240: I’m In Charge Now - This American Life
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00:00 00:00 Transcript Share This American Life Life Partners How to Listen Episodes Recommended About Overview Staff Announcements Fellowships Jobs Music Make Radio On The Road FAQ Submissions Merch Contact Us Our Other Shows Merch Follow Us Life Partners Subscribe to our newsletter Full episode Toggle Audio and Transcript Sync Transcript | Episode #240 | June 20, 2003 240: I’m In Charge Now Note: This American Life is produced for the ear and designed to be heard.
00:00 00:00 文字记录 分享此 美国生活 生活伙伴 如何收听 剧集 推荐 关于 概述 员工公告 奖学金 工作 音乐 在路上制作电台 常见问题解答 提交 商品 联系我们 我们的其他节目 商品 关注我们 生活伙伴 订阅我们的时事通讯 整集 切换音频和文字记录同步 文字记录 | 内容第 240 集 | 2003 年 6 月 20 日 240：我现在负责 注：《美国生活》是为耳朵而制作的，旨在让人们听到。
If you are able, we strongly encourage you to listen to the audio, which includes emotion and emphasis that's not on the page.
如果可以的话，我们强烈建议您收听音频，其中包括页面上没有的情感和重点。
Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors.
文字记录是使用语音识别软件和人工转录员结合生成的，可能包含错误。
Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print.
请在印刷版引用前检查相应的音频。
Prologue Ira Glass Alex Meyer wants my job.
序言 艾拉·格拉斯·亚历克斯·迈耶想要我的工作。
He's 16, and he wants my job.
他 16 岁了，他想要我的工作。
But nobody is going to give him my job, or really any job in radio.
但没有人会给他我的工作，或者电台里的任何工作。
And so last year he decided to create his own radio show as a high school freshman in Seattle.
因此，去年他决定在西雅图作为一名高中新生创建自己的广播节目。
And he did it with the kind of devotion and attention to detail of a true believer.
他以真正信徒的奉献精神和对细节的关注做到了这一点。
It's kind of an amazing show actually, starting with the opening, which he lifted from one of his radio heroes, Tom Leykis, who does a syndicated show out of Los Angeles.
实际上，这是一场令人惊叹的节目，从开场开始，他就借鉴了他的电台偶像汤姆·莱基斯 (Tom Leykis) 的风格，汤姆·莱基斯在洛杉矶举办了一场联合演出。
I was pretty much ripping off Leykis, because at the top of every hour he plays Metallica, "Enter Sandman." And he has this big thing.
我几乎是在抄袭 Leykis，因为他在每个小时的最后时刻都会演奏 Metallica 的“进入桑德曼”。而且他还有这么大的事情。
They're all saying, "Live from Los Angeles, it's the Tom Leykis Show." And he's like "Thank you for tuning into the Tom Leykis show.
他们都在说：“洛杉矶直播，这是汤姆·莱基斯秀。”他就像“感谢您收听 Tom Leykis 的节目。
It's not hosted by a right wing wacko, a convicted felon.
它不是由一个被定罪的重罪犯、右翼疯子主持的。
No, I'm your host." Blah, blah, blah, blah.
不，我是你的主人。”巴拉，巴拉，巴拉，巴拉。
And gives out the numbers and everything.
并给出了数字和一切。
So I was like, I want something like that.
所以我想，我想要类似的东西。
Yeah that sounds good.
是的，听起来不错。
Alex Meyer I want my big thing.
亚历克斯·迈耶（Alex Meyer）我想要我的大事。
"Hey everybody.
“嘿大家。
It's The Alex Meyer Show.
这是亚历克斯·迈耶秀。
1-800-421-ALEX, toll-free.
1-800-421-ALEX，免费。
Yeah that's free.
是的，那是免费的。
1-800-421-2539--" Actually, if you call that number, it's AT&T.
1-800-421-2539--“实际上，如果您拨打该号码，那就是 AT&T。
And I think they ask you if you want it in Spanish.
我想他们会问你是否想要西班牙语版本。
In Seattle, a lot of the radio station numbers start with 421.
在西雅图，很多广播电台的号码都以 421 开头。
That's something I noticed.
这是我注意到的。
And put 421, put ALEX, 1-800.
然后输入 421，输入 ALEX，1-800。
Oh, sounds good.
哦，听起来不错。
Now sometimes you have your friend Matt come on and--
现在有时你会让你的朋友马特上场——
Yeah, my quote, "producer." I gave him that title, because I needed a producer character to pretty much yell at.
是的，我的原话是“制片人”。我给了他这个头衔，因为我需要一个制作人角色来对他大喊大叫。
Because you hear that a lot on the radio here, dysfunctional radio shows.
因为你在这里的广播里经常听到这样的内容，功能失调的广播节目。
So I figured, wow.
所以我想，哇。
He's pretty much just a character.
他几乎只是一个角色。
"Well we have Matt the producer here to talk to you about this actually.
“好吧，我们请制片人马特来和你讨论这个问题。
This is Matt's area of expertise.
这是马特的专业领域。
It's something that happened to him.
这是发生在他身上的事情。
His ex-girlfriend pretty much wanted him for the dance.
他的前女友非常想让他参加舞会。
It almost seems like--
看起来几乎就像——
That's what it seems like.
看起来就是这样。
Alex Meyer She used him for the dance.
亚历克斯·迈耶（Alex Meyer） 她让他来跳舞。
That's what it seems like.
看起来就是这样。
Alex Meyer And I'll tell you something.
亚历克斯·迈耶 我会告诉你一些事情。
A while ago, she asked me to the next dance.
不久前，她邀请我参加下一场舞会。
Wow.
哇。
Alex Meyer And see, I never really wanted to go with her.
亚历克斯·迈耶（Alex Meyer） 你看，我从来没有真正想和她一起去。
First I told her I was building houses for poor people in Mexico, and therefore would not be able to make it.
首先我告诉她我正在为墨西哥的穷人建造房屋，因此无法完成。
What's remarkable is that even though Alex is making the show in his room on his dad's discarded cassette recorder, and even though the show never actually broadcasts anywhere, it sounds like a real commercial radio talk show.
值得注意的是，尽管亚历克斯在他的房间里用他父亲废弃的盒式录音机制作节目，尽管该节目实际上从未在任何地方播出，但它听起来就像一个真正的商业广播脱口秀。
The pacing, the fact that Alex is closer to the mic than any of his guests so he sounds clearer and louder.
节奏，事实上亚历克斯比他的任何客人都更靠近麦克风，所以他听起来更清晰、更响亮。
He has phone callers, though of course, since he's not broadcasting, Alex plays those himself.
当然，他有电话，因为他不做广播，所以亚历克斯自己播放这些电话。
And I have Dan from Eugene.
我有来自尤金的丹。
Ira Glass Dan is an irritating character.
艾拉·格拉斯·丹是一个令人恼火的角色。
Yeah, I had to have the guy who hated me.
是的，我必须有一个讨厌我的人。
And he's that character.
他就是那个角色。
Yeah.
是的。
Alex Meyer So every time he calls, I'm, Alex, I hate your show.
亚历克斯·迈耶（Alex Meyer）所以每次他打电话时，我都会说，亚历克斯，我讨厌你的节目。
You suck.
你真糟糕。
This is Dan from Eugene.
这是来自尤金的丹。
I love how part of the formula of having a fantasy radio show is that you have a fantasy person who hates your guts.
我喜欢奇幻广播节目的一部分，那就是你有一个讨厌你的奇幻人。
Well, it's kind of fun being someone that hates you though.
好吧，成为一个讨厌你的人还是很有趣的。
It is kind of fun.
这很有趣。
To make it sound as real as possible, Alex uses real commercials that he tapes off the radio.
为了使其听起来尽可能真实，亚历克斯使用了他从广播中录制的真实广告。
Sometimes he and Matt pretend to have a seven second delay, like Howard Stern and the other big shows use.
有时他和马特假装有七秒的延迟，就像霍华德·斯特恩和其他大型节目所使用的那样。
And someone has said a bad word, so what you hear is this sudden gap and jump in content, though of course, it's just a cassette in his bedroom.
有人说了一句脏话，所以你听到的是突然的间隙和内容的跳跃，当然，这只是他卧室里的一盘磁带。
It's not a real broadcast.
这不是真正的广播。
And like any modern ambitious talk show host, there are right wing rants.
就像任何现代雄心勃勃的脱口秀主持人一样，也有右翼的咆哮。
That's just part of the formula.
这只是公式的一部分。
A dollar bill-- Alex Meyer For me to pass high school, according to the state, I need to learn Spanish.
一美元钞票-- Alex Meyer 根据州政府的规定，为了让我通过高中，我需要学习西班牙语。
Yet--
然而——
Or any foreign language.
或者任何外语。
Alex Meyer Wait, wait.
亚历克斯·迈耶 等等，等等。
But yet, foreigners working in 7-Elevens don't have to know a god damn word of English.
但是，在 7-11 便利店工作的外国人却不需要懂一点英语。
No they don't.
不，他们没有。
Alex Meyer What sense does that make?
亚历克斯·迈耶 这有什么意义呢？
For me to live in this country, I have to learn a foreign language.
为了在这个国家生活，我必须学习一门外语。
They don't have to learn anything.
他们不需要学习任何东西。
I wondered if you're more like a real radio personality or shock jock, where that's a thought that, actually, you only half believe that.
我想知道你是否更像一个真正的广播名人或震撼运动员，实际上，你只有一半相信这一点。
But your views aren't quite as extreme as you're saying in the recording.
但你的观点并不像录音中所说的那么极端。
Yeah pretty much.
是的，差不多。
I mean it's more of an shtick thing, I guess.
我的意思是，我想这更像是一件棘手的事情。
Alex distributes his show by copying it onto CDs for friends at school.
亚历克斯通过将他的节目复制到 CD 上来分发给学校的朋友。
Big ratings for him, he says, are when he gets an audience of six, six people.
他说，当他有六、六名观众时，他的收视率就很高。
But frankly, having people listen doesn't seem to be the important part of it to him.
但坦率地说，让人们倾听对他来说似乎并不是重要的部分。
He's in training.
他正在训练中。
No one seems to be interested giving a 16 year old a job in radio or a place to learn.
似乎没有人有兴趣为一名 16 岁的年轻人提供一份电台工作或一个学习场所。
So he created his own place where he's learning, honing his skills, preparing for the future, which brings me to the subject of today's radio show.
所以他创建了自己的地方，在那里他学习、磨练自己的技能、为未来做准备，这让我想到了今天广播节目的主题。
Today on our program, we bring you three stories of people who take on unlikely tasks, put themselves in charge in very unpromising circumstances.
今天，在我们的节目中，我们为您带来三个故事，讲述的是人们承担不可能的任务，在非常没有希望的情况下掌控自己的情况。
And we see what happens to them as a result.
我们会看到他们的结果会发生什么。
From WBEZ Chicago, it's This American Life distributed by Public Radio International.
这是来自芝加哥 WBEZ 的《This American Life》，由国际公共广播电台发行。
Act One of today's show, It's Not Just the Aces That Are Wild.
