八國峯會：布什過生日 獲贈不倒翁

US President George W. Bush celebrated his 62nd birthday by making a wish Japanese-style -- by inking in the eye of a doll given to him by the country's prime minister.

The president painted a pupil into the eye of the doll presented to him at a dinner with Japan's Yasuo Fukuda late Sunday, an official said.

The traditional "Daruma" doll is hollow and round with blank white eyes and is named after Bodhidharma, legendary Buddhist monk and founder of Zen. The recipient is expected to make a wish after dotting the eye.

"Please make a wish when you fill in a single circular eye," Fukuda explained to Bush, according to the Japanese official.

"The president then circled an eye while thinking," he said.

The dinner between the allies, who are attending the Group of Eight summit on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, took place on Bush's birthday on the eve of the meeting of leaders of rich countries.

Bush was also presented with a baseball windbreaker and a birthday cake shaped like a ball park with a Texas Rangers logo.

"The president told our prime minister that he thought 62 years would be quite an old age when he was young, but he said he doesn't feel so now," the official said.

Bush added that he was looking forward to riding a mountain bike during his stay in a hill-top hotel surrounded by woods, the official said.

美國總統布什日前度過了他62歲的生日。生日當天，布什總統來了個“日式”的生日許願，爲福田首相送給他的玩偶畫上了一隻眼睛。

據一位官員介紹，上週日晚些時候，日本首相福田康夫在“八國峯會”的歡迎晚宴上送給布什一個人偶作爲生日禮物，布什則爲人偶畫上了一隻眼睛。

日本傳統的“達摩”不倒翁是一個空心的人偶形象，其體態渾圓，兩隻眼睛是空白的。“達摩”不倒翁得名於傳說中的佛教大師、禪宗創始人菩提達摩。收到“達摩”不倒翁的人要先爲它畫上一隻眼睛，然後再許下願望。

據這位日本官員介紹，福田首相向布什總統解釋說，“畫上一隻眼睛後，請許下生日願望。”

“於是，布什總統邊想邊爲人偶畫上了一隻眼睛。”

今年的“八國首腦峯會”在日本的北海道舉行。而“八國峯會”前夕的歡迎宴會當天恰逢布什總統的生日。

布什收到的生日禮物還包括一件棒球衫，和一個形狀像棒球場的生日蛋糕，蛋糕上還飾有“德州遊騎兵”棒球俱樂部的標誌。

這位官員說：“布什總統對福田首相說，他年輕的時候覺得62歲應該很老了，不過現在他並沒有這種感覺。”

布什開會期間下榻的賓館地處山頂，四面環林。他說，他期待在此期間能騎一次山地車。