《中英對照讀新聞》Bitch is back Down Under as Elton says "Up Yours!" 當艾爾頓．強說「去你的！」就顯示這難纏的傢伙又到澳洲了

◎胡立宗

British pop superstar Elton John had a blunt message for Australian Prime Minister John Howard over his conservative government’s ban on gay marriages.

英國流行樂巨星艾爾頓．強對澳洲總理霍華德的保守黨政府禁止同性婚姻，毫不留情面的痛批。

"Up yours!" the 59-year old told Australian television when asked what he would say to Howard about the ban.

59歲的艾爾頓．強接受澳洲電視台訪問，被問到這項（同性婚姻）禁令，他想對霍華德說什麼時，他說「去你的！」

John and his partner David Furnish became one of the first gay couples to tie the knot in Britain.

艾爾頓．強跟他的伴侶佛理敘是英國第一批結婚的同性伴侶中的一對。

"It was just a commitment I wanted to make because I love him, and vice-versa, and it was just a great day," John said in the interview.

「那是一種因為我愛他，他也愛我，所以我願意做的承諾，結婚那天真的很讚，」艾爾頓．強在訪談中說。

Two decades ago, on Valentine’s Day in 1984, John married German-born woman Renate Blauel in Sydney. The couple divorced four years later.

20年前，艾爾頓．強於1984年的情人節在雪梨娶了德國出生的女子芮納堤．布勞耶。兩人在4年後離婚。

Howard’s government is strongly opposed to gay marriage and civil unions which would give gay couples the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples. Australian laws say a marriage can only be contracted between a man and a woman.

霍華德政府強烈反對能讓同性伴侶享有異性夫婦相同法律權利的同性婚姻和民事結合。澳洲法律規定婚姻必須是一男一女的結合。

新聞辭典

Down Under：指澳洲或紐西蘭，因為相對於英國，紐、澳看來都在「下方」。

gay marriage和civil union：同性婚姻和民事結合。gay是指男同性戀，lesbian指女同性戀。marriage和union的差別，主要在是否有正式結婚，包括同居等也可以認定為civil union。

to tie the knot：結婚。例句︰They decided not to tie the knot for the lifetime.（他們決定終身不結婚。）