Alex Villarreal | Washington April 15, 2011
1. Become a "CopyKate"
Kate Middleton is quickly cementing her status as a fashion icon. Her most notable pieces have sparked a knock-offfrenzy, with retailers scrambling to cater to the market of women seeking to emulate her style.
From the royal blue dress she wore on the day her engagement was announced, to the cream blouse and white dress she donned in her engagement photos, to the 18-carat sapphire-and-diamond ring that was once Princess Diana’s, the items in Middleton’s wardrobe have spawned re-releases and imitations in a number of stores and all over the Internet.
The Dress:
The actual 6 blue dress by Brazilian-born designer Daniella "Issa" Helayel sold out in British stores within hours of the November engagement announcement. A short-sleeved replica released in November by British supermarket chain Tesco sold out online within an hour. British budget retailer Peacocks produced an even cheaper copy (just under ) that reportedly also sold out almost immediately. But perhaps the closest design to the real thing is the Pepita Dress by Ingenue London, which sells for less than 0 and comes in a range of colors.
The Blouse:
British retailer Whistles has reissued the blouse Kate wore in her engagement photos, which was originally part of one of its 2008 collections. The silk shirt has now been dubbed the Kate Blouse and is available online for just over 0.
Kate Middleton wears her engagement ring which once belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, on the day her engagement to Prince William was announced in London Tuesday Nov.16, 2010.
The stunning sapphire-and-diamond sparkler that once sat on the ring finger of Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, has spawned a number of imitations. There are even entire websites devoted solely to replicas of the ring. The imitations range from fakes to genuine stones in the thousands of dollars. U.S.-based home shopping network QVC has a few inexpensive options.
2. Get Smartphone Apps
On April 18, the British monarchy is releasing its first official “Royal App,” focused on seven past royal weddings. The Royal Collection says the application "reveals the tradition, splendor and romance" of the events and includes images of wedding dresses and jewelry, gifts exchanged between bride and groom, presents from family and friends, wedding cakes and flowers.
The Apple and Android-compatible app will be available in eight languages and is the first in a series of Royal Collection apps planned for this year.
But the official app is not the only royal wedding-themed software available. Will and Kate’s union has inspired a slew of other developers, including Mark Riley who created a countdown app to tick off the time remaining until the big day.
The "Alarm Royale" app also features a daily alarm complete with royal-themed music and fun facts about the royal couple. An animated countdown-to-the-wedding app is available for free from WeeWorld.
3. Express Your A"doll"ation
What better way to i"doll"ize soon-to-be Princess Kate than to get her mini-me? Hamleys toy shop in London is selling a Limited Edition Princess Catherine Engagement Doll for . The doll is clad in an outfit similar to the royal blue dress Kate wore when her engagement was announced.
The toy’s maker, Champions of British Style, is donating one British pound (about .63) from each doll sold to the British charity Help for Heroes, which helps wounded soldiers.
U.S. company The Franklin Mint also has released a Kate doll, but this one is a bit pricier. If you are prepared to invest 5, you can pre-order the hand-painted, 40-centimeter (16-inch) “Portrait of a Princess” doll. But you will have to wait until June for it to ship.
For 5, the company also is offering a Kate Middleton bridal doll that will feature an exact replica of the gown she wears on her wedding day.
If you would like the chance to help out Prince William and his future wife with their wardrobe choices, you might enjoy this paper dolls set Royal Wedding: William and Kate Dress-up Dolly Book. Or you can always knit your own royals with the Knit Your Own Royal Wedding pattern book by Fiona Goble.
4. Grab Some Popcorn and Watch...The Movie
Just in time for the royal wedding, U.S. television network Lifetime has produced a movie chronicling Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance, which culminated in their engagement last year.
Actors Nico Evers-Swindell and Camilla Luddington play the happy couple in the TV movie, entitled William & Kate.
The producers of the movie, which was shot entirely in Los Angeles, say the story was inspired by true events. It portrays the young couple as their friendship blossomed into romance and love.
The movie will air in the United States April 18 and in Britain prior to the royal nuptials later this month, and will later be available as a DVD.
