被叙利亚第一夫人圈粉
9月23日，叙利亚总统夫妇出席杭州亚运会开幕式，不少网友称被第一夫人阿斯玛·阿萨德（Asma al-Assad）圈粉了。
今天，阿斯玛·阿萨德访问北京外国语大学，受到同学们的热烈欢迎，再次引发热议。
演讲中，她提到：“我从最古老的字母的发源地来到语言、方言数量最多、多样性最丰富的中国，我满怀喜悦与自豪。我的喜悦来自于你们对我的热情招待；我的自豪源于今天以我的母语和你们对话，也源于你们能听懂它。”
🤔️小作业：
1. According to the passage, how did the public perception of Asma al-Assad change over time?
a. From a brilliant student to an influential banker
b. From a hopeful figure to a controversial one
c. From a financial analyst to the first lady of Syria
d. From a westernized individual to a traditional Muslim figure
a. She had a flourishing career in the financial sector.
b. She was primarily involved in diplomatic relations due to her mother’s position.
c. She held a notable position at Harvard University.
d. She worked as a translator owing to her language skills.
无注释原文：
Who is Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma, when did she marry the Syrian president and was she born in Britain?
From: The Sun
15 Oct 2018
ASMA al-Assad was once described as Syria's Princess Diana, as the world hoped she and her husband would help improve relations with the West.
However, the British-born wife of Syria's president has since been labelled the "first lady of hell" who infamously shopped while others died.
Who is Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma and is she British?
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma Akhras was born on August 11, 1975, in Acton, West London.
Her parents are both Sunni Muslims from Homs, the Syrian city located near the air base bombed on April 9, 2018.
Fawaz Akhras is a cardiologist and her mother, Sahar Akhras, is a retired First Secretary of Syria's London embassy.
Asma was raised in London and attended Twyford Church of England high school and Queen's College London.
In 1996, she graduated with degrees in Computer Science and French Literature.
She's fluent in French, Spanish, Arabic and English.
What was she like as a teenager?
Asma was known as "Emma" during her schooldays in the UK.
She was described as a bright teenager with a flair for languages and was a popular student at her Church of England school.
Pals remembered her as "very friendly" but just your typical teenage girl - unremarkable in most ways.
One friend said: "I'm not sure I would have singled her out for great things.
"You wouldn't have thought she was anything but English.
"She didn't seem to be a particularly devout Muslim and was very westernised, not like some girls who wore more traditional dress."
When did she marry the Syrian president?
On leaving education, she went into banking - working at Deutsche Bank Group as a hedge funds analyst.
Two years later, she was hired by J.P Morgan, working as an investment banker in London and New York.
At the time, she was already dating Assad whom she had met while on a family holiday to Syria.
A month before their "secret" wedding in 2000, she quit her job with no explanation.
It was reported Asma gave up an opportunity to earn an MBA from Harvard when she married the new Syrian president.
At the time of her marriage, he was 35 and she was 25. The couple have three children.
Hafez, named after Assad's father, was born in 2001, daughter Zein was born in 2003 and son Karim in 2004.
Is it true she nearly left al-Assad for a new life?
In October 2016, Asma gave a rare English-language interview with Russia 24, a state-supported station in Russia.
Asma reportedly said she was offered a chance to leave Syria but has never thought about doing so.
“I've been here since the beginning and I never thought of being anywhere else at all,” Asma said.
“Yes, I was offered the opportunity to leave Syria or rather to run from Syria.
"These offers included guarantees of safety and protection for my children and even financial security."
In the interview, Asma denounced sanctions imposed on Syria by Western countries, claiming they hurt ordinary citizens.
- ◆ -
注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考
含注释全文：
Who is Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma, when did she marry the Syrian president and was she born in Britain?
From: The Sun
15 Oct 2018
ASMA al-Assad was once described as Syria's Princess Diana, as the world hoped she and her husband would help improve relations with the West.
曾经，阿斯玛·阿萨德（ASMA al-Assad）被誉为叙利亚的“戴安娜王妃”，全世界期望她和丈夫能够帮助改善西方与叙利亚的关系。
princess
princess /prɪnˈses/ 表示“（孙）公主；王妃；亲王夫人”，英文解释为“an important female member of a royal family, especially a daughter or granddaughter of a king and queen, or the wife of a prince”
However, the British-born wife of Syria's president has since been labelled the "first lady of hell" who infamously shopped while others died.
然而，这位出生于英国的叙利亚总统夫人后来被贴上了“地狱第一夫人”的标签，因为她在他人丧命之时沉浸于购物之中。
infamously
infamous 形容词性，表示“臭名昭著的，声名狼藉的”，英文解释为“famous for something considered bad”，infamous一词很容易混淆，以为famous是“著名的”（well-known），infamous就是其反义词，实际上infamous也是“著名的”，只是因为“something bad”而著名，同样是well-known，只不过是for something bad而著名。
📍那么，要说不出名，不著名呢？一种说法是unfamous，不过，这个说法比较争议，不太被认可，不常用，通常你可以说not famous.
