《中英對照讀新聞》London mayor laughs off old Hillary Clinton insult 倫敦市長對往昔辱罵希拉蕊一笑置之

◎張沛元

It was a brief meeting in New York between two ambitious politicians understood to be fervently seeking top office in their respective countries.

這兩位都正積極在各自國家爭取大位的政治人物相會，是一場短暫的會面。

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But before London Mayor Boris Johnson could shake hands with US former secretary of state and potential 2016 White House candidate Hillary Clinton, he had to dodge an embarrassing blast from the past.

但在倫敦市長波瑞斯．強森能夠與美國前國務卿與有可能在2016年問鼎白宮的希拉蕊．柯林頓握手前，他得先巧妙躲避令人尷尬的往日批評。

In a 2007 British newspaper column, he likened her to a "sadistic nurse in a mental hospital," remarks dug up with glee by reporters covering the gaff-prone but popular mayor’s six-day trade mission to the United States to promote London business.

他在2007年時的一篇英國報紙專欄上，把希拉蕊比作「精神病院的殘酷護士」；當這位經常說錯話但深受歡迎的市長前往美國展開為倫敦招商的6天貿易任務時，隨行採訪記者便興高采烈地把這段往日發言挖出來。

Hillary Clinton appeared poised to win the Democrats nomination for the 2008 presidential election when Johnson took aim in a November 2007 article in Britain’s right-wing Daily Telegraph.

當希拉蕊．柯林頓看似篤定能在2008年美國總統大選民主黨黨內提名戰中勝出時，強森於2007年11月的英國右派報紙《每日電訊報》的一篇文章中點名批評她。

"She’s got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital," he wrote. （AFP）

「她有一頭染色金髮、翹嘴唇與鋼藍色的眼眸，就像個精神病院的殘酷護士，」他如此寫道。（法新社）

新聞辭典

laugh off：慣用語，以笑掩蓋或對…一笑置之。例句：She laughed off the incident.（她對這件事一笑置之。）

respective：形容詞，各別的，各自的。

liken someone or something to someone or something：慣用語，把某人或某事比做某人或某事。例句：The actress has been likened to a young Elizabeth Taylor.（這位女星一直被比作是年輕版的玉婆伊麗莎白．泰勒。）