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【News Buddy】辱軍後睇中藝術品 特朗普「劫」大使官邸

2020-09-21
■特朗普被揭在訪法期間於美國駐巴黎大使官邸帶走多件藝術品。 資料圖片■特朗普被揭在訪法期間於美國駐巴黎大使官邸帶走多件藝術品。 資料圖片

【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》9月8日報道:

美國總統特朗普(Donald Trump)早前被揭,前年訪法期間曾私下侮辱陣亡將士,事件再有其他細節曝光。傳媒披露特朗普當時取消前往一戰(World War I)陣亡將士公墓(cemetery)行程後,在空檔期間「順道」參觀他下榻的美國駐巴黎(Paris)大使(ambassador)官邸,最後帶走多件藝術品返回白宮(White House) ,華府官員一度大為吃驚,並在電郵激辯事件是否合法。

特朗普前年以天雨為由,取消到陣亡美國將士公墓悼念,近日卻被揭他只是以天氣作不想起行的藉口,更曾稱陣亡將士是失敗者(loser)。

彭博通訊社(Bloomberg News)前日引述知情人士報道,特朗普當時下榻美國駐巴黎大使官邸、位於巴黎市中心的蓬塔爾巴大酒店(Hotel de Pontalba),行程取消後,特朗普利用多出的6小時空餘時間參觀官邸,翌日準備離開時向美國駐法國大使麥考特(Jamie McCourt )表示,要把官邸的3件藝術品帶回華盛頓(Washington)。

特朗普看上的藝術品包括法國畫家迪普萊西(Joseph Duplessis)在1785年繪製的富蘭克林(Benjamin Franklin)畫像、一個富蘭克林的半身雕像,及一組銀色的希臘神話人物雕塑。富蘭克林為美國建國元勳(founding father) ,也是美國首任駐法國大使,故美國駐法大使官邸收藏不少與他有關的藝術品。

知情人士透露,麥考特以至在場官員得知特朗普想帶走藝術品後,都感到非常驚訝,不過沒有表示反對。特朗普其後向麥考特戲稱會在6年後將物品歸還,亦即假如他成功連任後、第二屆任期結束之時。

特朗普帶走藝術品一事亦一度觸發國務院(State Department)與白宮官員在電郵激烈交鋒,研究是否合法。國務院律師其後判斷藝術品屬美國政府財產,故沒有問題。3組藝術品最終被帶上「空軍一號」(Air Force One)專機,運到白宮。

不過經白宮人員鑑定(identification)後,證實特朗普從巴黎帶回國的藝術品,全部都只是仿製品(replica),總值約75萬美元(約581萬港元)。據悉特朗普在得知富蘭克林雕像並非真品後,曾開玩笑指自己更喜歡仿製版本,而1785年完成的富蘭克林畫像真跡,則存放於白宮附近的美國國家肖像畫廊(National Portrait Gallery)。

白宮發言人(spokesman)迪爾(Judd Deere)確認事件屬實,形容特朗普帶走的是「屬於美國人民的美麗歷史作品」,希望在「人民的宮殿」,即白宮中展示。

Trump "snapped up" ambassador's home for art collections after humiliating soldiers

【譯文】An explosive report revealed that the U.S. President Donald Trump insulted dead soldiers privately during his visit to France the year before, and further details had been disclosed recently. The report said that after Trump canceled a planned journey to the World War I military cemetery, he paid a visit to the U.S. ambassador's residence in Paris and finally took a number of artworks back to the White House. The Washington officials were alleged to be greatly surprised, generating heated debates by emails on whether the move was legal.

Trump canceled the trip to the cemetery for American dead soldiers for the reason of poor weather the year before, but it was later discovered that he was only using the weather as an excuse for cancelling the official visit and even called the dead soldiers as "losers".

The Bloomberg News quoted sources saying that Trump stayed as a guest at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Paris - the Hotel de Pontalba located in the city centre.

After the cancellation of the trip, he made use of the 6 hours of free time to visit the residence and told the Ambassador Jamie McCourt the next day when he was about to leave that he would like to bring back to Washington three works of art from the house.

The three artworks taken by Trump included a Benjamin Franklin portrait painted by the French painter Joseph Duplessis in around 1785, a bust of Franklin and a set of figurines of Greek mythical characters. Franklin was the founding father of the U.S., as well as the first U.S. ambassador to France, such that the ambassador's home had many French art collections related to this high-profile figure.

According to the sources, McCourt and other officials were very surprised when they learned that Trump wanted to take away the artworks, but they had not expressed any objection. Trump later joked that the ambassador would get back the collections in six years, the time when his potential second term expired.

Trump's removal of the artworks had triggered fierce debates over emails between officials of the State Department and White House on whether the move was legal.

The State Department lawyers ultimately ruled that it was, because the artworks were U.S. government property. The three pieces of art were eventually loaded onto "Air Force One" for the return trip to the White House.

However, after identification by the White House personnel, it was found that the three works of art Trump brought back from Paris were just replicas with an estimated total of US$750,000 (approximately HK$5.81 million). It was reported that after knowing that the Franklin bust was just a replica, Trump joked that he liked the fake version better than the original. While the original Franklin portrait completed in 1785 was actually held by the National Portrait Gallery in close proximity to the White House.

Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, defended Trump's actions claiming that he brought back "beautiful, historical pieces which belong to the American people" to be displayed in the "People's House", i.e. the White House.■龐嘉儀

Q&A

1. 特朗普原定打算訪問的陣亡將士公墓名為什麼?

2. 文中提及的陣亡美國將士參與了哪場戰役?

3. 美國駐巴黎大使館位於哪�堙H

4. 現時哪種美國貨幣印有富蘭克林的肖像?

Answer

1.埃納-馬恩河美國公墓(Aisne-Marne American Cemetery)

2. 貝勞森林(Bois de Belleau)戰役

3. 香榭麗舍大道(Avenue des Champs-�[lys�mes)

4. 100美元紙幣

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