Angela Merkel, who has steered¹ Germany through several global crises as its first female leader, said last Sunday that she will seek a fourth term as chancellor² in general elections next year.

安吉拉·默克尔上周日宣称，将在明年举行的大选中谋求第四个总理任期。作为德国首位女性领导人，默克尔领导德国度过了多次全球危机。

"I literally³ thought about this decision endlessly ... but I am ready to run for office again," Merkel told reporters. "I want to serve Germany."

默克尔告诉记者：“我确实反复考虑过这个决定……但我已准备好再次竞选。我想要为德国服务。”

The 62-year-old has repeatedly been named "the world's most powerful woman" by Forbes magazine.

这位62岁的总理已经多次被《福布斯杂志》评选为“世界最具权力的女性。”

She expected challenges from both the right and the left of the political spectrum⁴. This election will be difficult - like no other election since the reunification of West and East Germany in 1990, she said.

默克尔预计会面临来自左右翼政党的挑战，她表示这次选举会困难重重——这不同于自1990年东德西德统一以来的任何其他选举。

Merkel became chancellor in 2005. If she wins next year and serves the entire four-year term, Merkel would match Helmut Kohl's post-war record of 16 years in office.

2005年，默克尔担任德国总理。如果默克尔赢得明年的大选，并完成整个4年任期，她将追平赫尔穆特·科尔创下的战后在位16年的纪录。

Nearly 60 percent of Germans surveyed in a recent poll said they wanted Merkel to run again, said Manfred Guellner, head of the Forsa polling agency.

民调机构Forsa的负责人曼弗雷德·戈尔纳称，在最近的一次民意调查中，将近60%的德国民众表示，他们希望默克尔再次竞选。