離開
進入《中英對照讀新聞》 Saudi media fall for Obama Muslim joke沙烏地媒體誤信歐巴馬是穆斯林的戲言
◎張沛元
When a US satirist joked that President Barack Obama will admit to Congress that he is Muslim in his latest compromise with Republicans, Saudi media took it seriously.
當美國一名諷刺作家戲稱歐巴馬總統將會在他最新與共和黨人的妥協中，向國會坦承他是穆斯林時，沙烏地阿拉伯媒體信以為真。
On Friday the online version of Al-Hayat newspaper and the prominent news website Sabq.org both reported straightforwardly humourist Andy Borowitz’s column that began：
週五網路版的Al-Hayat報與知名新聞網站Sabq.org，雙雙直接報導幽默作家安迪．波洛維茲的專欄，該文如此起頭：
"In his latest effort to find common ground with Republicans in Congress, President Barack Obama said today that he was willing to agree that he is a Muslim.
「在他最新一次努力與國會共和黨人尋求基本共識上，歐巴馬總統今天表示，他願意承認他是一名穆斯林。」
"In agreeing that he is a Muslim, Mr. Obama is sending a clear signal that he is trying to find consensus," Borowitz wrote.
「藉由承認他是穆斯林，歐巴馬先生傳達一項清楚訊息，即他試圖尋求共識。」波洛維茲如此寫道。
Both Al-Hayat, one of the Middle East’s most influential newspapers, and Sabq, believed to be controlled by the Saudi interior ministry, apparently missed the joke.
身為中東最具影響力報紙之一的Al-Hayat，與據信由沙烏地阿拉伯內政部控制的Sabq，顯然都沒看出來這是玩笑話。
"Obama doesn’t mind coming out as a Muslim if that will satisfy the Republicans," the Al-Hayat headline said.
「倘若此舉能讓共和黨人滿意，歐巴馬不介意出面坦承自己是穆斯林，」Al-Hayat的標題如此說。
"Obama： ’I’m ready to announce that I am a Muslim,’" led Sabq.
Sabq的標題則是，「歐巴馬說：『我準備好宣布我是穆斯林』。」
新聞辭典
fall for something：慣用語，毫無保留地相信某事。例句：My boss fell for the excuse I gave him about getting stuck in traffic.（我的老闆對於我說的塞車藉口照單全收。）
take something seriously：慣用語，對某事認真以對。例句：You shouldn’t take a stranger’s opinion so seriously.（你幹嘛那麼在乎一個陌生人的看法。）
common ground：指共識，共通點。