Despite harsh criticism that the movie suffers from poor acting and is riddled with factual inaccuracies, producers expect the film to be widely viewed. A review in Britain's Guardian newspaper called it "awful" and "ghastly," but concluded that it will "probably be a smash."
5. Make a Toast
Pay tribute to the royal couple with Kiss Me Kate Beer. Castle Rock Brewery in Nottingham created the royal wedding-themed beer, which features a cartoon version of Prince William and his bride-to-be on the bottle.
Announcing plans for the limited-edition ale in February, head brewer Adrian Redgrove said it would be "elegant, tasteful and British to the core.” He called it "the ideal way to toast the couple’s future happiness."
If you cannot make it to Britain for the festivities, you can always drink to the royal couple at home.
6. Get into the (Online) Game
Think you might make a great addition to the royal entourage? Try your hand virtually assisting with the wedding preparations with this online game on gaming website Miniclip.
The seek-and-find puzzle game challenges you to help Will and Kate prepare for their big moment by cleaning up their rooms and other important locations like Westminster Abbey, the church where the ceremony will take place.
7. Make Like a Brit and Set Aside Some Tea Time
Tea time is a staple of British culture. Display your affections for the royal couple with a little showman "sip."
German-based company Donkey Products is selling a “KaTea & William” greeting card that includes two tea bags featuring drawings of the bride and groom. The card is going for about .
8. Curl Up to the Comic Book
Will and Kate’s courtship and upcoming wedding are fodder for modern-day comics and comic bookmakers alike. U.S. publishing company Bluewater Productions, known for its celebrity biography comics, delves into the royal romance in a new comic book, Fame: The Royals. The 32-page issue is slated to be available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers for .
The issue is written by CW Cooke, who also wrote the company’s comic books on American singers Beyonce and Taylor Swift.
If the first issue does not offer enough for you, Bluewater says a special collector’s edition graphic novel, to be released in May, will feature extra features, including pinup posters, illustrations of the April 29 wedding and a comparison with the 1981 wedding of Prince William’s parents, Charles and Diana. That version will cost .
If you prefer a British comic book-rendering of the royal romance, you can check out political satirist Rich Johnston’s Kate & William: A Very Public Love Story. William and Kate’s personal paths to each other are told individually in two separate comic books and in a third collected edition. The book is on sale on Amazon and other online retailers for .
9. Order the Commemorative Coin as a Token of Your Admiration
The Royal Mint has produced an Official Royal Wedding Coin to celebrate Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton. The coin features engravings of the faces of the prince and his bride-to-be, framed by their first names and the wedding date.
The commemorative coin is available for about and comes in a special folder. For more serious collectors, the Mint is offering silver and gold proof coins.
10. "Dish" on All the Details of the Occasion with the Royal China Set
Serve your own royal wedding feast on the Royal Collection’s official royal wedding china. The gold, silver and white dishes feature the entwined first initials of the royal couple (W for William and C for Catherine) surrounded by Prince William’s coronet and the wedding date. The china is hand-decorated and approved by the royal couple.
And if you’re just plain sick of all this royal wedding talk ...
You might want to get yourself some of these - Royal Wedding sick bags. Graphic designer Lydia Leith is behind the vomit bags, which feature a drawing of Will and Kate with the advice, "Keep this handy on April 29." An emblem at the top of the bag reads "Throne Up."
