2009年十大道歉(中英对照)--8 吴士异教授翻译
8. Who's the Boss? 谁是老大？
翻译：吴士异教授
（英语原文来源：《纽约时代》周刊）
By RANDY JAMES Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
Michael Steele may be the head of the Republican National Committee, but apparently he's outranked by bombastic radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. In an interview on CNN in February, shortly after his election to the post, Steele sought to downplay Limbaugh's influence in the party, calling him an "entertainer" whose style was "incendiary" and "ugly." But in politics, important titles don't always carry the power to match, and soon Steele was eating his words. "I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh," he promptly told Politico. "I wasn't trying to slam him or anything." Steele was not the first prominent Republican to retreat after speaking ill of "El Rushbo," who commands an audience of an estimated 14 million listeners a week. Georgia Republican Representative Phil Gingrey apologized in January a day after suggesting that Limbaugh and other commentators simply "stand back and throw bricks." And in April, an aide to Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt scrambled to smooth feathers after the Representative also called Limbaugh "just an entertainer." Said Tiahrt's spokesman: "Nothing the Congressman said diminished the role Rush has played and continues to play in the conservative movement."
迈克尔·斯蒂尔是共和党全国委员会的主席，但他的地位显然比不上夸夸其谈的反弹节目主持人拉什Rushbo·林博。2月份，在他被选举走上这个职位之后不久，在CNN （美国有线电视新闻网 CNN：Cable News Network）的一次采访中，迈克尔·斯蒂尔试图贬低拉什·林博在党内的影响，成他为“江湖艺人”，他的风格具有“煽动性”，但很“丑陋”。但是，在政治上显赫的头衔并不总是和他的权利等同的。很快斯蒂尔就自食其言了。“我极其尊重拉什·林博，”他当下又对政界说，“我不是在有意抨击他或怎么的。”斯蒂尔并不是第一个在说了“埃尔·拉什博”坏话之后又感到自馁的共和党要员。拉什·林博估计每周就有1400万听众。乔治亚州共和党议员菲尔·金格雷在一月份的一天说林博和其他的评论家只不过是“站在背后扔砖头的人”。一月份，堪萨斯州的众议员托德·提亚赫特就是其中一个。在提亚赫特说林博为“江湖艺人”之后，他的发言人就摆出一副息事宁人的姿态说：“议员的话没有任何贬低拉什作用和继续在保守运动中发挥作用的意思。” |
