zé)殖民地事宜的一名內(nèi)閣大臣。該職位于20世紀(jì)中期被取締，并入了（英國）外交和聯(lián)邦事務(wù)部（Foreign and Commonwealth Office）；Joseph Chamberlain: 約瑟夫·張伯倫，英國著名企業(yè)家、政治家和演說家，是英國財政大臣奧斯丁·張伯倫和英國首相亞瑟·內(nèi)維爾·張伯倫的父親。曾任對外貿(mào)易大臣、殖民大臣等公職。

8. glittering: 輝煌的，盛大的；process: 〈正式〉列隊行進，緩緩前進。

9. service: 宗教儀式，禮拜儀式。

10. ovation: 熱烈歡迎。

11. predecessor: 前任，前輩；constancy: 忠誠，忠貞。

12. intimate: 親密的，私人的。

13. grant: 準(zhǔn)予，允許。