英語美文名人勵志故事40:鮑威爾展露一絕唱功的故事
40. Powell Wows Diplomats with Song
40. 鮑威爾一展歌喉，唱功“技驚四座”
Colin Powell has a hard time letting go of work, even when he's forced to play and sing.
美國國務(wù)卿科林·鮑威爾平日一向是個(gè)“工作狂”，即使是放松一下的時(shí)候，比如唱歌，也是出于工作的需要。
Since taking office last year, the ever-dignified Secretary of State has learned that karaoke is a great leveler in the Asia-Pacific, where tradition requires he and other foreign ministers to individually perform a skit-and-song in front of their peers at the end of the region's largest meeting.
這位一向不茍言笑的國務(wù)卿先生自去年上任以來已經(jīng)認(rèn)識到卡拉OK在亞太地區(qū)外交中起著舉足輕重的平衡作用。這種情況下，鮑威爾和其他各國外長在亞太地區(qū)最大的安全會議結(jié)束之時(shí)，都不得不在同僚們的面前表演上一段。
The skit opened with Powell chairing a meeting, looking completely at home as he took advice from staffers. "Don't do it," pleaded one. "No rolling on the floor this time," admonished another.
在由鮑威爾主持的亞太安全會議上，外長們的“表演”開始了。鮑威爾神態(tài)自若，不過他的隨行人員卻不停地在勸告他，其中一個(gè)人請求他說：“不要這么做”;另一個(gè)人勸誡他道：“這次不要唱歌了，因?yàn)榭瓷先ワ@得很滑稽。”
Then, the American president appeared on a huge backdrop video screen with advice for his chief "Practice this time," said President Bush.
這時(shí)，美國總統(tǒng)布什出現(xiàn)在了會堂的巨型背景屏幕上。布什向他的這位首席外交官建議道這：“次你就大膽去做吧。”
Powell and staff then rose and labored with through the old "South Pacific" standard "Some Enchanted Evening' -with lyrics bent to the arcana of Southeast Asian foreign relations.
接著，鮑威爾和其工作人員起立，滿懷熱情地緩緩唱起了那首古老的經(jīng)典南太平洋歌曲“迷人的夜晚”，其歌詞暗指了東南亞地區(qū)微妙的外交關(guān)系。
Loud applause followed. The diplomatic audience agreed--diplomatically, and on background---that Powell was "really good".
隨后響起了熱烈的掌聲。這些外交官聽眾承認(rèn)(有的是出于禮貌，有的是真的這樣認(rèn)為)鮑威爾唱得非常好。
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov also found favor, making a trip five centuries into the future and returning as a robot, singing "We Are the World".
俄羅斯外長伊戈?duì)?middot;伊凡諾夫也從中得到了樂趣。他表演的是，到500年后的未來去旅行，回來的時(shí)候變成了機(jī)器人，嘴里唱著那首《天下一家 》(We Are the World)。
Finally, all the ministers lined up to massacre an ABBA tune, "I Have a Dream".
最后，各國外長排著隊(duì)唱起了著名正在典演唱組合ABBA的歌《我有一個(gè)夢》(I Have a Dream)。
Early reviews were positive.
演出結(jié)束后，大家的反應(yīng)還不錯。
"Great fun," declared Philippine special envoy Dominggo Siazon.
菲律賓特使多明戈·西亞松聲稱，表演“太有意思”了。
"The Americans were hilarious, the Russians innovative, Powell singing was good," said Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia's foreign minister. "It was a good break after all this talk on terrorism.
“美國代表的表演非常熱鬧，俄羅斯的節(jié)目非常有創(chuàng)意。鮑威爾的演唱非常好，”馬來西亞外長賽義德 ·哈密德·阿爾巴表示“在討論恐怖主義問題后，能夠看到這樣的表演是一種很好的休息。”
