BBC 6分钟英语学习 情书

Hello. This is a program from the BBC Learning

English archive. It was 1st broadcast in February 2011 on the BBC Learning English website.

We hope you enjoy it. This is

6 min English from BBC learning english dot com.

Hello, I'm Ivona Archer, and Rob has joined me for today's six minute English.

Now, rob, put your romantic hat on and tell us, have you ever sent or received a love letter?

Both? Actually, I have sent one, and I've received one as well.

And why don't you write love letters anymore?

Because there's not enough time. Well, today we're going to make some time for love, because we are talking about wives and sweethearts.

Its an exhibition at london's and National Army Museum.

The exhibition includes letters from soldiers on the front line to their loved ones, which date back the last 200 years.

But before we find out more, here today's question.

Rob OK, in which year it was the royal male britain's Postal Service, founded 1516, 1710 or 1780?

I would say quite a long time ago, probably 1710.

OK, we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on.

Now, back to wives and sweethearts, the collection of letters at the National Army Museum.

It aims to show us how army life affected personal relationships between soldiers and their wives, sweethearts and families.

But Rob, what would you say is a sweetheart?

It's a nice word, isn't it?

And sweetheart is quite an old fashioned now.

So now we usually say girlfriend or boyfriend, but basically a sweetheart is someone with sweet on, someone we like a lot and hold dear to our heart, we are very fond of them.

So we might call a child a sweetheart, or even a colleague who we really appreciate.

So thanks for that explanation, rob, you're a sweetheart, and so are you.

Now, the letters in the exhibition were sent during the Napoleonic War, the Crimean war, world wars one and two, and even during the conflicts were experienced in today.

So they go back as far as 200 years.

Let's listen to some excerpts. I do.

MS. you so very much. Shall we become engaged in a sort of distant way?

The number of words used in the 1st exit gives the impression, but the letter was written a long time ago, doesn't it?

Wrong? Yes, it does. And today we probably be more direct and simply say, I MS.

you very much. But instead we heard, I do.

MS. you so very much. Now, the 2nd writer seems quite shy, or I'm sure, of how the young lady feels, because instead of simply asking his sweetheart to marry him, he suggests that they become engaged while he's still away.

He suggests that they get engaged in a sort of distant way, because he's far from home and can't propose marriage in person.

OK, well, let's hope she accepted his proposal and that they got married after the war.

But of course, not all the letter writers were reunited.

As Doctor Francis Parton, organizer of the exhibition, explains, some of them are very moving and quite distressing.

Obviously, we've, we've looked at all the aspects of a soldier's relationship, and sometimes that can be very, very difficult when it involves separation, and obviously in worst case scenarios, bereavement.

Rob dr Potten describes some of the letters as very moving.

What does she mean by that?

Well, basically, when we read them, they make us feel very emotional, perhaps even tearful.

And some aspects areas of a soldier's relationship can involve worse case scenarios.

Worst case scenarios are situations that couldn't possibly be sadder or more dangerous.

E.G. And here, doctor Pardon is talking about the fact that in some cases, soldiers and their loved ones died.

Hmm. Well, luckily, caroline Flinn mc cloud's husband recently returns safely from a seven month deployment in Afghanistan.

They have a wonderful collection of love letters as a result, which are included in the exhibition at the National Army Museum.

Wow. They must be very different from the love letters written by soldiers hundreds of years ago.

Well, finally, enough, caroline says they're not.

Let us begin with the declaration of love and how much one is missing someone, and pretty much the same way, and also saying not to worry.

And in the middle, you have a whole sort of section about quite banal things.

When I wrote to him, sort of everyday things to show life was going on as normal without him.

And he wrote a bit about what he was doing, but frustratingly, very little about what he was doing.

So let us start

by saying how much people love and Ms.

each other. And they end by asking each other not to worry.

But the middle of the letters are quite interesting, aren't they?

Yes, they are. That's where the banal

things are written, the most ordinary, or even boring information about everyday life.

But caroline's husband didn't tell her much about what he was doing out in Afghanistan.

No, perhaps soldiers aren't allowed to send too many details home because of security issues.

And of course, they don't want to worry their loved ones at home, do they?

No, well, I don't know about you, robert, I think I'm going to try to get to that exhibition and perhaps write a few more love letters of my own.

Good idea, actually, it would be good to get pen to paper again and not rely on email.

Exactly right. Rob earlier, I asked in which year was the royal male founded?

And you said, I said, 1710.

And you were around, oh, dear, it was in 1516.

I am surprised. That is a long time ago.

So think of how many letters have been sent since then, especially love letter.

Yes. Do join us again soon for more 6 min English Goodbye.

That was 6 min English from BBC learning English dot com.

I'm on my way.

扫码查看听力音频