又中又英 | Bromance | 褚簡寧

　　It was like a match made in heaven, a bromance involving two of the world’s most powerful people. US President Donald Trump is often called the world’s most powerful person. Elon Musk, who controls companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and X, formerly known as Twitter, is the world’s richest person. The bromance began when Musk spent nearly US$300 million in campaign money to help Trump win the presidential election last November. Trump made him the head of an unofficial department called DOGE to reduce government spending and waste. The two became first buddies.

　　A bromance is a very close but non-sexual relationship between two men. If something, such as a marriage, is a match made in heaven, it means it is very good and successful. The wife of an American president is called the First Lady. Media organizations called Trump and Musk first buddies. A buddy is a close friend. But the bromance came to an angry end days after Musk finished his role at DOGE. He used X to attack a tax and spending bill now going through Congress. He called the bill, which Trump is pressuring Congress to approve, a “disgusting abomination” that would increase the budget deficit by US$2.4 trillion.

　　An abomination is something terrible or greatly disliked. Musk even backed a call to impeach Trump, who stayed silent at first, then hit back. He said Musk had lost his mind. Media reports said Musk disliked the spending bill because it would end government subsidies for electric vehicles, which would hurt Tesla. Some Trump aides have suggested ending government contracts for Musk’s companies such as SpaceX. Can the bromance start afresh? Unlikely for now.

　　兩個世上最強大的人之間的兄弟情（bromance），簡直像是天作之合（match made in heaven）。美國總統特朗普常被稱為世上最有影響力的人；馬斯克則是世上最有錢的人，他管理特斯拉、太空探索技術公司SpaceX，以及前稱推特的X。這段兄弟情（bromance）起始於馬斯克花近3億美元在競選活動資金上，協助特朗普於上年11月贏得總統大選。特朗普讓他成為一個非官方部門名「政府效率部」的領頭，去削減政府開支及浪費性支出。這兩個人成為了第一兄弟（first buddies）。

　　A bromance是親密但不涉及性關係的兄弟情誼。若某事，例如婚姻，是a match made in heaven，意即那是天生一對，非常融洽和美好。美國總統的太太被稱為第一夫人（First Lady），傳媒便叫特朗普和馬斯克為first buddies。A buddy就是親密夥伴、好友。但這段兄弟情（bromance）卻在馬斯克離任政府效率部幾天後，迎來了怒火沖沖的結局。馬斯克用X炮轟一條正在國會通過的稅收和支出法案。特朗普正施壓國會通過這條會增加2萬4000億美元財政赤字的法案，馬斯克稱這個法案為「令人作嘔的醜惡之舉」（disgusting abomination）。

　　An abomination就是令人惡心、憎惡之物。馬斯克甚至支持一個彈劾特朗普的號召，而特朗普一開始保持沉默，之後還是反擊了。他說馬斯克瘋了。傳媒報道指，馬斯克不喜歡這個開支法案，因為它會終止政府對電動車的補貼，因而傷害到特斯拉。特朗普有些助手亦提議，結束政府跟馬斯克公司如SpaceX的合約。這段兄弟情（bromance）可否重新開始？現在看來就不大可能了。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