📍Unfamous is a somewhat controversial word. It means not famous or not widely known about or respected. It is controversial in the sense that some dictionaries from the United States recognize it as a word, but most spellchecks on computers do not. European dictionaries tend to not recognize it either.
Who is Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma and is she British? 那么，巴沙尔·阿萨德（Bashar al-Assad）的妻子阿斯玛是谁？她是英国人吗？
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma Akhras was born on August 11, 1975, in Acton, West London.
叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德的妻子阿斯玛·阿克拉斯（原名，Asma Akhras）于1975年8月11日在伦敦西部的艾克顿（Acton）出生。
Her parents are both Sunni Muslims from Homs, the Syrian city located near the air base bombed on April 9, 2018.
她的父母都是来自叙利亚霍姆斯市（Homs）的逊尼派穆斯林，霍姆斯位于2018年4月9日被炸毁的空军基地附近。
Fawaz Akhras is a cardiologist and her mother, Sahar Akhras, is a retired First Secretary of Syria's London embassy.
她的父亲法瓦兹·阿克拉斯（Fawaz Akhras）是一位心脏病专家，母亲萨哈尔·阿克拉斯（Sahar Akhras）是叙利亚驻伦敦大使馆退休的一等秘书（First Secretary）。
cardiologist
cardiologist /ˌkɑː.diˈɒl.ə.dʒɪst/ 表示“心脏病专家”，英文解释为“a doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the heart”
First Secretary
一等秘书（First Secretary），是驻外外交人员外交职务的一种，排在参赞之后，二等秘书之前，其对应的外交衔级为一等秘书衔。
embassy
embassy /ˈembəsi/ 表示“大使及其随员；大使馆”，英文解释为“An embassy is a group of government officials, headed by an ambassador, who represent their government in a foreign country. The building in which they work is also called an embassy.”
Asma was raised in London and attended Twyford Church of England high school and Queen's College London.
阿斯玛在伦敦长大，曾就读于英国特威福德教会高中和英国皇后学院。
In 1996, she graduated with degrees in Computer Science and French Literature.
1996年，她获得了计算机科学和法国文学学位。
She's fluent in French, Spanish, Arabic and English.
她精通法语、西班牙语、阿拉伯语和英语。
Arabic
Arabic /ˈær.ə.bɪk/ 表示“阿拉伯语”，英文解释为“a language spoken in Western Asia and North Africa”举个🌰：There are many regional varieties of Arabic. 阿拉伯语有很多地区方言。
What was she like as a teenager? 青少年时期的她是怎样的？
Asma was known as "Emma" during her schooldays in the UK.
阿斯玛在英国上学时被称为“艾玛”。
She was described as a bright teenager with a flair for languages and was a popular student at her Church of England school.
据描述，她是一个聪明的少女，很有语言天赋，在英国教会学校是一个很受欢迎的学生。
flair
1）表示“天赋，天资，天分”，英文解释为“natural ability to do something well”举个🌰：He has a flair for languages. 他具有语言天赋。
2）表示“才华；资质”，英文解释为“a situation in which something is done in an exciting and interesting way”举个🌰：He played with great imagination and flair. 他的演奏充满了瑰丽奇特的想象，显示出过人的才情。
Pals remembered her as "very friendly" but just your typical teenage girl - unremarkable in most ways.
在朋友的印象中，她“非常友好”，但在很多方面与普通少女无异。
pal
pal /pæl/ 表示“朋友，好友”，相当于“a friend”举个🌰：You're my best pal. 你是我最好的朋友。
One friend said: "I'm not sure I would have singled her out for great things.
一位朋友表示：“我不确定我是否会特别看好她。”
single sb/sth out
single sb/sth out表示“（为给予批评、表扬等）单独挑出”，英文解释为“to choose one person or thing from a group for special attention, especially criticism or praise”举个🌰：It's not fair the way my sister is always singled out for special treatment. 我妹妹总是受到特殊照顾，这不公平。
"You wouldn't have thought she was anything but English.
“你会觉得她完全就是英国人。”
anything but
anything but 表示“恰恰不；根本不；决不”，英文解释为“used to mean the opposite of the stated quality”举个🌰：She's meant to be really nice but she was anything but nice when I met her. 她确实是想对别人好，可是我和她碰面的时候，她真的不怎么样。
"She didn't seem to be a particularly devout Muslim and was very westernised, not like some girls who wore more traditional dress."
“她似乎并不是一个特别虔诚的穆斯林，非常西化，不像某些穿着更传统服装的女孩。”
devout
devout /dɪˈvaʊt/ 表示“虔诚的，忠实于某宗教的”，英文解释为“believing strongly in a religion and obeying all its rules or principles”如：a devout Buddhist 虔诚的佛教徒。
When did she marry the Syrian president? 她何时嫁给叙利亚总统的？
On leaving education, she went into banking - working at Deutsche Bank Group as a hedge funds analyst.
