英语短文名人故事 政界精英 第18期:科林.鲍威尔

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　　Colin Powell has a hard time letting go of work, even when he’s forced to play and sing. 鲍威尔平日一向是个“工作狂”，即便是放松一下 的时候，比如唱歌，也是出于工作的需要。

　　Since taking office, the ever-dignified Secretary of State has learned that karaoke is a great leveler in the Asia-Pacific, 这位一向不苟言笑的国务卿先生自上任以来已经认识到卡拉OK在亚太地区外交中起着举足轻重的平衡作用。

　　where tradition requires him and other foreign ministers to individually perform a skit¹-and-song in front of their peers at the end of the region’s largest security meeting. 这种情况下，鲍威尔和其他各国外长在亚太地区最大的安全会议结束之时，都不得不在同僚们的面前表演上一段。

　　The skit opened with Powell chairing a meeting, looking completely at home as he took advice from staffers. 在由鲍威尔主持的会议上，外长们的“表演”开始 了。鲍威尔听取了他的工作人员的建议，神态自若。

　　Then, the American president appeared on a huge backdrop video screen with advice for his chief diplomat².  这时，美国总统布什出现在了会堂的巨型背景屏幕上。

　　“Practice this time,” said President Bush. 布什向他的这位首席外交官建议道：“这次你就大胆去做吧。”

　　Powell and staff then rose and labored³ with gusto through the old “South Pacific” standard “Some Enchanted⁴ Evening”  接着，鲍威尔和其工作人员起立，满怀热情地缓 缓唱起了那首古老的经典南太平洋歌曲《迷人的夜晚》，

　　with lyrics⁵ bent⁶ to the arcana of Southeast Asian foreign relations. 其歌词暗指了东南亚地区微妙的外交关系。

　　Loud applause followed. The diplomatic audience agreed —diplomatically, and on background 一 that Powell was “really good.” 随后响起了热烈的掌声。这些外交官听众承认（有的是出于礼貌，有的是真的这样认为）鲍威尔唱得非常好。

　　Finally, all the ministers lined up to massacre⁷ an Abba tune,"I Have a Dream.”  最后，各国外长排着队唱起了著名瑞典演唱组合 Abba的歌《我有一个梦》，

　　Early reviews were positive. 演出结束后，大家的反应还不错。

　　The Americans were hilarious⁸, the Russians innovative⁹.  美国代表的表演非常热闹，俄罗斯的节目非常有创意

　　"Powell singing was good,” said Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia’s foreign minister.  “鲍威尔的演唱非常好，”马来西亚外长赛义德.米 德.阿尔巴表示，

　　“It was a good break after all this talk on terrorism."  在讨论恐怖主义问题后，能够看到这样的表演是一种很好的休息。

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