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現年29歲，金發碧眼、有著甜美微笑的凱瑟琳?伯斯諾爾將在5月25日宣誓成為英國溫莎市的市長，她將是英國歷史上最年輕的市長。凱瑟琳表示自己當選并不是因為長相，而是她真的了解人們需要什么。在過去兩年間，凱瑟琳一直擔任溫莎市副市長。她承認，一些人對她的成功冷嘲熱諷。她當選副市長后，一些人在當地報紙上撰文說她太年輕，只因為長得漂亮才當選。但凱瑟琳認為，人們與她接觸并有所了解后就會發現她樂于參與其中的熱情和意愿。凱瑟琳和同為當地議員的丈夫被當地人戲稱為“湯姆貓”，這一綽號常用來指代好萊塢明星湯姆?克魯斯和妻子凱蒂?霍姆斯，但晚于丈夫進入政壇的她上升速度卻要比丈夫快很多。在說到自己上任后人們對她的稱呼，她表示并不想人們稱呼她為Mayoress（市長夫人），因為這是對市長的太太的稱呼，她也不愿意人們叫她Madam Mayor這樣更正統的稱呼，她還是希望人們管她叫“貓”。
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At 29, Catherine Bursnall will be England's youngest mayor. |
With her long glossy locks, model good looks and perfect smile, Catherine Bursnall is no doubt not a stranger to cruel “blonde” jokes.
But the 29-year-old is now having the last laugh – as she prepares to become England’s youngest mayor.
She will be working alongside her husband, Tom, who is also a local Conservative councilor. The pair have even been dubbed “Tom Cat” in reference to the nickname given to Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.
However, Catherine reveals she has climbed the political ranks much quicker than Tom, 30, who joined the Young Conservatives at 16 and has been promoted to national chairman.
But she's keen to point out that she believes her three-year fast-track process to mayor, for which Catherine will be inaugurated on May 25, is down to merit rather than her appearance.
“It certainly helped that I was local,” said Catherine, who was brought up in Ascot by parents Terry, 59, and Elaine, 55 - both local government officials - and moved to nearby Eton with Tom before settling in neighboring Windsor.
“I knew there were certain things people wanted, such as more police on the streets, weekly bin collections, less noise from nightclubs and better parking, because I wanted them too.
“I didn't think I was that likely to win, but somehow on the night I got elected.”
However, Tom, a politics graduate who Catherine met when they were both students at the University of Warwick in 2001 and married at the Windsor Guildhall three years ago, is more blunt about his wife's triumph.
“They underestimated Catherine and probably thought she was a blonde bimbo,” he told the Sunday Express.
“Our friends mock us because I’ve been more political throughout my life, whereas Catherine’s only been in politics for two years and yet now she’s in higher office than me.”
Catherine agreed: “I’ve always been the one walking behind Tom, posting the leaflets through the doors but now it’s the other way round.”
The sociology and psychology graduate does admits that some local residents have been quite cynical about her success, which has also seen her carrying out the deputy mayor role for the past two years.
“When I was elected as deputy, a few people wrote into the local paper saying I was too young and only been picked because of my looks,” she said.
“On the whole though, when people get to know me they can see that I care and want to get involved.”
The couple, who run successful recruitment business, The Talent Pool Company, and are currently renovating their Grade II-listed 18th century Georgian home, have also appeared in an online poll of the country’s best-looking councilors.
However, Catherine will be taking a break from the company following her inauguration at the Windsor Guildhall as her role as mayor is a full-time job and will see her carrying 750 civic duties over the next 12 months.
The former pupil of Carters School in Sunningdale said she is keen for her people-focused political career to continue.
“Being a mayor is a more community-based role and less political, which is what I enjoy most,” she said.
“I won’t be called Mayoress because that’s the name for a mayor’s wife. You’re meant to be Mr Mayor but a lot of women ask to be Madam Mayor. I’d rather just be called Cat.”
However, Tom adds, for him, it’s nothing new, joking: “I’ve been calling her a ‘mare’ for years!”
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(Agencies)
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
