书城外语英语PARTY——高地之邦·苏格兰
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第11章 人文景观Human Landscapes(1)

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

荷里路德宫

荷里路德宫的前身是荷里路德修道院(Holy Rood Abbey),目前仍有部分遗迹在宫殿中,1128年的苏格兰国王大卫一世到爱丁堡西南方广大的森林狩猎,奇迹般地从一只狂暴野鹿的攻击里死里逃生,因此建造了荷里路德修道院来感谢神迹,之后詹姆斯五世兴建宫殿,而现在的荷里路德公园就是当初那片广大森林的部分。

荷里路德宫历史上曾发生许多事件,其中最有名的就是苏格兰玛丽女王(Queen Mary),玛丽女王号称当时最美丽的女人,15岁嫁给法国王室,19岁丈夫去世又回到苏格兰,在民众拥戴中登上王位,但是却被控谋杀第二任丈夫,三度结婚后不久,玛丽女王在叛变中失掉王位并逃往英格兰,被囚禁19年最后仍因图谋英格兰王位而被处死。

参观完荷里路德宫后不妨到荷里路德公园走走,爱丁堡艺术节有时也在这举行露天演出,公园后一个状如狮子的死火山,山顶被称为亚瑟王宝座(Arthur,s Seat)。

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, more commonly known as Holyrood Palace, was originally founded as a monastery by David I of Scotland in 1128, has served as the principal residenceresidence n.居住, 住处 of the Kings and Queens of Scotland since the 15th century. The Palace stands in Edinburgh at the bottom of the Royal Mile.

History of the Palace

The history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse reaches back almost nine centuries.

According to legend, David I founded the Palace as an Augustinian monastery in 1128. It is said that the king had a vision in which a cross, or “rood”, belonging to his mother St Margaret appeared between the antlers of an attacking stag. Hence the Abbey,s symbol-a stag,s head, with its hornshorn n.(牛、羊等的)角, 喇叭, 触角 v.装角 framing a cross.

The Abbey prospered. With Edinburgh now recognised as Scotland,s capital, her kings chose to live in Holyroodhouse, surrounded by parklandparkland n.公用场地, 温带之草木区, rather than in the bleak Castle, high on a rock overlooking the town and exposed to the elements.

In 1501 James IV (1488~1513) cleared the ground close to the Abbey and built a Palace for himself and his bride, Margaret Tudor (sister of Henry VIII). Only a fragment of the gatehousegatehouse n.警卫室, 门房 survives today.

His successor James V (1513~1542) added a massive Tower between 1528 and 1532, and a new west front south of the Tower between 1535 and 1536.

These alterations, which included the addition of a great expanse of glazing, gave the Palace a domestic rather than a defensivedefensive adj.防御用的, 自卫的 n.防御 feel. It has been suggested that James made these changes in preparation for the arrival of his first wife, Madelaine (daughter of Francis I of France). His second wife, Mary of Guise, was crowned in the Abbey. Their daughter Mary, Queen of Scots (1542~1567), returned to Scotland after the death of her husband Francis II, King of France.

Mary, Queen of Scots spent most of her turbulentturbulent life in the Palace-a dramatic and often tragic chapter in the history of the building. She married two of her husbands in the Abbey. Her private secretary David Rizzio was murdered in her personal rooms by a group led by her husband Lord Darnley, who believed she was having an affair with Rizzio.

Under Mary,s son James VI (1567~1625), later James I of England and Scotland (1603~25), the Palace fell into decline. However, it was renovatedrenovate vt.革新, 刷新, 修复 when James returned to Edinburgh in 1617.

Further renovation was carried out in 1633 to mark the Scottish coronation of James,s son Charles I (1625~49). During the Civil War Oliver Cromwell,s troops were billeted at the Palace, which suffered extensive fire damage at this time.

Following the restoration of the monarchymonarchy n.君主政体, 君主政治, 君主国 in 1660, Charles II (1660~1685) was crowned in Scotland. Although he never returned there, he did initiate a programme of substantial rebuilding at Holyroodhouse. Mainly classical facades were built round a central quadranglequadrangle n.四角形,四边形,方院,方庭(尤指牛津大学等学院中者).

Charles also added a new Royal apartment to the east, had the Abbey Church made into the Chapel Royal and created accommodation on the second floor for the Court during the sovereign,s residence, and for officers of state in his absence.

Charles II never saw the new Palace, but the rebuilding he had initiated transformed the fortresslike building into a private residence for his brother James, Duke of York. When the Duke succeeded to the throne as James VII and II (1685~1688), he adapted the Chapel Royal so that Catholic services and the ceremoniesceremony n.典礼, 仪式, 礼节, 报幕员 of the Order of the Thistle, Scotland,s ancient Order of Chivalry, could be held there.

However, before the work could be completed he was forced to flee the country and his daughter Mary and soninlaw William of Orange succeeded to the thronethrone n.王座, 君主.

After the Union of Parliaments at the beginning of the eighteenth century the Palace began to be neglected in favour of Scotland,s castles, becoming a sanctuary for poor and distressed “noblemen” who lived in the royal apartments on a “graceandfavour” basis.

In 1745 royalty returned when the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie, held court there during his attempt to reclaimreclaim vt.要求归还, 收回, 开垦 the throne for his father. He was followed by the Duke of Cumberland whose Hanoverian troops suppressed the Jacobean Rebellion of 1745. The roof of the Abbey Church collapsed in 1768, leaving the Chapel Royal in ruins.

No further renovations were carried out until the early nineteenth century. George IV,s State visit to Scotland on 15 August 1822 provided the impetus, and money was voted for improvements.

George IV ordered that the apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots should be “preserved sacred from every alteration”. He also decided that the Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland should have full use of the Palace during the General Assembly, held each May.

It was Queen Victoria who, after the purchase of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, reintroducedreintroduce vt.再引入, 再提出 the custom of staying at Holyroodhouse. Her return to the Palace inspired the Scottish people to undertake an extensive programme of renovation. As a result of these improvements, Holyroodhouse was reinstated as Scotland,s premier royal residence.

In the twentieth century, King George V and Queen Mary continued restoration and renovation work on the Palace, which they regarded as a family home. They were instrumental in bringing Holyroodhouse into the twentieth century, installing bathrooms, electricity and lifts. They also began the tradition of Garden Parties being held at the Palace.