離開
進入中英對照讀新聞／New Yorkers split on Bloomberg’s Irish gaffe 紐約人對彭博市長的愛爾蘭笑話失言風波看法分歧
◎俞智敏
As New Yorkers celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day, one sour note hung in the air： the mayor’s failed attempt to crack a joke about Irish drinking.
正當紐約人在慶祝聖派屈克節之際，一件不愉快的事卻縈繞在眾人心頭，那就是市長拿愛爾蘭人愛貪杯的刻板印象開玩笑卻鬧出了笑話。
A poll released on the morning of the Irish holiday found that 47 percent of New Yorkers believe Mayor Michael Bloomberg caused offense last month when he made the drunkenness gag during a speech at the American Irish Historical Society. The poll found only 45 percent thought Irish Americans should "laugh it off."
在這個愛爾蘭節日早上所公布的民調顯示，47%的紐約人認為彭博市長上月在美國愛爾蘭歷史學會發表演說時，拿酒醉一事插科打諢惹人反感。調查中發現，只有45%的民眾認為，愛爾蘭裔美國人應對此事「一笑置之」。
Bloomberg has apologized for his tongue-in-cheek comment during an address at the historical society located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
彭博已為他在這座位於曼哈頓上東區的歷史學會發表演說時，所提出的半開玩笑式評語正式道歉。
"Normally when I walk by this building there are a bunch of people that are totally inebriated hanging out the window. I know that’s a stereotype about the Irish, but nevertheless we Jews around the corner think this," Bloomberg told his stunned audience.
「我在經過這棟大樓時，常會見到一群喝得酩酊大醉的人掛在窗外。我知道這是對愛爾蘭人的刻板印象，但我們這兒的猶太人還是這麼想。」彭博對著目瞪口呆的聽眾說。
The spat was one of many troubles piling up for the billionaire mayor in his third term. A recent poll found his approval rating the lowest in eight years.
這場口水戰只是這位億萬富豪在第三任市長任期內所惹出的連串麻煩之一。最近一項民調也發現，他的支持率已降至8年來的新低。
新聞辭典
strike/hit a sour note：片語，意指某件令人不快的事，如News of the accident hit a sour note in our holiday celebration.（這件意外的消息傳來，讓我們的假期慶祝活動蒙上陰影。）
laugh something off：片語，指以輕鬆的態度對待嚴肅問題、一笑置之，如Although his feelings were hurt, he just laughed the incident off as if nothing had happened. （雖然他內心感到受傷，卻仍然像什麼事都沒發生般地一笑置之。）
inebriated：形容詞，指喝得醉醺醺的、酒醉的，如In his inebriated state, he was ready to agree to anything.（在喝得醉醺醺的情況下，他什麼事都可能答應。）
