新東方網英語訊：柴契爾夫人於1979至1990年間擔任首相，至今仍是英國史上唯一女首相，更曾獲民調肯定為二次世界大戰後，英國最偉大首相。柴契爾夫人改變了英國。她不僅讓本國的社會秩序發生了革命性變化，也在蘇聯帝國瓦解後大大重塑了國際政治。她改造了僵化的英國經濟，制服了工會，努力「推回政府的邊界」，將國企私有化。在國際上贏得了馬島戰爭，使「柴契爾主義」作為一種政治哲學而得到尊重。>>英國女王與首相卡梅倫 及政界人士紛紛表示致哀。
柴契爾夫人生平簡介 當代政界評論 柴契爾夫人風採回憶
>>雙語新聞：柴契爾夫人的政治角色
>>雙語新聞：柴契爾夫人葬禮定於下周三舉行
>>柴契爾夫人名言語錄（雙語）
、
LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87, following a stroke.
Family spokesman Lord Tim Bell said Britain's only female prime minister died peacefully on Monday morning. Within minutes of the announcement, ordinary citizens began to put flowers and condolence notes outside her home in London.
The British government said Thatcher would receive a ceremonial funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral with military honors - a step short of a state funeral - in accordance with the wishes of her family. It said a private cremation would follow later, but provided no details on the timing of the service.
>>《女王》製片商擬將柴契爾夫人搬上熒幕
>>「柴契爾」基因讓人每天僅睡4小時（雙語）
Thatcher, who was made a baroness by Queen Elizabeth, had a long and controversial career, transforming the British economy and society with her Conservative Party’s anti-union, anti-regulation policies during an 11-year tenure from 1979 to 1990.
She was a grocer’s daughter who rose to become Britain’s only woman prime minister, and she held the job longer than anyone else in the 20th Century. When she first came to office, she expressed this hope.
「Where there is discord may we bring harmony, where there is error may we bring truth, where there is doubt may we bring faith and where there is despair may we bring hope,」 she said.
But her tenure through three election victories created considerable discord, alienating workers, deregulating health and safety hazards, and splitting her own Cabinet on some issues. She stood firm against militants in Northern Ireland, allowing one of them to starve himself to death in prison.
She supported British membership in the European Union, but insisted on not participating in the open borders agreement and the common euro currency. And she took the country to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
Dignitaries react
On Monday, Queen Elizabeth expressed sadness at Mrs. Thatcher’s death, and approved plans for a ceremonial funeral with full military honors and a procession across London to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Prime Minister David Cameron, also a Conservative, cut short a visit to Spain and France following the news. He said Monday his country had "lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton."
Cameron said 「she did not just lead our country, she saved our country,」 and said she will go down in history as 「the greatest British peacetime prime minister.」
European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso paid tribute Monday to her "contributions" to the growth of the EU, despite her reservations about its merits.
Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said Thatcher was a "great politician" whose words "carried great weight." The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who held frequent meetings with Thatcher at the end of the Cold War, called her death "sad news."
U.S. President Barack Obama said 「the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend.」
Within minutes of the announcement, ordinary citizens began to put flowers and condolence notes outside her home in London. Throughout the city, people were hearing the news as they went out for lunch.
「It is a terrible loss for the UK, but also I think all around the world really," said one citizen. "I think she was an inspirational woman, and I think there will be lots of people affected by this.」
「She took some difficult decisions, was not afraid to put people’s noses out of joint," said another. "And I think a lot of people on both sides of the political spectrum respected her for that.」
「I do not think she did more harm than good. I think she did what could with what she had, like most people do. And it was a hard job to do, I would say, especially being a woman,」 another citizen added.
Mrs. Thatcher’s supporters and opponents agree that she had a huge impact on Britain, as a pioneering woman in politics and as a transformational prime minister. As with any politician, her legacy will be mixed, but all appear to agree she earned her nickname, the Iron Lady.