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伊朗革命前，当时的美国总统吉米•卡特正访问伊朗。他将与伊朗国王——巴列维举行一次正式会谈。伊朗国王的英语水平很高，因此，他与卡特总统的会谈不需要翻译人员。然而，巴列维国王说英语时带有地方口音，这导致双方就一个重大问题产生了误会。有趣的是，卡特总统的英语也带有南方口音，从而引起了双重误会。 事情是这样的：会谈中，卡特总统提到某一非洲组织并请巴列维国王对它作概括性评价。国王认为这个组织为很多内部问题所困扰，他便用"软弱无能（impotent)”的来评价该组织。问题是国王把这词的重音读错了，重音落在了第二个音节上。这使得卡特总统听成了“重要的（important)"的意思。而在总统心中这一组织正好是"重要的”。他很高兴双方对此问题的看法一致。"是的，这个组织的确很重要。”总统重复了一遍。巧的是，卡特总统用美国南方口音重复“重要的"一词时，听起来很像是“软弱无能”。国王也感到非常满意，总统竟然与自己的观点一致。 在场人中，只有当时美国驻伊朗的大使沙利文明白其间误会，因为他清楚两位领导人对该非洲组织持不同观点，同时也知道他们语音的特点。当然,在这个问题上，大使最好将错就错。他没有吭声，扫了在场的人员一眼，看看是否还有人同一样明白这可笑的巧合。事情也就这样过去了。 A Double Misunderstanding Once before the Iranian revolution, the then President of the United States Jimmy Carter visited Iran. He held a formal talk with the Shah, Pahlevi. As the Shah had an ex¬cellent command of English, no interpreters were needed for the occasion. However, the Shah spoke English with an accent, which led to a misunderstanding on a major ques¬tion. But interestingly enough, Carter, being a southerner, also had his accent and so the misunderstanding turned into a double one. This is how it all happened. During their talk Carter mentioned a certain African or¬ganization and asked the Shah to give an overall appraisal of it. The Shah found it beset with many internal problems, so he used the word “impotent” to describe it. The trouble was in pronouncing the word he put the stress on the second syllable and the word soun¬ded like “ important” to Carter. As it happened Carter himself thought the organization was a very important one and he felt most pleased that their opinions should “coincide”， “Yes，I agree that the organization is indeed very important，” he repeated to the Shah. Now in his southern accent, the word “important” sounded very much like the word w im¬potent" ，and the Shah too felt most pleased that the President should agree with him. Among all the people present on the occasion, only the then US ambassador to I- ran, Mr. Sullivan, realized that it was a “double misunderstanding". As he knew the President's and the Shah's different opinions on that African organization and he was also familiar with both men’s peculiar accents. Naturally he didn't see it fit for him to put them，wise on the matter so he kept his mouth shut. He cast a glance around the room to see if anyone else was enjoying the joke with him. So the matter was allowed to pass. |
