Disconsulate: Anglo-American relations
① America's new London embassy opens its doors to the public today.
② Donald Trump has had more practice opening new buildings than most, but the real-estate-mogul-turned-president didn't fancy cutting the ribbon at an official ceremony next month.
③ The snub comes at a difficult time for Anglo-American relations.
④ After cancelling his appearance, Mr Trump bemoaned the "bad deal" struck over the embassy's prior, central location in Grosvenor Square.
⑤ More likely he wanted to skirt the demonstrations his first official visit would have caused.
⑥ Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to embrace Mr Trump as the first foreign leader to visit the White House, but has since distanced herself from his more incendiary comments.
⑦ Jeremy Corbyn is the most anti-American leader the opposition Labour Party has ever had; this weekend his foreign-affairs spokesman described the president as "an asteroid of awfulness".
⑧ The diplomats' digs may be finished, but the diplomacy will need lots of spadework.
▍生词好句
consulate /ˈkɒnsjʊlət/: n. 领事馆
embassy /ˈɛmbəsi/: n. 大使馆
disconsolate /dɪsˈkɒns(ə)lət/: adj. 忧郁的
real estate: 房地产；不动产
mogul /ˈməʊɡ(ə)l/: n. 大亨；巨头
fancy (doing) sth.: 喜欢/想要……
cut the ribbon: 剪彩
snub /snʌb/: n. 冷落；怠慢
bemoan /bɪˈməʊn/: vt. 对……表示哀叹/不满
skirt /skəːt/: vt. 回避
incendiary /ɪnˈsɛndɪəri/: adj. 煽动性的
asteroid /ˈastərɔɪd/: n. 小行星
digs /dɪɡz/: n.（复数名词）住宿；住所
spadework /ˈspeɪdwəːk/: n. 艰苦的准备工作