毕业后，她进入银行业——在德意志银行集团（Deutsche Bank Group）担任对冲基金分析师。
hedge fund
hedge fund /ˈhedʒ ˌfʌnd/ 表示“对冲基金”，英文解释为“a type of investment that can make a lot of profit but involves a large risk”如：a hedge fund manager 对冲基金经理人。
Two years later, she was hired by J.P Morgan, working as an investment banker in London and New York.
两年后，她入职摩根大通公司（J.P Morgan），在伦敦和纽约担任投资银行家。
At the time, she was already dating Assad whom she had met while on a family holiday to Syria.
当时，她已经在和阿萨德约会，阿萨德是她在一次全家去叙利亚度假时认识的。
A month before their "secret" wedding in 2000, she quit her job with no explanation.
2000年，在他们举行“秘密”婚礼的前一个月，她毫无解释地辞去了工作。
It was reported Asma gave up an opportunity to earn an MBA from Harvard when she married the new Syrian president.
据报道，阿斯玛在嫁给叙利亚新总统时放弃了获得哈佛大学商学院工商管理硕士学位的机会。
At the time of her marriage, he was 35 and she was 25. The couple have three children.
结婚时，他35岁，她25岁。这对夫妇有三个孩子。
Hafez, named after Assad's father, was born in 2001, daughter Zein was born in 2003 and son Karim in 2004.
以阿萨德父亲名字命名的哈菲兹（Hafez）出生于2001年，女儿泽因（Zein）出生于2003年，儿子卡里姆（Karim）出生于2004年。
name sb/sth after sb/sth
name sb/sth after sb/sth 表示“用…的名字给…命名”，英文解释为“to give someone or something the same name as another person or thing”举个🌰：He was named after his grandfather. 他的名字跟他的爷爷一样。
Is it true she nearly left al-Assad for a new life? 她真的差点离开阿萨德开始新生活吗？
In October 2016, Asma gave a rare English-language interview with Russia 24, a state-supported station in Russia.
2016年10月，阿斯玛罕见地接受了俄罗斯国家电视台24频道的英语采访。
Asma reportedly said she was offered a chance to leave Syria but has never thought about doing so.
据报道，阿斯玛说她曾有机会离开叙利亚，但从未想过离开。
“I've been here since the beginning and I never thought of being anywhere else at all,” Asma said.
阿斯玛说：“我从一开始就在这里，根本没想过要去其他地方。”
“Yes, I was offered the opportunity to leave Syria or rather to run from Syria.
“是的，我有机会离开叙利亚，或者更确切地说，逃离叙利亚。”
"These offers included guarantees of safety and protection for my children and even financial security."
“条件包括安全保障，保护我的孩子们，甚至是经济保障。”
In the interview, Asma denounced sanctions imposed on Syria by Western countries, claiming they hurt ordinary citizens.
在采访中，阿斯玛谴责了西方国家对叙利亚实施的制裁，声称这些制裁伤害了普通公民。
denounce
表示“谴责；指责；斥责”，英文解释为“to strongly criticize sb/sth that you think is wrong, illegal, etc.”举个🌰：The project was denounced as a scandalous waste of public money. 这项工程被斥责为挥霍公款，令人愤慨。
📍名词：denouncement /di'naunsmənt/，表示“谴责；指责；告发；痛骂；公开抨击”，英文解释为“a public act of denouncing；A charging of someone with a misdeed”；
⚠️区分：
denouement /deɪˈnuːmɒn/ 表示“（戏剧、小说等的）结局，收场；（事情的）结果”（the end of a play, book, etc., in which everything is explained or settled; the end result of a situation）
📺英剧《唐顿庄园》（Downton Abbey）中的台词提到：But if you tell Granny I said so, I'll denounce you as a liar. 但你要是敢把我的话告诉奶奶 我就说你撒谎。
sanction
1）常见含义表示“制裁”，英文解释为“an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law”举个🌰：Many nations have imposed sanctions on the country. 许多国家都对其进行制裁。
2）可以作动词也可以作名词，表示“批准；认可”，英文解释为“If someone in authority sanctions an action or practice, they officially approve of it and allow it to be done.”如：sanction the use of force 批准使用武力。
impose
1）表示“推行；强制实行”，英文解释为“to officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received”举个🌰：Very high taxes have recently been imposed on cigarettes. 最近对香烟开征很高的税。
📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇分析拜登贸易政策的文章中提到：The other matter is what Mr Biden will do with the tariffs imposed by Mr Trump. 另一件事是拜登将如何处理特朗普实施的关税。
2）表示“把（尤指信仰或生活方式）强加于”，英文解释为“to force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living”举个🌰：I don't want them to impose their religious beliefs on my children. 我不希望他们把自己的宗教信仰强加给我的孩子们。
3）表示“勉强；打扰，麻烦”，英文解释为“to expect someone to do something for you or spend time with you when they do not want to or when it is not convenient for them”举个🌰：She's always imposing on people - asking favours and getting everyone to do things for her. 她总是强人所难——要人帮忙做这做那。
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