又中又英 | Full of bravado | 褚簡寧
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can create many fake images. Some spread lies in such a realistic way that many people believe the lies. Friends who believe the lies sometimes forward them to me. I always tell them to use their brain instead of believing everything on social media. But some AI images are funny even though they don’t tell the truth. One recent image US President Donald Trump posted on social media made me laugh. It showed a very tall Trump in Greenland holding an American flag next to a sign that said Greenland is US territory.
Next to him are two very short people, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump is 6.2 feet, but Vance is about the same height. That’s why the image made me laugh. Rubio is much shorter at 5.9 feet. Some reports said he is 5.8 feet. That’s why Trump ridiculed him as Little Marco when Rubio ran against him in the 2016 presidential election. Some media reports said Trump is full of bravado after the US captured Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro. He insisted he would acquire Greenland by hook or by crook.
The expression “full of bravado” is used to describe people with an exaggerated but false courage or confidence. To get something by hook or by crook means to get it in any way possible, either honestly or dishonestly. But Trump softened his tone when he attended the annual Davos conference in Switzerland last week. To soften your tone means to be less aggressive or demanding. He said he would not use force or trade tariffs but negotiations to increase US military access in Greenland and the Arctic.
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人工智能（AI）可以創造許多虛假的圖片。一些謊言散播起來非常逼真，許多人都信以為真。那些相信了謊言的朋友們有時會轉寄給我，我總是叫他們動動腦袋，別對社交媒體的一切都深信不疑。但有些AI的圖片很有趣，即使它們不是真的。最近，美國總統當勞．特朗普在社交媒體上張貼了一張圖片，就令我忍俊不禁。它顯示一個非常高大的特朗普，在格陵蘭揮舞美國國旗，旁邊有一個指示牌寫着格陵蘭為美國領土。
在他旁邊的，是兩個相當矮小的人，分別為副總統J.D.萬斯以及國務卿馬高．魯比奧。特朗普有6.2呎高，但萬斯差不多跟他一樣高。因此這幅圖片令我發笑。魯比奧較矮，只有5.9呎，亦有些報道指他是5.8呎。因此在2016年大選，魯比奧與他爭奪總統之位時，特朗普就嘲笑他為「小馬高」。一些傳媒報道指，特朗普在抓捕了委內瑞拉總統尼古拉斯．馬杜羅後，非常逞強（full of bravado）。他堅持他可以不擇手段地（by hook or by crook）取得格陵蘭。
習語“full of bravado”是用來形容人虛張聲勢，故作勇敢但實質在逞強。To get something by hook or by crook是指無所不用其極、千方百計去得到某事物。然而，上星期他在瑞士出席一年一度的達沃斯世界經濟論壇時，卻softened his tone－－to soften your tone是指不那麼強硬進取或苛求，語氣較為軟化。他說，他不會使用武力或貿易關稅，而是透過談判去增加美國在格陵蘭與北極的軍事准入權。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
