安格拉·默克尔 - 六分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

6分钟英语，来自bbclearningenglish.com。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，这里是BBC英语教学的6分钟英语。

I'm Sam.

我是萨姆。

And I'm Neil.

我是尼尔。

In this program, 表達脈絡

在本期节目中，

we're talking about a famous leader and teaching you some useful vocabulary.

我们将谈论一位著名的领导人，并教给大家一些实用的词汇。

Like chancellor, 用詞

比如 chancellor（总理/校监），

the person in the highest position in a government or university,

即在政府或大学中身居最高职位的人，

and especially the title for the head of government in some European countries.

特别是一些欧洲国家政府首脑的头衔。

A country such as Germany.

像德国这样的国家。

It's a position like the prime minister in the UK. 文化背景

这就像英国的首相职位一样。

And one of Germany's longer-serving chancellors was Angela Merkel, 語法

德国任期最长的总理之一是安格拉·默克尔，

who led the country from 2005 until the recent elections in September 2021. 語法

她从2005年开始领导该国，直到2021年9月举行了最近的选举。

Well, we're going to find out more about her soon, 短語動詞

好了，我们很快就会了解到更多关于她的事情，

but not before I've challenged you to answer this question, Neil. 表達脈絡

但在那之前，尼尔，我得先考考你这道题。

Who was Germany's first ever chancellor? 短語搭配

德国史上第一位总理是谁？

Was it A, Otto von Bismarck,

是 A，奥托·冯·俾斯麦，

B, Helmut Schmidt,

B，赫尔穆特·施密特，

or C, Franz von Papen?

还是 C，弗朗茨·冯·巴彭？

Well, my knowledge of German history isn't great,

嗯，我对德国历史不太了解，

but I'll go for A, Otto von Bismarck. 短語動詞

但我选 A，奥托·冯·俾斯麦。

That sounds quite likely. 語氣意圖

听起来很有可能。

Okay.

好的。

I'll reveal the answer later on. 短語搭配

我稍后会公布答案。

But let's talk more about Angela Merkel now.

但现在让我们多谈谈安格拉·默克尔。

She was in office for 16 years. 用詞

她执政（in office）了16年。

In office means in power or in charge until she stepped down last month. 短語動詞

In office 意思是执政或掌权，直到她上个月卸任。

Yes, that's a long time,

是的，这是一段很长的时间，

which meant she had to make lots of decisions, 短語搭配

这意味着她必须做出很多决定，

popular with some people and not with others. 語法

有些受欢迎，有些则不受欢迎。

Over that time,

在此期间，

she's gained a nickname,

她获得了一个绰号，

Mutti,

Mutti，

German for mother. 短語搭配

德语中“母亲”的意思。

This could be seen as a compliment, 短語搭配

这可以被看作是一种赞美，

but started life as more of an insult, 習語

但一开始它更像是一种侮辱，

as BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness explained on the BBC radio program from our own correspondent.

正如BBC驻外记者达米安·麦吉尼斯在BBC广播节目《我们的驻外记者》中所解释的那样。

The Mummy Merkel image in fact started off as an insult from conservative rivals. 講解

“默克尔妈咪”的形象实际上最初是来自保守派对手的侮辱。

It was made up during her first term in office by hardline conservatives in her predominantly male party. 講解

这是在她的第一任期内，由她那男性主导的政党中的强硬保守派编造出来的。

A patronizing putdown behind her back to put her in her place as a woman, 講解

这是在她背后一种居高临下的贬低，旨在让她安分守己地做一个女人，

possibly even meant to be hurtful,

甚至可能旨在造成伤害，

given that in reality she has no children. 語法

因为现实中她并没有孩子。

Oh dear.

天哪。

So the nickname of mother was really used as an insult to start with, 短語搭配

所以“母亲”这个绰号一开始确实是作为侮辱来使用的，

probably invented by the men in her political party,

很可能是由她政党里的男人们发明的，

described as the hardline conservatives,

他们被称为强硬保守派（hardline conservatives），

ones with traditional and strict beliefs that can't be changed.

即那些拥有传统、严苛且不可改变的信念的人。

Yes, the nickname was used as a putdown.

是的，这个绰号被用作贬低（putdown）。

That's an insult used to make someone feel stupid or embarrassed, 語法

那是一种用来让别人感到愚蠢或难堪的侮辱，

and the intention was to make her feel less important or to put her in her place. 表達脈絡

其意图是让她觉得自己没那么重要，或者让她安分守己（put her in her place）。

Well, politics is full of insults and critics, 短語搭配

嗯，政治界充满了侮辱和批评，

but it sounds rather cruel.

