奧巴馬東京演講迷倒日本人
US President Barack Obama charmed his Tokyo audience on Saturday with references to green tea ice cream, Japanese traditional hospitality and, of course, the small town that bears his name.
"I could not come here without sending my greetings and my gratitude to the citizens of Obama, Japan," said the president to the delight of the western Japan town that has turned its accidental fame into a cottage industry.
The ancient fishing town of 30,000, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Tokyo, has long supported its White House namesake, and some of its residents were in Tokyo to steal a glimpse of the president.
Wearing "I Love Obama" T-shirts, a small delegation braved rainy weather on a Tokyo sidewalk and waved as the presidential motorcade passed by.
"The president clearly looked at us and recognised us," said an excited Seiji Fujihara, who leads a dance troupe that on Friday performed a hula dance in honour of the president, who was born in Hawaii.
"I was so touched when President Obama mentioned our town," Fujihara gushed. "I felt goose bumps."
Obama in his speech Saturday recalled a childhood visit to Kamakura, a temple-studded town near Tokyo, where he "looked up at that centuries-old symbol of peace and tranquility, the great bronze Amida Buddha."
Then he quipped: "As a child, I was more focused on the matcha (green tea) ice cream. But I have never forgotten the warmth and hospitality that the Japanese people showed a young American far from home."
Obamania was alive and well among the audience -- where many hailed his personal charm and wide knowledge about the region.
"His voice was good. He spoke naturally. He has something that attracts people," said Yasuko Maki, a 60-year-old housewife.
Her husband, Akihiro, 66, agreed: "He covered every subject and explained how America will handle it. He intends to work as our partner. He is different from former US presidents."
上週六，美國總統巴拉克•奧巴馬在東京發表的演講讓他的日本聽衆們爲之傾倒，奧巴馬在演講中提到綠茶冰激凌、日本人傳統的熱情與好客，當然，還有那個與他同名的小鎮。
奧巴馬說：“既然來到日本，就不能不向小濱（Obama）鎮的人們表達我的問候和感激之情。”這番話讓小濱鎮的人們欣喜若狂。這座位於日本西部的小鎮利用與奧巴馬同名的契機，已發展成爲奧巴馬主題產業之鄉。
這個古老的漁鎮擁有3萬人口，距離東京大約400公里（250英里）。這個同名小鎮（自奧巴馬競選總統以來）就一直支持他，鎮上的有些居民還專程前往東京，只爲一睹奧巴馬的風采。
當天，一個小型代表團身穿統一的帶有“我愛奧巴馬”字樣的T恤，冒雨站在東京的人行道上，向經過的總統車隊揮手致意。
一個名叫藤原小澤的代表團成員激動地說：“總統明顯是在看我們並且認出了我們。”上週五，藤原小澤帶領的舞蹈團爲出生於夏威夷的奧巴馬獻上了草裙舞表演。
藤原激動地說：“當總統提到我們小鎮的時候，我太感動了，感覺雞皮疙瘩都起來了。”
在上週六的演講中，奧巴馬回憶了他童年時期造訪位於東京附近的、擁有衆多寺廟的鎌倉鎮的經歷，他在那兒“瞻仰象徵和平和寧靜的百年青銅大佛”。
接着他打趣說：“當我還是孩子的時候，我更感興趣的是抹茶（綠茶）冰激凌。但我從未忘記日本人對一個遠離家鄉的美國孩子所表現出的熱情和好客。”
奧巴馬的演講讓他的日本聽衆們爲之傾倒，很多人大讚他的個人魅力和對他對於日本的瞭解。
60歲的家庭主婦真木靖子的說：“他的聲音很好聽。說話很自然。他具有某種吸引人的魅力。”
她的丈夫，66歲的佐藤同意她的看法：“他的演講涉及了各個主題，並解釋了美國將如何應對。他想成爲我們的合作伙伴，他和以前的美國總統不一樣。”
Vocabulary:
cottage industry: a usually small-scale industry carried on at home by family members using their own equipment 家庭手工業
brave: to undergo or face courageously 勇敢地面對（They braved the storm to rescue their sheep. 他們冒着暴風雨搶救羊羣。）
motorcade:a procession of motor vehicles, as in a parade 汽車行列；車隊
hula dance: traditional Hawaiian dance usually performed standing with symbolically descriptive arm and hand movements and gracefully sensual undulations of the hips; it is also done in a sitting position 草裙舞
gush: to act or utter in an overeffusive, affected, or sentimental manner 動情地說，滔滔不絕地說（Everyone gushed over the new baby. 大家都滔滔不絕地談論這個剛出生的嬰兒。）
quip: to make a clever, witty remark 說俏皮話
