倫敦塔衛兵 英國觀光賣點

撰文及考題設計／英國文化協會教學團隊Joel Finnestad中譯／陳怡君

If you were one of Great Britain's Yeomen Warders, you might be hard pressed to fit your official job title on a standard business card. Officially known as the Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, the title is quite a mouthful. Today they are better known as simply "Beefeaters".

It is not entirely clear exactly where the title "Beefeater" originated, but some sources suggest it was chosen based on the French word "buffetier", who were guards in the French king's palace and were responsible for guarding the food. Others suggest the name evolved because the "Beefeaters" were once paid in chunks of beef. Today their key role in Great Britain is to act as tour guides, and they are a major tourist attraction in their own right.

The Yeomen Warders do have duties more official than showing people around the numerous attractions in England. They are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London, and are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the tower. They also protect the crown jewels. Needless to say, Great Britain is no longer in the habit of sending prisoners to wither and die in the Tower of London! Although their official duties are connected to the Tower of London, Warders also stand guard at all coronations.如果你是英國皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士（Yeomen Warders）的一員，你可能很難把正式職稱塞入標準名片。英國皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士的官方稱謂是，女王陛下宮殿與城堡倫敦塔的皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士與君主的英國皇家衛隊衛士，很拗口的職稱。今日，他們常見的稱呼是「倫敦塔衛兵」（Beefeater）。

我們還無法完全確定「倫敦塔衛兵」名稱的由來，但有些說法是，這個稱號是根據法文的「牛肉食客 」（buffetier）而來，buffetier為法國國王宮殿衛兵，負責看守食物。其他說法是，英國之所以衍生出這個稱呼，是因為「倫敦塔衛兵」的工資曾是數塊牛肉。今日，他們在英國的主要角色是擔任導遊，本身就是一大觀光賣點。

除了向民眾展示英格蘭的數個景點外，英國皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士的確有更官方的職責。他們是倫敦塔（Tower of London）禮兵，負責看守倫敦塔囚犯，同時也保護御寶。英國已不再有將囚犯送到倫敦塔任憑老死的作法！雖然職務仍與倫敦塔有關，皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士也在所有加冕典禮站崗。

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The position is very special indeed, and in 2011 there were only thirty-seven Yeomen Warders, and one Chief Warder. All must have served at least twenty-two years in the armed forces, and must also have been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Formed in 1485 by King Henry VII, the Warders were originally expected to serve as bodyguards. In 1509, Henry VIII left behind twelve of them (who were sick) to guard the Tower of London, and this was the beginning of the current role. One thing that has not changed very much is the uniforms they wear. It consists of scarlet knee-breeches and stockings, a knee-length scarlet tunic, and a round brimmed hat called a Tudor bonnet. Apparently they are extremely uncomfortable to wear!

Perhaps the most legendary (and bizarre) position connected to the Yeomen Warders is that of the Ravenmaster, currently filled by Chris Skaife. It is believed that ravens have occupied the Tower of London since the time of King Charles II, and that if they were ever to leave, the tower and the monarchy itself would collapse! To prevent this, the wings of these black birds are clipped so they can't fly away. They are also given a ration of beef every day leading many to consider the sacred ravens the true "beefeaters".

To this day, the opportunity to have one of the Yeomen Warders serve as your tour guide is an experience not to be missed. They are famous for their knowledge and wit. One Warder, Bill Callaghan, has had over a million hits on the Internet because of his hilarious quips. Poking fun at the French, he is famous for saying “History is nearly always written by the people who win. This explains all the empty pages in the French history books.”

這個職位確實十分特別。2011年，只有37位皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士、一位總指揮 ，成為一員的條件是全都須在軍中服役過至少22年，也必須獲得「長期服務與優秀行為」獎章。

亨利七世在1485年成立皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士，原本是要讓他們擔任隨扈的角色。1509年，亨利七世讓12名生病的仗衛士去守倫敦塔，這也就是目前這職務的緣由。從古至今沒有改變太多的是制服，其中包括鮮紅色馬褲與襪子、及膝的鮮紅色束腰外衣以及一頂滾邊的都鐸呢帽，但顯然這頂帽子戴起來並不舒服。

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或許最具傳奇性（與最特別）的職位就屬「烏鴉使者」，目前是由史凱夫（Chris Skaife）所擔任。據信烏鴉自從查理二世時期就開始盤旋，如果牠們離開，倫敦塔與王朝也會跟著垮！因此為了避免這事發生，烏鴉的翅膀就被剪除、所以無法飛走，烏鴉也會每天分到一小塊牛肉，所以許多人認為這些神聖的烏鴉是如假包換的「牛肉食客」。

若今天有機會讓皇家近衛軍儀仗衛士擔任你的導遊，可千萬別錯過，他們的博學多聞與機智可是赫赫有名。像是仗衛士賈拉漢（Bill Callaghan）就因他的妙語如珠，上傳網路的影片有超過百萬點閱率。他有一句挖苦法國的名言，就是：「歷史幾乎是勝利者所寫，這就是為什麼法國歷史教科書上幾近空白的原因。」（完）

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