双语阅读：日本新首相野田自喻“泥鳅”

 　　JAPAN'S new prime minister admits he is no Mr Charisma¹ - Yoshihiko Noda likens himself to a marine² bottom-feeder rather than a glittering goldfish. But that, he says, is his appeal.

　　JAPAN'S new prime minister admits he is no Mr Charisma- Yoshihiko Noda likens himself to a marine bottom-feederrather than a glittering goldfish. But that, he says, is his appeal.

　　The 54-year-old, who as finance minister kept to ploddingstatements so as not to spookfinancial markets, stresses his credentials³ as a responsible, moderate and middle-of-the road leader at a time of national crisis.

　　When he announced his candidacy in an essay in a conservative magazine this month, Mr Noda said: "I am an ordinary man. I do not have large financial resources... I am not stylish⁴ and my looks are not my selling point."

　　On Monday, making his final pitchfor the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, he used the fish metaphor⁵, humbly⁶ telling his fellow DPJ MPs: "I am a loach. I can't be a goldfish."

　　The son of a paratrooperin the Self-Defence Forces, Noda, a married father of two, holds broadly conservative political views.

　　This month, on the anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, he angered neighbour South Korea when he said that Japanese Class-A war criminals convicted by an Allied⁷ tribunalwere in fact not war criminals.

　　Noda is a graduate of the prestigious⁸ Waseda University's School of Political Science and Economics.

　　He then joined the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, set up by Panasonic founder⁹ and business guruKonosuke Matsushita.

　　The elite¹⁰ leadership course trains its students in management skills and world affairs, but also in ancient arts such as the Japanese tea ceremony, kendostick fighting and Zen meditation¹¹.

　　Mr Noda is the first Matsushita alumnusto lead Japan.

　　He was first elected at age 29 to the legislature of Chiba outside Tokyo and entered national politics in his mid-30s with the short-lived Japan New Party of Morihiro Hosokawa, who later became prime minister.

　　新一届日本首相野田佳彦坦言自己并非魅力先生——他将自己比作水底的泥鳅而不是闪闪发光的金鱼。但是他说，这正是他魅力所在。

　　54岁的野田佳彦强调在国家面临危机之时，他的角色是一个负责任的、温和的、走中间路线的领导人。在任财务相时，他一直秉承稳健的主张，避免使金融市场受到惊吓。

　　本月他在一本保守主义杂志上撰文，宣布自己将参选首相。他说：“我是一个普通人。我没有那么大的财政资源。我不时尚，相貌也没什么卖点。”

　　周一，在竞选当政的日本民主党党首的最后讲演中，他用了金鱼的比喻，谦逊地告诉他的民主党国会议员说：“我是一条泥鳅，不可能成为一条金鱼。”

　　野田佳彦是自卫队一名伞兵的儿子，已婚，是两个孩子的父亲。政治观点上，他持明显的保守立场。

　　本月，在日本二战投降纪念日时，他扬言被盟军法庭定罪的日本甲级战犯事实上不是战犯，此言激怒了邻国韩国。

　　野田佳彦毕业于久负盛名的早稻田大学政治经济学院。

　　随后他又考入由松下集团创始人、商业大亨松下幸之助创办的松下政经塾。

　　精英领袖课程培养学生的管理能力和处理国际事务的能力，但同时也教授古典艺术，譬如日本茶道、剑术和禅修。

　　野田佳彦是松下政经塾第一位执掌日本的校友。

　　29岁时，他首次当选为东京城外的千叶县议员，30多岁时步入国家政坛，加入由细川护熙组建的短命的新党。细川护熙后来成为了首相。

　　Vocabulary:

　　charisma: 神秘的个人魅力；（能吸引效忠的）领袖气质

　　bottom-feeder: 水底鱼

　　plodding: 行动沉重缓慢的

　　spook: to startle and cause nervous activity in; frighten（吓唬）

　　pitch: a line of talk designed to persuade（演说）

　　loach: 泥鳅

　　paratrooper: 伞兵

　　tribunal: 法庭

　　guru: 宗师

　　kendo: 剑道

　　alumnus: 男校友

1 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

4 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

5 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

6 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

11 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。