Queen Elizabeth's 3D Christmas message | Bangkok Post: learning

About British Monarchy

For Queen's diamond jubilee cutting-edge 3D technology used to offer praise to the athletes of this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Queen Elizabeth II wears 3D glasses to watch the recording of her Christmas message to the Commonwealth, which is to be broadcast in 3D for the first time, at Buckingham Palace in London on December 23, 2012. (AFP Pool photo by John Stillwell).

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Queen praises Olympians in 3D Christmas message

(AFP) 

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II will pay tribute to the London 2012 athletes in her annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth, saying they had inspired the world and drawn people in to the excitement and drama.

The 86-year-old monarch will praise the achievement and courage on show at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in her annual Christmas address, which will be broadcast in 3D for the first time when it airs at 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

"The Queen's broadcast this year focuses on service, achievement and the spirit of togetherness," a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.

The message was recorded in the central London palace's White Drawing Room on December 7.

"As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes," Queen Elizabeth will say.

In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.

The Queen formally opened the Games in dramatic fashion herself, after taking part in a James Bond scene, which ended with the pair seemingly parachuting down to the Olympic Stadium from a helicopter.

It was one of the standout moments from her diamond jubilee year.

Exactly 80 years after her grandfather king George V first started broadcasting a speech on December 25, Queen Elizabeth will embrace 3D technology to mark her 60 years as the sovereign.

She has made a broadcast every year since coming to the throne except 1969, because a repeat of the landmark behind-the-scenes documentary "Royal Family" was already scheduled for the holiday period.

In footage released ahead of this year's broadcast, the monarch is shown wearing 3D glasses to watch back part of her recording.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the sovereign thought it was "absolutely lovely." 

"We wanted to do something a bit different and special in this jubilee year, so doing it for the first time in 3D seemed a good thing, technology-wise, to do," she said.

The Queen absolutely agreed straight away there was no need for convincing at all, she was absolutely ready to embrace something new in this year.

The speech is one of the rare occasions when the Queen is able to voice her own views, since as a constitutional monarch she has to remain strictly neutral in political affairs.

She writes the speech herself and often draws on her own experiences, while at the same time reflecting [on] current issues... 

...A cold kept the Queen away from her usual visit to church on Sunday.

"The queen was getting over the tail end of a cold," a spokeswoman said. "We are expecting business as usual next week."

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.

(Source: Queen praises Olympians in 3D Christmas message (AFP), 24-12-2012) 


British Royal Events Vocabulary

Queen Elizabeth II - "Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states (known as the Commonwealth realms) and their territories and dependencies, as well as head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and, in some of her realms, carries the title of Defender of the Faith as part of her full title" (See Wikipedia)

Commonwealth of Nations - an association of nations consisting of the United Kingdom and several former British colonies (See Wikipedia)

diamond jubilee year - "the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is a multinational celebration throughout 2012 marking the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952" (See Wikipedia and official website and Facebook)

monarch - a king or queen กษัตริย์ หรือราชินี
constitutional monarch

constitutional - correct or allowed according to the constitution ถูกต้องหรืออยู่ในขอบข่ายที่ระบุไว้ในรัฐธรรมนูญ
constitutional monarchy - "a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the guidelines of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified, or blended constitution. This form of government differs from absolute monarchy in which an absolute monarch serves as the source of power in the state and is not legally bound by any constitution and has the powers to regulate his or her respective government. Most constitutional monarchies employ a parliamentary system in which the monarch may have strictly ceremonial duties or may have reserve powers, depending on the constitution. Under most modern constitutional monarchies there is also a prime minister who is the head of government and exercises effective political power" (See Wikipedia)

tribute - something that you do, say, or build to show that you respect and admire someone or something การแสดงความเคารพ ยกย่องต่อ สิ่งที่มอบแด่ใครคนหนึ่ง เพื่อถวาย สดุดี เทิดพระเกียรติ
pay tribute to

annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
annual Christmas message

drama - something exciting or unusual that happens พฤติกรรมเกินจริง, บทละคร, เรื่องเร้าใจ

Queen Elizabeth II will pay tribute to the London 2012 athletes in her annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth, saying they had inspired the world and drawn people in to the excitement and drama.

