全球在位时间最长的君主泰国国王逝世

AS IT IS 2016-10-14 Thailand’s Long Serving King Dies 全球在位时间最长的君主泰国国王逝世

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 serving monarch¹.

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 Buddhist³ country. He was known as a humble⁴ 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 unity² 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 ousted⁵ the civilian⁶ government in 2014.

At times, King Bhumibol acted as a negotiator in disputes between competing military leaders. Sometimes, he approved army requests to overthrow⁷ elected governments.

The 70th anniversary of the king’s rule was celebrated⁸ 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 reign⁹ 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.

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

1 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

4 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

5 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

8 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

9 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。