【彭蒙惠英语】向两艘游轮女王说“一路顺风!”（2/3）

“Bon Voyage!” to Two Cruise Ship Monarchs(2/3)
Two celebrated vessels sail into the sunset in 2008

Queen Elizabeth 2
During its 40 years, the QE2 has taken more than five million passengers on itineraries that ranged the world over. Among its more famous passengers: Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, and Shimon Peres.
The ship exudes glamour. In port, its distinctive red funnel and black hull regally announce its presence. Aboard, understated elegance is the byword for the décor. It has a full-time librarian as well as facilities unheard of on modern cruise ships – a nursery, dog kennel and garage for cars.
Good times on the EQ2 are well remembered, but over its decades of voyages, the ship has also hit some rough spots. Ron Warwick, captain of the QE2 for 13 years, was on board the ship during some of its most traumatic and well-publicized experiences.
“I was second officer when we had a bomb scare in mid-Atlantic in 1972. The RAF flew a bomb squad out, parachuted them into the ocean and we picked them up in lifeboats. They found nothing,” Warwick recalled.
In 1982 the British government commandeered the QE2, repainting it in camouflage colors and loading it with troops to take to the Falklands Islands. “It took eight days to get ready to go, eight weeks to convert it back to a passenger ship,” said Warwick.
In 1995, Warwick was captain when it was struck by a rogue wave – a 95-foot-high wall of water. “The wave broke with tremendous force over the bow.” The QE2 survived with little damage. Somehow the QE2’s regal aura made such incidents seem more like adventure than discomfort.
Less traumatic are some of the other tales told about the fabled ship. There’s the story of Beatrice Mueller, who liked the ship so much she decided to live permanently aboard the ship after her husband died. She still lives aboard the ship.

Vocabulary Focus
understated (adj) ---not intended to be obvious
byword (n) ---a name of a thing that is closely connected with a particular quality
hit (a) rough spot (v phr) ---to go through a difficult time
Specialized terms
camouflage colors (n phr)---伪装色；保护色 certain neutral colors used for hiding soldiers or military equipment so that they look like part of their surroundings

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