如果法國總統醜聞發生在美國？
摘錄自：天下雜誌 經濟學人電子報 2013/1/31
2014-01-20 Web only 作者：經濟學人
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| 圖片來源：flickr.com/photos/7342816@N07/ |
（譯註：以下段落，是將美國政治人物套入法國政治人物的醜聞）最近，一件毫無意義的小事困擾著全球最強國的民眾。最新的《人物》雜誌公開了整個華府都知道的事情：歐巴馬與珍妮佛．安妮斯頓（Jennifer Aniston）有外遇。歐巴馬將總統所受的限制擺在一旁，每晚前往安妮斯頓的公寓，並於隔天早上騎摩托車離開，還把安全帽的護鏡放下來好遮掩自己的臉。
此醜聞促使各界將焦點放上歐巴馬的私生活。他的長期伴侶是希拉蕊（Hillary Clinton），他們從未結婚，但有4個小孩。可惜的是，政治對手破壞了兩人的關係，歐巴馬也喜歡上名記者庫瑞克（Katie Couric），讓庫瑞克成為白宮的第一女友。
歐巴馬即將造訪法國，但庫瑞克是否會伴在他身側仍不明朗；法國民眾可能會因為清教徒傳統或莽撞無禮，問出一些不合理的問題。所幸，美國人比外國人進步多了：77％的美國人相信，總統的私生活是他自己的事。一名福斯新聞的記者在記者會中問歐巴馬，庫瑞克是否仍為第一女友之時，歐巴馬迅速表示那是私人事務，其他記者隨即將焦點移往中期財政赤字等更重要的問題。
愛情冒險在華府雖然不成問題，它們仍舊不是值得炫耀之事。小布希與妻子蘿拉離婚並與碧昂絲舉行豪奢的婚禮，就引發許多人不滿。最好的方式還是前一任總統那種神秘的幽會手段，由官方司機載他去外遇對象的住處；白宮記者團為他保守了13年的秘密，一直到他卸下總統職務的那一年才公開。（譯註：以上段落，是將美國政治人物套入法國政治人物的醜聞）
認真來說，如果美國公眾人物的行為與歐蘭德（François Hollande）、賀雅爾（Ségolène Royal）、特里耶維勒（Valérie Trierweiler）、薩科齊（Nicolas Sarkozy）、席哈克（Jacques Chirac）、密特朗（François Mitterrand）相近，民眾對性事的看法也與法國人一樣寬鬆，美國會不會比較好？由於不必擔心得因為人性的弱點大受批評，或許會有更多擁有才能的美國人跨入政壇，也就會多一些甘迺迪（Jack Kennedy），少一些羅姆尼（Mitt Romneys）。
另一方面，如果法國的政治人物沒有受到法律和記者保護，民族陣線的反精英策略或許就不會那麼有效。當然，正確的答案就是依循英國的模範，由那些以高貴聞名的媒體，溫文儒雅地監視那些近乎聖人的政治人物。（黃維德譯）
©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2014
The Economist
Discretion
La Maison
Blanche
By The Economist
From The Economist
Published: January 20, 2014
Jan 18th 2014 | From the print edition
Our wildest fantasy: if only the French ran America…
THE citizens of the world's most powerful country have recently been
distracted by a piece of meaningless tittle-tattle. The current issue of People
magazine has revealed what le tout Washington knew anyway: that Barack Obama
has been having an affair with Jennifer Aniston. This intrusion took place
despite the president's creditable attempts at discretion: putting aside the
normal trappings of office, he travelled to Ms Aniston's flat in the evening
and left in the morning (after bagels had been brought by the Secret Service)
on a scooter, wearing a helmet with the visor down to conceal his face.
This reprehensible scandalmongering has focused attention on Mr Obama's
private life—which, as befits a man of stature, has been active and varied. His
long-term partner was Hillary Clinton, whom he never married but with whom he
has four children. Their political rivalry, alas, damaged their personal
relationship, and he took up with Katie Couric, whom he installed as First
Girlfriend in the White House. She has now been admitted to hospital—upset, as
any journalist would be, at the publicity surrounding her beau's latest amour.
It is now sadly unclear whether Ms Couric will be at Mr Obama's side
during his forthcoming visit to France, whose inhabitants, driven by puritanism
or impertinence, may ask unreasonable questions. Outside America there is a
regrettable degree of public prurience. Fortunately, Americans are more
sophisticated than foreigners: 77% of them believe that the president's private
life is his own business. When, at a press conference, a reporter from Fox News
asked whether Ms Couric was still First Girlfriend, and Mr Obama said briskly
that the matter was private, journalists moved swiftly on to the more pertinent
question of the medium-term fiscal deficit.
While amorous adventures are not a problem in Washington, they should
not be flaunted. The publicity surrounding George W. Bush's divorce from his
wife Laura and ostentatious marriage to Beyoncé, a singer, was not just
arriviste but also unpopular. Far better was the stealthy approach of the
previous president, known as "trois minutes, douche comprise"—three
minutes, including the shower—who was driven quietly to his mistresses' houses
by the official chauffeur, or that of his predecessor, whose illegitimate
daughter lived at the taxpayers' expense. The White House press pack politely
kept his secret for 13 years, revealing it only the year before he left office.
But seriously…
Would America be a better place if its public figures behaved like
François Hollande, Ségolène Royal, Valérie Trierweiler, Nicolas Sarkozy,
Jacques Chirac and François Mitterrand, and if its people took as relaxed a
view of sex as the French do? Probably more talented Americans would go into
politics if they did not think they would be roasted alive for normal human
frailty. There would be more Jack Kennedys and fewer Mitt Romneys. On the other
hand, if France's politicians were not protected by the law and a quiescent
press, perhaps the National Front's anti-elitist message would not go down so
well. The answer, of course, is to follow the example of Britain, whose
near-saintly politicians are gracefully monitored by the famously dignified
denizens of Fleet Street.
©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2014
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