今天节目的第一幕，不仅仅是狂野的王牌。
In that act, David Sedaris tells the story of how as a teenager he was scared of certain people until he made them scared of him.
在那一幕中，大卫·塞达里斯讲述了青少年时期他如何害怕某些人，直到他让他们害怕他的故事。
Act Two, Playing Clinton in the Bush Leagues, in which we bring you the story of a politician with tons of charisma, full of promise, who goes through the fastest rise and fall we have ever heard of in politics.
第二幕，在布什联盟中扮演克林顿，我们为您带来一位充满魅力、充满希望的政治家的故事，他经历了我们在政治上听说过的最快的兴衰。
Act Three, You Talking to Me?
第三幕，你在跟我说话吗？
Yes, we all know we Americans declared ourselves the rulers of Iraq for now.
是的，我们都知道我们美国人目前宣布自己是伊拉克的统治者。
So why is one of the most popular rumors in the country that Saddam Hussein is not only alive, but living in the White House?
那么，为什么该国最流行的谣言之一是萨达姆·侯赛因不仅还活着，而且还住在白宫呢？
Stay with us.
留在我们身边。
And let's get right to it with Act One.
让我们从第一幕开始吧。
Here's writer David Sedaris, recorded in front of a live audience in Boston.
这是作家大卫·塞达里斯 (David Sedaris) 在波士顿在现场观众面前录制的。
My parents were not the type of people who went to bed at a regular hour.
我的父母不是那种按时睡觉的人。
Sleep overtook them, but neither the time nor the idea of a mattress seemed very important.
睡眠占据了他们的注意力，但时间和床垫的想法似乎都不重要。
My father favored a chair in the basement, but my mother was apt to lie down anywhere, waking with carpet burns on her face or the pattern of the sofa embossed into the soft flesh of her upper arms.
我父亲喜欢在地下室放一把椅子，但我母亲却喜欢在任何地方躺下，醒来时脸上有地毯烧伤，或者沙发的图案压在她上臂柔软的肉上。
It was sort of embarrassing.
这有点尴尬。
She might sleep for eight hours a day.
她每天可能睡八个小时。
But they were never consecutive hours, and they involved no separate outfit.
但他们从来都不是连续几个小时，也不涉及单独的服装。
For Christmas, we would give her nightgowns, hoping she might take the hint.
圣诞节时，我们会送给她睡衣，希望她能明白这一点。
They're for bedtime, we'd say.
我们会说，它们是睡觉时间用的。
Then she'd look at us strangely as if, like the moment of one's death, the occasion of sleep was too incalculable for any real preparation.
然后她会奇怪地看着我们，就好像，就像一个人死亡的那一刻一样，睡眠的机会对于任何真正的准备来说都是无法估量的。
The upswing to being raised by what were essentially a pair of house cats was that we never had any enforced bedtime.
由一对家猫抚养长大的好处是，我们从来没有任何强制的就寝时间。
We were the family that never shut down, the family whose TV was so hot we needed an oven mitt in order to change the channels.
我们是一个从不关机的家庭，家里的电视太热了，我们需要戴上烤箱手套才能换频道。
Every night was basically a slumber party.
每天晚上基本上都是一场睡衣派对。
So when the real thing came along, my sisters and I failed to show much of an interest.
因此，当真正的东西出现时，我和我的姐妹们并没有表现出太大的兴趣。
The first one I attended was held by a neighbor named Walt Winters.
我参加的第一个活动是由一位名叫沃尔特·温特斯 (Walt Winters) 的邻居举办的。
Like myself, Walt was in the sixth grade.
和我一样，沃尔特也在上六年级。
Unlike myself, he was gregarious and athletic, which meant basically that we had absolutely nothing in common.
与我不同的是，他很合群且喜欢运动，这基本上意味着我们完全没有任何共同点。
"But why would he include me?" I asked my mother.
“但是他为什么要把我包括在内？”我问妈妈。
"I hardly know the guy." She did not say that Walt's mother had made him invite me, but on watching her turn away, I knew that this was the only likely explanation.
“我几乎不认识这个人。”她没有说沃尔特的母亲让他邀请我，但看着她转身离开，我知道这是唯一可能的解释。
"Oh go," she said, "it'll be fun."
“噢，去吧，”她说，“会很有趣的。”
There were four styles of houses on our street, and while Walt's was different from my own, I was familiar with the layout.
我们街上有四种风格的房子，虽然沃尔特的房子和我的不同，但我很熟悉布局。
The slumber party took place in what the Methodists called the family room, the Catholics used as an extra bedroom, and the neighborhood's only Jews had turned into a combination dark room and fallout shelter.
睡衣派对在卫理公会教徒称为家庭活动室的地方举行，天主教徒将其用作额外的卧室，而附近唯一的犹太人则变成了暗室和避难所的组合。
Walt's family was Methodist, and so the room's focal point was a large black and white television.
沃尔特的家庭是卫理公会教徒，所以房间的焦点是一台大型黑白电视。
Family photos hung on the wall alongside pictures of the various athletes Mr. Winters had successfully pestered for autographs.
墙上挂着家庭照片，旁边还挂着温特斯先生成功索要签名的各个运动员的照片。
I admired them to the best of my ability but was more interested in the wedding portrait displayed above the sofa.
我尽我所能地欣赏他们，但对沙发上方展示的结婚照更感兴趣。
Arm in arm with her uniformed husband, Walt's mother looked deliriously, almost frighteningly happy.
沃尔特的母亲挽着她穿着制服的丈夫，看上去神志不清，高兴得几乎令人恐惧。
The bulging eyes and fierce, gummy smile.
凸出的眼睛和凶猛的、露牙的微笑。
It was an expression bordering on hysteria, and the intervening years had done nothing to dampen it.
这是一种近乎歇斯底里的表情，而随后的岁月并没有减弱这种情绪。
On passing Mrs. Winters waving gaily from her front yard, my mother would whisper, "What is she on?" I thought she was being too hard on her, but after 10 minutes in the woman's home, I understood exactly what my mother was talking about.
当温特斯太太从她的前院快乐地挥手时，我母亲会低声问道：“她穿什么衣服？”我以为她对她太严厉了，但在那个女人家里呆了10分钟后，我完全明白了妈妈在说什么。
"Pizza's here," she chimed when the delivery man came to the door.
“披萨来了。”当送货员来到门口时，她说道。
"Oh boys, how about some piping hot pizza?" I thought it was funny that anyone would use the words piping hot.
“哦，孩子们，来点热腾腾的披萨怎么样？”我觉得很有趣的是有人会使用“滚烫”这个词。
But it wasn't the kind of thing I felt I could actually laugh at.
但这并不是我觉得我可以真正笑的事情。
Neither could I laugh at Mr. Winters' pathetic imitation of an Italian waiter.
我也无法嘲笑温特斯先生对意大利服务员的可悲模仿。
"Mamma Mia, who want another slice of the pizza?"
“妈妈咪呀，谁还想要一块披萨吗？”
I had the idea that adults were supposed to make themselves scarce at slumber parties.
我的想法是，成年人应该在睡衣派对上保持低调。
But Walt's parents were all over the place, initiating games, offering snacks and refills.
但沃尔特的父母却无处不在，发起游戏，提供零食和补充品。
When the midnight horror movie came on, Walt's mother crept into the bathroom, leaving a ketchup-spattered knife beside the sink.
当午夜恐怖电影上映时，沃尔特的母亲溜进浴室，在水槽旁边留下了一把溅满番茄酱的刀。
An hour passed, and when none of us had yet discovered it, she started dropping little hints.
一个小时过去了，当我们还没有人发现时，她开始给出一些小暗示。
"Doesn't anyone want to wash their hands?" she asked.
“没有人想洗手吗？”她问道。
"Will whoever is closest to the door go check and see if I left fresh towels in the bathroom?" You just wanted to cry for people like her.
“离门最近的人能帮我看看我是否把干净的毛巾留在浴室里了吗？”你只想为她这样的人哭泣。
As corny as they were, I was sorry when the movie ended and Mr. And Mrs. Winters stood to leave.
尽管他们很老套，但当电影结束、温特斯夫妇起身离开时，我感到很抱歉。
It was only 2:00 AM, but clearly they were done in.
虽然才凌晨 2:00，但显然他们已经完成了。
"I just don't know how you boys can do it," Walt's mother said, yawning into the sleeve of her bathrobe.
“我只是不知道你们这些孩子怎么能做到这一点，”沃尔特的母亲一边说，一边在浴袍的袖子里打着哈欠。
"I haven't been up this late since Lauren came into the world.
“自从劳伦来到这个世界以来，我还没有起过这么晚。
Lauren was Walt's sister, who was born premature and had lived for less than two days.
劳伦是沃尔特的妹妹，她是早产儿，活了不到两天。
This had happened before the Winters moved onto our street, but it wasn't any kind of a secret.
这件事发生在温特夫妇搬到我们这条街上之前，但这不是什么秘密。
And you weren't supposed to flinch upon hearing the girl's name.
你不应该在听到这个女孩的名字时退缩。
The baby had died too early to pose for photographs, but still she was regarded as a full fledged member of the family.
婴儿死得太早，无法拍照，但她仍然被视为家庭的正式成员。
She had a Christmas stocking the size of a mitten.
她有一只手套大小的圣诞袜。
And they even threw her an annual birthday party, a fact my mother found especially creepy.
他们甚至为她举办了一年一度的生日聚会，我母亲觉得这一点特别令人毛骨悚然。
"Let's hope they don't invite us," she said.
“希望他们不要邀请我们，”她说。
"I mean Jesus, how do you shop for a dead baby?"
“我的意思是天啊，你怎么去买死婴呢？”
I guessed it was the fear of another premature birth that kept Mrs. Winters from trying again, which was sad, as you got the sense she really wanted a lively household.
我猜温特斯夫人是因为担心再次早产而不敢再次尝试，这很令人难过，因为你会感觉到她真的想要一个充满活力的家庭。
You got the sense she had an idea of a lively household, and that the slumber party and the ketchup-covered knife were all a part of that idea.
你会感觉到她有一个充满活力的家庭的想法，而睡衣派对和涂有番茄酱的刀都是这个想法的一部分。
While in her presence, we had played along.
当她在场时，我们一起玩。
But once she said good night, I understood that all bets were off.
但一旦她说了晚安，我就明白一切都完了。
She and her husband lumbered up the stairs.
她和丈夫拖着沉重的步伐走上楼梯。
And when Walt felt certain they were asleep, he pounced on Dale Gummerson, shouting "Titty twister!" Brad Clancy joined in, and when they had finished, Dale raised his shirt, revealing nipples as crimped and ruddy as the pepperoni slices littering the forsaken pizza box.
当沃尔特确信他们睡着了时，他扑向戴尔·古默森，大喊“奶头扭曲者！”布拉德·克兰西也加入进来，当他们结束时，戴尔掀起了衬衫，露出了像被遗弃的披萨盒上散落着的意大利辣香肠片一样卷曲和红润的乳头。
"Oh my God," I said, realizing too late that this made me sound like a girl.
“天哪，”我说，但为时已晚，我意识到这让我听起来像个女孩。
The appropriate response was to laugh at Dale's misfortune, not to flutter your hands in front of your face, screeching, "What have they done to your poor nipples?
