又中又英 | A slick headline | 褚简宁

　　As a longtime journalist, I have seen boring and slick headlines in newspapers. The word "slick" has several meanings but used in this way means doing something skillfully without any effort. A slick headline is a very eye-catching headline that instantly attracts the attention of readers. Good headline writers are in a class of their own. If you are in a class of your own, it means you are the best in a particular skill. Tabloid newspapers often have the slickest headline writers. A tabloid is a half-size newspaper that often has sensational headlines with large pictures and short articles.

　　The tabloid New York Post, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is known as a loyal supporter of US President Donald Trump and his policies. But it lambasted (severely criticized) Trump's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to end the US-Iran war. The New York Post used the front-page headline "LOVEBOMB" to criticize Trump. The article said Trump devastated Iran with bombs, then hit Iran with a LOVEBOMB. The expression “love bomb” means to show someone a lot of love to persuade that person to do what you want. Trump wanted to end the war with Iran because it was driving up US gasoline prices and inflation.

　　Critics, including many in Trump’s Republican Party, lambasted the MOU for what they said benefitted Iran more than the US. The MOU gives the US and Iran 60 days to negotiate a final peace deal. The US Congress must approve any peace deal under normal circumstances. Trump has said he will ask for Congressional approval but did not ask for Congressional approval, as required, when he started the war.

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　　身为多年的新闻工作者，我见尽报章诸多沉闷又或洗练而吸睛的标题（slick headlines）。 Slick有几个意思，在这里是指娴熟、不费吹灰之力便做到的。A slick headline则是非常吸引读者注意的新闻标题。好的标题写手是in a class of their own－－若你是in a class of your own，意即你独树一帜，在某一方面的技能上是最优秀的。小报（tabloid）许多时有最熟练（slickest）的新闻标题写手。A tabloid就是尺寸为一般报章一半的小报，通常有耸动的头条，配以大幅的图片与短文。

　　鲁柏．梅铎所拥有的小报（tabloid）《纽约邮报》，公认是美国总统特朗普及其政策的忠实支持者。然而，它却狠批（lambasted）特朗普与伊朗结束美伊战争所签署的谅解备忘录。《纽约邮报》在头版头条用上「LOVEBOMB」去批评特朗普。文章指，特朗普用炸弹摧毁伊朗，然后又用「爱的轰炸」（LOVEBOMB）去炮击伊朗。习语「love bomb」是指向某人不断表露爱意，以游说那人去做你想他或她做的事。特朗普想结束跟伊朗的战争，因为它已令美国的燃油价格及物价不断攀升。

　　批评者，包括有许多来自特朗普的共和党的，狠批（lambasted）这份谅解备忘录是有益于伊朗多于美国。谅解备忘录给予美国和伊朗60天的期限去洽谈最终的和平协议。美国国会在一般情况下，必须通过任何和平协议。特朗普已说了，他将会寻求国会批准，然而他当初开战的时候，却没有按要求取得国会授权。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