New British PM's wife could soften image
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英国第一夫人之初印象
New British PM's wife could soften image
[ 2007-06-29 09:16 ]
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah arrive at 10 Downing Street in London June 27, 2007.
Sarah Brown, the discreet wife of Britain's new prime minister Gordon Brown, offers a stark contrast to Tony Blair's high-profile spouse Cherie -- and could help soften her husband's dour image.
Cherie has never shied away from wearing an "I Love TB" badge at a Labour conference, detailing her first kiss to a journalist or seeming to disagree with some of her husband's policies.
Sarah -- who reportedly has a rocky relationship with Cherie -- prefers to stay on the sidelines and let Gordon Brown do the talking.
Her low-key style means she is unlikely to face criticism from tabloid newspapers in the same way as Cherie, a successful human rights lawyer often accused of having a taste for high living and new age fads.
But if Sarah, the former public relations executive prefers to stay out of the limelight, it is because she wants to see the centre stage reserved for her husband.
Born in 1963 in Buckinghamshire, southern England, Sarah spent much of her childhood in Tanzania, where her parents were working, before returning to England aged seven when they were seperated.
She then lived with her mother and two brothers in north London and has hinted that the family had some difficulties as it regrouped.
It may have been this experience which fuelled her interest in working with charities helping single mothers, an interest shared with Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who is a friend.
Sarah met her future husband through her work but it was not until spring 1994, when she and Brown shared a flight between London and Scotland, that they got to know each other properly.
As Brown's wife, she takes care over her hair and make-up and dresses in a smart but low-key style.
"As Mrs. Blair waves goodbye, the quiet woman knows her day is coming," the Mail said.
英国新任首相戈登·布朗的夫人莎拉低调谦逊，与布莱尔夫人切丽的高调形象形成鲜明对比，这可能有助于平衡布朗严肃古板的形象。
切丽从不会羞于在工党会议上戴“我爱托尼·布莱尔”的徽章、不介意将自己的初吻故事告诉记者、也不会回避自己对丈夫某些政策的不同意见。
据说与切丽的关系有些问题的莎拉则更喜欢站在一边，让丈夫出头。
她低调的处事方式意味着她不可能像切丽那样去面对一些小报的评论。身为成功人权律师的切丽常因追求奢华生活和新时代风潮而遭到指责。
但如果说曾为公关经理的莎拉不喜欢站在聚光灯下的话，那也是因为她想把舞台留给丈夫。
莎拉于1963年出生在英国南部的白金汉郡，她童年的大部分时光是在父母的工作地坦桑尼亚度过的。莎拉七岁那年，父母离异，她回到英国。
之后，她与母亲和两个兄弟生活在伦敦北部，据她提供的信息，当时家庭在重新组织的过程中遇到了一些麻烦。
可能是这种经历让莎拉十分热衷于与慈善团体合作帮助单亲妈妈，她的朋友、《哈利·波特》的作者JK·罗琳也是这方面的热衷者。
莎拉在工作中认识了布朗，但直到1994年春他们共乘一个伦敦到苏格兰的航班时，两人才开始真正的去了解对方。
作为布朗的夫人，莎拉对头发护理和化妆很在意，在穿着方面，她的风格是低调而大方。
《每日邮报》说：“当布莱尔夫人挥手告别之时，这位安静的女人心里清楚该是她的天下了！”
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