Powell Wows Diplomats With Song (2002) Colin Powell has a hard time letting go of work, even when he's forced to play - and sing. Since taking office last year, the ever-dignified Secretary of State has learned that karaoke is a great leveler in the Asia-Pacific, where tradition requires he and other foreign ministers to individually perform a skit-and-song in front of their peers at the end of the region's largest security meeting. The skit opened with Powell chairing a meeting, looking completely at home as he took advice from staffers. "Don't do it," pleaded one. "No rolling on the floor this time," admonished another. Then, the American president appeared on a huge backdrop video screen with advice for his chief diplomat. "Practice this time," said President Bush. Powell and staff then rose and labored with gusto through the old "South Pacific" standard "Some Enchanted Evening" - with lyrics bent to the arcana of Southeast Asian foreign relations. Loud applause followed. The diplomatic audience agreed - diplomatically, and on background - that Powell was "really good." Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov also found favor, making a trip five centuries into the future and returning as a robot, singing "We Are the World." Finally, all the ministers lined up to massacre an Abba tune, "I Have a Dream." "We will be together. It's not a fairy tale," they sang. "We will see the future. We will never fail." Early reviews were positive. "Great fun," declared Philippine special envoy Domingo Siazon. "The Americans were hilarious, the Russians innovative. Powell singing was good," said Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia's foreign minister. "It was a good break after all this talk on terrorism." 美國國務卿鮑威爾平日一向是個"工作狂"，即便是放鬆一下的時候，比如唱歌，也是出於工作的需要。 這位一向不苟言笑的國務卿先生自去年上任以來已經認識到卡拉OK在亞太地區外交中起着舉足輕重的平衡作用。這種情況下，鮑威爾和其他各國外長在亞太地區最大的安全會議結束之時，都不得不在同僚們的面前表演上一段。 在由鮑威爾主持的亞太安全會議上，外長們的"表演"開始了。鮑威爾神態自若，不過他的隨行人員卻不停地在勸告他，其中一個人請求他說："不要這麼做"；另一個人勸誡他道："這次不要唱歌了，因爲看上去顯得很滑稽。" 這時，美國總統布什出現在了會堂的巨型背景屏幕上。布什向他的這位首席外交官建議道："這次你就大膽去做吧。" 接着，鮑威爾和其工作人員起立，滿懷熱情地緩緩唱起了那首古老的經典南太平洋歌曲"迷人的夜晚"，其歌詞暗指了東南亞地區微妙的外交關係。 隨後響起了熱烈的掌聲。這些外交官聽衆承認（有的是出於禮貌，有的是真的這樣認爲）鮑威爾唱得非常好。 俄羅斯外長伊萬諾夫也從中得到了樂趣。他表演的是，到500年後的未來去旅行，回來的時候變成了機器人，嘴裏唱着那首《天下一家》（ "We Are the World"）。 最後，各國外長排着隊唱起了著名瑞典演唱組合ABBA的歌《我有一個夢》（ "I Have a Dream"），不過他們的唱功實在令人不敢恭維，簡直對不起這首經典老歌。 演出結束後，大家的反應還不錯。 菲律賓特使多明戈·西亞鬆聲稱，表演"太有意思"了。 "美國代表的表演非常熱鬧，俄羅斯的節目非常有創意。鮑威爾的演唱非常好，"馬來西亞外長賽義德·米德·阿爾巴表示"在討論恐怖主義問題後，能夠看到這樣的表演是一種很好的休息。"
