Harry in the media4 spotlight5
According to the News of the World, Prince Harry was sent to a drugs rehabilitation6 center for a day after he admitted smoking cannabis7 and drinking alcohol8.
Harry's father, Prince Charles decided to take his 17-year-old son to the center after learning he had taken drugs and drunk heavily, said the News of the World. It was hoped Prince Harry would meet heroin9 addicts10 and understand the dangers of drugs. The director of the center confirmed11: “He came for a couple of hours on a day in late summer and talked to several people in recovery12 — heroin and cocaine13 addicts mostly.”
St. James's Palace14 has not denied15 the reports, confirming the prince had “experimented with the drug on several occasions16”, but stressing17 the cannabis use could not be described as “regular”.
A spokesman said: “This is a serious matter which was resolved18 within the family, and is now in the past and closed.”
The News of the World said the drug-taking and drinking happened over a two-month period last summer, when Prince Harry was 16 and Charles and William were both away from Highgrove19.
The drinking age in Britain is 16 accompanied20 by an adult21 or 18 when not accompanied by an adult.
Public Reaction22
Yet until the News of the World reported the story, the privacy23 of the prince had been protected — not just by the local people who knew what was going on, but by the police whose job it is to protect Prince William and Prince Harry. Ever since the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, there have been strict media rules to protect the privacy of the young princes. The intention has been to let them grow up in a normal living condition, away from the media.
But if growing up normally in 21st Century Britain means drinking too much and experimenting with drugs, should the media do something?
In this case, the general opinion seems to be “yes”.
There has been little criticism24 of the News of the World which got its exclusive25 story through good and honest means. But some people seem to have a different opinion. “It's unfair,” says a friend of Prince Harry's. “He is just doing something as every other 17-year-old in the country.”
Prince Harry
In many ways, Harry is an ordinary teen. When he's not in class, the prince is playing rugby26 or driving with his new driving license27. Friends say he is energetic and active like other teenagers28. But he also enjoys special rights only the royal29 family can enjoy, spending holidays in Switzerland and weekends on the polo30 field.
Third in line for the British throne31, Harry doesn't have the responsibilities of his father or his older brother, Prince William, 19. Some people think this is the reason for his misbehaviour32. Becoming something different is the only way he can compete33 with his more important brother. The strategy34 seems to be successful: Last year he was voted the 11th sexiest man in Britain by a British magazine, while William's name even didn't appear on the list.
He's quite a ladies' man too. While he doesn't appear to have a steady35 girlfriend, a blonde companion is never far from his side. And last December, according to London papers, he was seen buying a black feathered thong36 for an unknown female “friend.”
Harry has come a long way since 1997, when he was 11 years old and wept at his mother Princess Diana's funeral37. And while this incident38 will undoubtedly die down39 now that British police have decided not to charge40 him, the spotlight on Harry shows no sign of waning41.
