中國新任第一夫人優雅亮相

China's new First Lady is poised to impress--and burnish China's image overseas.

中國新任第一夫人已做好準備，去提升中國的海外形象。

Peng Liyuan, wife of China's new president Xi Jinping, made her debut as China's First Lady this week accompanying Xi in his first overseas trip as China's new state president.

上週，彭麗媛陪同新任國家主席習近平開展履新第一次外事訪問，以第一夫人的身份首次公開亮相。

Wearing a belted overcoat, accented by a stand-up collar and a light-blue scarf, she stood next to Xi when they arrived in Moscow, the first stop of Xi's three-nation trip. Smiling radiantly, she shook hands with the Russian hosts, a step or two behind her husband.

在抵達莫斯科機場時，彭麗媛身穿束腰立領大衣，繫着一條淺藍圍巾，站在習近平的身邊。莫斯科是習近平三國訪問之旅的第一站。尾隨着習近平，彭麗媛微笑着和俄國的接待人員握手。

We've always looked forward to having an elegant First Lady that's presentable to the outside world," a Chinese official told me. "Now we have one."

“我們一直希望有一位優雅大方的第一夫人，向世界展示中國形象。現在這個願望實現了。”一位中國官員告訴我。

Peng, 51, hardly needs help when it comes to public is a popular soprano, widely known in China for her soaring, glass-breaking voice and patriotic folk songs.

51歲的彭麗媛對大衆來說並不陌生。她是著名女高音歌唱家。其家喻戶曉的代表作包括：《父老鄉親》和《在希望的田野上》。

"Of course," the Chinese official replied. "She looks elegant, she is a successful professional and she comes from a modest background."

“當然。她平民出生，端莊大方，事業成功。”那位中國官員如是回答。

Peng was born to a family of artists in Shandong Province. Her mother was a member of a local art troupe; her father was a curator of local museum.

彭麗媛出生在山東的一個藝術之間。她的母親是當地藝術團的成員，父親則是博物館館長。在前幾年的一個電視訪談中，彭麗媛回憶起童年，父親帶回來一臺照相機。那是她第一次看見照相機，父親卻拒絕給她照相，因爲相機是“國有的”，不是私人物品。後來，她的叔叔用相機偷偷地給她拍了張照。那是她童年唯一的一張照片。

In a TV talk-show interview a few years ago, Peng recalled the time when as a child she first saw a camera brought home by her father, who refused to take her picture because the camera was "state-owned," not a family property.

Later, her uncle secretly took her picture that became her only childhood portrait.

At age 14, Peng enrolled at a local university of art and design. Four years later, she joined the arts troupe of the People's Liberation Army as a soprano.

14歲時，彭麗媛考入當地一所入藝術學院。4年後，她加入了中國人民解放軍文藝團，成爲了一名女高音演唱家。她擁有民族聲樂碩士學位，現任中國人民解放軍藝術學院院長，少將軍銜。

Peng became a superstar in 1983, when she sang in the first Lunar New Year's TV extravaganza, broadcast nationwide by state-owned China Central Television (CCTV).

1983年，她在央視首屆春晚上演唱，從此走紅。春晚當時大獲成功，並從此成爲中國每年收視率最高的節目，可與美國的超級盃媲美。此後彭麗媛幾乎每年都會亮相春晚。直到2007年，習近平進入領導階層，成爲下屆主席接班人，彭麗媛悄悄地淡出了公衆視線。

She became an ambassador for tobacco control in 2009. Last year, she was appointed as the ambassador for the fight against tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS for the World Health Organization, an initiative aided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

2009年，她成爲控煙形象大使。去年，她被世界衛生組織聘請爲抗擊結核病和艾滋病親善大使。該活動由比爾蓋茨基金贊助。

Chinese analysts think Peng can similarly help burnish China's image overseas by projecting a softer touch.

中國分析家認爲彭麗媛通過展示柔性外交能提高中國形象。

"I believe Peng has the prerequisites and the ability to contribute to China's diplomacy," said Liu Guchang, a former ambassador to Russia.

“我認爲彭麗媛有能力爲爲中國外交做貢獻。”中國前任駐俄大師劉古昌說道。

譯者：Iris07