Language Notes
cement (v) 加強，鞏固（關係等）
spark (v) 引發；觸發
knock-off (n) 仿製品
emulate (V) 努力趕上；爭相效尤
don (v) 披上；穿上；戴上
spawn (v) 引發；引起；導致
sell out (v phr) 慢光；售罄
come in (v phr) 可提供；有（貨）
dub (v) 稱為；給…起綽號；戲稱
sapphire (n) 藍寶石
replica (n) 複製品；仿製品
正統的英國皇室婚禮即將在本月二十九日正式舉行。時間越是逼近，跟「royal wedding」扯得上關係的大小新聞攻占媒體的密度就越高，而能夠引起廣泛群眾注目的事件也帶給商人無限商機。即將嫁給威廉王子的Kate Middleton以其優雅中帶有親切，品味中不失風格的姿態形成一股Kate旋風。穿著風格成了全球無數女性爭相模仿的潮流偶像(a fashion icon)。第一段的小標題的CopyKate與copycat(模仿)一字諧音，意思是「模仿Kate的人」。Kate Middleton近來的衣服與珠寶首飾自成一派皇家婚禮風，激起一種仿制品狂潮(sparked a knock-off frenzy)。仿造Kate Middleton在宣布訂婚(engagement)當日所穿的藍色洋裝的服飾在各大通路賣到斷貨(sold out)；有的是短袖、一件賣26元美金仿製品(a short-sleeved replica)，也有跟真品樣式更為相似的產品，但提供各種顏色選擇(comes in a range of colors)。更有舊飯熱炒的廠商，重新推出(reissued)本屬於2008服飾系列(2008 collections)裡的一件藍色絲質短衫(silk shirt)，直接取名(dubbed)為Kate Blouse。
Kate Middleton光彩奪目的訂婚戒指是由藍寶石跟鑽石組成(sapphire-and-diamond)，早在已逝的黛安娜王妃(the late Princess Diana) 時就引起一正模仿與複製品的浪潮(has spawned a number of imitations)，這次捲土重來，成為另一個時尚焦點。有專門討論其仿製品的網站(websites devoted solely to replicas of the ring)，仿製品從二十元的全假貨到千與萬等級的真石與真鑽打造的仿製品都有(range from fake to genuine stones in the thousands of dollars)。
monarchy (n) 君主制；君主政體
slew (n) 大量；許多
clad (a) 穿…衣服的 ~ (in sth)
除了服飾珠寶之外，各種跟皇家話題扯得上關係的產品都趁勢推出。英國皇室在iPhone上推出官方版的應用程式(application)，把最近七次的皇家婚禮的傳統、風華跟浪漫情愛大小細節都一一公開(reveals the tradition, splendor and romance)。除了皇家官方版的應用程式，皇家婚禮更是成了一大票軟體開發人員的靈感來源(has inspired a slew of other developers)。崇拜Kate的小女生們也可以在店面買到穿著藍色洋裝外衣的Kate玩偶(clad in an outfit similar to the royal blue dress)。文章作者把idolize(崇拜、熱愛)改寫成i-doll-ize，硬是把doll(玩偶)這個字加了進去；一邊崇拜Kate，一邊玩Kate玩偶，一語雙關。
chronicle (v) 把…載入編年史；按事件順序記載
culminate (v) （以某種結果）告終；（在某一點）結束
blossom (v) 開花；進入佳境
festivity (n) 慶祝活動
entourage (n) (統稱)隨行人員，隨從 *注意本字發音
staple (n) 主要部份；主食
slate (v) 預定；計劃；安排
commemorative (a)紀念的
emblem (n) 象徵；標誌
現代版的王子與公主的愛情故事想當然是小說與影片的絕佳題材。美國電視台推出William & Kate的電視電影，把兩人的浪漫愛情大小事依時序演出(chronicling Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance)，捕捉兩人從友情逐漸升溫成愛情過程(friendship blossomed into romance and love)，最後的高潮收尾在兩人去年訂婚(culminated in their engagement)。該劇遭到許多嚴厲的評論(harsh criticism)，指演員演技差，又充滿事實考據上的錯誤(poor acting; riddled with factual inaccuracies)。英國大報衛報(Guardian)也評論本劇「糟糕、嚇人」(awful and ghastly)，和也不否認還是會可能造成轟動(a smash)。
還有漫畫版的王子與公主故事也預定在亞馬遜跟其他的電子通路上推出(slated to be available)。屬於國家的大日子當然也會發行有紀念幣(commemorative coins)，鑄幣廠(mint)也推出比一般紀念幣製作更精致的金、銀幣(silver and gold proof coins)給收藏家收藏。
最後還有反其道而行的惡搞產品，像是給看到皇家婚禮新聞看到想要吐(plain sick of all this royal wedding talk)的人所使用的嘔吐袋(vomit bag)。嘔吐袋上標誌(emblem)印有沒啥意思的「王位朝上、往上」字樣(Throne Up)，但其實是要取嘔吐(throw up)的諧音。
Source：http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/10-Ways-You-Can-Get-Into-The-Spirit-of-the-Royal-Wedding-119921564.html
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館藏介紹
英語宅急便 
