1925年，玛格丽特·撒切尔（本名为玛格丽特·罗伯茨）出生于英格兰。父亲为当地杂货店店主，她的商业头脑也是从那里起步。她还被教育成了一名严谨的宗教教徒。她在大学主攻化学，之后又投身法律。从1979-1990年，她担任英国首相。因其强硬做派，她被誉为“铁娘子”。

Thatcher became a politician after winning an election in London in 1959. She served as Britain's Education Secretary from 1970 to 1974. Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister in 1979. She privatised many of Britain’s state-owned companies and had long battles with labour unions. She lowered taxes and inflation and greatly cut government spending.

1959年，撒切尔在伦敦获选，并随即走入政坛。从1970-1974年，她任职教育事务大臣。1979年担任首相，并成为英国史上第一位女首相。在她的领导下，多数国有企业变身私有制，并与劳工会争斗多年。减少税收，降低通货膨胀率，大大减少政府开支。

She was very busy with her foreign policy. Britain fought and won the Falklands War against Argentina in 1982. She forged close ties with the USA and had a warm relationship with President Ronald Reagan. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, she became friends with ex-Soviet leader Mikael Gorbachev. She escaped assassination in 1984 when a bomb exploded at a hotel she was staying in.

在外交方面，撒切尔也一直没有停下脚步。1982年，英国与阿根廷爆发马岛战争，并以英国胜利而结束。她还加深同美国关系，与总统里根关系密切。铁幕土崩瓦解后，她与前苏联领导人米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫成了朋友。1984年，撒切尔下榻旅店遭炸弹袭击，她躲过暗杀。

In 1987, Thatcher won a third term in office. However, she was becoming unpopular. Unemployment was high and there were street riots after she announced a Community Tax. Her opposition to closer integration with Europe led to a leadership challenge and in 1990, she resigned. She retired from public speaking in 2002, aged 77. She died on April 8th 2013, aged 87. “Thatcherism” is still a word commonly used in Britain.

1987年，撒切尔第三次连任。然而，如今的撒切尔却不受大众欢迎。失业率居高不下，宣布征收人头税之后，全国民众走上街头举行抗议。反对派拉近“英欧”关系，致撒切尔遭受领导力挑战，1990年撒切尔提出辞呈。2002年，77岁的撒切尔发表公开演讲，并宣布退出政治圈。2013年4月8日，撒切尔去世，享年87岁。“撒切尔主义”一词仍在英国广泛使用。

1.lead to 导致

例句：Heart failure led to her father's death.

心力衰竭导致她父亲的死亡。

2.state-owned 国有的

例句：Eastern Europe shows that worker-owned factories can be as inefficient as state-owned ones.

东欧的经验表明，工人所有的工厂可能和国有工厂一样效率低下。

3.public speaking 公开演讲

例句：It would also train women union members in public speaking and decision-making.

它还将培养工会的女性成员公开演讲和决策的能力。

4.relationship with 与..的关系

例句：We have renewed our friendly relationship with Western countries.

我们与西方国家已重建友好关系。