正确的反应是嘲笑戴尔的不幸，而不是把手放在脸前尖叫，“他们对你可怜的乳头做了什么？
Shouldn't we put some ice on them?"
要不我们给他们敷点冰块？”
Walt picked up on this immediately.
沃尔特立即意识到了这一点。
"Did you just say you wanted to put ice on Dale's nipples?" "Well not me personally," I said.
“你刚才是说你想在戴尔的乳头上敷冰块吗？” “嗯，不是我个人，”我说。
"I meant, you know, generally, as a group.
“我的意思是，你知道，一般来说，作为一个群体。
Or Dale could do it himself if he felt like it."
或者，如果戴尔愿意的话，他也可以自己做。”
Walt's eyes wandered from my face to my chest.
沃尔特的目光从我的脸转移到我的胸口。
And then the entire slumber party was upon me.
然后整个睡衣派对都集中在我身上。
My shirt was raised, a hand was clamped over my mouth, and Walt latched on to my nipples, twisting them back and forth as if they were a set of particularly stubborn lug nuts.
我的衬衫被掀起，一只手捂住了我的嘴，沃尔特抓住了我的乳头，来回扭动它们，就像它们是一组特别顽固的凸耳螺母一样。
"Now who needs ice?" he said.
“现在谁需要冰块？”他说。
"Now who thinks he's a god damn school nurse?"
“现在谁认为他是该死的学校护士？”
I'd once felt sorry for Walt, but now, my eyes watering in pain, I understood that little Lauren was smart to have cut out early.
我曾经为沃尔特感到难过，但现在，我的眼睛因痛苦而流泪，我明白小劳伦早早退出是很聪明的。
When eventually I was freed, I went upstairs and stood at the kitchen window, my arms folded lightly against my chest.
当我最终被释放时，我上楼站在厨房的窗户前，双臂轻轻地抱在胸前。
My house was located in a ravine.
我的房子位于一个山沟里。
You couldn't see it from the street, but still I could make out the glow of light spilling from the top of our driveway.
你从街上看不到它，但我仍然可以辨认出从我们车道顶部溢出的光芒。
It was tempting, but were I to leave now, I'd never hear the end of it.
这很诱人，但如果我现在离开，我将永远听不到它的结局。
The baby cried.
婴儿哭了。
The baby had to go home.
婴儿不得不回家。
Life at school would be unbearable.
学校的生活将难以忍受。
And so I left the window and returned to the basement where Walt was shuffling cards against the coffee table.
于是我离开窗户，回到地下室，沃尔特正在咖啡桌上洗牌。
"Just in time," he said.
“来得正是时候，”他说。
"Have a seat." I lowered myself to the floor and reached for a magazine.
“坐吧。”我趴到地上，伸手去拿一本杂志。
"I'm not really much for games.
“我其实不太喜欢游戏。
So if it's OK with you, I think I'll just watch." "Watch hell," Walt said.
所以如果你同意的话，我想我就看看吧。” “看地狱，”沃尔特说。
"This is strip poker.
“这是脱衣扑克。
What kind of a homo wants to sit around and watch four guys get naked?"
什么样的同性恋者愿意坐在一起看四个男人裸体？”
The logic of this was lost on me.
我不明白其中的逻辑。
"Well won't we all sort of be watching?" "Looking maybe, but not watching," Walt said.
“那我们大家不都会看着吗？” “也许在看，但不是在看，”沃尔特说。
"There's a difference." Again, I had no idea what he was talking about.
“有区别。”再次，我不知道他在说什么。
Walt made a twisting motion with his fingers, and I took my place at the table, praying for a gas leak or an electrical fire, anything to save me from the catastrophe of strip poker.
沃尔特用手指做了一个扭转的动作，我坐在桌子旁，祈祷煤气泄漏或电气火灾，祈祷任何能让我免于脱衣扑克灾难的事情。
To the rest of the group, a naked boy was like a lamp or an extension cord, something so familiar and uninteresting it faded into the background.
对于其他人来说，一个赤身裸体的男孩就像一盏灯或一根延长线，是一种如此熟悉而又无趣的东西，以至于逐渐消失在背景中。
But for me it was different.
但对我来说，情况有所不同。
A naked boy was what I desired more than anything on earth.
一个赤身裸体的男孩是我最想要的。
And when you were both watching and desiring, things came up, one thing, in particular, that was bound to stand out and ruin your life forever.
当你既观看又渴望时，事情出现了，特别是一件事，它注定会脱颖而出并永远毁掉你的生活。
"I hate to tell you," I said, "but it's against my religion to play poker." "Yeah right," Walt said.
“我不想告诉你，”我说，“但玩扑克违反了我的宗教信仰。” “是的，没错，”沃尔特说。
"What are you Baptists?" "Greek Orthodox." "Well then that's a load of crap, because the Greeks invented cards," Walt said.
“你们是什么浸信会教徒？” “希腊东正教。” “那么这就是一堆废话，因为希腊人发明了纸牌，”沃尔特说。
"Actually, I think it was the Egyptians." This from Scott, who was quickly identifying himself as the smart one.
“事实上，我认为是埃及人干的。”这句话出自斯科特之口，他很快就认定自己是个聪明人。
"Greeks, Egyptians, they're all the same thing," Walt said.
“希腊人、埃及人，他们都是同一个人，”沃尔特说。
"Anyway, what your pooh-bah doesn't know won't hurt him.
“不管怎样，你的呸呸不知道的事情不会伤害他。
So shut the hell up and play."
所以，闭嘴，玩吧。”
He dealt the cards, and I looked from face to face, exaggerating flaws and reminding myself that these boys did not like me.
他发牌，我从一张脸看着另一张脸，夸大缺点，提醒自己这些男孩不喜欢我。
The hope was that I might kill any surviving atom of attraction.
我希望我能杀死任何幸存的吸引力原子。
But as has been the case for my entire life, the more someone dislikes me, the more attractive they become.
但正如我一生的情况一样，某人越不喜欢我，他们就变得越有吸引力。
The key was to stall, to argue every hand until the sun came up and Mrs. Winters saved me with whatever cheerful monstrosity she had planned for breakfast.
关键是要拖延时间，与每一方争论，直到太阳升起，温特斯太太用她计划好的早餐来拯救我。
Usually when forced to compete, it was my tactic to simply give up.
通常当被迫竞争时，我的策略就是放弃。
To try in any way was to announce your ambition, which only made you more vulnerable.
任何方式的尝试都是在宣示你的野心，这只会让你更加脆弱。
Here though, surrender was not an option.
但在这里，投降不是一个选择。
I had to win in a game I knew nothing about.
我必须在一场我一无所知的比赛中获胜。
And that seemed hopeless until I realized we were all on an even keel.
这似乎毫无希望，直到我意识到我们都处于平稳状态。
Not even Scott had the slightest idea what he was doing.
就连斯科特也不知道自己在做什么。
And by feigning an air of expertise, I found I could manipulate things in my favor.
通过假装自己很专业，我发现我可以操纵事情对我有利。
"A joker and a queen is much better than a four and five of spades," I said, defending my hand against Brad Clancy's.
“一张小丑和一张 Q 比一张黑桃 4 和 5 好得多，”我一边说，一边捍卫自己的牌，对抗布拉德·克兰西的牌。
"But you have a joker and a three of diamonds." "Yeah, but the joker makes it a queen." "I thought you said that poker was against your religion," Walt said.
“但是你有一张王牌和一张方块三。” “是的，但是小丑使它成为女王。” “我以为你说过扑克违背你的宗教信仰，”沃尔特说。
"Well that doesn't mean I don't understand it.
“嗯，这并不意味着我不明白。
Greeks invented cards, remember?
希腊人发明了纸牌，还记得吗？
They're in my blood."
它们就在我的血液里。”
At the start of the game, the starburst clock had read 3:30.
比赛开始时，星爆时钟显示为3点30分。
An hour later I was missing one shoe.
一小时后我丢了一只鞋子。
Scott and Brad had lost their shirts.
斯科特和布拉德失去了衬衫。
And both Walt and Dale were down to their underwear.
沃尔特和戴尔都只穿了内衣。
If this was what winning felt like, I wondered why I hadn't tried it earlier.
如果这就是胜利的感觉，我想知道为什么我没有早点尝试一下。
Confidently in the lead, I invented little reasons for the undressed to get up and move about the room.
自信地处于领先地位，我编造了一些理由让那些脱光衣服的人站起来在房间里走动。
"Hey Walt, did you hear that?
“嘿沃尔特，你听到了吗？
Sounded like your mother calling." "I didn't hear anything." "Well why don't you go to the stairway and check?
听起来像是你妈妈在打电话。” “我什么也没听到。” “那你为什么不去楼梯看看呢？
We don't want any surprises." His underwear was all bunchy in the back, saggy like a diaper.
我们不希望有任何意外。”他的内裤后面全是褶子，像尿布一样下垂。
But his legs were meaty and satisfying to look at.
但他的腿却是肉肉的，看着就让人心满意足。
"Dale, would you make sure those curtains are closed?" He crossed the room, and I ate him alive with my eyes, confident that no one would accuse me of gaping.
“戴尔，你能确保那些窗帘都关上了吗？”他穿过房间，我用眼睛活活地吃了他，确信没有人会指责我张口结舌。
Things might have been different were I in last place.
如果我排在最后，情况可能会有所不同。
But as the winner, it was my right to make sure that things were done properly.
但作为胜利者，我有权利确保事情做得正确。
"There's a little gap down by the baseboard.
“底板下方有一个小间隙。
Bend over and close it, will you?"
弯腰把它关上，好吗？”
It took a while, but once I explained that a pair of kings was no match for the two of hearts and a three of spades, Walt surrendered his underpants and tossed them onto the pile beside the TV set.
花了一段时间，但当我解释说一对 K 无法与红心 2 和黑桃 3 匹敌时，沃尔特交出了他的内裤，并将它们扔到电视机旁边的堆上。
"OK," he said, "now the rest of you can finish the game." "But it is finished," Scott said.
“好吧，”他说，“现在你们其他人可以完成游戏了。” “但它已经完成了，”斯科特说。
"Oh no," Walt said.
“哦，不，”沃尔特说。
"I'm not the only one getting naked.
“我不是唯一一个赤身裸体的人。
You guys have to keep playing." "While you what?
你们必须继续比赛。” “当你什么？
Sit and watch?" I said.
坐着看？”我说。
"What kind of a homo are you?" "Yeah," Dale said.
“你是个什么样的同性恋？” “是的，”戴尔说。
"Why don't we do something else?
“我们为什么不做点别的事呢？
This game's boring and the rules are impossible."
这个游戏很无聊，而且规则也不可能。”
The others muttered their agreement.
其他人也纷纷附和。
And when Walt refused to back down, I gathered the deck and tamped it commandingly upon the table top.
当沃尔特拒绝让步时，我收集了甲板并将其压在桌面上。
"The only solution is for us all to keep playing." "Well how the hell do you expect me to do that?" Walt said.
“唯一的解决办法就是我们所有人继续比赛。” “那你到底希望我怎么做呢？”沃尔特说。
"In case you haven't noticed, there's nothing more for me to lose." "Oh," I said, "there's always more.
