2009年度“闲说奖”获奖名单-英语点津

Why do smart people do dumb things?

聪明人为什么会做傻事？

It beats me. But year in, year out, we can count on some pretty smart people in Washington, on Wall Street, on Main Street and all over the world, to do some pretty dumb things.

这个问题真是难住我了。不过年复一年，我们总能发现华盛顿、华尔街、美国普通百姓之中和全球范围内的一些聪明绝顶的人会做些愚蠢透顶的事。

2009 was no different. Here are the second annual Meanie Awards for outstanding achievement in the field of human ineptitude.

2009年也不例外。以下是第二届年度“闲说奖”获奖名单，授予那些在人类愚行领域取得杰出成就的人士。

The Meanies for U.S. Politics

美国政界中的获奖者

The "Commander-in-Chief of the Polycom" Award to President Barack Obama

“多方电话会议总司令”奖：奥巴马总统

For recently stooping to conquer a bunch of disrespectful Wall Street CEOs in an embarrassing and messy group conference call .

获奖原因：奥巴马最近在一次尴尬而混乱的多方电话会议中，屈尊征服了好几位无礼的华尔街首席执行官。

The "My Machine She's A Dud Stuck in the Swamps of Jersey" Award to Outgoing NJ Governor Jon Corzine

“赔了夫人又折兵”奖：即将卸任的新泽西州州长、民主党人乔恩·科赛因

For spending $25 million of his own money and still contriving to lose a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 2:1. Someday he will look back on this and it will all seem funny. Or maybe not.

获奖原因：科赛因自掏腰包2500万美元，却仍有本事在一个民主党比共和党多出近一倍的州中竞选失利。将来有一天他回首往事时，或许会对此一笑置之，或许仍会耿耿于怀。

The "Robespierre of the Iowa Cornfields" Award to Senator Charles Grassley

“爱荷华玉米地版杀人如麻的罗伯斯庇尔”奖：参议员查尔斯·格雷斯尔

For suggesting in a fit of pique last March that AIG executives who demanded their contractual bonuses should have the dignity to "resign or commit suicide."

获奖原因：3月份，爱荷华州参议员格雷斯尔在气头上说，那些要求按合同获得奖金的美国国际集团(AIG)高管们应该“辞职或自行了断”，不要再丢人现眼了。

2009年度“闲说奖”获奖名单

The Meanies for Wall Street and U.S. Business

华尔街和美国企业中的获奖者

The "When It Comes to PR, Timing Isn't Anything. It's Everything" Award to Goldman Sachs

“在公共关系上，时机就是一切”奖：高盛集团(Goldman Sachs)

For flubbing its big $500 million 10,000 Small Business Initiative by launching it the same week the TARP Inspector General said Goldman was saved by the AIG bailout.

获奖原因：在问题资产救助计划(TARP)监察长说高盛被AIG的救助所拯救的同一周，高盛推出了规模5亿美元的“万家小企业计划”，正是这个倒霉的时机把计划搅黄了。

The "You Should Have Seen the First Draft" Award to Morgan Stanley

“你应该看看最初的草稿”奖：摩根士丹利

For taking an astonishing 1,400 words to say in a press release that heir-apparent James Gorman would in fact succeed CEO John Mack. The eye-catching headline read: "Announcement Follows Thorough Succession Planning Process and Achievement of Key Company Milestones."

获奖原因：长得惊人的新闻稿用了1400个单词，实际上要说的只不过是当然的接班人詹姆斯·高曼将真的接替首席执行长麦晋桁(John Mack)。令人大跌眼镜的新闻稿标题是：《全面接班规划过程及实现公司关键里程碑后的公告》。

The "Jack Welch Taught Me Everything I Know About Humility" Award to GE CEO Jeff Immelt

“杰克·韦尔奇教我要谦虚”奖：通用电气首席执行官杰夫·伊梅尔特

For recently confessing that GE apparently "had issues in financial services", and that he had "decided that [he] needed to be a better listener coming out of the crisis."

获奖原因：伊梅尔特最近承认，通用电气显然“在金融服务上有问题”，他已经“下决心要在危机过后做一个更善于倾听的人”。

The "Who Is John Galt? I Am John Galt" Award to AIG CEO Robert Benmosche

“来无影去无踪”奖：美国国际集团首席执行官罗伯特·本默切

For spending the first few weeks of his tenure at AIG, giving press interviews and working from his palatial 12-bathroom villa on the coast of Croatia.

获奖原因：本默切就任美国国际集团首席执行官后，最初的几周都是在克罗地亚海边一幢有12个浴室的豪华别墅里接受媒体采访或“远程”办公。

The Main Street Meanies

普通百姓中的获奖者

The "Country is Bankrupt, But Still My Bunions Must Go" Award to America's Senior Citizens

“国家破产又怎样，我的烦恼才重要”奖：美国老年人

For insisting on eroding their grandchildren and great-grandchildren's quality of life in order to maximize their own quality of life.

获奖原因：顽固地损害子孙后代的生活质量，以便最大限度地提高自己的生活质量。

The "Don't 90% of You Believe in Heaven?" Award to the American People

“不是有90%的人都相信确有天堂吗”奖：美国人民

For refusing to face the inevitability of death and the unsustainability of an American end-of-life medical system we just can't afford.

获奖原因：拒绝面对死亡的不可避免性，拒绝面对我们难以负担的临终医疗制度的不可持续性。

The "Evil Bankers Made Us Do It" Award to Millions of Obama's "Responsible" Homeowners

“是邪恶的银行家让我们这样做的”奖：奥巴马数百万“负责任的”房主

For not bothering to modify their mortgages, walking away from money-losing homes and proving that Americans can be both irresponsible and economically rational at the same time.

获奖原因：不去费心调整抵押贷款，而是面对赔钱的房子一走了之，证明美国人既能不负责任，也能同时保持经济上的理性。

The Global Meanies

全球获奖者

The "No, Nice Air-Conditioning Is Not a Competitive Advantage" Award to the Emirate of Dubai

“不，好空调不算竞争优势”奖：迪拜

For proving that the peoples of Arabia are perfectly capable of competing with Americans when it comes to foolish real estate speculation.

获奖原因：他们证明了在愚蠢的房地产投机上，阿拉伯人民完全有能力与美国人民一较高下。