布什又说错话 直呼教皇为“先生”

布什又说错话 直呼教皇为“先生”
Bush tours Vatican in style

President Bush and Pope Benedict

He really is priceless. Other world leaders see the Pope with their advisers and the Vatican's peerlessly punctilious protocol experts, making sure they do not commit the slightest gaffe. But George W. Bush can outwit them all. On the plane to Rome, he was already struggling.

The Pope is addressed `Your Holiness' and Roman Catholics call him `The Holy Father.'

But somewhere in the tumble dryer that is the part of the U.S. President's brain set aside for words, the two concepts got tangled and he told the reporters:

"I think His Holy Father will be pleased to know that much of our foreign policy is based on the admonition to whom much is given, much is required."

No doubt Pope Benedict, whom Mr. Bush later described as "very smart," was able to deconstruct the rest of the sentence.

But before he got down to cases with Mr. Bush, the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church had the unusual experience of being called `sir.'

"It's good to be with you, sir," said Mr. Bush as he sat down.

And the reporters could clearly hear the US leader say "Yes, sir" when the pope asked him if he was going to meet with officials of the lay Catholic Sant'Egidio community at the US embassy later during his visit.

The reporters also noted Bush's relaxed posture, crossing his legs "Texan style" while facing the pope in the private study of the apostolic palace.

Bush said his meeting with the pope, in which the president stressed his record in fighting AIDS and supporting other humanitarian causes, was a "moving experience."

"I was talking to a very smart, loving man," Bush said.

他是个德高望重的人物。其他国家领导人见罗马教皇时都要带着顾问和梵蒂冈最优秀的礼仪专家，以确保自己不出现一丁点的失礼行为。而布什总统比他们都要“机灵”。在去罗马的飞机上，他就已经开始费劲了。

教皇的尊称为“教皇陛下”，罗马天主教徒则称其为“神父”。

可这位美国总统的脑部用词区可能出现了混乱，对两个概念混淆不清。他在接受记者采访时说：

“如果神父知道我们大多外交政策都以‘多得者多渔’为基础，他一定会很高兴的。”

无疑，被布什总统形容为“十分精明”的本尼迪克特教皇对这句话的其余部分还是能够领会的。

但在与布什先生切入正题之前，这位罗马大主教、耶稣基督的代表、宗徒之长的继任者、普世教堂的大教皇拥有了一次被称作“先生”的不平常经历。

布什总统坐下的时候说：“与您在一起真好，先生。”

当教皇问他之后是否将去美国大使馆接见天主教民间组织圣艾智德团体的官员时，记者们清楚的听见他回答说“是的，先生”。

记者们还注意到布什总统的姿势很是休闲，他与教皇单独探讨使徒宫的问题时，竟然以一种“得克萨斯的风格”翘着腿，直对着教皇。

布什在与教皇的会谈中强调了他在抗击爱滋病和支持其它人道主义事业方面所做出的成绩，他说这次会谈“令人感动”。

布什说：“我与一个十分聪明、可爱的人进行了对话。”

tangle:to mix together or intertwine in a confused mass（混乱；混淆；纠缠不清）

get down to cases :开始谈正经事