英女王御用替身曝光 工作24年分文不取大綱

In 60 years, the Queen has never put a foot wrong in public.

60年來，英國女王在公衆場合從來沒有走錯過一步路。

And for the last 24 of them, it turns out she's had a secret weapon – the unassuming Ella Slack.

原來在過去的24年裏她一直有個祕密武器，那就是她的替身——謙遜低調的艾拉•斯萊克。

The former BBC manager has, unbeknown to anyone except a handful of key advisers, spent the last quarter of a century acting as the Queen's official stand-in at rehearsals for royal events.

她曾經是英國廣播公司的一個主管，除了女王身邊的幾個資深顧問外，沒有人知道她的存在。過去的四分之一個世紀裏，她一直是女王皇室活動彩排的御用替身。

The 69-year-old from the Isle of Man has never accepted a penny for her loyal service, considering it "a pleasure and an honour" to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the sovereign.

這位來自曼島的69歲的老太太從未對自己提供的忠誠服務收過一分錢。她認爲確保女王的活動一切順利是“讓人愉快和榮幸的事情”。

"How many people in the world have had a chance to sit in a royal landau or walk onto the dais at Windsor Castle even before the Queen has done so?" she said.

她說：“世界上有多少人有機會坐上皇家朗道馬車、走上溫莎堡的講臺，還能先於女王這麼做呢？”

While Miss Slack may not resemble the Queen facially, she has a similar build to the monarch, standing just shy of 5ft.

儘管斯萊克的臉長得並不像女王，但她的體型和女王相近，身高接近5英尺。

The Queen is 5ft 2in.

而女王的身高爲5英尺2英寸。

She began her remarkable role in 1988, when she was working as manager of the BBC's sports and events department.

她從1988年開始承擔這一不平凡的使命，當時她在英國廣播公司的體育賽事部擔任主管。

A producer asked her if she could stand in for the Queen to check camera angles at a rehearsal for Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph – and her second career was born.

那天一位製片人問她能否在紀念塔的紀念日儀式彩排上代替女王試鏡，於是她的第二職業就誕生了。

Since then, from the State Opening of Parliament to the 50th anniversary of VE day, wherever the Queen is on duty Miss Slack is likely to have been there first.

從那以後，不論是英國國會開幕大典，還是歐洲勝利日50周年紀念慶典，只要是女王出席的場所，斯萊克總會先到那裏。

She has perfected her own version of the Queen's wardrobe, including a black patent handbag she bought in a charity shop for £1, and even styles her hair like the Queen.

她還完善了她的“女王穿戴”，包括一隻黑色漆皮手提包，那是她在慈善商店花一英鎊的價錢買的，甚至連她的髮型也做成和女王相近的式樣。

Most recently, Miss Slack has been rehearsing for next weekend's Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, braving the wind and rain on the royal barge.

她最近一次當女王替身是爲這週末舉行的女王登基60週年鑽石慶典泰晤士河巡禮做預演，風雨無阻地在皇家遊艇上“工作”。

And she has won a coveted place in the flotilla on the day itself – in a boat named, appropriately enough, the Queen Elizabeth.

在巡禮當天，她也會在遊行船隊中獲得自己夢寐以求的位置，沒錯，就是那艘名爲“伊麗莎白女王”的航船。