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Updated: 2006-03-17 14:17

Queen Elizabeth visiting Singapore

英国女王伊丽莎白二世应纳丹总统邀请,3月15日由夫婿爱丁堡公爵陪同到新加坡作三天国事访问。这是女王自新加坡独立以来的第三次国事访问。据报道,纳丹总统伉俪设国宴款待女王一行,李显龙总理则将设午宴招待女王。她访问期间将到世界大战阵亡战士纪念碑前献花,并访问国家图书馆和大巴窑组屋区。英女王曾在1972年和1989年访新,加上这次访问,每一次都恰好间隔17年。

 

Queen Elizabeth visiting Singapore
Queen Elizabeth II (C) is accompanied by Prince Philip as she enters the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The British monarch arrived in Singapore for a two-day state visit.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Singapore late Thursday — her first trip to the city-state in nearly two decades. 

She was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh on her visit to the former British colony, which followed a five-day trip to Australia.

Their engagements include meetings with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President S.R. Nathan, astate banquetand visits to a library, a public housing estate and a memorial commemorating World War I and II.

Singapore was touted as an impregnable fortress of the British Empire before it fell swiftly to Japanese forces on Feb. 15, 1942. Once thelynchpinof the British defense of Malaya, which later became independent Malaysia, it was one in a succession of territories that fell as the Japanese swept across Southeast Asia.

About 80,000 Indian, Australian and British troops were captured in Singapore. Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime prime minister, described the fall as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history."

The two countries enjoy close ties. In July, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prime Minister Lee signed an agreement to promote collaboration in science, engineering and technology, partly through fellowships and joint research.

The queen, who last visited in 1989, is expected to depart on Saturday.

In Australia on Wednesday, the queen opened the Commonwealth Games, which gathers 4,500 athletes from 71 countries and territories of the Commonwealth, former British colonies or dependencies headed by the queen. She met with athletes earlier Thursday.

(Agencies)

 

Vocabulary:
 

state banquet:(国宴)

lynchpin: (关键)

 

 
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