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."

　

美国国务卿鲍威尔平日一向是个"工作狂"，即便是放松一下的时候，比如唱歌，也是出于工作的需要。 这位一向不苟言笑的国务卿先生自去年上任以来已经认识到卡拉OK在亚太地区外交中起着举足轻重的平衡作用。这种情况下，鲍威尔和其他各国外长在亚太地区最大的安全会议结束之时，都不得不在同僚们的面前表演上一段。

在由鲍威尔主持的亚太安全会议上，外长们的"表演"开始了。鲍威尔神态自若，不过他的随行人员却不停地在劝告他，其中一个人请求他说："不要这么做"；另一个人劝诫他道："这次不要唱歌了，因为看上去显得很滑稽。"

这时，美国总统布什出现在了会堂的巨型背景屏幕上。布什向他的这位首席外交官建议道："这次你就大胆去做吧。"

接着，鲍威尔和其工作人员起立，满怀热情地缓缓唱起了那首古老的经典南太平洋歌曲"迷人的夜晚"，其歌词暗指了东南亚地区微妙的外交关系。

随后响起了热烈的掌声。这些外交官听众承认（有的是出于礼貌，有的是真的这样认为）鲍威尔唱得非常好。

俄罗斯外长伊万诺夫也从中得到了乐趣。他表演的是，到500年后的未来去旅行，回来的时候变成了机器人，嘴里唱着那首《天下一家》（ "We Are the World"）。

最后，各国外长排着队唱起了著名瑞典演唱组合ABBA的歌《我有一个梦》（ "I Have a Dream"），不过他们的唱功实在令人不敢恭维，简直对不起这首经典老歌。

演出结束后，大家的反应还不错。

菲律宾特使多明戈·西亚松声称，表演"太有意思"了。

"美国代表的表演非常热闹，俄罗斯的节目非常有创意。鲍威尔的演唱非常好，"马来西亚外长赛义德·米德·阿尔巴表示"在讨论恐怖主义问题后，能够看到这样的表演是一种很好的休息。"