The Queen’s 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 Queen’s 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 “little 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 river’s banks.
　　Mr. Johnson said: “Millions of people will be there and perhaps hundreds of millions will be watching around the world, so let’s 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. Paul’s 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: 钻石庆典，即60周年庆典。依据原来的英国传统，“钻石庆典”一般指的是某人75岁生日或某个事件的75周年纪念日。但是维多利亚女王统治期间英国政府对这一传统进行了修改。1861年维多利亚女王的丈夫阿尔伯特亲王去世后，维多利亚女王基本上不参与公众活动，几乎退出了公众视线，当时英国群众由于不满产生了一些骚乱。因此，英国政府决定将维多利亚女王的钻石庆典提前到1897年她登基的60周年纪念日举办。从此之后，钻石庆典就被视为60周年庆典了；pageant: 盛会，露天表演。
　　2. climax: 高潮，顶点；flotilla: 小型船队，小舰队。
　　3. water-borne: 由水浮起的，水运的；procession: 队伍，列队行进；barge: 驳船，游艇。
　　4. the evacuation of Dunkirk: 敦刻尔克大撤退，第二次世界大战中英法联军最大规模的军事撤退。在这次军事行动中，英国利用各种船只最终撤出了大量的部队。
　　5. incumbent: 现任的，在职的。
　　6. commemoration: 纪念，庆典；Golden Jubilee: 50周年庆典；in style:气派，隆重。
　　7. Secretary of State for the Colonies: 殖民大臣，即20世纪中期前英国专门负责殖民地事宜的一名内阁大臣。该职位于20世纪中期被取缔，并入了（英国）外交和联邦事务部（Foreign and Commonwealth Office）；Joseph Chamberlain: 约瑟夫·张伯伦，英国著名企业家、政治家和演说家，是英国财政大臣奥斯丁·张伯伦和英国首相亚瑟·内维尔·张伯伦的父亲。曾任对外贸易大臣、殖民大臣等公职。
　　8. glittering: 辉煌的，盛大的；process: 〈正式〉列队行进，缓缓前进。
　　9. service: 宗教仪式，礼拜仪式。
　　10. ovation: 热烈欢迎。
　　11. predecessor: 前任，前辈；constancy: 忠诚，忠贞。
　　12. intimate: 亲密的，私人的。
　　13. grant: 准予，允许。