“如果你没有注意到的话，我已经没有什么可失去的了。” “哦，”我说，“总是有更多。
Maybe if the weakest hand is already naked, we should make that person perform some kind of a task.
也许如果最弱的手已经赤身裸体，我们应该让那个人执行某种任务。
Nothing big, but you know, just a token kind of a thing." "A think like what?" Walt asked.
没什么大不了的，但你知道，只是象征性的事情。” “想怎么样？”沃尔特问道。
"I don't know.
“我不知道。
I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."
我想当我们到达目的地时，我们就必须跨过那座桥了。”
In retrospect, I probably went a little too far in ordering Scott to sit on my lap.
回想起来，我命令斯科特坐在我腿上的举动可能有点过分了。
"But I'm naked," he said.
“但我赤身裸体，”他说。
"Hey," I said, "I'm the one who's going to be suffering.
“嘿，”我说，“我就是那个受苦的人。
I was just looking for something easy.
我只是在寻找一些简单的东西。
Would you rather run outside and touch the mailbox?
您愿意跑到外面去摸邮箱吗？
The sun will be coming up in about 20 seconds.
大约20秒后太阳就会升起。
You want the whole neighborhood to see you?" "How long will I have to sit on you?" He asked.
你想让整个街区都看到你吗？” “我还要在你身上坐多久？”他问道。
"I don't know, a minute or two.
“我不知道，一两分钟吧。
Maybe five, or seven."
也许五个，或者七个。”
I moved on to the easy chair and wearily patted my knee as if this were a great sacrifice.
我走到安乐椅上，疲倦地拍着膝盖，仿佛这是一个伟大的牺牲。
Scott slid into place, and I considered our reflection in the darkened TV screen.
斯科特滑入原位，我凝视着黑暗的电视屏幕上我们的倒影。
Here I was, one naked guy on my lap and three others ready to do my bidding.
我就在这里，一个裸体的家伙坐在我的腿上，另外三个人准备听从我的命令。
It was the stuff of dreams until I remembered that they were not doing these things of their own accord.
这是我的梦想，直到我想起他们并不是自愿做这些事情的。
This was not their pleasure but their punishment.
这不是他们的快乐，而是他们的惩罚。
And once it was over, they would make it a point to avoid me.
一旦结束，他们就会刻意避开我。
Rumors would spread that I had slipped something into their Cokes, that I had tried to French Brad Clancy, that I had stolen $5 from Wade's pocket.
谣言四起，说我把什么东西塞进了他们的可乐里，说我试图法国人布拉德·克兰西，说我从韦德的口袋里偷了 5 美元。
Not even Mrs. Winters would wave at me.
就连温特斯太太也不会向我挥手。
But all that would come later in a different life.
但这一切都将在以后不同的生活中发生。
For now, I would savor this poor imitation of tenderness, mapping Scott's shoulders, the small of his back, as he shuddered beneath my winning hand.
现在，我会品味这种对温柔的拙劣模仿，描绘斯科特的肩膀，他的背部，当他在我获胜的手下颤抖时。
David Sedaris is the author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and several other books.
大卫·塞达里斯 (David Sedaris) 是《Me Talk Pretty One Day》和其他几本书的作者。
[MUSIC - "ONE NIGHT OF SIN" BY ELVIS PRESLEY]
[音乐 - 埃尔维斯·普雷斯利的《罪孽之夜》]
Act Two, Playing Clinton in the Bush Leagues.
第二幕，在布什联盟中扮演克林顿。
And now the story of another precocious upstart, a winner in this case, someone who people love so much that he went into politics and took on some of the trappings of a minor, very minor, demagogue in the small Texas town of Gun Barrel City.
现在是另一个早熟的暴发户的故事，他是这个案子的胜利者，他深受人们的爱戴，以至于他进入政界，并在德克萨斯州小镇枪桶城扮演了一个未成年人、非常未成年人的煽动者的一些外表。
Katy Vine tells this cautionary tale.
凯蒂·瓦恩讲述了这个警示故事。
Tye Thomas was one of those kids who appeared destined for success, the one adults look at and say, that kid's going places.
泰·托马斯（Tye Thomas）是那些似乎注定会成功的孩子之一，成年人看着并说，那个孩子将会取得成功。
The kind of kid who'd buy bulk candy and lottery tickets and hawk them in his classes at a markup of 300%, 400%, sometimes 500%.
那种孩子会购买散装糖果和彩票，然后在课堂上以 300%、400%，有时甚至 500% 的加价兜售。
Now my best idea that I ever had was my dad used to carry me down to the local bar.
现在我最好的主意就是我爸爸经常带我去当地的酒吧。
It was called Captain John's in Gun Barrel City.
在枪桶城，它被称为约翰船长店。
They have in some Texas bars what they call a jukebox fund.
他们在德克萨斯州的一些酒吧设有所谓的点唱机基金。
And somebody will go around and collect $1 or $2 from everybody in the bar.
有人会四处走动，向酒吧里的每个人收取 1 或 2 美元。
And they go stick it in the jukebox.
他们把它放进点唱机里。
But what I would do is I would go around on a busy day, and collect $1 or $2 or $3 from everybody.
但我会在忙碌的一天四处走动，向每个人收取 1 美元、2 美元或 3 美元。
And I was so young and cute then, people were just happy to give me the money.
那时我还那么年轻可爱，人们很乐意给我钱。
But what I'd do is I'd go put about $10 in the jukebox.
但我要做的就是在点唱机里投入大约 10 美元。
And whatever was left over I'd stick in my pocket.
剩下的东西我都会放进口袋里。
That's just flat out stealing.
这简直就是赤裸裸的偷窃。
However, I made a hell of a lot of money.
不过，我还是赚了很多钱。
The elements of most of Tye's stories are contained in this anecdote.
泰伊大部分故事的元素都包含在这个轶事中。
He starts with a big idea.
他从一个伟大的想法开始。
The big idea skirts the fine points of the law.
这个伟大的想法避开了法律的细枝末节。
Then he feels a little bit guilty about his actions.
然后他对自己的行为感到有点内疚。
And he ignores it.
但他却忽略了它。
When Tye was 15 years old, he founded a little six page newspaper, The Cedar Creek Briefs, which by the time he graduated, he had turned into a 24 page publication, mostly made up of ads.
泰伊 15 岁时，创办了一份 6 页的小报纸《The Cedar Creek Briefs》，到他毕业时，他已将其变成了 24 页的出版物，其中大部分由广告组成。
Before he went off to private college, he sold it for more money than his parents' combined income that year.
在他去私立大学之前，他以比父母当年收入总和还多的价格出售了它。
After college, he picked up where he left off.
大学毕业后，他从中断的地方继续前进。
He bought the town newspaper, founded another one, and started buying up residential and commercial properties.
他买下了镇上的报纸，创办了另一份报纸，并开始购买住宅和商业地产。
Once he had his economic empire established, he started building his political empire.
一旦他建立了自己的经济帝国，他就开始建立自己的政治帝国。
He decided to run for mayor.
他决定竞选市长。
He launched a direct mail campaign.
他发起了直邮活动。
Every day after work, he went door to door asking people to vote for him.
每天下班后，他挨家挨户要求人们投票给他。
He even staffed a phone bank.
他甚至还为一家电话银行配备了工作人员。
For a town of 5,000, it was a well-oiled machine.
对于一个拥有 5,000 人的城镇来说，这是一台运转良好的机器。
Plus he was running as a reformer.
另外，他是以改革者的身份参选的。
When Tye Thomas came on the scene in Gun Barrel City as a political figure, Gun Barrel City was somewhat of a laughing stock.
当泰伊·托马斯以政治人物的身份出现在枪桶城时，枪桶城多少有些成为笑柄。
Mike Hannigan is the editor of the Cedar Creek Pilot , which had been the main competing newspaper to Tye's two newspapers.
迈克·汉尼根是《雪松溪试点报》的编辑，该报是泰伊两家报纸的主要竞争报纸。
We had a city manager that one time came out and said someone had put a bomb under his car.
我们有一位城市经理，有一次出来说有人在他的车底下放了一枚炸弹。
And it ended up being a jug of gasoline.
它最终变成了一罐汽油。
And this is a town that was coming off of watching our mayor kick in a door in City Hall on TV.
这是一个刚刚在电视上观看市长踢开市政厅大门的小镇。
And Tye Thomas looked like the kind of guy that would make that kind of stuff go away.
泰伊·托马斯看起来就是那种能让这种事情消失的人。
He knew how to sell things.
他知道如何卖东西。
He knew how to sell himself.
他知道如何推销自己。
People believed that he would be able to sell Gun Barrel City.
人们相信他一定能卖掉枪桶城。
I mean he was a young guy, new ideas, good personality, had a great smile.
我的意思是他是一个年轻人，想法新，性格好，笑容灿烂。
Everybody liked him.
每个人都喜欢他。
How could this kid get us into trouble?
这小子怎么会给我们带来麻烦呢？
On election day, Tye went down to City Hall, where the secretary had posted the results.
选举当天，泰伊前往市政厅，秘书在那里公布了选举结果。
He had won 67% of the vote, a landslide.
他以压倒性优势赢得了 67% 的选票。
He was 21 years old.
那年他21岁。
You know after three months of working for something, I felt like doing cartwheels in the parking lot.
你知道，在为某件事工作三个月后，我感觉就像在停车场做侧手翻。
I felt like taking my clothes off and running down the highway naked.
我真想脱掉衣服，光着身子沿着高速公路跑。
But I contained myself.
但我克制住了自己。
I remember I wrote a journal entry the next morning, that next Sunday morning, May 7, And it felt so weird waking up on the couch-- because I sleep on the couch every night-- it felt so weird waking up on the couch knowing that I was now the mayor of my city.
我记得第二天早上，即下周日早上，5 月 7 日，我写了一篇日记，在沙发上醒来的感觉很奇怪——因为我每晚都睡在沙发上——在沙发上醒来的感觉很奇怪，因为我知道我现在是我所在城市的市长。
A lot of people can win an election.
很多人都可以赢得选举。
But to win an election in a landslide usually takes a certain kind of politician, one who motivates the community and one who also feeds off the affirmation of his people.
但要以压倒性优势赢得选举，通常需要某种类型的政治家，即一位能激励社区、又能得到人民肯定的政治家。
Tye Thomas is one of those politicians.
泰·托马斯就是这些政治家之一。
The first three or four months after I was elected were I would have to say probably the greatest four months of my life, looking back.
回顾过去，我当选后的前三四个月可能是我一生中最伟大的四个月。
I was invited often to speak to groups to share my vision for the city.
我经常受邀与团体演讲，分享我对这座城市的愿景。
I received lots of positive press, lots of great publicity.
我收到了很多正面的媒体报道和大量的宣传。
The city was receiving wonderful publicity as a result of my winning the election.
由于我赢得选举，这座城市受到了广泛的关注。
I was working on the promise that I would return the peace and the serenity to City Hall, which I didn't do.
我正在努力兑现让市政厅恢复和平与安宁的承诺，但我没有做到。
I actually probably made it worse.
