離開
進入《中 對照讀新聞》US cables call Merkel the "Teflon" chancellor 美國使館電文稱梅克爾為「不沾鍋」總理
◎俞智敏
German leader Angela Merkel brushed off reports in secret U.S. diplomatic cables that describe her as the "Teflon" chancellor as mere party chatter.
德國總理梅克爾對於媒體報導美國機密外交電文形容她為「不沾鍋」總理的說法不予理會，表示這只不過是派對閒話。
Most of what is said about Germany in the leaked U.S. Embassy cables released by the WikiLeaks website "is part of every better party and therefore we weren’t all that excited," Merkel told journalists.
在維基解密網站公布的美國使館電文中，提到德國的內容「不過是派對裡的一部分，所以我們並不會大驚小怪，」梅克爾向記者表示。
The cables also describe her as risk-averse and seldom creative. In them, U.S. diplomats describe her as "Teflon" chancellor in an apparent reference to her ability to stay above the political fray --something that German commentators noted for years.
電文中還形容梅克爾厭惡冒險，鮮有創意。美國外交官在電文中稱梅克爾為「不沾鍋」總理，顯然意指她總是能夠置身政治爭議之外─德國政治評論家多年來早就不斷指出這一點。
The content of some of the cables, however, appeared to have forced the sacking of the chief of staff of German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle.
但部分電文的內容卻似乎造成德國外長威斯特威勒的幕僚長被迫去職。
A spokesman for Westerwelle’s Free Democrats party said Helmut Metzner’s contract was terminated, days after it was disclosed he informed the U.S. Ambassador Philip Murphy about the content of the party’s coalition negotiations with Merkel’s conservative party following the 2009 elections.
就在媒體披露威斯特威勒幕僚長梅次納曾告知美國駐德大使莫菲，有關威斯特威勒領導的自由民主黨在2009年國會大選後與梅克爾所領導的保守派政黨共組聯合政府之談判內幕數天後，自由民主黨發言人表示，梅次納的合約已經中止。
German officials have repeatedly stressed that the leaked documents -- which described Merkel, foreign minister Guido Westerwelle and others in sometimes unflattering terms -- won’t damage the good working relationship with the U.S. on the long run.
德國官員已一再強調，這些外洩的文件雖然有時以不留情面的字眼形容梅克爾、外長威斯特威勒及其他官員，但長期而言並無損於德美兩國間的良好合作關係。
新聞辭典
Teflon：原指鐵弗龍材質製成的不沾鍋具，常引申為形容詞，用來嘲諷某人規避責任的能力，如the Teflon president（不沾鍋總統）。
brush off：不理會、摒棄某人或某事，如The prime minister brushed off that criticism, saying it was just talk.（首相對該項批評不予理會，他表示那純屬空談。）
above the fray：片語，指不捲入特定爭議、置身事外，常接在stay、keep或remain後使用，如The president will try to stay above the political fray.（總統會試著不捲入政治爭議中。）
