宏浩翻譯有限公司

Vice President Joe Biden wants everyone to know that he has high hopes for the ’nation’ of Africa.

副總統拜登希望每個人都知道，他高度看好非洲這個「國家」。

Biden isn’t just a walking gaffe machine – he’s a walking gaffe top-ten list. So when he goofed at Tuesday’s U.S.-Africa Business Forum, and there was no F-bomb involved, it didn’t make headlines.

拜登不只是活生生的醜態製造機，還名列前茅。所以，當他在週二的美非商業論壇上說錯話又沒爆粗口，就沒登上頭條。

But gaffe he did, in front of 50 world leaders and their entourages at the event held on the sidelines of President Barack Obama’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

但他確實在這場總統歐巴馬召開的美非領袖峰會會外舉行的活動上，當著50名世界領袖及其隨行人員的面前出糗。

​’There’s no reason the nation of Africa cannot and should not join the ranks of the world’s most prosperous nations in the near term, in the decades ahead. There is simply no reason,’ the veep said.

「非洲這個國家沒有理由不能、不應該在近期、未來數十年內躋身世界最繁榮國家之林。這是沒道理的。」這名副總統說。

The skinny-dipping, party guest-groping bumbler who’s one heartbeat away from the presidency once chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

這名裸泳、對派對賓客毛手毛腳、總是做不好事情的人，距離總統大位只有一步之遙，還曾主掌美國參議院外交關係委員會。

It was just four years ago that he noted in a diplomatic face-palm moment how Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s mother had ’lived in Long Island for ten years or so’ before her death.

就在4年前，他提到愛爾蘭總理科恩的母親生前在「長島住過大約10年」，當場出了一個令外交界無語的大糗。

’God rest her soul,’ Biden said somberly, before realizing that ’wait – your mom’s still alive. Your dad passed.’

「願她安息主懷」，拜登肅穆地說，話說出口才曉得「等等…您的母親還健在，是令尊過世。」

新聞辭典

-tastic：（俚語）後綴詞，接在名詞、形容詞等後面，表示該詞性質的極度程度（好、精彩）等。例句：We had a great summer vacation. It’s fun-tastic!（我們度過很棒的暑假，超好玩！）

goof：名詞，傻瓜，失誤。動詞，出錯，閒混打發時間。例句：You always goof off at work.（你上班時老是偷懶。）

face-palm：（俚語）名詞或動詞，做出用手捂臉的動作，表達驚訝、尷尬或無話可說。例句：His remarks about our friendship just makes me facepalm.（他有關我們友誼的談話讓我不知道該說些什麼。）

宏浩翻譯引用 http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=805499&day=2014-08-18