我实际上可能让事情变得更糟。
One of the things that makes Tye such a remarkable character is that he's so candid.
泰伊之所以成为如此出色的人物，原因之一就是他非常坦率。
His candor was refreshing, maybe even necessary, for success in a town whose motto was "we shoot you straight." But in politics, like in all sorts of careers, there are just some times you are better off keeping your mouth shut.
他的坦诚令人耳目一新，甚至对于在一个以“我们直接射击你”为座右铭的小镇取得成功来说是必要的。但在政治中，就像在各种职业中一样，有些时候你最好还是闭嘴。
Again, editor Mike Hannigan.
再次，编辑迈克·汉尼根。
I remember the time he went on a Dallas radio station for a win a date with the mayor contest, where they actually had women calling in and talking to Tye and Tye talking to them.
我记得有一次他去达拉斯一家广播电台参加市长竞选，在那里他们实际上有女性打电话给泰伊并与泰伊交谈。
And one of them got to have a date with Tye Thomas.
其中一人与泰·托马斯有个约会。
So somebody did win a date?
那么有人确实赢得了约会吗？
Mike Hannigan Oh, yeah.
迈克·汉尼根哦，是的。
Were people in the community embarrassed, though, that he did that?
不过，社区里的人会因为他这样做而感到尴尬吗？
People in the community were horrified.
社区里的人都被吓坏了。
One of the best examples was he goes to a bar and admittedly-- in a newspaper article admits that he drank a little too much and didn't think he should be driving home.
最好的例子之一是他去了一家酒吧，并在报纸文章中承认他喝得太多了，并且认为他不应该开车回家。
So the first thing he thought of was to call the police to give him a hand, call for a police escort home.
于是他第一个想到的就是打电话报警来帮自己，叫警察护送回家。
And all this is not quite what the average person would think that the police was supposed to be doing.
而这一切并不完全是普通人认为警察应该做的事情。
But Tye never gave it a second thought.
但泰伊从未再考虑过这个问题。
I mean hey, he was in trouble.
我的意思是嘿，他有麻烦了。
The police were there to serve.
警察在那里提供服务。
I'm Tye Thomas.
我是泰·托马斯。
Let me give them a call.
让我给他们打电话。
There is more than one story like this about Tye stretching the boundaries of what was acceptable.
关于泰伊突破可接受界限的这样的故事不止一个。
They eventually led to a DA investigation.
他们最终引发了地方检察官的调查。
And on April 27, 2001, Tye was indicted by a grand jury on perjury charges, a Class A misdemeanor.
2001 年 4 月 27 日，泰伊被大陪审团以伪证罪起诉，属于 A 级轻罪。
He was accused of lying about his residency in the town on his application for mayor.
他被指控在申请市长时谎报自己在该镇的居住情况。
Remember, Tye was the town hero.
请记住，泰伊是镇上的英雄。
He had won in a landslide, which is maybe why he assumed the public would give him the benefit of the doubt.
他以压倒性优势获胜，这也许就是为什么他认为公众会给他无罪推论。
And so Tye Thomas did what a lot of popular politicians accused of wrongdoing have done before him.
因此，泰伊·托马斯做了许多被指控有不当行为的受欢迎政客在他之前所做过的事情。
He denied the charges.
他否认了这些指控。
He said the attack was politically motivated.
他表示，这次袭击是出于政治动机。
Tye says his problems started right after he declared publicly that he wanted to run for state rep against an incumbent named Clyde Alexander.
泰伊说，他的问题是在他公开宣布自己想与现任议员克莱德·亚历山大竞争州议员后就开始出现的。
That's when all of my troubles began.
那是我所有的麻烦开始的时候。
That's when his ally, Democrat District Attorney Donna Bennett opened up all of her investigations into me and things I had done in the past.
就在那时，他的盟友、民主党地方检察官唐娜·贝内特(Donna Bennett)公开了她对我和我过去所做的事情的所有调查。
She used investigations as a political war tool to discredit my character and my job that I was doing as mayor.
她利用调查作为政治战争工具来抹黑我的品格和我作为市长所做的工作。
There is, of course, one problem with this conspiracy theory.
当然，这一阴谋论有一个问题。
And that is that the incumbent, Clyde Alexander, didn't run.
那就是现任总统克莱德·亚历山大没有参选。
In any case, it shouldn't have mattered.
无论如何，这应该不重要。
Mike Hannigan.
迈克·汉尼根。
Now I think Tye probably could have survived all of that.
现在我认为泰伊可能能够在这一切中幸存下来。
But that's when he went to the alcohol, and the drugs, and the Xanax.
但就在那时他开始酗酒、吸毒和服用阿普唑仑。
It was a Monday morning.
那是一个星期一的早晨。
The grand jury was the upcoming Thursday.
大陪审团将于下周四举行。
Even though I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not guilty of the crimes that she was trying to present against me, there was this little voice in my head that's saying, Golly, four to 20 years in prison?
尽管我毫无疑问地知道我并没有犯下她试图对我犯下的罪行，但我脑子里有一个小小的声音在说，天啊，入狱四到二十年？
I'd rather die.
我宁愿死。
I was scared.
我很害怕。
I've got to admit to you, Monday morning I woke up at about 7 o'clock and I was scared to death.
我必须承认，周一早上我七点左右就醒了，我吓得要死。
And I took two, or three, or four Xanax.
我服用了两片、三片或四片 Xanax。
I can't remember how many.
我不记得有多少了。
Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication that my doctor prescribes to me.
Xanax 是我的医生给我开的一种抗焦虑药物。
And then that evening I went out and I started drinking vodka tonics.
那天晚上我出去开始喝伏特加补品。
And by the end of the evening, I was drinking straight vodka.
到了晚上，我就喝了纯伏特加。
And I was completely and totally intoxicated.
我完全陶醉了。
Well I don't know when, but sometime later I vomited, because I had had so much to drink.
嗯，我不知道什么时候，但过了一段时间我就吐了，因为我喝了太多酒。
And I was still asleep on the couch.
而我还在沙发上睡着了。
My ex-fiancee [?
我的前未婚妻[？
Kathy ?] decides to come over.
凯西？]决定过来。
She finds me passed out on the couch in a pool of vomit.
她发现我昏倒在沙发上，一滩呕吐物中。
She picks up the phone and calls 911, and tells the dispatcher that she was in the mayor's condo and that he had overdosed on Xanax.
她拿起电话拨打 911，告诉调度员她在市长的公寓里，而且他服用了过量的 Xanax。
I didn't wake up until there were about six police officers in my house and about eight paramedics.
直到我家里有大约六名警察和大约八名护理人员，我才醒来。
She'd made a 911 call, which is public record.
她拨打了 911，这是公开记录。
And I knew that the newspaper would pick up on that.
我知道报纸会报道这一点。
And boy it would be the hot story that week.
天哪，这将成为那周的热门故事。
So in some nutso, idiot, ridiculous, drunken state of mind, I decided I wanted to go to jail.
因此，在某种疯狂、白痴、可笑、醉酒的心态下，我决定要进监狱。
Gun Barrel Police Department.
枪桶警察局。
Tye Thomas Who's speaking, Red?
泰·托马斯 谁在说话，瑞德？
This is Red.
这是红色。
Tye Thomas Red, this is Mayor Thomas.
泰·托马斯·雷德，我是托马斯市长。
Get ?] off the phone.
挂掉电话吗？
Tye Thomas I need an officer to come and immediately arrest me.
泰伊·托马斯，我需要一名警官来立即逮捕我。
What's the emergency?
有什么紧急情况？
Tye Thomas I am guilty of public intoxication.
泰伊·托马斯 我犯有公共醉酒罪。
And I need to be taken to jail.
我需要被送进监狱。
Well, you can't be publicly intoxicated in your own home, sir.
好吧，先生，你不能在自己家里当众喝醉。
Mr. Mayor, as soon as I got one available, I'll send him right away.
市长先生，一旦我有空，我会立即派他去。
And I think I called five or six times.
我想我打了五六次电话。
I didn't know what I said until my competitor newspaper got a copy of all the 911 tapes, and so did the TV stations in Dallas, and played them.
我不知道自己说了什么，直到我的竞争对手报纸拿到了所有 911 录像带的副本，达拉斯的电视台也拿到了，并播放了它们。
It was pretty embarrassing to hear yourself drunk on the 10 o'clock news.
听到自己喝醉了看十点新闻真是太尴尬了。
These days, having attended his share of AA meetings, Tye Thomas will be the first to admit that he had problems with substance abuse.
这些天，在参加了 AA 会议后，泰·托马斯将是第一个承认他有药物滥用问题的人。
But you get the sense that he first grasped the seriousness of his trouble just as it was being broadcast to everyone in the Dallas-Forth Worth area.
但你会感觉到，当问题向达拉斯-沃斯堡地区的每个人广播时，他首先意识到了自己问题的严重性。
The incident was the nail in the coffin.
这一事件是棺材上的钉子。
21 days later, he resigned as mayor.
21天后，他辞去市长职务。
Afterwards, he had bouts of depression.
此后，他患上了抑郁症。
He sat in his condo with the blinds closed for days at a time, not bathing, wearing only his bathrobe.
他连续几天坐在公寓里，关着百叶窗，不洗澡，只穿着浴袍。
He became paranoid, and went so far as to re-shred paper shreddings in his apartment.
他变得偏执，甚至在他的公寓里重新撕碎纸片。
He thought he was being watched.
他以为自己正在被监视。
Eventually he left town.
最终他离开了小镇。
One of the most striking things about the whole episode is the extremes of Tye's confidence and his fragility.
整个情节中最引人注目的事情之一是泰伊的极端自信和脆弱。
It seems strange.
看起来很奇怪。
How can somebody who had such absolute faith in his ability to lead be dragged into a drug and alcohol spiral by charges he could have beaten?
一个对自己的领导能力如此绝对有信心的人怎么会被他本可以击败的指控拖入毒品和酒精的漩涡呢？
But at least in Tye's case, the confidence and fragility seem linked.
但至少在泰伊的例子中，自信和脆弱似乎是相关的。
They both come from a failure to anticipate the thought that occurs to all the rest of us as second nature.
它们都来自于未能预见到我们其他人作为第二天性而出现的想法。
What if I fail?
如果我失败了怎么办？
What if I can't lead?
如果我不能领导怎么办？
What if they don't like me?
如果他们不喜欢我怎么办？
It's a very innocent thought.
这是一个非常天真的想法。
Tye had an innocence about other people's faith in him and an innocence about his faith in himself.
泰伊对于别人对他的信任很天真，对于他自己的信仰也很天真。
You see when I ran for mayor, and after I was first elected, I really felt that emotionally and mentally I was invincible.
你看我竞选市长的时候，第一次当选后，我真的觉得我在情感上、精神上都是所向无敌的。
I didn't believe that anything or anybody could change my self-esteem or the way that I felt about myself.
我不相信任何事或任何人可以改变我的自尊或我对自己的感觉。
And I was dead wrong.
我完全错了。
If you could maybe wipe the town memory absolutely clean, would you go back and try again?
如果你能把小镇的记忆彻底清除，你会回去再试一次吗？
No. Katy Vine If they had no memory of who Tye Thomas was and you were going in for the first time?
