英国女王日前向刚刚组建的联合政府提出加薪要求，以填补王室高达600万英镑的财政赤字。据悉，这是女王二十年来首次提出加薪。1990年至2010年期间，英国政府每年拨给女王790万英镑专项费用，用于支付王室工作人员薪水、养老金以及官方招待等开支。2000年以前，由于物价水平低和开销处理得当，女王专项费用尚有3500万英镑的结余。而最近几年，王室支出不断增加，每年790万英镑的专项费用变得入不敷出，便开始动用之前的结余资金，预计到2012年，这笔资金也将见底。在英国新政府正准备大砍六十亿英镑的公共开支，以解决创纪录的财政赤字之际，女王的加薪要求听来格外刺耳。英国主张废除王室的压力团体“共和”的选战经理史密斯就批评，这个要求是“国耻”，他说王室需要更多的钱，是因为他们浪费、又不透明、又无能。但是保守党国会议员、监督王室财政的公共支出委员会主席却赞成给王室加薪，他认为以王室非常少的资源来说，女王和王室家庭做得已经很好了。

The Queen is demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a looming £6million deficit in the royal household's finances.

The Queen is demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a looming £6million deficit in the royal household's finances.

Palace officials have warned the Treasury they need a dramatic rise in the £7.9million annual civil list to maintain spending on state duties.

The request is politically explosive at a time when the new coalition is imposing draconian £6billion public sector cuts to bring down Britain's record deficit.

The £7.9million grant covers the cost of the official royal household, from banquets and furnishings to housemaids and footmen.

The Queen's treasurer Sir Alan Reid has told Government officials that the monarch's expenditure is running at £6million 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.

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. Prices have soared by 80 per cent in that time.

The current level of the civil list was agreed by former prime minister John Major when he was chancellor of the exchequer 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 £35million. However, this is down to £14million 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.'

The monarchy costs more than £41.5million a year in public funds, equivalent to 69p a year for each taxpayer - excluding the cost of security. About 70 percent of the £7.9million 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 Tory MP 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.'

相关阅读

英国新内阁集体减薪 展减财赤决心

卡梅伦上任 布朗挥别唐宁街

英国威廉王子或于6月订婚

英国女王号召王室成员节省开支

(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

civil list: （英国议会每年提供的）王室年俸

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）