南非警察竟嫌棄奧巴馬
【英文原文】
The World Cup's toughest security headache may be a surprise visit by President Barack Obama, South Africa's police chief said Friday, joking that he secretly hoped the US side would bow out early。
"One challenge... is the American President who is coming, not coming, coming, not coming," national police commissioner Bheki Cele told parliament in a briefing on security for the June 11-July 11 tournament。
"Our famous prayer is that they don't make the second round," he told the parliamentary police committee. "They get eliminated and they go home because we are told that if they go to the second or third stage, the American president might come."
The United States is one of 31 visitor nations competing for the World Cup。
Forty-three heads of state have provisionally confirmed their attendance at the tournament, the first on African soil, but Cele said the presence of the US leader would double security requirements for the event。
"That 43 will be equal to this one operation," he quipped。
Cele was briefing lawmakers on South Africa's security plan for the cup, which has met with approval from global police agency Interpol and security authorities of the 31 visitor teams。
Speaking in Washington last month, South Africa's foreign minister said Obama had indicated to President Jacob Zuma that he would attend the tournament if the United States reached the final。
"I remember him saying that he would maybe consider coming if the American team goes to the quarter-finals, might come if they reach the semi-finals, and will come to the finals," said Maite Nkoana-Mashabane。
The United States is in Group C with England, Slovenia and Algeria. The 2010 tournament will mark the country's ninth run at the World Cup. Its best ever showing in the tournament was third in 1930.
【中文譯文】
南非警察部門負責人於上週五表示，世界盃最艱鉅的安保任務可能會是美國總統貝拉克·奧巴馬的突然來訪，他開玩笑說自己暗暗希望美國隊能早早淘汰。
世界盃足球賽將於6月11日至7月11日在南非舉行。該國警察總長貝奇•賽勒在向國會報告世界盃安保工作情況時說：“一個最大的問題是……美國總統是來還是不來？”
他向國會警務委員會報告說：“我們都在祈禱美國隊在首輪被淘汰。他們被淘汰了，就能早點回國。因爲我們得知如果美國隊打進第二輪或第三輪，美國總統可能就會來。”
本屆世界盃將有包括美國在內的31支客場隊參賽。
目前，已有43位國家首腦暫定將出席首次在非洲舉行的世界盃賽，但賽勒說美國領導人的到訪會大大增加賽事安保的負擔。
他打趣說：“他一個人相當於那43個人。”
賽勒向立法者簡要彙報了南非世界盃的安保計劃。該計劃已得到國際刑警組織和31個參賽隊安全機構的批准。
南非外交部長於上月在華盛頓說，奧巴馬已向南非總統雅各布•祖馬錶示，如果美國隊打進決賽，他將前往南非觀看。
南非外交部長邁特•恩科阿納•馬沙巴內說：“我記得他說，如果美國隊打進四分之一決賽，他可能會考慮來；如果打進半決賽，他可能會來；如果打進決賽，他一定會來。”
在本屆世界盃中，美國與英國、斯洛文尼亞和阿爾及利亞同被分在C組。這是美國第九次參加世界盃，美國隊在世界盃上的最佳戰績是在1930年的比賽中獲得第三名。