不。Katy Vine 如果他们不记得 Tye Thomas 是谁而你是第一次进去？
No, I wouldn't go back.
不，我不会回去。
Katy Vine How come?
凯蒂·瓦恩 怎么会这样？
I've become very sensitive to how situations that I place myself in are going to affect me emotionally.
我对自己所处的情境对我的情感产生的影响变得非常敏感。
And that's not something I would ever put myself through again.
我再也不会经历这样的事情了。
Even if it had a completely different outcome, even if I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was going to be positive, I wouldn't go back and do it.
即使它有一个完全不同的结果，即使我毫无疑问地知道它会是积极的，我也不会回去这样做。
Despite all that, as Mike Hannigan points out, his term wasn't exactly a failure.
尽管如此，正如迈克·汉尼根指出的那样，他的任期并不完全是失败的。
He made himself into exactly what he wanted to make himself into.
他把自己变成了他想把自己变成的样子。
He became a public figure, almost an icon.
他成为了公众人物，几乎成为了偶像。
Light a fire within you.
点燃你内心的火焰。
Some will come and join you.
有些人会来加入你。
And others will come just to watch you burn.
其他人会来看你被烧死。
And back then, I had a strong fire going with me.
那时，我心中有一股强烈的火焰。
And people couldn't get enough of it.
人们乐此不疲。
Tye Thomas has an unholy hold on the Gun Barrel City imagination.
泰·托马斯对枪桶城的想象力有着邪恶的掌控。
He has been gone for years now, and I still get phone calls with people telling me, hey, he just did this.
他已经离开很多年了，我仍然接到人们的电话，告诉我，嘿，他刚刚做了这件事。
Hey, he just did that.
嘿，他刚刚就这么做了。
Let me tell you, it's a wonderful feeling to go to the newsstand and buy a newspaper and not have to worry about your picture or name being on the front page.
让我告诉你，去报摊买报纸而不必担心你的照片或名字出现在头版是一种美妙的感觉。
At first I loved it.
起初我很喜欢它。
And now that's something that I grew to despise.
现在我开始鄙视这种事。
Some politicians take a lifetime to get to the point Tye got to in a year.
有些政客花了一生的时间才达到泰伊一年内达到的程度。
The stunning rise to the top, the scandal, and the fall from grace.
惊人的崛起、丑闻和失宠。
Tye says he hasn't entirely ruled out a future run for office.
泰伊表示，他并未完全排除未来竞选公职的可能性。
But he figures he'll have to wait at least 15 years before he can claim it's all behind him, that he's someone else.
但他认为，他至少要等 15 年才能声称一切都已经过去，他已经是另外一个人了。
So he waits.
所以他等待。
He's not even 25.
他还不到25岁。
Katy Vine is a writer for the magazine Texas Monthly .
凯蒂·瓦恩是《德克萨斯月刊》杂志的撰稿人。
Coming up, US officials, many of them young and charming, come into Iraq carrying their message of hope, and democracy, and freedom.
接下来，美国官员，其中许多年轻而迷人，带着希望、民主和自由的信息来到伊拉克。
And why even the Iraqis who want to hear that message don't seem to.
为什么连想听到这个信息的伊拉克人似乎也不愿意呢？
That's in a minute, from Chicago Public Radio and Public Radio International, when our program continues.
稍后，芝加哥公共广播电台和国际公共广播电台将继续我们的节目。
It's This American Life .
这就是美国生活。
I'm Ira Glass.
我是艾拉·格拉斯。
Each week on our program, of course, we choose some theme and bring you a variety of different kinds of stories on that theme.
当然，每周我们的节目都会选择一些主题，并为您带来有关该主题的各种不同类型的故事。
Today's program, I'm in Charge Here, stories of people who get filled with American entrepreneurial spirit to take over, create something new, full of self confidence, and what sometimes happens to them.
今天的节目，我在这里负责，讲述那些充满美国企业家精神、充满自信地接管、创造新事物的人们的故事，以及他们有时发生的事情。
We've arrived at Act Three of our program.
我们已经到了节目的第三幕了。
Act Three, You Talkin' to Me?
第三幕，你在跟我说话吗？
Nearly every day, there's some story from Iraq about how badly the US occupation there is going.
几乎每天，都有一些来自伊拉克的故事，讲述美国对那里的占领有多严重。
Soldiers getting shot, basic services still not working.
士兵中弹，基本服务仍然无法运作。
And one of the big problems there is the information gap between the Iraqis and the Americans who are running the country.
最大的问题之一是伊拉克人和管理这个国家的美国人之间的信息差距。
One small, telling sign of that gap, even the name of the agency running the country hasn't gotten out to most Iraqis.
就连管理这个国家的机构的名称也没有被大多数伊拉克人知晓，这是这一差距的一个微小而明显的迹象。
That agency's name?
那个机构的名字？
It's called the Coalition Provisional Authority, or CPA.
它被称为联盟临时权力机构（CPA）。
When Iraqis know any name, it's usually the name the agency used to be called, ORHA, the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance.
当伊拉克人知道任何名字时，通常都是该机构以前的名称：ORHA，即重建和人道主义援助办公室。
Well, reporter Adam Davidson says the information gap is one of the most ominous things about living in Baghdad these days.
记者亚当·戴维森表示，信息差距是当今巴格达生活中最不祥的事情之一。
There's an information void.
存在信息空白。
And as a result, rumors are everywhere.
结果，谣言四起。
Amjad, my translator, tells me the new ones every morning.
我的翻译阿姆贾德每天早上都会告诉我新的内容。
And then I hear them repeated by different people all day.
然后我整天听到不同的人重复这些话。
People say the Americans are burning Iraqi currency in big trash barrels at gas stations, because they want Iraqis to be poor.
人们说，美国人正在加油站的大垃圾桶里焚烧伊拉克货币，因为他们希望伊拉克人贫穷。
They say Israelis are buying up the most valuable real estate in Iraq so they can occupy Iraq just like Palestine.
他们说，以色列人正在购买伊拉克最有价值的房地产，这样他们就可以像占领巴勒斯坦一样占领伊拉克。
Then there's the rumor you hear most often, that Saddam Hussein is living in the US somewhere in a big mansion.
然后是您最常听到的谣言，即萨达姆·侯赛因住在美国某处的一座大宅邸中。
I hear this all the time, that Saddam worked with the Americans, arranged for the American invasion so that the US could take over the country and steal its oil.
我一直听到这样的说法，萨达姆与美国人合作，安排美国入侵，以便美国可以接管该国并窃取其石油。
In the last few weeks this rumor has changed a bit.
在过去的几周里，这个谣言发生了一些变化。
People now say Saddam is living in the White House.
人们现在说萨达姆住在白宫。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator Whether the rumor is right or correct or not, what we do is convey the rumor by itself without giving our own point of view or our own opinion about this rumor.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 无论谣言正确与否，我们所做的只是传达谣言本身，而不给出我们自己的观点或对此谣言的看法。
Mustafa publishes Al-Saah, The Clock, one of the newspapers that have sprung up in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
穆斯塔法出版了《Al-Saah》《时钟》，这是自萨达姆·侯赛因倒台以来在巴格达兴起的报纸之一。
So many papers have appeared that nobody knows exactly how many there are.
论文数量如此之多，以至于没人知道到底有多少篇。
The last count I heard was 105.
我最后听到的数字是 105。
Mustafa tells me the paper has 30 reporters.
Mustafa 告诉我该报有 30 名记者。
Every day they try to find some American somewhere who will answer their questions.
他们每天都试图在某个地方找到一些美国人来回答他们的问题。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator We need to interview members of ORHA personally to ask them their questions, to know their feelings, to know what kind of measures they are taking.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 我们需要亲自采访 ORHA 成员，询问他们的问题，了解他们的感受，了解他们正在采取什么样的措施。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator We always try to get information from ORHA.
[阿拉伯语] 翻译 我们总是尝试从 ORHA 获取信息。
We are always sending our reporters there to the office.
我们总是派记者去那里的办公室。
But they found difficulties in getting this information.
但他们发现获取这些信息很困难。
So they're left printing rumors.
所以他们只能散布谣言。
One issue of Al-Saah reported that American soldiers were giving pornography to schoolgirls, another rumor I heard a lot.
《Al-Saah》杂志的一期报道称，美国士兵向女学生提供色情内容，这是我经常听到的另一个谣言。
Another explained how the Americans had promised to give $50 to every Iraqi.
另一位解释了美国人如何承诺向每个伊拉克人提供 50 美元。
The photo on the front page was of an American soldier attacking an older man.
头版的照片是一名美国士兵袭击一名老人。
In red writing along the sides there was a prayer, "Merciful God, deliver us from this damnation." All this was an Arabic, along with editorials denouncing the US occupation.
两侧用红色写着祈祷词：“仁慈的上帝，请将我们从这种诅咒中拯救出来。”所有这些都是阿拉伯语，还有谴责美国占领的社论。
But like a lot of Iraqi newspapers, one of Al-Saah's eight pages is in English.
但与许多伊拉克报纸一样，《Al-Saah》的八版报纸中有一页是英文的。
The English page seems to come from some other newspaper.
英文页面似乎来自其他报纸。
It's completely pro-American.
完全是亲美派。
The photo on that page was of a friendly female soldier giving a bottle of water to a grateful young Iraqi girl.
该页面上的照片是一位友好的女士兵向一位感激的伊拉克年轻女孩赠送一瓶水。
There's an article about how the Americans had helped to open a school.
有一篇文章介绍了美国人如何帮助开设一所学校。
As one reporter told me, the English page is for the Americans to read, so they won't get mad at Al-Saah.
正如一位记者告诉我的，英文版是给美国人看的，所以他们不会对萨阿生气。
The Arabic pages are for the Iraqis.
阿拉伯语页面是针对伊拉克人的。
In general, Iraqis know the Americans are in charge.
总的来说，伊拉克人知道美国人负责。
But they have no idea what the Americans here are up to.
但他们不知道美国人在做什么。
Most people have heard of Paul Bremer, the guy who's in charge of Iraq right now.
大多数人都听说过保罗·布雷默（Paul Bremer），他现在负责伊拉克事务。
But they don't know anything about him.
但他们对他一无所知。
These men were standing near the [?
这些人站在[？
Jamuhuri ?] Bridge, about a block from the American headquarters in Iraq.
Jamuhuri？] 桥，距离美国驻伊拉克总部大约一个街区。
What have you heard from the Americans about what their plans are?
您从美国人那里了解到他们的计划是什么？
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator I heard nothing.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 我什么也没听到。
I heard nothing from them.
我没有听到他们的任何消息。
What do you know about Bremer?
您对布雷默了解多少？
What do you know about Bremer?
您对布雷默了解多少？
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator I don't anything.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 我什么都不知道。
If he--
如果他——
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator Only promises.
[说阿拉伯语] 仅翻译承诺。
Only promises.
只有承诺。
That's all I know about Bremer.
这就是我对布雷默的全部了解。
If he were walking down the street, would you recognize him?
如果他走在街上，你会认出他吗？
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Iraqi Man No. No. [SPEAKING ARABIC]
[讲阿拉伯语] 伊拉克男子 编号 [讲阿拉伯语]
If he was walking along we don't know him.
