Diana 1961-1997: Death of a Princess
She lived a fabled life and a cautionary tale, a princess of irreducible splendor yet one who bore testimony to the commonality of loneliness and heartbreak.
On the day 16 years ago that Charles, the Prince of Wales, married Lady Diana Spencer, the Archbishop of Canterbury declared, here is 'the stuff of which fairy tales are made.' That fairy tale ended even before their divorce was announced, a love story that was false, it was shown, from the very beginning. Diana emerged scathed, but she had other causes to tend to--her sons, the sick, the war-ravaged, her own heart. The marriage was dead, but long live the princess.
And now she is gone.
With her go the hopes of a world that had turned her life into part of its own projected biography, a fragile hope for a happy-ever-after even in the face of adversity. To many, her struggles blended into the hobbling steps of this 20th century as it limped toward some vague promise of millennium. The crash in Paris that took her life and that of her rich playboy friend Emad ('Dodi') al Fayed is a tragedy so overpowering that it becomes a torrent of feelings. There is no clear significance. There is only loss.
Beyond that there is guilt--that our desire for her was so strong that it set birds of prey to stalk her. Paparazzi. Even the word has claws.
And now she is gone.
注释：
cautionary tale : 警世故事，警世寓言
splendor /ˈsplendə US -ər/ n. 光辉，壮丽，光彩，壮观
impressive beautiful features, especially of a large building or place
testimony /ˈtestɪməni US -mouni/ n. 证言，证据
a formal statement saying that something is true, especially one a witness makes in a court of law
bear testimony to : 证明
archbishop /ˌɑːtʃˈbɪʃəp US ˌɑːrtʃ-/ n. 大主教
a priest of the highest rank, who is in charge of all the churches in a particular area
scathe /skeɪð/ v. 损伤，损害
SYN：damage / harm / hurt
ravage /ˈrævɪdʒ/ v. 蹂躏，毁灭，毁坏
to damage something very badly
happy-ever-after : 结局大团圆
blend /blend/ v. 混和，交融
to combine different things in a way that produces an effective or pleasant result, or to become combined in this way
hobble /ˈhɔbəl US ˈhɑː-/ v. 蹒跚，跛行
to walk with difficulty, especially because your legs or feet hurt
limp /lɪmp/ v. 跛行
to walk slowly and with difficulty because one leg is hurt or injured
torrent /ˈtɔrənt US ˈtɔː-, ˈtɑː-/ n. 洪流，迸发
a large amount of water moving very quickly and strongly in a particular direction
a torrent of : 大量，一股...洪流
cautionary tale : 警世故事，警世寓言
splendor /ˈsplendə US -ər/ n. 光辉，壮丽，光彩，壮观
impressive beautiful features, especially of a large building or place
testimony /ˈtestɪməni US -mouni/ n. 证言，证据
a formal statement saying that something is true, especially one a witness makes in a court of law
bear testimony to : 证明
archbishop /ˌɑːtʃˈbɪʃəp US ˌɑːrtʃ-/ n. 大主教
a priest of the highest rank, who is in charge of all the churches in a particular area
scathe /skeɪð/ v. 损伤，损害
SYN：damage / harm / hurt
ravage /ˈrævɪdʒ/ v. 蹂躏，毁灭，毁坏
to damage something very badly
happy-ever-after : 结局大团圆
blend /blend/ v. 混和，交融
to combine different things in a way that produces an effective or pleasant result, or to become combined in this way
hobble /ˈhɔbəl US ˈhɑː-/ v. 蹒跚，跛行
to walk with difficulty, especially because your legs or feet hurt
limp /lɪmp/ v. 跛行
to walk slowly and with difficulty because one leg is hurt or injured
torrent /ˈtɔrənt US ˈtɔː-, ˈtɑː-/ n. 洪流，迸发
a large amount of water moving very quickly and strongly in a particular direction
a torrent of : 大量，一股...洪流