安格拉·梅克爾 - 六分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

6分鐘英語，來自bbclearningenglish.com。

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

大家好，這裡是BBC英語教學的6分鐘英語。

I'm Sam.

我是山姆。

And I'm Neil.

我是尼爾。

In this program, 表達脈絡

在本期節目中，

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

我們將談論一位著名的領導人，並教給大家一些實用的詞彙。

Like chancellor, 用詞

比如 chancellor（總理／校長），

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

即在政府或大學中身居最高職位的人，

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

特別是一些歐洲國家政府首腦的頭銜。

A country such as Germany.

像德國這樣的國家。

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

這就像英國的首相職位一樣。

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

德國任期最長的總理之一是安格拉·梅克爾，

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

她從2005年開始領導該國，直到2021年9月舉行了最近的選舉。

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

好了，我們很快就會了解到更多關於她的事情，

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

但在那之前，尼爾，我得先考考你這道題。

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

德國史上第一位總理是誰？

Was it A, Otto von Bismarck,

是 A，奧托·馮·俾斯麥，

B, Helmut Schmidt,

B，赫爾穆特·施密特，

or C, Franz von Papen?

還是 C，法蘭茲·馮·巴彭？

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

嗯，我對德國歷史不太了解，

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

但我選 A，奧托·馮·俾斯麥。

That sounds quite likely. 語氣意圖

聽起來很有可能。

Okay.

好的。

I'll reveal the answer later on. 片語搭配

我稍後會公佈答案。

But let's talk more about Angela Merkel now.

但現在讓我們多談談安格拉·梅克爾。

She was in office for 16 years. 用詞

她執政（in office）了16年。

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

In office 意思是執政或掌權，直到她上個月卸任。

Yes, that's a long time,

是的，這是一段很長的時間，

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

這意味著她必須做出很多決定，

popular with some people and not with others. 文法

有些受歡迎，有些則不受歡迎。

Over that time,

在此期間，

she's gained a nickname,

她獲得了一個綽號，

Mutti,

Mutti，

German for mother. 片語搭配

德語中「母親」的意思。

This could be seen as a compliment, 片語搭配

這可以被看作是一種讚美，

but started life as more of an insult, 慣用語

但一開始它更像是一種侮辱，

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

正如BBC駐外記者達米安·麥吉尼斯在BBC廣播節目《我們的駐外記者》中所解釋的那樣。

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

「梅克爾媽咪」的形象實際上最初是來自保守派對手的侮辱。

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

這是在她的第一任期內，由她那男性主導的政黨中的強硬保守派編造出來的。

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

這是在她背後一種居高臨下的貶低，旨在讓她安分守己地做一個女人，

possibly even meant to be hurtful,

甚至可能旨在造成傷害，

given that in reality she has no children. 文法

因為現實中她並沒有孩子。

Oh dear.

天哪。

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

所以「母親」這個綽號一開始確實是作為侮辱來使用的，

probably invented by the men in her political party,

很可能是由她政黨裡的男人們發明的，

described as the hardline conservatives,

他們被稱為強硬保守派（hardline conservatives），

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

即那些擁有傳統、嚴苛且不可改變的信念的人。

Yes, the nickname was used as a putdown.

是的，這個綽號被用作貶低（putdown）。

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

那是一種用來讓別人感到愚蠢或難堪的侮辱，

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

其意圖是讓她覺得自己沒那麼重要，或者讓她安分守己（put her in her place）。

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

嗯，政治界充滿了侮辱和批評，

but it sounds rather cruel.

但這聽起來相當殘忍。

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

達米安·麥吉尼斯接著說道，這個形象其實是媒體神話，並不完全準確。

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

不過媒體對安格拉·梅克爾的態度也不總是負面的。

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

她是現任歐盟領導人中任期最長的，參與了大約100次歐盟峰會。

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

她常被貼上「房間裡唯一成年人」的標籤，

so the media has called her the queen of Europe. 慣用語

所以媒體稱她為歐洲女王。

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

真實的情況是，在最近的德國選舉之後，

her successor, 用詞

她的繼任者，

the person who became chancellor,

也就是接任總理的人，

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

將缺乏梅克爾在16年總理生涯中所累積的經驗和威望。

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

但達米安·麥吉尼斯在為BBC《我們的駐外記者》節目所作的報導中

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

得出結論：很多人並不確定她的哪一個綽號是準確的。

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

他用什麼詞來指代那些已經變得毫無意義的短語或觀點

because they've been overused?

因為它們被過度使用了呢？

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

但圍繞這些陳腔濫調（clichés）的困惑確實指向了另一個真相。

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

這位總理非常謹慎（discreet），有時甚至到了毫無存在感的地步。

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

所以人們對那副面無表情的（deadpan）外表背後到底發生了什麼非常著迷。

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

安格拉·梅克爾可能已經掌權十五年多了，

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

但人們仍然不確定他們是否真的了解她。

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

他用 clichés（陳腔濫調）這個詞來指代那些已經變得毫無意義的短語或觀點，

because they've been overused.

因為它們被過度使用了。

People aren't sure which description of her is true

人們不確定對她的哪種描述是真實的，

because she is discreet.

因為她很謹慎（discreet）。

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

她對事情保持沉默，以免引起注意。

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

是的，很難知道她在想什麼，

because she looks deadpan. 片語搭配

因為她看起來面無表情（deadpan）。

That means she looks serious.

這意味著她看起來很嚴肅。

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

我想知道德國的第一任總理是否也有著面無表情的外表。

Ah, yes.

啊，對了。

Earlier you asked me who that was,

早些時候你問我那是誰，

and I said Otto von Bismarck.

我說是奧托·馮·俾斯麥。

Was that right?

對了嗎？

Yes, you were.

是的，你答對了。

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

現在是時候複習一下我們今天提到的一些詞彙了，

starting with chancellor,

從 chancellor 開始，

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

指一些國家政府中身居最高職位的人。

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

Hardline 描述的是那些擁有傳統、嚴苛且不易改變的信念的人。

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

A putdown 是一種用來讓別人感到愚蠢或難堪的侮辱言語。

When someone is put in their place,

當有人被 put in their place（被叫去安分守己）時，

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

他們會被迫覺得自己不如想像中那麼重要。

Clichés are phrases or ideas that have become meaningless

Clichés 是那些已經變得毫無意義的短語或觀點，

because they've been overused.

因為它們被過度使用了。

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

最後，deadpan 描述某人不露任何情感的嚴肅面部表情。

Thank you,

謝謝你，

Neil.

尼爾。

That's all for now,

這就是目前的全部內容，

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

但別忘了我們的網站上還有很多 6 Minute English 節目可以欣賞，

at bbclearningenglish.com.

就在 bbclearningenglish.com。

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

您也可以在社群媒體和我們的免費應用程式上找到我們。

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

如果您喜歡 6 Minute English 這種時事討論，

why not try one of our other podcasts?

為什麼不試試我們其他的Podcast呢？

In News Review,

在 News Review 節目中，

we take a big international story,

我們選取重大的國際新聞，

discuss the vocabulary used in the headlines,

討論新聞標題中使用的詞彙，

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

並教你在日常英語中如何使用它們。

That's News Review from BBC Learning English.

那就是來自BBC英語教學的 News Review。

Try it out. 片語動詞

去試聽一下吧。

Thanks for listening,

感謝您的收聽，

and goodbye.

再見。

Goodbye.

再見。