白金汉宫：女王无意影响苏格兰公投结果

choi

BBC Chinese, Sept 10, 2014
www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/uk/2 ... cotland_queen.shtml


, which is translated IN PART from

Scottish independence: Monarch 'above politics', Buckingham Palace says. BBC, Sept 9, 2014.
www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29136149

Note:
(a) The spokesman issued a statement last night, local time, but I can not find it in the Web.

(b) "SNP leader Mr [Alex] Salmond said he had an audience with the Queen at Balmoral Castle two weeks ago but would not say what was discussed."
(i) SNP = Scottish National Party
(ii) Balmoral Castle
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmoral_Castle
(in Aberdeenshire, Scotland)
(iii) Balmoral Castle: History. The British Monarchy, undated
www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/balmoralcastle/history.aspx
("Balmoral Castle and the original estate were purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852. The original Balmoral Castle was built in the fifteenth century but it was considered too small. A new castle was constructed on the site about 90 metres (100 yards) north from the old building. Prince Albert planned the grounds and helped with the design of the castle itself, which was completed in 1856")
(iv) Scottish Placenames--Derivation. Geograph, undated
www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/scottish_placenames_derivation_9741
("BAL (Baile, Scottish Gaelic) -- homestead, settlement [eg] Balmoral - 'majestic (morail, Scottish Gaelic) settlement;' 'in big clearing (mor ial)'")

(c) "Mr Salmond was speaking at a photocall outside St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh."
(i) Instead of "photocall," the word to use in US is "photo op"--short for "photo opportunity."
(ii) St Giles Cathedral
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Giles%27_Cathedral
(is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh; The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Giles [c 650-c 710; a Greek in southern France], who is the patron saint of Edinburgh, as well as of cripples and lepers)

The consonant "g" in the surname "Giles" (as in Wade-Giles) is pronounced like the "g" in "orange."

(d) "Under the plans for independence outlined in the Scottish government's white paper, the Queen would remain head of state. It says: 'On independence Scotland will be a constitutional monarchy, continuing the Union of the Crowns that dates back to 1603 [when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, following the death of Elizabeth I], pre-dating the Union of the Parliaments by over one hundred years [1707; under Queen Anne, the last monarch of the House of Stuart]. On independence in 2016, Her Majesty The Queen will be head of state.'"
(e) "In 1977, on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee, she informed both Houses of Parliament: 'I cannot forget that I was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.' The comments were widely interpreted as a royal rebuff to proposals for devolution to Scotland which foundered in 1979."

devolution
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devolution
means more autonomy to, not independence of, local government.

(f) "An address to the Scottish Parliament in 2002 was seen as a move away from the 1977 position. Her Majesty warmly praised the relatively new devolved settlement, noting that MSPs were helping, with their work, to 'strengthen the bonds that link the nations and regions of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and Europe.'"

MSP = Member of the Scottish Parliament, which was reconvened in 1999 (following a 1997 referendum held in Scotland only, not the entire UK)--the first time since 1707.