但这听起来相当残忍。

And Damien McGuinness does go on to say that this image is really a media myth and not quite accurate. 講解

达米安·麦吉尼斯接着说道，这个形象其实是媒体神话，并不完全准确。

But the media has not always been negative about Angela Merkel. 語法

不过媒体对安格拉·默克尔的态度也不总是负面的。

She is the longest-serving amongst current EU leaders and participated in an estimated 100 EU summits. 講解

她是现任欧盟领导人中任期最长的，参与了大约100次欧盟峰会。

She's often been labeled as the only grown-up in the room, 習語

她常被贴上“房间里唯一成年人”的标签，

so the media has called her the queen of Europe. 習語

所以媒体称她为欧洲女王。

What is true is that following the recent elections in Germany,

真实的情况是，在最近的德国选举之后，

her successor, 用詞

她的继任者，

the person who became chancellor,

也就是接任总理的人，

will lack the experience and gravitas that Merkel has gained over her 16 years as chancellor. 短語搭配

将缺乏默克尔在16年总理生涯中所积累的经验和威望。

But Damien McGuinness in his report for the BBC's from our own correspondent program

但达米安·麦吉尼斯在为BBC《我们的驻外记者》节目所作的报道中

concludes that many people aren't sure which of her nicknames is accurate.

得出结论：很多人并不确定她的哪一个绰号是准确的。

What word does he use to mean phrases or ideas that have become meaningless

他用什么词来指代那些已经变得毫无意义的短语或观点

because they've been overused?

因为它们被过度使用了呢？

But the confusion around these clichés does point to another truth. 表達脈絡

但围绕这些陈词滥调（clichés）的困惑确实指向了另一个真相。

The chancellor is discreet to the point of sometimes being invisible. 語法

这位总理非常谨慎（discreet），有时甚至到了毫无存在感的地步。

So there's a fascination about what's really going on behind that deadpan exterior. 講解

所以人们对那副面无表情的（deadpan）外表背后到底发生了什么非常着迷。

Angela Merkel may have been in power for more than a decade and a half, 講解

安格拉·默克尔可能已经掌权十五年多了，

but people are still not really sure they know who she is.

但人们仍然不确定他们是否真的了解她是谁。

He used the word clichés to mean phrases or ideas that have become meaningless 用詞

他用 clichés（陈词滥调）这个词来指代那些已经变得毫无意义的短语或观点，

because they've been overused.

因为它们被过度使用了。

People aren't sure which description of her is true

人们不确定对她的哪种描述是真实的，

because she is discreet.

因为她很谨慎（discreet）。

She keeps quiet about things so as not to attract attention. 語法

她对事情保持沉默，以免引起注意。

Yes, it's hard to know what she's thinking 語法

是的，很难知道她在想什么，

because she looks deadpan. 短語搭配

因为她看起来面无表情（deadpan）。

That means she looks serious.

这意味着她看起来很严肃。

She doesn't show expression or emotion.

她不表露表情或情感。

Hmm.

嗯。

I wonder if Germany's first ever chancellor had a deadpan exterior. 語氣意圖

我想知道德国的第一任总理是否也有着面无表情的外表。

Ah, yes.

啊，对了。

Earlier you asked me who that was,

早些时候你问我那是谁，

and I said Otto von Bismarck.

我说是奥托·冯·俾斯麦。

Was that right?

对了吗？

Yes, you were.

是的，你答对了。

Well done. 語氣意圖

做得好。

Wunderbar. 文化背景

Wunderbar（太棒了）。

Now it's time to recap some of the vocabulary we've mentioned today, 表達脈絡

现在是时候复习一下我们今天提到的一些词汇了，

starting with chancellor,

从 chancellor 开始，

the person in the highest position in a government in some countries.

指一些国家政府中身居最高职位的人。

Hardline describes someone with traditional and strict beliefs that can't be easily changed.

Hardline 描述的是那些拥有传统、严苛且不易改变的信念的人。

A putdown is an insult used to make someone feel stupid or embarrassed.

A putdown 是一种用来让别人感到愚蠢或难堪的侮辱言语。

When someone is put in their place,

当有人被 put in their place（被叫去安分守己）时，

they're made to feel less important than they are.

他们会被迫觉得自己不如想象中那么重要。

Clichés are phrases or ideas that have become meaningless

Clichés 是那些已经变得毫无意义的短语或观点，

because they've been overused.

因为它们被过度使用了。

And deadpan describes someone's serious facial expression that shows no emotion.

最后，deadpan 描述某人不露任何情感的严肃面部表情。

Thank you,

谢谢你，

Neil.

尼尔。

That's all for now,

这就是目前的全部内容，

but don't forget there are lots more 6 Minute English programs to enjoy on our website

但别忘了我们的网站上还有很多 6 Minute English 节目可以欣赏，

at bbclearningenglish.com.

就在 bbclearningenglish.com。

You can also find us on social media and on our free app.

您也可以在社交媒体和我们的免费应用程序上找到我们。

And if you enjoy topical discussion like in 6 Minute English, 語氣意圖

如果您喜欢 6 Minute English 这种时事讨论，

why not try one of our other podcasts?

为什么不试试我们其他的播客呢？

In News Review,

在 News Review 节目中，

we take a big international story,

我们选取重大的国际新闻，

discuss the vocabulary used in the headlines,

讨论新闻标题中使用的词汇，

and teach you how to use it in your everyday English.

并教你在日常英语中如何使用它们。

That's News Review from BBC Learning English.

那就是来自BBC英语教学的 News Review。

Try it out. 短語動詞

去试听一下吧。

Thanks for listening,

感谢您的收听，

and goodbye.

再见。

Goodbye.

再见。