Ever since I first stepped through the door behind me as Prime Minister,
I have striven to make the UK a country that works not just for a privileged few
but for everyone, and to honour the result of the EU referendum
Back in 2016 we gave the British people a choice. Against all predictions
the British people voted to leave the EU. I feel as certain today as
I did three years ago that in a democracy if you give people a choice
you have a duty to implement what they decide. I have done my best to do that.
I negotiated the terms of our exit and a new relationship with our
closest neighbours that protects jobs, our security and our union.
I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal.
Sadly I have not been able to do so. I tried three times.
I believe it was right to persevere even when the odds against successseemed high.
But it is now clear to me that it is in the best interests of the country
for a new Prime Minister to lead that effort. So I am today announcing
that I will resign as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party on Friday,
June 7, so that a successor can be chosen.
the odds against something意思是“某事情不会成功的机率”，
例如：The odds against his winning the race are high.
他赢得比赛的概率不高。要表达相反的意思可以说The odds in favor of something;
it is in the best interests of XX to do something是一个固定句式，意思是“做某事对XX最有利”。
I have agreed with the party chairman, and the chairman of the 1922 Committee,
that the process for electing a new leader should begin in the following week.
the 1922 Committee即“1922委员会”，这是指英国保守党在国会下议院的议会党团。
I have kept Her Majesty The Queen fully informed of my intentions
and I will continue to serve as her Prime Minister until the process has concluded.
Her Majesty The Queen是对女王的尊称，如果尊称国王则是His Majesty the King
It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me
that I have not been able to deliver Brexit. It will be for my successor
to seek a way forward that honours the result of the referendum.
To succeed, he or she will have to find consensus in Parliament where I have not
.he or she will have to find consensus in Parliament where I have not found consensus.
Such a consensus can only be reached if those on all sides of the debate are willing to compromise.
For many years, the great humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton
- who saved the lives of hundreds of children by arranging
their evacuation from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia through
Kindertransport - was my constituent in Maidenhead.
At another time of political controversy, a few years
before his death, he took me to one side at a local event and gave me a piece of advice.
He said: 'Never forget that compromise is not a dirty word.
Life depends on compromise.' He was right.
As we strive to find the compromises we
need in our politics, whether to deliver Brexit or restore devolved government
in Northern Ireland, we must remember what brought us here.
Because the referendum was not just a call to leave the EU, but for profound
change in our country, a call to make the UK a country that truly works for
everyone. I am proud of the progress we have made over the last three years.
We have completed the work that David Cameron and George Osborne
started. The deficit is almost eliminated, our national debt is falling
and we are bringing an end to austerity.
My focus has been on ensuring that the good jobs of the future will be
created in communities across the whole country - not just in London and the south-east - through
our modern industrial strategy.
We have helped more people than ever enjoy the security of a job.
We are building more homes and helping first-time buyers onto the housing ladder
so that young people can enjoy the opportunities their parent did.
And we are protecting the environment: eliminating plastic waste,
tackling climate change and improving air quality. This is what a
decent, moderate and patriotic Conservative government, on the
common ground of British politics, can achieve - even as we tackle
the biggest peacetime challenge of any government has faced.
I know that the Conservative Party can renew itself in the years
ahead, that we can deliver Brexit and serve the British people with
policies inspired by our values: security, freedom and opportunity.
Those values have guided me throughout my career.
But the unique privilege of this office is to use this platform
to give a voice to the voiceless. To fight the burning injustices
that still scar our society. That is why I put proper funding for
mental health at the heart of our NHS long-term plan,
it's why I'm ending the postcode lottery for survivors of domestic abuse.
It is why the race disparity audit and gender pay reporting are shining a light on inequality
so it has nowhere to hide. And it is why I set up the independent public inquiry into
the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, to search for the truth so nothing like it can ever happen again,
and so the people who lost their lives that night are never forgotten.
Because this country is a union, not just a family of four nations.
But a union of people. All of us. Whatever our background, the colour of our skin or
who we love, we stand together. And together, we have a great future.
这里对together进行了重复，强调了团结的重要性。
Our politics may be under strain, but there is so much that is
good about this country. So much to be proud of. So much to be optimistic about.
I will shortly leave the job that has been the honour of my life to hold.
The second female Prime Minister, but certainly not the last.
I do so with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude
to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love.