日本明仁天皇今日退位 明日迎來“令和”時代

Japan's Emperor Akihito walks for a ritual called Taiirei-Tojitsu-Kashikodokoro-Omae-no-gi, a ceremony for the Emperor to report the conduct of the abdication ceremony, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan April 30, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

Japanese emperor Akihito is set to step down from the throne on Tuesday, which will make him the first monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years.

日本明仁天皇將于4月30日退位，成為200多年來首位生前退位的天皇。

【單詞講解】

Abdicate，讀作[?æbd??ket]，在這里就是step down from the throne(退位)的意思，還可以用relinquish the throne表示。此外，這個詞也可以表示“放棄(職責(zé))、失職”，比如：Many parents simply abdicate all responsibility for their children.(許多父母對孩子簡直是完全撒手不管。)需要注意的是，在表示“退位”的時候，簡單一個abdicate就可以了，而如果表示“放棄職責(zé)、失職”，則需要用abdicate responsibility for something/somebody表示。

His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will be inaugurated as the 126th emperor the next day, ushering in the Reiwa era.

5月1日，59歲的皇太子德仁將繼位，成為日本第126位天皇，日本進(jìn)入“令和”時代。

【單詞講解】

這里需要注意的是，“某人就任、就職”用的是someone is inaugurated (as)這樣的句式表達(dá)，因為inaugurate本身的意思就是“使...正式就任”。The inauguration of the president或者presidential inauguration自然就是“總統(tǒng)就職典禮”。如果看到something is inaugurated則表示“(某個項目)舉行落成典禮/成立慶典”。

明仁天皇為何退位?

最近幾年，明仁天皇經(jīng)歷了心臟手術(shù)和前列腺癌，他在2016年的電視講話中表示，擔(dān)心自己的健康狀況無法繼續(xù)履行職責(zé)。

Japan's Emperor Akihito, accompanied by Empress Michiko, waves to well-wishers before leaving Ujiyamada Station after their visit to Ise Jingu shrine in Ise in the central Japanese prefecture of Mie, April 18, 2019, as he takes part in a series of rituals ahead of his abdication. [Photo/Agencies]

"When I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the State," the Emperor said in 2016.

他表示：“我意識到我的健康狀況每況愈下，我擔(dān)心自己無法繼續(xù)履行作為國家象征的職責(zé)。”

2017年6月，日本通過特別法，允許天皇退位。

退位儀式有什么流程?

The abdication ceremony will take place in the afternoon with attendees including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, as well as the heads of both houses of parliament and Supreme Court justices. Over 330 attendants will also be present.

退位儀式將在4月30日下午舉行，日本首相安倍晉三、皇后美智子、皇太子德仁、皇太子妃雅子、兩院的議員以及最高法院的法官等都將出席退位儀式。將有330多人出席退位儀式。

Imperial chamberlains will carry state and privy seals into the room along with two of Japan's “Three Sacred Treasures” – a sword and a jewel – which together with a mirror are symbols of the throne.

皇室侍從將會奉上國印、御璽以及象征日本皇室的“三件神器”中的兩件：“天業(yè)云劍”和“八尺瓊勾玉”，另外一件是“八咫鏡”。

Abe will announce the abdication and Akihito will make his final remarks as emperor.

安倍晉三將主持退位儀式，明仁天皇將發(fā)表最后一次講話。

On Wednesday morning, Crown Prince Naruhito will inherit the Imperial Treasures in his first ritual as emperor.

5月1日清晨，皇太子德仁將在就位典禮上繼承皇室神器。

【相關(guān)詞匯】

年號 era name

退位 abdicate/step down from the throne/relinquish the throne

退位儀式 abdication ceremony

繼位 ascend the throne

皇室家族 imperial family