French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's daughter

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin wasn't too happy when his 20-year-old daughter Marie packed in her college studies to become a model. Luckily for Mlle Steiss (the pseudonym Villepin uses to conceal her political pedigree), the gamble soon paid off. She is the new face of Givenchy perfume and her billboard campaign hits the U.S. in April. And she's not the only prime ministerial offspring to choose a more glamorous route to success than politics.

Cecelia Ahern, eldest daughter of Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, is one of Europe's most successful chick-lit authors. Her debut novel P.S. I Love You became an international best seller when Ahern was only 23 years old. A movie version of the book, starring Oscar winners Hilary Swank and Kathy Bates, has been filmed and is due for release in 2008.

"Charismatic, charming and appealing to all ages" is how Ben Mulroney's employer CTV describes him. The kind of attributes ideal for a career in politics, one might think. But Mulroney, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, has resisted the pull of Parliament and has made his mark in showbiz. He has presented all five series of Canadian Idol since 2003.

Kotaro Koizumi definitely bucked the family trend when he decided not to follow his father, grandfather and great-grandfather into politics. The son of Junichiro Koizumi, who resigned as Japan's PM in September 2006, Koizumi Jr. is a successful TV actor. His endorsement fee for a low-calorie beer advertisement was rumored to have eclipsed his father's wage.

（China Daily） 

Vocabulary:    

political pedigree：政治背景

charismatic: 有（人格）魅力的

packed in her college studies：（停止/中断大学学业）

P.S. I Love You : 《补充一句，我爱你》，讲述的是一对深情夫妻被死亡隔绝的故事。丈夫格里因脑瘤突然去世，留给妻子霍利深深的思念。霍利后来意外发现，丈夫留给她10封信件，为她规定每月必须完成的任务或挑战，目的是帮助她尽快克服丧夫之痛，恢复对生活的信心。

“补充一句，我爱你”是英文信件末尾常用语句。 小说浓厚的感情色彩深深打动了读者。一向严肃的《爱尔兰时报》也对小说予以关注，认为这个“来自坟墓的爱情故事让人难以忘怀”。

（英语点津陈蓓编辑）