Birthdays are a bit of a paradox. They're the one day of the year that actually, literally marks and brings our attention to the fact that we're aging, but they're also the one day of the year when we feel entitled to embrace our inner child and selfishly declare that everything should be about us.

生日这个概念多少有点自相矛盾。一年中里，这一天真正标志着、提醒着我们正在老去这一事实。但生日也是一年中唯一的一天，我们有权拥抱藏在心底的那个小孩，并自私地宣布这一天一切都要围着自己转。

That's why it can be a big bummer when things don't go one hundred percent our way on our birthdays—like, for example, if our loved ones have other plans on our big day.

正因为如此，如果生日这天事情未能百分百如我们所愿，就会让人十分不快。试想下，如果我们爱的人在这样的大日子里竟然有其他安排。

Kate Middleton is going to experience those pangs on Wednesday, when she turns 37. The Duchess of Cambridge works hard all year, putting the crown first, and you might think her birthday would be the one day she actually gets to be priority one.

凯特•米德尔顿就将在周三——她37岁生日这天，体验到这样的不快。我们的剑桥公爵夫人整年都在卖力地工作，将王室摆在首位。本以为在生日这天，她能切切实实地做一回“第一优先”。

Unfortunately, being literally royal means you're not "treated like a princess" in the colloquial sense. Kate will spend at least part of her birthday alone because her husband, Prince William, already has other plans.

不巧的是，通俗意义上讲，王室身份却恰恰意味着“你并不会被当做公主”。在生日那天，凯特会有至少部分时间要一个人度过。因为她的丈夫威廉王子已经另有安排了。

As reported, William will be visiting staff members of London's Air Ambulance at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel on Wednesday. The charity is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and marking the occasion with a tea party, which Will has promised to attend.

据报道，威廉将于周三赶赴怀特查帕尔的皇家伦敦医院，拜访伦敦空中急救队的工作人员。该慈善机构将在这天庆祝其成立三十周年，并举办一个茶话会，威廉之前就答应要来参加。

Since George, 5, and Charlotte, 3, are heading back to school the week of her birthday, Kate will spend most of the day celebrating at home with her newest bundle of joy, baby Louis.

五岁的乔治、三岁的夏洛特刚好在妈妈生日这周开学。凯特大部分时间将待在家里，和她最小的开心果——宝贝路易斯一起庆生。

Of course, even though work and school are getting in the way of a full day bash in Kate's honor, we're sure the Cambridge clan will do something special for her that night.

当然了，尽管工作的工作，上学的上学，使得凯特王妃的生日没法完全尽兴。不过可以肯定的是，剑桥氏族一定会在那晚为她准备些特别节目。