VOA慢速英语：全球在位时间最长的君主泰国国王逝世

Thailand’s Long Serving King Dies

 

全球在位时间最长的君主泰国国王逝世

Thailand is mourning King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

泰国正在哀悼普密蓬国王的去世。

King Bhumibol died Thursday in Bangkok. He was 88 years old.

普密蓬国王于周四在曼谷去世，享年88岁。

In recent years, the king suffered from a series of age-related health problems that mostly kept him in a Bangkok hospital.

近年来，泰王患上了一系列与年龄相关的疾病，这使得他长期住在曼谷一家医院养病。

Last weekend, Thai officials announced that his health had worsened and his condition was "not stable."

上周末，泰国官员宣布泰王的健康恶化并且状况极不稳定。

Officials said on Thursday his health never improved and that he died peacefully.

官员周四表示，泰王的健康没有好转，他平静地离开了人世。

A large crowd had gathered outside the hospital where the king was being treated. Many in the crowd broke down with emotion after hearing of his death. Some held photographs of the king and wore yellow or pink clothing in his honor.

一大群人聚集在泰王接受治疗的医院门外。很多人在听到泰王去世后情绪崩溃。一些人举着泰王的照片，穿着黄色或粉色的衣服纪念泰王。

King Bhumibol came to power 70 years ago. He was the world's longest serving monarch.

普密蓬国王于70年前上台，他是全球在位时间最长的君主。

He was born in 1927 in the American community of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father was studying medicine. The future king was educated mostly in Europe, attending secondary school and a university in Switzerland.

他于1927年出生在美国马萨诸塞州的剑桥社区，他的父亲在此学医。这位未来的国王主要在欧洲接受教育，中学和大学都在瑞士就读。

He studied music, and was a skilled saxophone player and composer of jazz. He also liked sailing and wrote several books, including a best-seller about his favorite dog.

他学习了音乐，是一位熟练的萨克斯管演奏家和爵士乐作曲家。他还喜欢帆船，并且写了几本书，包括一本关于他爱犬的畅销书。

He became Thailand's king in 1946 after the mysterious shooting death of his older brother.

1946年，普密蓬在他的哥哥被神秘枪杀后成为了泰国国王。

King Bhumibol was greatly respected and beloved in Thailand, a deeply Buddhist country. He was known as a humble leader who directed many social and economic development projects.

普密蓬国王在泰国深受人们的尊敬和爱戴，这是一个深信佛教的国家。他被称为一位谦逊的领导人，领导了许多社会和经济发展项目。

His wife, Queen Sirikit, is also a beloved figure in the country. She has been in poor health for several years.

他的妻子诗丽吉王后在泰国也是一位受人爱戴的人物。她多年来也一直健康状况不佳。

Supporters believe King Bhumibol provided unity and stability at a time when Thailand faced many social and economic problems. The country experienced political unrest several times during his rule. The current leadership took power after the military ousted the civilian government in 2014.

支持者们认为，普密蓬国王在泰国面临社会和经济问题时提供了团结和稳定。在他的统治期间，该国经历了数次政治动乱。现任领导人在2014年军队推翻民选政府后上台掌权。

At times, King Bhumibol acted as a negotiator in disputes between competing military leaders. Sometimes, he approved army requests to overthrow elected governments.

有时，普密蓬国王在彼此竞争的军队领导人之间的纠纷中担任协商者角色。有时，他批准军队推翻民选政府的要求。

The 70th anniversary of the king's rule was celebrated in Thailand in June, when millions of people wore yellow shirts to show their support.

今年6月泰国庆祝了泰王统治70周年，当时数百万人身穿黄衫展示他们的支持。

In a nationwide broadcast, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha called the death a tragedy for all of Thailand.

泰国总理巴育在一次全国广播中称泰王去世是泰国所有人的不幸。

"He was a king that was loved and adored by all. The reign of the king has ended and his kindness cannot be found anywhere else," he said.

他说，“他是一位受所有人爱戴和尊敬的国王。他的统治已经结束，他的仁慈再也无处可寻。”

Next in line to Thailand's royal throne is the king's son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. The crown prince, who returned home from Germany on Wednesday, has yet to gain the same respect in Thailand as his father.

泰王的继位者是他的儿子哇集拉隆功王储。这位王储周三从德国回国，他在泰国尚未获得像他的父亲一样的尊重。

The prime minister confirmed on Thursday that the crown prince will become the new king. Prayuth added that the government will observe one year of mourning for King Bhumibol.

泰国总理巴育周四确认，这位王储将成为新任国王。巴育补充说，政府将为普密蓬国王举行为期一年的哀悼。

I'm Caty Weaver.

卡蒂·韦弗报道。

Thailand is mourning King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

King Bhumibol died Thursday in Bangkok. He was 88 years old.

In recent years, the king suffered from a series of age-related health problems that mostly kept him in a Bangkok hospital.

Last weekend, Thai officials announced that his health had worsened and his condition was “not stable.”

Officials said on Thursday his health never improved and that he died peacefully.

A large crowd had gathered outside the hospital where the king was being treated. Many in the crowd broke down with emotion after hearing of his death. Some held photographs of the king and wore yellow or pink clothing in his honor.

King Bhumibol came to power 70 years ago. He was the world’s longest servingmonarch.

He was born in 1927 in the American community of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father was studying medicine. The future king was educated mostly in Europe, attending secondary school and a university in Switzerland.

He studied music, and was a skilled saxophone player and composer of jazz. He also liked sailing and wrote several books, including a best-seller about his favorite dog.

He became Thailand’s king in 1946 after the mysterious shooting death of his older brother.

King Bhumibol was greatly respected and beloved in Thailand, a deeply Buddhist country. He was known as a humble leader who directed many social and economic development projects.

His wife, Queen Sirikit, is also a beloved figure in the country. She has been in poor health for several years.

Supporters believe King Bhumibol provided unity and stability at a time when Thailand faced many social and economic problems. The country experienced political unrest several times during his rule. The current leadership took power after the military ousted the civilian government in 2014.

At times, King Bhumibol acted as a negotiator in disputes between competing military leaders. Sometimes, he approved army requests to overthrow elected governments.

The 70th anniversary of the king’s rule was celebrated in Thailand in June, when millions of people wore yellow shirts to show their support.

In a nationwide broadcast, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha called the death a tragedy for all of Thailand.

“He was a king that was loved and adored by all. The reign of the king has ended and his kindness cannot be found anywhere else,” he said.

Next in line to Thailand’s royal throne is the king’s son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. The crown prince, who returned home from Germany on Wednesday, has yet to gain the same respect in Thailand as his father.

The prime minister confirmed on Thursday that the crown prince will become the new king. Prayuth added that the government will observe one year of mourning for King Bhumibol.

I’m Caty Weaver.

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Words in This Story

monarch – n. a king or queen

saxophone – n. musical instrument with a curved metal tube at the bottom played by blowing into mouthpiece

composer – n. someone who writes music

circumstance – n. a condition or fact that affects a situation

humble – adj. not proud or believing you are important

stability – n. the state of something not easily changed

adore – v. to like something very much

reign – n. period of time a king or queen is ruler of a country