又中又英 | Full of bravado | 褚简宁
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）可以创造许多虚假的图片。一些谎言散播起来非常逼真，许多人都信以为真。那些相信了谎言的朋友们有时会转寄给我，我总是叫他们动动脑袋，别对社交媒体的一切都深信不疑。但有些AI的图片很有趣，即使它们不是真的。最近，美国总统当劳．特朗普在社交媒体上张贴了一张图片，就令我忍俊不禁。它显示一个非常高大的特朗普，在格陵兰挥舞美国国旗，旁边有一个指示牌写着格陵兰为美国领土。
在他旁边的，是两个相当矮小的人，分别为副总统J.D.万斯以及国务卿马高．鲁比奥。特朗普有6.2呎高，但万斯差不多跟他一样高。因此这幅图片令我发笑。鲁比奥较矮，只有5.9呎，亦有些报道指他是5.8呎。因此在2016年大选，鲁比奥与他争夺总统之位时，特朗普就嘲笑他为「小马高」。一些传媒报道指，特朗普在抓捕了委内瑞拉总统尼古拉斯．马杜罗后，非常逞强（full of bravado）。他坚持他可以不择手段地（by hook or by crook）取得格陵兰。
习语“full of bravado”是用来形容人虚张声势，故作勇敢但实质在逞强。To get something by hook or by crook是指无所不用其极、千方百计去得到某事物。然而，上星期他在瑞士出席一年一度的达沃斯世界经济论坛时，却softened his tone－－to soften your tone是指不那么强硬进取或苛求，语气较为软化。他说，他不会使用武力或贸易关税，而是透过谈判去增加美国在格陵兰与北极的军事准入权。
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻
