Who chopped the cherry tree? 谁砍下那棵樱桃树？

I received an email yesterday, I have to admire the writer's imagination and creativity. Though I was informed that this mail has been in circulation for some times, I still like to share with people like me, who are new to e-materials and may not read it earlier.

昨天收到一则电邮，细看之下，不得不服作者的创意和联想功力; 虽后被告知这篇文章在去年下半年已开始传，不过，或许值得再转贴，以便让我与才开始看部落文章不久的人共享:

Legend has it that George Washington, America 's first president, chopped down a cherry tree in his youth. The story goes that George gives the tree a good swing and chops it down with an axe.
美国第一任总统华盛顿，在年幼时用斧头砍下－棵樱桃树。

His father sees the damaged tree and asks his son if he knows who did the deed.
他父亲问华盛顿知道是谁砍下那棵树吗？


George is quoted as bravely admitting the truth: 'I can't tell a lie. Pa, you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my axe.'
华盛顿勇敢的回答:'爸爸，我不能撒谎，是我用斧头砍下那棵树。'

Below is a satire of how some Malaysian politicians circa 2008 may have reacted to the question:

以下是2008年马来西亚政治人物对以上问题的可能反应:

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi 伯拉

'I did not cut down the tree, I was just taking a nap underneath it.'

'我没有砍树，我只在树底下闭目养神。'

Najib Razak 那吉

'I swear that I have never MET that tree.'

'我发誓我从没见过那棵树。'

Hishammuddin Hussein Onn 希山幕汀


'...but I only own a keris, not axe, how to cut down the tree?'

'但我只有剑，没有斧头，怎样砍那棵树？'






Dr Mahathir Mohamad 马哈迪

'Apa nama cherry tree, yes, I chopped it down because I don't like the idea of Pak Lah sleeping under it.'

'哦，樱桃树.是的，是我砍下，因为我不喜欢伯拉睡在树底下。'






Chua Soi Lek 蔡细历



'Yes it was me, I resign as caretaker of this orchard.'

'是我，我辞去果园看管人的职位。'





VK Lingam 林甘


'It could be me, it might have been me, but I don't think it's me.'

'可以是我，可能是我，不过我不认为是我。'

Anwar Ibrahim 安华

'I did NOT do it, and I am not giving any DNA sample for you to plant on the axe handle.'

'我没有做，我也不会给你DNA样本，让你去涂在斧头柄上。'

Mohd Khir Toyo 多尔

'The new state government should just trim the grass and not waste time asking who cut the tree.'

'新州政府应注重剪草，而不应花时间问谁砍那棵树。'









Ahmad Said ( Terengganu MB )沙益


'I chopped it because cherry trees are more expensive to maintain than durian trees.'

'我砍樱桃树，因照顾樱桃树比照顾榴连树昂贵.'

Azalina Othman 阿莎丽娜

'The cherry tree is not included under my tourism MOU so I cut it down and besides there were unauthorised signboards put up around the tree.' (She is now out from Ministry of Tourism)

'我砍樱桃树因它没包括在我的旅游备忘录，何况在树周围有非法告示牌。'(注:此人已不再负责旅游部)




Shabery Cheek 沙比里




'I challenge you to a debate on tree cutting.'

'我挑战你来辩论砍树课题.'

S Samy Velu 沙米





'I chopped it because Hindraf members were using it as a meeting point.'

'我砍因为兴都权益委员会成员在树下集会.'

Wira Ali Rustam 阿里

'We have planted durian trees for 50 years and we will plant them for another 50 years. We do not need cheery trees, apple trees, pear trees and all these other foreign trees.'

'五十年来，我们种榴连树; 我们在未来五十年会继续种 。我们不需要樱桃树，苹果树，桃树和其他外国果树。'

Rais Yatim 莱士亚迪

'You must see the bigger picture. Ahmad Said said cherry trees are expensive to maintain. Ali Rustam said they are against our national identity. And I needed to test my new axe. So, you see, it is a WIN-WIN situation all around.

'你要从广义角度来看。沙益说照顾樱桃树比较昂贵。阿里说这有反我们国家特徵。我又需要试我的新斧头。所以，你看，这就是双赢情况。'





Sharir Samad 沙里尔

'I cut the tree because we could no longer afford to subsidise it.'

'我砍因为我们已无法继续津贴。'






Karpal Singh 卡巴星

'The bigfoot creature did it.'


'大脚怪物干的。'






Bung Mokhtar 莫达



'The big monkey did it.'

'大猴子干的。'




Pandikar Amin Mulia 巴迪卡

'There is nothing in the standing orders against chopping cherry trees......Kinabatangan duduk! Bukit Gelugor duduk!

'没有国会条规反对砍樱花树... ..Kinabatangan坐下！Bukit Gelugor坐下！'

Khairy Jamaluddin 凯里

I did not do it, neither did the Mat Rempits. By the way, what's a cherry tree?'

'我没有，飘车党也没有. 不过，什么是樱桃树？

Lim Kit Siang 林吉祥



'Cherry tree also you don't know. You are an insult to Oxford !'

'你连樱桃树都不懂. 你是牛津大学的侮辱！'

Nazri Abdul Aziz 纳士利

'Racist, racist, racist! When we cut down durian trees nobody made a fuss. Now...'

'种族分子，种族分子，种族分子！当我们砍榴连树，又没有人吵。现在......'

Malaysian Citizens 马来西亚国民

'Oh for heavens sake! Somebody plant something before we all starve to death!'

'哎哟，快点种些什么的lah，别让我们饿死！'

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