英国卫报：萨达姆雕像的倒塌：美军如何制造神话(9)（在线收听）

A number of international journalists who were covering the invasion moved into the Palestine Hotel on Firdos Square, where Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf held his amusing press conferences.

一些报道入侵事件的国际记者进入了位于佛多斯广场的巴勒斯坦酒店，穆罕默德·赛义德·萨哈夫在那里举行了有趣的新闻发布会。

They had been relocated from the Al Rasheed Hotel, closer to the city's political centre, after much of it had been destroyed by bombing.

他们是从拉希德酒店转移过来的，该酒店距离该市的政治中心更近，大部分酒店已被轰炸摧毁。

Though the Palestine Hotel was known to be a media refuge, an American tank fired a shell at it on 8 April, mistaking a camera on a balcony for an Iraqi spotting device.

尽管众所周知巴勒斯坦酒店是媒体的避难所，但一辆美国坦克在4月8日向它发射了一枚炮弹，误将阳台上的摄像头当成了伊拉克的侦察装置。

Two journalists were killed, three were injured, and the rest were outraged.

两名记者死亡，三名记者受伤，剩下的人则愤怒不已。

It was fortunate, then, that a story would come along to distract them from their anger at the Pentagon the next day, and that it would happen on Firdos Square – right outside their hotel.

幸运的是，第二天发生了一个故事，分散了他们对五角大楼的愤怒，这件事发生在佛多斯广场——就在他们下榻的酒店外面。

Fortunate, but not planned by the Pentagon.

幸运的是，五角大楼没有计划。

The story was created spontaneously by American soldiers on the ground.

这个故事是由地面上的美国士兵自发编出来的，

It was spun into a full-blown global event by the international news media.

它被国际新闻媒体迅速发酵成一场全面的全球事件。

On 9 April 2003, Lt Col Brian McCoy, in charge of the 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, was told by a journalist at the Palestine Hotel that there were no Iraqi forces in Firdos Square.

2003年4月9日，一名记者告知海军第四陆战队第三营的指挥官布莱恩·麦考伊中校佛多斯广场没有伊拉克军队。

Simon Robinson, a reporter for Time magazine, said McCoy knew that journalists would be there, so "there were going to be opportunities".

《时代》杂志记者西蒙·罗宾逊表示，麦考伊知道记者们会到场，所以“会有很多机会”。

Capt Bryan Lewis, leader of McCoy's tank company, blocked the streets leading to the square.

麦考伊坦克连长布莱恩·刘易斯上尉封锁了通往广场的街道。

Gunnery Sgt Leon Lambert, in an M-88 armoured recovery vehicle, radioed him with an idea: should they pull down Saddam's statue?

炮兵中士莱昂·兰伯特坐在一辆M-88装甲车上，用无线电向他传达了一个想法：他们应该推倒萨达姆的雕像吗？

Lewis replied: "No way."

刘易斯回答说：“不行。”

McCoy went into the Palestine Hotel to meet reporters.

麦考伊走进巴勒斯坦饭店会见记者。

Just after 5pm, Lambert radioed Lewis again, telling him that now local Iraqis themselves wanted to pull down the statue.

下午5点刚过，兰伯特再次用无线电通知刘易斯，告诉他当地的伊拉克人想要拆除这座雕像。

There were a few of them in the square, and a lot of journalists.

广场上有他们的几个人，还有很多记者。