如果他一路走来，我们就不认识他了。
Maybe you are Bremer.
也许你是布雷默。
Talking to people in Baghdad, I've thought a lot about what it would be like to be back home in America if the situation were reversed.
在与巴格达的人们交谈时，我思考了很多，如果情况逆转，回到美国会是什么样子。
If there were this group of Iraqis who don't speak English running my country, knowing they're making plans that will affect every part of my life and not knowing anything about what those plans are.
如果有一群不会说英语的伊拉克人管理我的国家，知道他们正在制定的计划将影响我生活的方方面面，但对这些计划是什么一无所知。
Not even knowing anything about who those people are.
甚至不知道那些人是谁。
One thing you hear all the time is if the Americans wanted to fix all this with all their money and power, they could.
你经常听到的一件事是，如果美国人想用他们所有的金钱和力量来解决这一切，他们可以。
So the only explanation is they don't care.
所以唯一的解释是他们不在乎。
Or worse, they want Iraqis to suffer.
或者更糟糕的是，他们希望伊拉克人受苦。
The headquarters of the US administration in Iraq is right in the center of Baghdad, Saddam's Republican Palace.
美国驻伊拉克政府总部就位于巴格达市中心，萨达姆的共和宫。
It's like a fortress.
它就像一座堡垒。
All you can see from the street is barbed concertina wire and a whole lot of US infantry.
从街上你只能看到带刺的六角形铁丝网和大量的美国步兵。
In the distance is this large arch and, through it, a tree-lined road.
远处是一座大拱门，穿过拱门是一条绿树成荫的道路。
It's like a small city in there.
那里就像一座小城市。
This was Saddam's main governmental complex, a huge area, big enough that the US has set up bus routes inside with dozens of buildings and thousands of Americans living and working there.
这里是萨达姆的主要政府大楼，面积很大，大得足以让美国在里面设立公交车路线，有几十栋建筑物，有数千名美国人在那里生活和工作。
And this gate is like the border between the country of Iraq and the American country within a country.
而这个大门就像是伊拉克国家和美国国中之国的边界。
It's where US soldiers shot and killed protesters this week who were throwing stones.
本周，美国士兵就是在这里射杀了投掷石块的抗议者。
Every day there's a crowd of Iraqis at the entrance off to one side of all that barbed wire.
每天，铁丝网一侧的入口处都会聚集一群伊拉克人。
They're trying to get in there, hoping to talk to someone in charge about whatever problem they're having.
他们试图进入那里，希望与负责人讨论他们遇到的任何问题。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Adam Davidson Two women are there dressed in their best clothes, like they were going to a job interview.
[阿拉伯语] Adam Davidson 那里有两个女人穿着她们最好的衣服，就像她们要去参加工作面试一样。
They're principals, they say, and they want to talk to whichever American is in charge of the Ministry of Education.
他们说，他们是校长，他们想与负责教育部的美国人交谈。
In all the postwar confusion, some guy no one knew just showed up one day, and said he's now in charge of their school district.
在战后的一片混乱中，有一天，一个没人认识的人出现了，并说他现在负责他们的学区。
He's awful, they say, bossing everyone around and stealing money.
他们说他很糟糕，对每个人都发号施令，还偷钱。
They want a different guy to be placed in charge.
他们希望由一个不同的人来负责。
Someone prepared a letter for them, which neither can read because they don't know English.
有人为他们准备了一封信，但他们都看不懂，因为他们不懂英语。
A soldier comes up and tells them to get back from the gate.
一名士兵走过来，告诉他们从大门返回。
They don't know what he's saying, and he doesn't know what they're saying.
他们不知道他在说什么，他也不知道他们在说什么。
So they keep standing there and eventually the soldier walks away.
所以他们就一直站在那里，最终那个士兵走开了。
It turns out this is the wrong gate if you want to talk to an American.
事实证明，如果你想和美国人交谈，这是错误的大门。
There is a right gate.
右边有一个门。
It's off to the side behind a bunch of trees where army specialist Laura Moore, a 21 year old in the Civil Affairs Corps, is standing behind some barbed concertina wire.
就在一旁的一堆树后面，21 岁的民政部队专家劳拉·摩尔 (Laura Moore) 站在一些带刺的手风琴铁丝网后面。
She has blue eyes and blond hair that comes down out of her bulletproof helmet.
她有蓝色的眼睛和从防弹头盔中垂下来的金发。
You can just picture her walking around a mall back home with her friends.
你可以想象她和朋友们在家里的商场里散步的情景。
And here she is, the face of the US occupation of Iraq.
她就在这里，代表美国占领伊拉克。
In the whole country, only Laura Moore and a small number of co-workers have the job of meeting with average Iraqis, finding out what's bothering them and trying to offer solutions.
在全国范围内，只有劳拉·摩尔和少数同事负责与普通伊拉克人会面，找出困扰他们的问题并试图提供解决方案。
Even though she could move into the shade of the trees, she stands with a translator out in the hot sun.
尽管她可以躲到树荫下，但她还是和翻译一起站在烈日下。
A few yards away, there is a long line of Iraqis who are also standing in the sun.
几码外，也有一长排伊拉克人站在阳光下。
Most of them are older men, and they look sick like they're wilting in the 115 degree heat.
他们大多数都是上了年纪的男人，他们看上去病恹恹的，就像在115度的高温下枯萎了一样。
When they are waved over, they walk up to the barbed wire and tell their problems to Moore's not very good translator, who does his best in a kind of broken English to tell Moore what they're saying.
当他们被招手过去时，他们走到铁丝网前，把自己的问题告诉摩尔的不太好的翻译，后者尽力用一种蹩脚的英语告诉摩尔他们在说什么。
Then he translates her response.
然后他翻译了她的回答。
It's all sorts of things.
这是各种各样的事情。
People want money.
人们想要钱。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator He has a car which was looted one month ago.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 他有一辆汽车，一个月前被抢劫了。
OK, he's going to have to take his civil complaint to the police academy.
好吧，他得向警察学院提出民事申诉。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Iraqi Man 1 [SPEAKING ARABIC]
[阿拉伯语] 伊拉克男子 1 [阿拉伯语]
Unfortunately, there's really nothing that we can do for you right here.
不幸的是，我们在这里真的无能为力。
If the Police Academy is working your situation, hopefully they'll find your car soon, OK?
如果警察学院正在处理您的情况，希望他们很快就能找到您的车，好吗？
Now for temporary aid, I'm going to advise you to go to the Red Crescent in Mansour, because hopefully they'll be able to help you out financially, something like that.
现在，为了获得临时援助，我建议您去曼苏尔的红新月会，因为希望他们能够在经济上帮助您，诸如此类。
Maybe help you get your feet back on the ground and get a new car, OK?
也许可以帮助你重新站起来并买一辆新车，好吗？
Moore says this is what she does pretty much every time.
摩尔说，这就是她每次都会做的事情。
The Iraqis talk to her, and then she tells them she can't help them and tells them to go away.
伊拉克人与她交谈，然后她告诉他们她帮不了他们，并让他们走开。
She says nobody gets past the gate.
她说没有人能进门。
Nobody gets inside the palace to talk to whoever will decide their case.
没有人进入宫殿与将决定他们的案件的人交谈。
It's for safety reasons.
这是出于安全考虑。
Is it hard sending people away like that?
就这样送人走难吗？
You get worse cases than that.
你会遇到比这更糟糕的情况。
And I see about anywhere between 85 and 100 people a day.
我每天大约会见 85 到 100 人。
So--
所以——
You're getting used to it.
你已经习惯了。
Laura Moore You get used to it.
劳拉·摩尔 你已经习惯了。
A few times a day, someone has a complaint that the Army can actually do something about, like their car or their house was destroyed by the US military.
每天都会有人抱怨陆军实际上可以采取一些措施，例如他们的汽车或房屋被美军摧毁。
With those people, Moore takes their information, and says someone will look it over, make a decision and get back to them in two months.
对于这些人，摩尔收集了他们的信息，并表示有人会仔细查看、做出决定并在两个月内回复他们。
She always says two months.
她总是说两个月。
Of course, there are no working phones in most parts of Baghdad.
当然，巴格达大部分地区都没有可用的电话。
And there is no postal service.
而且没有邮政服务。
So it's not clear how she'll get back to anybody.
所以目前还不清楚她将如何回复任何人。
Are you learning any Arabic?
你在学阿拉伯语吗？
Laura Moore A little.
劳拉·摩尔 有一点。
Just some basic greetings, and "thank you," and "two months."
只是一些基本的问候，还有“谢谢”和“两个月”。
Say all that stuff.
说这些话。
Say it.
说吧。
Laura Moore Two months?
劳拉·摩尔 两个月？
[SPEAKING ARABIC], come back in two months.
[说阿拉伯语]，两个月后回来。
After watching her for 45 minutes, my translator Amjad and I sit under a tree to get out of the sun.
看了她 45 分钟后，我和翻译阿姆贾德坐在树下躲避阳光。
When I saw these people, it immediately comes to my mind what was the Iraqi suffering during Saddam Hussein.
当我看到这些人时，我立即想到萨达姆·侯赛因时期伊拉克人遭受的苦难。
You can find the same queues asking for jobs, asking their government to give them back their properties.
你可以看到同样的队列要求工作，要求政府归还他们的财产。
The same things, no difference.
一样的东西，没有区别。
No, they're following the same procedures.
不，他们遵循相同的程序。
Come tomorrow, come after one month, come after two months and we'll see.
明天来，一个月后来，两个月后来，我们拭目以待。
We'll find out what we can do for you.
我们会找出能为您做些什么。
And I'm sure, I'm positively sure, that they can't do anything for them.
我确信，我确信，他们不能为他们做任何事。
Privately, some US officials say things didn't need to get this bad, that the gap between Iraqis and Americans didn't need to be so vast, that we should have done in Iraq what we've done after other wars.
一些美国官员私下表示，事情不需要变得如此糟糕，伊拉克人和美国人之间的差距不需要如此巨大，我们应该在伊拉克做我们在其他战争后所做的事情。
Once victory was declared, Americans needed to be out in the streets in big numbers listening to Iraqis, holding town meetings, letting Iraqis see them and get to know them, building trust.
一旦宣布胜利，美国人需要大批走上街头倾听伊拉克人的声音，召开城镇会议，让伊拉克人看到他们并了解他们，建立信任。
But because of security concerns-- soldiers are still shot at every day in Iraq.
但出于安全考虑，伊拉克士兵每天仍然遭到枪击。
Over 40 have died since the war officially ended-- Americans aren't doing that.
自战争正式结束以来已有 40 多人死亡——美国人并没有这样做。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Adam Davidson Curious to see what happens when Americans try to bridge the information gap and meet directly with Iraqis, I sat in as a group of influential Iraqis met with some American representatives.
[阿拉伯语]亚当·戴维森（Adam Davidson）很好奇当美国人试图弥合信息差距并直接与伊拉克人会面时会发生什么，我旁听了一群有影响力的伊拉克人会见一些美国代表。
It wasn't very promising.
