《中英對照讀新聞》Guenther Schabowski, man who accidentally opened Berlin Wall, dies at 86 意外開放柏林圍牆的君特．夏波夫斯基86歲辭世

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Guenther Schabowski, the former senior East German Communist official who accidentally announced the opening of the Berlin Wall, has died aged 86, German media reported on Sunday.

意外宣布開放柏林圍牆的前東德共黨高階官員君特．夏波夫斯基辭世，享壽86歲，德國媒體週日報導。

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Schabowski, a member of and spokesman for the Soviet bloc state’s ruling Politburo, was speaking at an otherwise dull news conference on Nov. 9, 1989, when he was asked by a journalist about current travel rules.

身兼這個蘇聯集團國家執政的政治局成員與發言人，夏波夫斯基在1989年11月9日記者會上的發言，扭轉了沉悶的氣氛，當時他被一名記者問及有關當前旅遊規範的問題。

Pressure had been building on the East German government for months to grant its citizens the freedom to travel to the West and a clearly underprepared Schabowski stunned the journalists present with his answer.

東德政府因是否核准公民自由通行西德已承受數月壓力，而顯然準備不足的夏波夫斯基卻做出令記者備感震驚的回答。

"Therefore... um... we have decided today... um... to implement a regulation that allows every citizen of the German Democratic Republic... um... to... um... leave East Germany through any of the border crossings," Schabowski said.

「因此…嗯…我們今天決定…將實施容許每個德意志民主共和國的公民…嗯…越過任何邊界出入站…嗯…離開東德的規定，」夏波夫斯基說。

He was then asked when the new rule would take effect. "According to my information... immediately, without delay," he stammered. It later emerged the announcement was not supposed to be released until 4am the next morning. But his confused utterances became a political bombshell.

接著他被問到該新規定何時生效。「根據我的消息…立刻，刻不容緩，」他結結巴巴地說。之後的消息是，這項聲明應在翌日清晨4時後才發佈。然而他含糊的言詞，已成為政治炸彈。

Journalists immediately began reporting that the Wall was open, spurring a mad dash by joyful East Germans for the border. East Germany’s Communist regime swiftly collapsed, free elections followed and the state itself vanished with German reunification in October 1990. (AP)

記者隨即開始報導柏林圍牆開放了，引發歡樂的東德人瘋狂奔赴邊界。東德共產政權快速垮台，自由選舉接著登場，這個國家在1990年10月因德國統一而消逝。

（美聯社）

新聞辭典

underprepared：形容詞，準備不足的、準備不充分的。例句：If you are underprepared the likelihood of success is reduced. （若你準備不充分，成功的機率就會降低。）

stammer：動詞，口吃。例句：She stammered into silence.（她結巴幾句便說不出話了。）

dash：動詞，猛衝、急奔。例句：She dashed into a shop.（她衝進一家店裡。）