Obama balks when asked if presidency is out of juice 被問到總統是否已經失勢，歐巴馬語塞
"Golly." That was Barack Obama, flabbergasted at a variant of a question all US presidents get sooner or later -- are you still relevant?
「天啊。」那是歐巴馬的回答，當時他被問到所有美國總統遲早都會被問到的一個問題而大吃一驚──你的地位仍舊舉足輕重嗎？
Obama appeared taken aback when asked at a White House news conference whether he still had the "juice" to get his agenda through clogged up Congress.
歐巴馬在白宮記者會上被問到是否還有「影響力」，能在窒礙難行的國會推動他的政治主張時，他顯得十分震驚。
"Maybe I should just pack up and go home. Golly," said Obama, probably thinking the question impertinent, since he is only three months into his second term.
「或許我應該乾脆打包回家，天啊，」歐巴馬說，他可能認為這個問題非常失禮，因為他的第2任總統任期才剛邁入第3個月。
Yet Obama can barely contain his contempt for Congress, which blocks him at every turn and threatens his hopes for a robust second-term. "My charm offensive has helped me learn some interesting things about what’s going on in Congress -- it turns out, absolutely nothing," said Obama.
但歐巴馬幾乎無法克制他對國會的不屑，因為國會總是處處跟他作對，威脅到他在第二任總統任期內積極施政的期望。「我的魅力攻勢幫助我學到一些有關國會運作的趣事，那就是，國會什麼事都不做，」歐巴馬說。
The president’s joke, at the White House Correspondents dinner, betrayed frustration at banging his head against a congressional brick wall.
總統在白宮記者餐會上開的這個玩笑，也透露出他對於和國會交涉徒勞無力的挫折感。
"You seem to suggest that somehow these folks over there have no responsibilities and that my job is to somehow get them to behave," Obama told reporters, in a snipe at lawmakers.
「你們似乎暗示，那邊的那些傢伙沒有任何責任，而我的工作則是要設法讓他們聽話，」歐巴馬對記者說，話中又對國會議員放了一記冷槍。
新聞辭典
juice：名詞，指精力、活力，或者電力、汽油等，亦可引申為指政治實力或影響力，尤指在政界或商界的影響力，如My cousin Gianni’s got all the juice in this neighborhood.（我表哥吉安尼在這個社區很有影響力。）
flabbergast：動詞，常用被動式，指使某人大吃一驚，如He was flabbergasted when we told him how cheap it was.（當我們告訴他這個東西有多便宜時，他非常驚訝。）
bang one’s head against a brick wall：片語，指徒勞無功、白費力氣，如You’re banging your head against a brick wall trying to get that dog to behave properly.（你想讓那隻狗乖乖聽話，根本就是白費工夫。）
文章出處：<a href="http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/">自由時報電子報中英對照新聞
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