这不是很有希望。
This was a group of tribal sheiks who are more powerful in Iraq then you'd probably think.
这是一群在伊拉克比你想象的更强大的部落酋长。
Though Iraq is a modern country with a lot of educated people and a big middle class, most Iraqis belong to a tribe.
尽管伊拉克是一个现代化国家，拥有大量受过教育的人民和庞大的中产阶级，但大多数伊拉克人属于部落。
And every tribe has a sheik.
每个部落都有一个酋长。
A sheik can call on his people to do all sorts of things, to boycott something or to march.
酋长可以号召他的人民做各种各样的事情，抵制某些事情或游行。
It's the sheik who decides when a tribe will pick up arms and go to battle.
酋长决定部落何时拿起武器参战。
Even Saddam Hussein was scared enough of these guys to meet with them and listen to them.
就连萨达姆·侯赛因也害怕这些人，愿意与他们会面并倾听他们的意见。
This is the third meeting like this for the sheiks.
这是酋长们第三次举行此类会议。
A few hundred of them representing most of Iraq's tribes sit in a big theater.
代表伊拉克大部分部落的数百人坐在一个大剧院里。
At a table on the stage is Hume Horan, counsel to the head of the US coalition, Paul Bremer.
台上的桌子旁坐着休姆·霍兰，他是美国联军领导人保罗·布雷默的顾问。
Horan speaks Arabic quite well.
霍兰的阿拉伯语说得很好。
And he's sitting next to five sheiks.
他坐在五位酋长旁边。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Adam Davidson The sheiks on stage are among the few who have strongly allied themselves with the Americans.
[阿拉伯语] 亚当·戴维森 台上的酋长是少数与美国人坚定结盟的人之一。
They each give a speech about how much good the Americans have done, how all the sheiks have to stay unified and work with the Americans.
他们每个人都发表演讲，讲述美国人做了多少好事，所有酋长如何保持团结并与美国人合作。
No sheik should start any trouble.
酋长不应该制造任何麻烦。
They're interrupted all the time by sheiks in the audience screaming out questions and complaints.
他们总是被观众中的酋长们尖叫着提问和抱怨所打断。
The sheiks on stage tell them not to interrupt, that all their questions will be answered by the speeches that are being given.
台上的酋长们告诉他们不要打断，他们所有的问题都将在演讲中得到解答。
Everyone will see that all their problems are already being taken care of.
每个人都会看到他们的所有问题都已得到解决。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Adam Davidson In his speech, Horan keeps it general and upbeat.
[阿拉伯语] 亚当·戴维森 (Adam Davidson) 在演讲中，霍兰保持了一般性和乐观的态度。
He tells the crowd that he hopes many of them will become his close friends.
他告诉人群，他希望他们中的许多人能成为他的亲密朋友。
He says the sheiks' concerns, electricity, security, water, are not a big problem.
他说，酋长们关心的问题，电力、安全、水，都不是大问题。
The Americans have done so much good, he says.
他说，美国人做了很多好事。
Iraq is much safer now.
伊拉克现在安全多了。
There's plenty of electricity.
电力充足。
And anyway, none of it is America's fault.
无论如何，这一切都不是美国的错。
All the problems Iraqis face these days are because of all the bad things Saddam did when he was in power.
伊拉克人民现在所面临的一切问题，都是萨达姆当政时所做的一切坏事造成的。
But the Americans are on the job, and everything's fine now, and we'll get better soon.
但美国人已经在工作了，现在一切都很好，我们很快就会好起来的。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Adam Davidson Nobody interrupts him.
[说阿拉伯语] Adam Davidson 没有人打断他。
But as soon as he's done talking and one of the onstage sheiks starts another speech, congratulating Horan for his words, the audience sheiks are standing up, screaming out that there is no security.
但他一说完，台上的一位酋长开始另一场演讲，祝贺霍兰的言论，观众酋长们就站了起来，尖叫着没有安全保障。
Iraq is less safe now than ever.
伊拉克现在比以往任何时候都更不安全。
Electricity is completely unreliable.
电力完全不可靠。
The sheiks onstage are telling them to be quiet.
台上的酋长们告诉他们保持安静。
One says "Be polite.
一个人说：“要有礼貌。
We are Arabs.
我们是阿拉伯人。
We are a polite people." But the audience sheiks won't stop shouting out their complaints.
我们是有礼貌的人。”但观众酋长们不会停止大声抱怨。
One of the onstage sheiks finally says to a man in the audience who won't sit down, "Dear sir, go ahead.
台上的一位酋长最终对一位不愿坐下的观众说道：“亲爱的先生，请继续。
You're welcome to speak."
欢迎您发言。”
At this point, the meeting is pretty much over as an organized event.
至此，会议作为一场有组织的活动已经基本结束。
One sheik after another stands up and screams out how badly things are going under the Americans.
一位又一位酋长站起来，大声疾呼美国人统治下的情况有多么糟糕。
Horan and the sheiks onstage never respond to these impromptu speeches.
霍兰和台上的酋长们从未对这些即兴演讲作出回应。
They just sit on the stage and watch the audience take over.
他们只是坐在舞台上，看着观众接管。
[AUDIENCE SOUNDS] Adam Davidson How did you think the meeting went?
[观众声音] Adam Davidson 你认为会议进行得怎么样？
Did you feel the Americans were listening to you?
你觉得美国人在听你说话吗？
Were they responsive to what you were saying?
他们对你所说的话有反应吗？
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator I don't think they are responding to these demands.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 我认为他们没有回应这些要求。
One of the angriest sheiks in the audience is Faisal [?
观众中最愤怒的酋长之一是费萨尔[？
Rakan ?] [?
洛？] [？
Nisriz ?] al-Goud, the head of a large family in the Dulaim tribe, the biggest tribe in Iraq with 5 million members.
Nisriz ?] al-Goud 是杜莱姆部落一个大家族的族长，杜莱姆部落是伊拉克最大的部落，拥有 500 万成员。
Goud says he came to the meeting completely pro-American.
古德说他来参加这次会议完全是亲美的。
He loves George Bush.
他爱乔治·布什。
But because of meetings like this one, the sheiks are divided off into those who want to declare war on the Americans immediately and moderates like him, who want to give the Americans one more month to see their true intentions before declaring war.
但由于像这样的会议，酋长们分为两派，一派希望立即向美国人宣战，另一派则像他一样希望在宣战前再给美国人一个月的时间来了解他们的真实意图。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator By then I think all heads of tribes and members of tribes will start attacking the coalition forces by every means, whether by grenades, clashing [?
[说阿拉伯语]翻译 到那时我认为所有部落首领和部落成员将开始以各种方式攻击联军，无论是手榴弹，冲突[？
coast ?], anything to fight the coalition, the US presence in Iraq.
海岸？]，什么都可以对抗联军，美国在伊拉克的存在。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator No more than one month.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 不超过一个月。
[SPEAKING ARABIC] Translator We are a united people.
[说阿拉伯语] 翻译 我们是一个团结的人民。
And we stand by each other in facing good or bad things.
面对好事或坏事，我们互相支持。
It's hard to tell how serious this threat is.
很难说这种威胁有多严重。
Things seem to get more violent each week in Iraq as people get more frustrated.
随着人们变得更加沮丧，伊拉克的局势似乎每周都变得更加暴力。
Either way, it's not good.
不管怎样，都不好。
The sheiks came to a meeting that the Americans hoped would get across our message of hope, that we're in Iraq to rebuild, to help, not to stay.
美国人希望酋长们参加这次会议，传达我们的希望信息，即我们在伊拉克是为了重建、提供帮助，而不是留下来。
And Goud and the other sheiks came out of it madder than ever, talking about war.
古德和其他酋长从这件事中走出来，比以往任何时候都更加疯狂，谈论战争。
In my last week in Baghdad, my translator, Amjad, and I had lunch with a friend of his who was telling funny stories about how, as a little boy, he actually met Saddam Hussein.
在巴格达的最后一周，我的翻译阿姆贾德和我与他的一位朋友共进午餐，他正在讲述有趣的故事，讲述他作为一个小男孩是如何真正遇见萨达姆·侯赛因的。
Saddam used to invite kids to the palace and hand out toys in big photo ops for the newspapers to show what a great guy he was.
萨达姆过去常常邀请孩子们参观宫殿，并在报纸上大合影时分发玩具，以展示他是一个多么伟大的人。
Amjad laughed.
阿姆贾德笑了。
"It's just like Bremer," he said.
“这就像布雷默一样，”他说。
The head of the US operation, Paul Bremer, had just invited the press to photograph him handing out soccer balls to young people.
美国业务负责人保罗·布雷默刚刚邀请媒体拍摄他向年轻人分发足球的照片。
"You know what we call Bremer?" Amjad's friend asked me.
“你知道我们所说的布雷默吗？”阿姆贾德的朋友问我。
"Bremer Hussein."
“布雷默·侯赛因。”
Which brings me back to that weird rumor about Saddam and why it's so popular, the rumor that he worked with the Americans, arranged for the invasion, and now lives in the White House.
这让我回到了关于萨达姆的奇怪谣言以及为什么它如此受欢迎，谣言说他与美国人合作，安排了入侵，现在住在白宫。
For all the important differences between American rule and Saddam's government, Iraqis say they're seeing some of the same things.
尽管美国统治与萨达姆政府之间存在着所有重要差异，但伊拉克人表示，他们看到了一些相同的事情。
The country is still run by reclusive men who make decisions in private and issue their orders from behind the guarded walls of the Republican Palace.
这个国家仍然由隐居的人统治，他们私下做出决定，并在共和国宫的守卫墙后面发布命令。
Adam Davidson is a regular contributor to our show and has recently been Marketplace 's correspondent in Baghdad.
Adam Davidson 是我们节目的定期撰稿人，最近担任 Marketplace 驻巴格达的记者。
Credits Ira Glass Well, our website, www.thisamericanlife.org, where you can listen to our shows for free or buy tapes.
感谢 Ira Glass Well，我们的网站 www.thisamericanlife.org，您可以在其中免费收听我们的节目或购买磁带。
Or you know you can download audio of our program at audible.com/thisamericanlife, where they have public radio programs, bestselling books, even the New York Times , all at audible.com.
或者您知道您可以在 audible.com/thisamericanlife 下载我们节目的音频，那里有公共广播节目、畅销书，甚至纽约时报，所有这些都在 audible.com 上。
Alex Meyer, the teenager from the beginning of our program, is at alexmeyer.tk.
Alex Meyer，我们项目之初的青少年，位于 alexmeyer.tk。
This American Life is distributed by Public Radio International.
《美国生活》由国际公共广播电台发行。
WBEZ management oversight by Torey Malatia, who has just one request.
WBEZ 管理由 Torey Malatia 负责监督，他只有一项要求。
There's a little gap down by the baseboard.
底板下方有一个小间隙。
Bend over and close it, will you?
弯腰把它关上，好吗？
I'm Ira Glass.
我是艾拉·格拉斯。
Back next week with more stories of This American Life .
下周我们将带来更多《美国生活》的故事。
This American Life is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange.
《This American Life》与 WBEZ Chicago 合作制作，并由 PRX 公共广播电台传送到各电台。