 |
U.S. President Barack Obama offered a friendly but firm welcome to the heir apparent to China's presidency, urging him to play by the rules and respect human rights. |
| |
美國總統歐巴馬以友善但堅定的態度歡迎中國的國家主席接班人，敦促他遵照規矩行事並且重視人權。 |
|
In the U.S. state of Iowa, a wholly different reception awaited Chinese Vice-president Xi Jinping, who was greeted like a long-lost family member. |
| |
在美國愛荷華州，中國國家副主席習近平卻受到了完全不同的接待方式，他受到的接待彷彿他是個失散已久的家族成員。 |
|
It turns out Xi and Iowa have some history together. |
|
As a young provincial official from Hebei in 1985, Xi led a delegation to the state in America's agricultural heartland so that the Chinese could learn about modern farming practices. |
|
On that trip, he stayed in an ordinary American home and bonded with people who differed from him both culturally and ideologically. |
| |
原來習近平與愛荷華州在過去曾有過交集。一九八五年，習近平以河北一名年輕地方官員的身分，率領一支代表團拜訪這個位於美國農業心臟地帶的一州，讓中國學習現代農耕技術。在那場旅程上，他住在一名美國百姓的家裡，與不少文化與意識形態相異的人士建立了友情。 |
|
Memories of the hospitality shown him on that trip remained with Xi and he made it a point to take time on his five-day tour of the United States to stop in Muscatine, a small city of fewer than 25,000 people. |
| |
習近平一直忘不了自己在那趟旅程上獲得的殷勤招待，因此在這次為期五天的美國之旅當中，特地撥出時間停留於馬斯卡廷這座人口不到兩萬五千人的小城市。 |
| |
Xi returned Wednesday to the elegant Victorian home of Roger and Sarah Lande, where he had dined 27 years ago. |
| |
He was greeted by a chorus of "welcomes," a few even in well-practiced Mandarin. |
| |
習近平在週三回到了羅傑與莎拉．蘭德優雅的維多利亞式住宅。他二十七年前曾在這裡用過餐。他獲得一群人齊聲向他表示「歡迎」，其中幾個人甚至以熟練的中文說出這個字眼。 |
| |
In front of a raging fire, Xi settled on a cream-colored couch in the Lande living room. |
|
Later, at a state dinner in Des Moines, he thanked the 17 Iowans he met on his inaugural trip to America at a time when the Cold War still permeated American life. |
| |
在火焰熊熊的火爐前，習近平坐在蘭德夫婦的客廳裡一張奶油色的沙發上。後來，在迪茂伊舉行的州政府晚宴上，他感謝了他初次訪美所遇到的那十七名愛荷華州居民，在那個時候，冷戰的氛圍仍然瀰漫於美國人的生活裡。 |
|
"It is such a joy to meet you again," Xi said. |
|
"There is a tremendous reservoir of goodwill between the Chinese and American people, and we each take great interest in the other." |
| |
「再次見到你們真是愉快，」習近平說：「中國與美國的人民對彼此都懷有深深的善意，我們對彼此也都深感興趣。」 |
|
The only blotch on the day was a gathering of demonstrators crowded behind the police barricades outside the Lande house, there to decry Beijing's record on human rights. |
|
Inside, however, the atmosphere remained warm and welcoming. |
| |
那天唯一的美中不足之處，就是蘭德住家外面一群聚集在警方封鎖線後方的示威人士，高聲譴責北京的人權記錄。不過，屋內仍然充滿熱情歡迎的氣氛。 |
|
In Des Moines, Xi said he hoped friendship between the two peoples would grow and bear fruit "like the oak trees of Iowa." |
| |
在迪茂伊，習近平說他希望兩國人民之間的友誼能夠成長茁壯，「就像愛荷華州的橡樹一樣」。 |
|
The Iowans, in turn, said they were proud that Xi had chosen to showcase their state on his tour of America. |
|
He is soon to become a very powerful man if, as expected, he takes the helm of China's ruling Communist Party and ascends to the presidency next year. |
| |
愛荷華人接著也說，習近平在這趟訪美之旅當中，選擇特別突顯他們的州，讓他們感到榮幸。他不久就將成為一位權勢極大的人物，前提是他如同預期，接下中國執政黨共產黨的領導地位，並且在明年繼任國家主席。 |
.jpg)
