Colin Powell has a hard time letting go of work, even when he’s forced to play and sing. 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。

　　Since taking office, the ever-dignified Secretary of State has learned that karaoke is a great leveler in the Asia-Pacific, 这位一向不苟言笑的国务卿先生自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。

　　where tradition requires him 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. 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。

　　The skit opened with Powell chairing a meeting, looking completely at home as he took advice from staffers. 在由鲍威尔主持的会议上，外长们的“表演”开始 了。鲍威尔听取了他的工作人员的建议，神态自若。

　　Then, the American president appeared on a huge backdrop video screen with advice for his chief diplomat.  这时，美国总统布什出现在了会堂的巨型背景屏幕上。

　　“Practice this time,” said President Bush. 布什向他的这位首席外交官建议道：“这次你就大胆去做吧。”

　　Powell and staff then rose and labored with gusto through the old “South Pacific” standard “Some Enchanted Evening”  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》，

　　with lyrics bent to the arcana of Southeast Asian foreign relations. 其歌词暗指了东南亚地区微妙的外交关系。

　　Loud applause followed. The diplomatic audience agreed —diplomatically, and on background 一 that Powell was “really good.” 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。

　　Finally, all the ministers lined up to massacre an Abba tune,"I Have a Dream.”  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》，

　　Early reviews were positive. 演出结束后，大家的反应还不错。

　　The Americans were hilarious, the Russians innovative.  美国代表的表演非常热闹，俄罗斯的节目非常有创意

　　"Powell singing was good,” said Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia’s foreign minister.  “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，

　　“It was a good break after all this talk on terrorism."  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。