◎魏國金

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi brushed aside international outrage from earlier this month on Sunday to make reference once again to US president-elect Barack Obama’s "suntan."

義大利總理席維歐．貝魯斯孔尼無視本月初的國際譁然，週日再度提及美國總統當選人巴拉克．歐巴馬「曬黑的膚色」。

He told ANSA news agency his initial remark was intended as a "compliment," adding that he is equally "envious" of black supermodel Naomi Campbell.

他告訴義大利新聞社說，他最初的談論本意是「恭維」，他補充，他同時也「妒羨」黑人超級名模娜歐蜜．坎貝兒。

"My compliment to Barack is a little envious," said Berlusconi, who had what he described as a "long, cordial" telephone conversation with the new occupant of the White House on November 7.

「我對歐巴馬的恭維是帶點妒意，」貝魯斯孔尼說，他之前描述11月7日他與白宮新主人在電話中進行了一次「熱忱的長談」。

"We would all like to be tanned like Naomi Campbell and Obama," said the self-made billionaire during a press conference in Pescara, Italy.

「我們大家都想被曬得像娜歐蜜．坎貝兒與歐巴馬那樣，」這位白手起家的億萬富豪在義大利佩斯卡拉的記者會上說。

Italian-born French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was so outraged at Berlusconi’s initial comment about Obama being "young, handsome and even tanned," she said she was "happy" to have "become French."

義大利出生的法國第一夫人卡拉．布妮—薩科茲對於貝魯斯孔尼最初說歐巴馬「年輕、帥氣、甚至還曬得黝黑」的言談大為光火，她說，「很高興」她已經「變成法國人了」。

新聞辭典

unrepentant︰堅不悔過的、頑固不化的。例句︰His father is an unrepentant believer in free enterprise. （他的父親是堅信自由企業制的人。）

brush aside︰漠視、置之不理。例句︰She was very hurt when you brushed her aside.（你冷落她，讓她非常傷心。）

self-made︰自製、自造、靠自己努力而成功的。例句︰His grandfather was a self-made millionaire.（他的祖父是白手起家的百萬富翁。）