U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama took a lighthearted break from campaigning Thursday at a charity dinner in New York City. The Republican and Democratic party candidates poked fun at each other and at themselves before an audience including many of the nation's leading political figures.
美国共和党总统候选人麦凯恩和民主党总统候选人奥巴马星期四在竞选活动中忙里偷闲，参加了纽约市的一个慈善晚宴，有美国的一些主要政界领袖。这两位候选人在晚宴上互相调侃，渡过了一段轻松的时光。
Senators McCain and Obama were on stage together for a second night in a row, following their third and final debate of the election campaign on Wednesday. But at the annual Al Smith memorial dinner, a political tradition in New York, the candidates were competing to see who could trigger the biggest laughs.
麦凯恩参议员和奥巴马参议员连续第二个晚上出现在同一个讲台上，星期三他们进行了第三轮，也是最后一轮总统辩论。星期四在史密斯纪念晚宴上，两位候选人相互比赛，看谁讲的笑话最能逗人大笑。这个晚宴已成为纽约市的政治传统。
McCain struck first.
首先是麦凯恩发言。
"A major announcement. Events are moving fast in my campaign, and yes, it's true that this morning I've dismissed my entire team of senior advisers," he joked. "All of their positions will now be held by a man named 'Joe the Plumber.'"
“公布一个重大消息，我的竞选班子事态发展非常迅速。是的，今天早上，我解雇了我的资深顾问团的全体成员。他们的职务现在全部由一个叫‘水管工人乔’的人接管。”
"Joe the Plumber" is a businessman from Ohio who challenged Obama at one of his campaign appearances, and who was invoked repeatedly by both senators in their debate this week.
这个被称为“水管工人乔”的人是来自俄亥俄州的一位生意人，他在奥巴马出席的一次竞选活动中向奥巴马提出了挑战。在星期三的总统辩论中，两位总统候选人曾多次提到“水管工人乔”。
Obama, in turn, announced that his vice presidential running mate, Senator Joseph Biden, now prefers to be known simply as "Joe the Senator."
奥巴马也开玩笑宣布，他的副总统竞选夥伴约瑟夫·拜登，现在希望人们称他为“参议员乔”，以示区别。
The Al Smith dinner honors a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for president 80 years ago and raises money for Catholic charities. The traditional gathering attracts politicians from all parties, and only humorous speeches are allowed.
史密斯纪念晚宴是为了纪念80年前竞选总统失利的一位民主党人。晚宴上筹集的钱将用于天主教的慈善事业。这个传统的聚会吸引了来自各个党派的政界人士，晚宴上只允许幽默风趣的演讲。
In an earlier debate this month McCain referred to Obama, standing near him onstage, not by name but as "that one" - a remark that some criticized as demeaning or even insulting. The Arizona senator joked on Thursday that he came up with the phrase after hearing that some of Obama's most ardent supporters referred to him reverently as "the one."
在这个月先前举行的一次辩论中，麦凯恩不称呼奥巴马的名字，而是把他说成“那一位”。当时，奥巴马站在讲台的另一端。一些人批评麦凯恩的说法有贬低，甚至侮辱的意味。来自亚利桑那州的麦凯恩参议员在星期四的晚宴上开玩笑说，他是听了奥巴马最坚定的支持者把奥巴马尊称为“要来的那一位”之后，才提出“那一位”的说法的。
"Being a friend and colleague of Barack, I just called him 'that one.' [laughter] My friends, he doesn't mind at all," McCain said. "In fact, he even has a pet name for me: George Bush."
“我是作为奥巴马的朋友和同事才称他为‘那一位’的。朋友们，他一点都不在意。事实上，他甚至也给我起了一个小名，那就是‘乔治·W·布什’。”
McCain also won laughs by slyly suggesting that former President Bill Clinton's support for Obama has been less than wholehearted, because the Illinois senator won his party's nomination only after crushing the presidential hopes of Mr. Clinton's wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Speaking after McCain, Obama surveyed the audience and said: "There is no other crowd in America that I'd rather be palling around with right now."
麦凯恩讲话后，奥巴马环顾在坐的人说，“现在，在美国没有任何一群人比这群人让我更愿意与之结交的了。”
A wry reference to allegations by McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, that Obama had been "palling around with" people once considered American terrorists.
奥巴马这么说带有挖苦的意味，因为麦凯恩的竞选搭档阿拉斯加州长佩林曾指责奥巴马和曾经被视为美国国内恐怖分子的人结交。
"It is a tribute to American democracy that with two weeks left in a hardfought election, the two of us could come together and sit down together at the same dinner table ... without preconditions," Obama kept his humor deadpan. "Now recently one of John's advisers told the Daily News [newspaper] that if we keep talking about the economy, McCain's going to lose. So tonight I'd like to talk about the economy."
奥巴马不露声色地讲著笑话，“这场艰难的美国大选就剩下两星期了，我们两位能够不带任何条件地坐在同一个晚宴桌前，这本身就是对美国民主的颂扬。最近麦凯恩的一位顾问对‘每日新闻’说，如果我们继续谈论经济问题，麦凯恩肯定会输。所以，今天晚上，我就来谈谈经济问题。”
The candidates laughed heartily at each other's jokes, but they also spoke warmly about their mutual respect and admiration.
两位总统候选人对对方所讲的笑话都抱以开怀大笑，但是他们也表达了对彼此的尊重和仰慕。
McCain said Obama "is an impressive fellow in many ways."
麦凯恩说，奥巴马在很多方面都是一个令人钦佩的人。
"Political opponents can have a little trouble in seeing the best in each other, but I've had a few glimpses of this man at his best, and I admire his great skill, energy and determination," McCain said.
McCain said Senator Obama's campaign has made history.
他说，奥巴马的竞选创造了历史。
"There was a time when a mere invitation of an African-American citizen to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage and an insult in many quarters," he noted. "Today is a world away from the crude and prideful bigotry of that time, and good riddance. I can't wish my opponent luck, but I do wish him well."
Obama reflected on the tough battles that have marked this presidential campaign.
奥巴马则回顾说，这次总统竞选活动的特点是，每一场战役都很艰难。
"But I've said before and I think it bears repeating, that there are very few of us who have served this country with the same dedication and honor and distinction as Senator McCain," Obama said. "No matter what divisions or differences or arguments we're having right now, we ultimately belong to something bigger and more lasting than a political party. We belong to a community. We share a country. We are all children of God." |