For many tourists, a trip to London is not complete without a photo in front of Buckingham Palace. And from the outside, the roughly 300-year-old building looks fit for the world's longest serving monarch.
对于很多游客而言，去到伦敦而没在白金汉宫前拍照留念绝对称得上是一大遗憾。虽然从表面上看，这座有着约300年历史的建筑物光鲜亮丽，这里是英国在位时间最长的君主---现任女王伊丽莎白二世的寝宫。
But behind the facade, palace officials say it is falling apart. The boilers are more than 30 years old. The estimated 160 kilometers of electric cables were installed in the 1960s and the pipes are made of lead and cast iron. All of it needs replacing, the bill around half a billion dollars.
但英国皇室官员表示，白金汉宫看似华丽，实则破损严重。宫殿内的锅炉使用了30多年之久，约160公里长的电缆安装于20世纪60年代，使用的还是铅制水管和老式铸铁水管。所有这些都需要更换，预计工程将耗资约5亿美元。
The British government has approved the use of public money. But many lawmakers question why taxpayers should pay. "The estimates suggest that the total net value of the monarchy is about 84 billion U.S. Dollars. The personal wealth of the Queen is about half a billion or 650 million U.S. dollars. So the monarchy can easily afford to be the payer than the populace in the state that have. I think that it should be the monarchy, not the people."
英国政府批准使用公共资金，但是，很多立法者质疑为什么纳税人需为此买单。"据估计，英国王室的总资产价值高达840亿美元，女王个人资产高达5亿甚至6.5亿美元，因此，与普通百姓相比，这笔钱对王室来说，简直是九牛一毛，我认为，王室应该自己掏钱，而不应让百姓掏钱。"

And at a time of austerity, Monaghan says the bill is unjustifiable. "Yards away from where we are at this particular point and time, but our people, they are rough sleeping. They've got no homes. "But the government argues the upkeep of Buckingham Palace is vital to Britain itself. Visiting heads of state are usually given a full ceremonial welcome here by the queen. Earlier this month, she hosted Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos.
莫纳亨表示，当前英国政府行使紧缩政策，如此天价大修白金汉宫说不过去。"就在离我们现在所站地方的不远处，就在我说话的此刻，我们的同胞却难以入眠。他们无家可归。"然而，英国政府表示，修缮白金汉宫对国家本身意义重大，因为女王通常是在这里接待来访的各国元首，并举办欢迎仪式的。本月早些时候，英国女王就曾在此接见哥伦比亚总统胡安.曼努埃尔.桑托斯。
Buckingham Palace also draws hundreds of thousands of tourists. Many visitors told VOA they were surprised to hear of the problems at the palace. "Given austerity measures going throughout the country, I would say that putting that on taxpayers and the people is tough." "I feel like it should definitely come from both sides. As far as the government (is) paying it, I feel like in return it gets a lot. Tourists are going to come and it is something that tourists are always going to want to come and see."
无数的游客慕名参观白金汉宫，很多游客在接受VOA采访时表示，听闻白金汉宫内部有很多问题，他们对此感到十分惊讶。"考虑到现在英国在全国范围内实施紧缩政策，我认为让纳税人承担费用会加重它们的负担，百姓的日子会很不好过。""我认为这笔钱应该由皇室和民众两方面共同承担，只要政府肯出资，我认为后期它会获得很大收益，因为不断地会有大量游客前来参观白金汉宫。"
The work will be done in stages, so the Queen will not have to move out. And with 775 rooms, there should be somewhere for her to escape the noise of renovation. Officials say if the planned work goes ahead, the palace will not need another renovation until 2067. By that time Prince William, second in line to the throne, would be 85 years old.
翻新工作分阶段进行，因此女王现在不必迁出白金汉宫，那里有着多达775个房间，总能找到一处住所，使女王免受装修噪音的影响。皇家官员称，如果修缮工作进展顺利的话，下次修缮可到2067年再进行。届时英国王位第二继承人威廉王子已经85岁。