achievement - something very good and difficult that you have succeeded in doing การบรรลุผลสำเร็จ
praise the achievement and courage

address - a formal speech คำปราศรัย
annual Christmas address

3D - three dimensional 3 มิติ

broadcast - to send out a programme on television or radio กระจายเสียง,กระจายข่าว
broadcast in 3D - three dimensional TV (See Wikipedia)

The 86-year-old monarch will praise the achievement and courage on show at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in her annual Christmas address, which will be broadcast in 3D for the first time when it airs at 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

service - doing work for and carrying out duties and responsibilities for people or some organization (such as the goverment) or the public
spirit of togetherness

the Queen's broadcast this year focuses on service, achievement and the spirit of togetherness.

host - providing a place for an event or activity to happen 
splendid - very impressive or very good ที่น่าประทับใจ
hosted a splendid summer of sport

skill - being good at what you do, doing your work tasks well
dedication - when a person spends a large amount of their time doing something (working hard at something and never giving up)

training - to teach people how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน
teamwork - working together well as a "team" to achieve goals

As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes.

opportunity - a situation when it is possible to do something that you want to do (See glossary)
share - to let other people use something you have; to have or use something at the same time as someone else ใช้ร่วมกัน
opportunity to share something

pursue goals - do work to reach and "achieve" goals
pursuing sporting goals

in pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama

dramatic - exciting and impressive
in dramatic fashion

The Queen formally opened the Games in dramatic fashion herself, after taking part in a James Bond scene, which ended with the pair seemingly parachuting down to the Olympic Stadium from a helicopter.

standout moments - special times (important, easy to remember, different from everything else) 
It was one of the standout moments from her diamond jubilee year.

embrace - to accept something such as a belief, idea, or way of life ยอมรับ น้อมนำมา
embrace 3D technology

mark - to celebrate and commemorate something ฉลอง เป็นเครืองแสดง
embrace 3D technology to mark her 60 years as the sovereign.

sovereign - Same as "monarch", a king or a queen

Exactly 80 years after her grandfather king George V first started broadcasting a speech on December 25, Queen Elizabeth will embrace 3D technology to mark her 60 years as the sovereign.

landmark - a important event or achievement (that signals a new stage in development) เหตุการณ์ที่เป็นการแสดงถึงความคืบหน้า
behind-the-scenes - showing you the things that are not normally seen (that are normally hidden from public view)

documentary - a film or television programme that deals with real people and events สารคดี
landmark behind-the-scenes documentary

scheduled - planned to happen at a particular time or day ตามตารางเวลา
scheduled for the holiday period.

She has made a broadcast every year since coming to the throne except 1969, because a repeat of the landmark behind-the-scenes documentary "Royal Family" was already scheduled for the holiday period.

footage - a film or video of a particular subject or event การเสนอข่าว ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์  ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ
released - made available to the public
footage released - video or film made available to the public

In footage released ahead of this year's broadcast, the monarch is shown wearing 3D glasses to watch back part of her recording.

absolutely - completely, 100%
absolutely lovely
absolutely ready to embrace something new in this year

absolutely agreed
absolutely agreed straight away - agreed 100% immediately

rare - not often seen or found; not happening very often หาได้ยาก  เกิดขึ้นได้ยาก
rare occasions

voice - to express your feelings or opinions ออกความคิด
voice her own views

one of the rare occasions when the Queen is able to voice her own views

strictly - completely อย่างเข้มงวด
neutral - not on either side of a disagreement, in the middle
strictly neutral

affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
political affairs

remain strictly neutral in political affairs

The speech is one of the rare occasions when the Queen is able to voice her own views, since as a constitutional monarch she has to remain strictly neutral in political affairs.

draws on her own experiences - using her own experiences

issues - an important subject that people are discussing and debating about ประเด็น
reflecting [on] current issues

She writes the speech herself and often draws on her own experiences, while at the same time reflecting [on] current issues... 

the tail end of - the last part of ... , the end of ...
getting over the tail end of a cold

business as usual
we are expecting business as usual next week.

...A cold kept the Queen away from her usual visit to church on Sunday. "The queen was getting over the tail end of a cold," a spokeswoman said. "We are expecting business as usual next week."

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