日前，俄罗斯总统普京在消失一周后首度现身电视屏幕，此间有谣言称其深陷政变漩涡，健康状况堪忧。还有人声称他31岁的女友即将临产。

　　Putin, 62, had cancelled several planned meetings during the week leading to speculation over his health and even claims that he was fighting to retain his position。

　　62岁的普京本周取消了几场会议安排，从而引发媒体臆测。有人称普京“身体抱恙”，还有人称他正忙着“捍卫总统宝座”。

　　Channel NTV showed footage of Putin meeting with supreme court president Vyacheslav Lebedev, which it claims was shot on Friday。

　　俄罗斯国家电视台播放了一段据称摄于周五的视频片段，其中普京正与最高法院院长维亚切斯拉夫?列别杰夫进行会晤。

　　According to Putin's staff, he was discussing judicial reform and the likely increase in the number of bankruptcies as as result ofRussia's economic collapse。

　　普京的部下声称他们讨论的内容有关统筹司法改革，以及经济崩溃下可能增加的破产现象。

　　Putin is due to meet with the president of KyrgyzstaninSt Petersburgon Monday according to the Kremlin。

　　克里姆林宫称普京周一将与吉尔吉斯斯坦总统在圣彼得堡进行会晤。

　　The Russian president was last seen in public on March 5.

　　普京上一次在公共场合露面是在3月5日。

　　For the past week, the Russian government has been reluctantly answering questions about Putin's health and suggestions that his unofficial girlfriend Alina Kabayeva had checked into a Swiss maternity clinic。

　　在过去的一周里，俄罗斯政府疲于应对各方谣言，其中包括“普京身体不适”以及“普京非官方女友阿丽娜?卡巴耶娃在瑞士一家妇产医院登记入住”等传闻。

　　Rumours about 31-year-old Alina Kabayeva surfaced with reports in Switzerland, Italy and Russia suggesting the gymnast had either given birth or was about to do so。

　　在瑞士、意大利和俄罗斯，关于31岁的阿丽娜?卡巴耶娃已生产或即将临盆的谣言屡见报端。

　　It comes amid increased speculation over what has happened to Putin with the Russian leader not having been seen for a week。

　　同时，关于“俄罗斯领导人普京‘失踪’一周”的各种臆测铺天盖地席卷而来

　　The claims focused on an elite clinic in Lugano, in the Italian region of the neutral country, with some accounts saying she had a new daughter。

　　媒体纷纷聚焦于意大利卢加诺市的一家高级诊所，有人称阿丽娜在那里为普京生下了一位女儿。

　　Putin's spokesman - who has never confirmed a relationship between the 62 year old strongman and the Olympic gold-medal winner - insisted: 'Information about the birth of Vladimir Putin's child does not correspond to reality.'

　　普京的发言人从未承认过62岁的铁腕领袖普京和奥林匹克运动会金牌得主阿丽娜的关系，他坚称“普京新添一女”的谣言绝非事实。

　　The Russian embassy in Kievrefused to comment on a report on the speculation in newspaper Blick。

　　俄罗斯驻基辅大使馆拒绝就Blick报纸上的报道发表评论。

　　Russian Tatler yesterday repeated gossip that Kabayeva has two children already by Putin but adds there is no official confirmation。

　　俄罗斯Tatler杂志称卡巴耶娃早已为普京生下两个孩子，同时表示，这一说法并未经官方确认。

　　Kabayeva has been largely out of sight since quitting as an MP in Putin's United Russia party last September, when she took over as head of a major media conglomerate。

　　自去年九月卡巴耶娃辞去普京麾下统一俄罗斯党议员一职、接任大型传媒企业负责人之后，她便淡出公众视野。

　　Meanwhile, the Kremlin today issued a new picture showing Putin meeting the chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev at his out-of-Moscow residence Novo-Ogaryovo。

