Queen Elizabeth II Wants a Pay Rise 女王要求涨工资--...

Queen Elizabeth II Wants a Pay Rise 女王要求涨工资
The Queen is demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a looming £6 million deficit in the royal household’s finances.1
Palace officials have warned the Treasury they need a dramatic rise in the £7.9 million annual civil list to maintain spending on state duties.2 The request is politically explosive at a time when the new coalition is imposing draconian £6 billion public sector cuts to bring down Britain’s record deficit.3 The £7.9 million grant covers the cost of the official royal household, from banquets and furnishings to housemaids and footmen.4
The Queen’s treasurer Sir Alan Reid has told Government officials that the monarch’s expenditure is running at £6 million more than the annual allowance. The shortfall is being met by an emergency reserve which is due to run out in 2012—the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.5 The civil list is negotiated every ten years and the Government has to report to Parliament on the grant by July 3 at the latest. Courtiers say the Queen should, at least, expect an increase to her annual funding which takes account of inflation over the past two decades.6 Prices have soared7 by 80 percent in that time.
The current level of the civil list was agreed by former prime minister John Major in 1990, and frozen by Tony Blair in 2000.
Palace officials have since been dipping into a surplus accumulated in the 1990s, which peaked with a cash reserve of £35 million.8 However, this is down to £14 million and due to run out in 2012. One royal courtier said: “The Queen has only been able to manage by very prudent financial management and by drawing on reserves.”9
The monarchy costs more than £41.5 million a year in public funds, equivalent to 69p a year for each taxpayer—excluding the cost of security. About 70 percent of the £7.9 million civil list expenditure goes on staff salaries. It also pays for official functions such as garden parties, receptions and entertainment.
Graham Smith, of Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, said the request was a “national disgrace”. He said: “The palace is demanding more money because it has been wasteful, secretive and incompetent.” But Edward Leigh, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee which monitors the royal finances, said: “The Queen needs substantially more money to carry out her duties and responsibilities. The Queen and the Royal Family do a fantastic job considering their very small resources.”
1. plug: 堵塞（漏洞）；loom: （战争、威胁等）阴森地逼近。
2. Treasury: （英国）财政部；civil list: 皇室费，王室专款。
3. explosive: 爆炸性的，极有争议的；coalition: 结合，联合，此处指由英国保守党和自由民主党新结成的联合政府；draconian: 严厉的，残酷的；public sector: （英国）政府资助（或控制）的企业（或社会慈善事业等）。
4. grant: 授予物（如土地、权利、补助金等）；footman: 男仆。
5. shortfall: 不足之数，差额；emergency reserve: 紧急预备费；the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year: 女王登基“钻石年”，指女王登基60周年。
6. courtier: 侍臣；take account of: 考虑到；inflation: 通货膨胀。
7. soar: 猛增。
8. dip into a surplus: 动用剩余款项；peak: 达到最高点。
9. prudent: 节俭的，善于经营的；draw on: 动用。