英國怪圈：女相都要靠強硬脫歐才能上位

在你認識特蕾莎?梅之前，你需要認識英國史上的第一位女首相。

今天我們的話題是一位英國近代史上舉足輕重的人物 -瑪格麗特?撒切爾。

撒切爾出生於聯合王國英格蘭林肯郡的格蘭瑟姆。她就讀於牛津大學，1947-1951年間擔任化學研究員。1951年與丹尼斯·撒切爾結為伉儷。後來她研習法律，1954年獲得律師資格。

As British stateswoman and prime minister (1979–90), Margaret Thatcher was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, EC England, UK. She studied at Oxford, and worked as a research chemist (1947–51). She married Denis Thatcher in 1951, studied law, and was called to the bar in 1954.

1959年瑪格麗特·撒切爾當選為芬利奇市的保守黨議員。1967年她進入影子內閣，1970年到1974出任教育及科學大臣。1974年至1975年她擔任聯合影子大臣，1975年取代愛德華·希思成為保守黨領袖，也成為英國政壇的第一位政黨女領袖。但或許是英國歷史上「最討人厭」的女首相(1979-1990)。

Elected as Conservative MP for Finchley in 1959, she joined the shadow cabinet in 1967. She became secretary of state for education and science (1970–4), joint shadow chancellor (1974–5), and in 1975 replaced Edward Heath as Leader of the Conservative Party to become the first woman party leader in British politics.Margaret Thatcher was probably one of Britain"s most unpopular and hated post war Prime Minister (1979-1990).

在許多方面她都收到了外界的詆毀。在她的任職首相期間，英國陷入大規模失業和社會動蕩。這給數以百萬計的人帶來了苦難。她還參與了與阿根廷臭名昭著的馬島戰爭，是種族隔離的支持者。她還把著名的納爾遜·曼德拉稱為恐怖分子。

During her spell as Prime Minister, Britain plunged into mass unemployment and social unrest.That brought miseries to millions of people.She was involved in the infamous Falklands war with Argentina andwas a supporter of Apartheid. She called Nelson Mandela a terrorist.

她的綽號「鐵娘子」，來自於1976年一場聲稱：「俄羅斯是世界上的霸主主義的熱衷者」後被蘇聯報刊的嘲諷。

She was nicknamed the "Iron Lady" by the Soviet press after a 1976 speech declaring that "the Russians are bent on world dominance."

在某些方面，她通過一些政策作出貢獻，幫助英國經濟重新恢復活力，遏制工會和重新建立馬島戰爭後英國的權力地位。

Her government instituted the privatization of nationalized industries and national utilities, tried to institute a market in state-provided health care and education, and reduced the role of local government as a provider of services.

She was re-elected in 1983 with a large majority, despite the worst unemployment figures for 50 years, aided by the tide of popular feeling following the Falklands War, and disarray in the Opposition parties.

1987年她第三次當選英國首相，截至1988年為止她已經成為20世紀英國在位時間最長的首相。公眾稱她的政治哲學為撒切爾主義，其典型特徵就是不顧支持者的批評和質疑，堅決執行自己的政策，一意孤行。

She was elected for a third term of office in 1987, and by 1988 had become the longest serving premier of the 20th century. Her personal political philosophy was popularly referred to as Thatcherism, characterized by the resolution to persevere with policies despite objections from critics and doubts from her supporters.

1990年11月她由於反對英國加入歐盟貨幣組織與經濟共同體，與內閣成員產生政策分歧和內部矛盾而辭職。

She resigned (Nov 1990) as a result of the controversy and in-fighting which followed her opposition to full monetary and economic union with Europe.

1992年撒切爾被授予終身貴族。她周遊列國發表演說，建立以自己的名字命名的基金，繼續推行自己的政治見解。1993年她出版了自傳《瑪格麗特·撒切爾的唐寧街歲月》，後來又發表的作品包括於2002年出版的《治國方略》等。

Created a life peer in 1992, she continues to put forward her views on politics in speeches given throughout the world and through the establishment of a Foundation named after her. She published her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher: the Downing Street Years, in 1993, and later books include Statecraft (2002).

總體而言，她確實是不得人心的，在歷史上，她將自己的名字像品牌「撒切爾」那樣，和強硬不妥協的政治家聯繫在一起。

Overall, she was indeed unpopular and will go into history as a tough uncompromising politician with her own brand of Thatcherism.

但客觀公正的評論，發生在撒切爾夫人身上的問題，同樣發生在很多歷史的政客身上。她們太過執著專註。

What happened to Thatcher is something that eventually happens to a lot of politicians. They have a singlemindedness.

他們有足夠的信心和自信，不過有些卻太固執、不肯妥協讓步。 最後，圍繞在他們的身邊只是一群只會說yes的應聲蟲。

They have confidence. But they also suffer from intransigence. In the end, they only want people around them who say yes to them.

但你卻不得不驚嘆撒切爾夫人的強硬，以及她超凡卓越的演講口才。

But you have to applaud or congratulate Thatcher for her strength and of course her amazing ability to speak to the public.

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請您繼續閱讀更多來自 華爾街英語 的精彩文章:

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