　　与此同时，克里姆林宫发布了一张新照片，图上显示普京与最高法院院长维亚切斯拉夫?列别杰夫在其莫斯科外的居所新奥加廖沃进行会谈。

　　The image was meant to scotch suggestions that Putin was not at work amid speculation over a coup or illness。

　　这张照片旨在破除普京“生病”“身处政变漩涡”而未能工作的谣言。

　　However, there were immediate claims the picture and TV footage was old, and that it was further evidence of his mystery absence。

　　然而，马上有人指出这张照片和电视片段都不是最新拍摄的。这使普京的“失踪”显得更扑朔迷离。

　　Current rumours in Moscowinclude Putin suffering a stroke, or an unfolding palace coup, following his sudden cancellation of a scheduled trip toKazakhstan。

　　在普京突然取消了哈萨克斯坦的议程后，关于他“中风”“深陷政变泥沼”的谣言在莫斯科愈演愈烈。

　　With Moscowin febrile mood, a former senior aide to the strongman claimed another ex-KGB spy is being urgently lined up to take over from him。

　　就在整个莫斯科情绪沸扬之时，普京的前高级助理称一位前克格勃情报机关的间谍正遵照命令紧急接手他的工作。

　　The theory suggests the Kremlin's chief of staff Sergei Ivanov - a former defence minister - will become prime minister in place of the lacklustre Dmitry Medvedev。

　　此间有传言称前国防部部长——克林姆宫总参谋长伊万?诺夫将取代梅德韦杰夫成为新总理。

　　After this switch, dubbed a 'conspiracy of generals', Putin - currently the subject of swirling rumours over his health after not being seen in public for more than a week - would be swiftly ousted。

　　若这次“高级密谋”属实，那么“失踪”一周而陷入“生病”谣言漩涡的普京会迅速被免职。

　　Under the Russian constitution, in the event of a president leaving office, the prime minister replaces him in an acting role pending elections。

　　俄罗斯宪法规定：若总统擅自离职，总理将在新总统选出之前代理总统职责。

　　This latest forecast of an imminent sea change in Russian politics came from Andrei Illarionov, Putin's former chief economics aide, who last year predicted Putin's land grab against Ukrainethree weeks before it happened。

　　普京前首席经济顾问伊拉里欧诺夫预测俄罗斯政局将会有发生巨变，去年普京与乌克兰领土争夺博弈爆发前的三周欧诺夫也曾做出正确预测。

　　While the Kremlin insists Putin is healthy and in full control of his government, Illarionov claimed: 'In the next few days we should expect the resignation of prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, and Sergei Ivanov being appointed in his place.'

　　虽然克里姆林宫一直坚称普京“身体无恙”、“领导地位稳固”，但欧诺夫声称：“接下来的几天我们会看到梅德韦杰夫总理辞职，伊万诺夫上位成为新总理。”

　　After this, 'the public is likely to be informed that the national leader (Putin) needs a well deserved rest'。

　　之后，民众就会接到“国家领导人(普京)需要好好休息一下”的信息。

　　Observers note that in recent days, Ivanov - who retained the military rank of colonel general and whose eldest son was killed in a mysterious drowning accident in Dubailast November - has been little seen in public。

　　观察人士发现，近日军衔尚存的陆军上将伊瓦诺夫也鲜见于公众视野，去年11月他最小的儿子在迪拜离奇溺死。

　　And Medvedev, who served as president for four years to 2012, is also out of the limelight. 同时，曾担任四年(到2012年止)总统的梅德韦杰夫也“失踪”了。

　　Some Kremlin-watchers say that Western sanctions have created huge tensions inside Putin's fractious entourage in recent weeks, with cash streams closed off。

　　一些克里姆林宫观察员认为这几周来西方的制裁(现金封锁)使得普京本已意见不统一的内阁陷入紧张气氛。

　　Vocabulary

　　coup：政变

　　retain：保持

　　scotch：阻止

　　lacklustre：无生气的

　　fractious：难以控制的