Conrad Bain of "Different Strokes" dies at 89

 　　BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Actor Conrad Bain, best known for his role in the TV sitcom¹ "Diff'rent Strokes", died at the age of 89, his daughter said on Wednesday.

　　His daughter, Jennifer Bain, said to PEOPLE that her father died on Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, California.

　　Jennifer said, "He'd been unconscious for a couple of days, but he was comfortable and it was very peaceful." It was three weeks away from his 90th birthday.

　　Bain played as a kindly² white New Yorker who adopts two African-American brothers in the comedy "Diff'rent Strokes", which was a hit and stayed on the air from 1978 to 1986 on NBC.

　　Bain's character as Philip Drummond in "Diff'rent Strokes" promises his dying housekeeper³ that he would raise her two sons as race and class relations are the centerpiece of the drama.

　　"My father really was a lot like his character in 'Diff'rent Strokes'," said Jennifer. "He had that warmth and stability. He also was a very intellectual person."Born in Alberta, Canada, in 1923, Bain served in the Canadian Army during World War II and got his U.S. citizenship⁴ in 1946. He later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and became an actor on Broadway and television, according to Reuters.

　　He often portrayed⁵ professional characters such as the likes of lawyers, executives, politicians and doctors.

1 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

2 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

3 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

4 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

5 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》