聚光灯下的哈利
据英国《世界新闻》报道，哈利王子承认吸食大麻和饮酒，之后他被送到一家戒毒戒酒康复中心，在那儿呆了一天。
《世界新闻》报道说，哈利的父亲查尔斯王子在得知自己17岁的儿子吸毒和酗酒之后，决定带他去戒毒戒酒康复中心。此举是希望哈利王子同海洛因上瘾者见面，了解毒品的危害。康复中心主任证实说，“他是夏天晚些时候某一天来的，呆了几个小时，同几位处于恢复期的人交谈过——这些人大多数是海洛因和可卡因上瘾者。”
圣·詹姆斯宫没有否认这些报道，他们证实王子“在好几次场合进行过毒品试验”，但强调说大麻的使用不能说是“经常性的”。
一位发言人说，“这是一件非常严重的事件，但在家庭内部已得到解决。这件事已经过去，彻底结束了。”
《世界新闻》说，哈利吸毒和饮酒是发生在去年夏天为期两个月的一段时间内，当时哈利王子16岁，查尔斯王子和威廉王子都不在高树林庄园。
英国的饮酒年龄为：有成年人陪伴时16岁，无成年人陪伴时18岁。
公众反应
然而，在《世界新闻》报道这件事之前，王子的隐私得到了保护，这种保护不仅来自那些了解内情的当地人，还来自负责保护威廉王子和哈利王子的警察。自从他们的母亲威尔士王妃戴安娜死后，出台了严格的媒体法规来保护两位年轻王子的隐私，其目的是为了让他们远离媒体，在正常的生活环境中成长。
但是如果说在21世纪的英国正常成长就意味着酗酒和试用毒品，媒体不应该有所行动吗？
就这个案例而言，大部分的意见似乎是“应该”。
《世界新闻》是通过正当的、诚实的途径获得这条独家新闻的，很少有人批评《世界新闻》的做法。但有些人似乎持有不同的看法，哈利的一位朋友说，“这不公平，他所做的，是英国每个17岁的人都在做的事情。”
哈利王子其人
在许多方面，哈利王子是个普通的少年。不上课的时候，哈利王子要么打橄榄球，要么带着他新近获得的驾照去开车。他的朋友说他像许多少年一样，精力充沛、十分活跃。但他也享有皇室才享受的特权，如去瑞士度假，周末在马球场打马球。
哈利是排行第三的英国王位继承人，所以他不像他的父亲或19岁的哥哥威廉王子那样肩负重任，有些人认为这正是哈利王子行为不端的原因，标新立异是他与地位更重要的哥哥竞争的惟一方法。这种策略似乎是成功的：去年他被一家报纸评为英国第11位最性感的人，而威廉王子甚至没有被提名。
他也是个少女“杀手”。虽然看似没有固定的女朋友，但他身边总少不了金发碧眼的美女。去年12月份，伦敦报界透露说，有人看见他为一位不知名的女性“朋友”购买了一条黑色的羽毛皮带。
自从1997年11岁的时候在母亲戴安娜王妃的葬礼上哭泣以来，哈利已经历了许多的磨难。由于英国警方决定不起诉他，这次事件无疑会渐渐平息下来，但媒体对哈利王子关注的热情没有丝毫消退的迹象。
1. Prince Harry （英国）哈利王子
2． oops 唔！（失足或失言后所发出的惊叹声）
3． 此标题源自布兰妮的成名曲： Oops, I Did It Again．
4． media n． 媒体
5． spotlight n． 关注的焦点
6． rehabilitation n． 康复
7． cannabis n． 大麻
8． alcohol n． 酒精, 酒
9． heroin n． 海洛因
10． addict n． 上瘾者
11． confirm v． 证实
12． recovery n． 恢复，痊愈
13． cocaine n． 可卡因
14． St． James＇s Palace圣·詹姆斯宫, 查尔斯王子在伦敦的住所
15． deny v． 否认
16． occasion n． 场合, 时机
17． stress [stres] v． 着重, 强调
18． resolve v． 解决
19． Highgrove n． 查尔斯王子的高树林庄园
20． accompany v． 陪伴
21． adult n． 成人
22． reaction n． 反应
23． privacy n． 隐私
24． criticism n． 批评, 批判
25． exclusive adj． 独家的
26． rugby n． 橄榄球
27． driving license 驾照
28． teenager n． 十几岁的青少年
29． royal adj． 皇家的
30． polo n． 马球
31． throne n． 王位。现今英国女王是伊丽莎白女王，其王位继承人依次是查尔斯王子、威廉王子和哈利王子，所以说他是排行第三的王位继承人。
32． misbehaviour n． 不轨行为
33． compete v． 竞争
34． strategy n． 策略
35． steady adj． 固定的
36． thong n． 皮带
37． funeral n． 葬礼, 出殡
38． incident n． 事件
39． die down 渐渐平息下来
40． charge v． 起诉
41． wane [wein] v． 消退