with the election of a new prime minister in 1979,

適逢 1979 年新任首相大選

Margaret Thatcher.

瑪格麗特．柴契爾

Street name: Missus.

尊稱：夫人

Thatcher's election was a watershed.

柴契爾夫人的當選是歷史轉折點

It proved that absolutely anyone could become Prime Minister

顯然證明任何人皆能成為首相

provided they went to Oxford and married a millionaire.

前提是需要就讀牛津大學再嫁個百萬富翁

As well as a uterus, Mrs. Thatcher had a vision, an economic vision with all coins up it.

如同身在子宮看世界，柴契爾夫人察覺世界脈動並推行經濟舉措

She believed in laissez-faire economics, which is French for something

她主張自由經濟，這詞源自法文「放任」

and then English again for the economics bit.

後來轉變成英文使用在經濟領域上

Mrs. Thatcher had saved the nation from chaos with her tough economic policies

柴契爾夫人藉由強悍的經濟政策弭平國家混亂

and a grateful nation erupted into lively street parties.

然而備受歡迎的首相也引發眾多街頭團體的不滿

The sense of jubilation continued during the royal wedding of the century.

愉悅的歡呼聲持續到世紀皇家婚禮

It was a dream come true as the then-future and still future King of England, the Prince of Charles,

美夢成真，未來英國王位繼承人 ─ 查理斯王子

married one of the three people in his marriage,

迎娶兩段婚姻中的第一任妻子

the future Queen of Hearts

未來的紅心皇后

Lady Diana Frank Spencer

黛安娜王妃

in a wedding just like something from a fairy tale, except without a wolf or dwarves or a beanstalk

婚禮好似童話故事，只是沒有狼、矮人、豌豆

or a happy ending.

或一個幸福結局

While people waved flags like idiots at home,

儘管國內人民像傻瓜一樣舉旗歡慶

trouble was brewing overseas at a faraway corner of foreign Britain known as the Isle of Falklands Island.

厄運卻發生在外海英屬領土的福克蘭群島

This island was invaded by Argentinas who'd mistaken it for an

阿根廷入侵島上

identical island they'd left lying around in exactly the same place a few centuries ago.

宣稱幾世紀前就已經擁有福克蘭群島的主權

Mrs. Thatcher immediately fought back by bravely ordering troops

柴契爾夫人立即調遣軍隊反擊

to fight and die on her behalf. And soon that famous flag, the Union Jack, was

為她奮勇死戰，隨後知名的聯合傑克旗

flying over the Isle of Falklands Island once again.

再次飄揚在福克蘭群島

Beating the Argentines at war sealed Mrs. Thatcher's reputation as a tough guy so much that people started

擊退阿根廷鞏固了柴契爾夫人的名聲，因其作風強悍

to call her the Iron Lady and she soon got another chance to prove how hard she was,

人民開始稱她為「鐵娘子」，她也馬上有機會證明自己的強悍風格

not in a major war, but a minor strike.

不是體現在重大的戰爭事件，而是低下階層的罷工

The miners struck their strike in 1984,

1984 年英國礦工大罷工

led by their leader, Arthur Scarface.

由亞瑟．斯卡費斯主導

Thatcher refused to back down and soon the two sides were at war.

柴契爾夫人拒絕妥協，罷工團體和政府發生紛爭

A class war.

階級鬥爭展開

The rich police on their horses in their smart uniforms and the poor dirty miners

富有的警察穿著整齊制服騎著馬對抗貧窮骯髒的礦工

fighting with bits of coal.

礦工不斷丟擲煤塊

It was like something out of the Russian Revolution

此事件極似俄國革命

except it was happening here, in Britain, somewhere near you,

只是這發生在英國，可能和你們的遭遇很相近

if you live near a mine.

如果你剛好住在礦區附近

The miners strike, perhaps the most bitter dispute Britain had seen in years

礦工罷工可能是英國最為人詬病的議題

tore generations apart before ending in 1985, one whole year before the

1985 年末，罷工事件硬是把歷史時代撕成兩半

terrestrial broadcast premiere of the BBC sitcom, Brush Strokes.

隔年誕生了 BBC 情境喜劇節目 ─ Brush Strokes

With the miners crushed, like miners in a bad mine

隨著礦工垮台，像是礦場倒塌

Thatcher was free to pursue her economic dreams

柴契爾終能實施她的經濟理想

by privatising some of Britain's biggest assets.

將部分大型國營企業民營化

Thanks to the big sell-off, anyone could get rich, providing they had loads of spare money already,

多虧股市拋售，任何人皆可致富，前提是需要事先準備一筆錢

a system still in use to this day.

這體系仍舊持續運作