◎俞智敏
David Cameron has mounted a robust patriotic defence after the spokesman for Vladimir Putin reprtedly said the UK was a small island to which no one listened.
在據傳俄羅斯總統普廷的發言人曾譏諷英國是座沒人理會的小島後，英國首相卡麥隆發動了一場振振有詞的愛國答辯。
At a briefing with reporters in St Petersburg, the British prime minister went into overdrive in defence of the UK.
在聖彼得堡的一場記者會中，卡麥隆神情激動地替英國辯護。
"Britain may be a small island, but I would challenge anyone to find a country with a prouder history, a bigger heart or greater resilience.
「英國或許是一座小島，但我倒要挑戰有任何人能找到比英國歷史更輝煌、心胸更開闊和反應更靈活的國家。」
"Britain is an island that has helped to clear the European continent of fascism and was resolute in doing that throughout the second world war. Britain is an island that helped to abolish slavery, that has invented most of the things worth inventing, including every sport currently played around the world, that still today is responsible for art, literature and music that delights the entire world."
「英國這座小島曾幫助歐陸清除法西斯主義，在整個二次大戰期間都不屈不撓地這麼做。英國這座小島也曾協助廢除奴隸制度，發明了大部份值得發明的東西，包括全世界現有的所有運動項目，而且到今日仍舊透過藝術、文學和音樂讓全世界感到欣喜。」
He then quipped that he was quite happy for his remarks to be set to music.
他接著還打趣說，假如有人幫他把那段演說配上音樂，他會很高興。
新聞辭典
mount：動詞，指發動、進行某事，如 The police have mounted a nationwide search for the killer.（警方已發動全國性的搜索行動來逮捕這名兇手。）
go into overdrive：片語，指開始積極行動以達到某個目的，如With her exams only two weeks away, she’s gone into overdrive and is studying ten hours a day.（距離考試時間只剩下2週，她開始發憤圖強，每天讀書10小時。）
quip：動詞，指講俏皮話、嘲諷，如"Flattery will get you nowhere," she quipped.（「歌功頌德對你一點好處也沒有」，她譏諷說。）
本文引用至 自由時報電子報 http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/
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