US President George W. Bush donned a cowboy hat and sang an early goodbye to Washington on Saturday night with a performance.
 
US President George W. Bush donned a cowboy hat and sang an early goodbye to Washington on Saturday night with a performance.

Bush surprised cabinet secretaries, diplomatic officials and journalists at the annual Gridiron dinner by taking the stage and giving the first public singing performance of his eight-year presidency¹, which ends in January 2009.

To the tune² of country song Green Green Grass of Home(Listen), Bush sang of longing³ for his ranch⁴ in Crawford, Texas, and his dog Barney.

"And there to meet me is my mama and my papa, down the lane I look and here comes Barney, heart of gold and breath like honey; it's good to touch the brown brown grass of home."

Bush, singing only slightly off key, then turned to some of the long-term members of his team including Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"For there's Condi and Dick, my old compadre, talking to me about some oil-rich Saudi, but soon I'll touch the brown brown grass of home."

"That old White house is behind me, I am once again carefree, don't have to worry 'bout⁵ a crisis in Pyongyang. Down the lane I look, Dick Cheney is strolling with documents he'd been withholding⁶, it's good to touch the brown brown grass of home."

Bush told the audience, which erupted in applause and gave him a standing⁷ ovation⁸, that they had witnessed "the first and final performance of George Bush".

The Gridiron Club holds an annual dinner at which journalists put on songs and skits⁹ lampooning¹⁰ Democrats¹¹ and Republicans alike.

上周六晚，美国总统布什头戴牛仔帽，一展歌喉，用歌声提前告别白宫生活。

布什的这一举动让出席年度“烤架”晚宴的内阁部长、外交官员和记者们大吃一惊。布什将于明年1月结束他的总统任期，这是他执政八年来首次在公共场合登台演唱。

布什演唱了一首乡村歌曲《碧草如茵的家园》，他在歌中表达了期待回到家乡得克萨斯州克劳弗德农场的愿望及想念小狗巴尼的心情。

布什唱道：“我走下飞机，前来迎接我的是老爸老妈，乡间小路的一端，我看见巴尼在向我飞奔，它心比金子，呼吸香甜；能摸到家乡黄色的草感觉真好。”

布什唱得有点跑调，之后在歌中唱到了切尼和国务卿赖斯等与他合作多年的“战友”。

“我的老战友康迪（赖斯）和迪克（切尼）还在跟我谈石油丰富的沙特阿拉伯，可不久我就能摸到家乡黄色的草了。”

“那个白宫将离我而去，我又可以回到那种无忧无虑的生活了，不用再担心什么‘平壤危机’。乡间小路的一端，我看见切尼还在拿着秘密文件到处跑，能摸到家乡黄色的草感觉真好。”

布什的演唱赢得阵阵掌声，台下的听众甚至站起来为他鼓掌。布什对观众们说，他们目睹了“乔治•布什的第一次，也是最后一次演唱”。

“烤架俱乐部”每年都会举办年度记者晚宴，记者们可以在晚宴上演唱歌曲或表演滑稽短剧讽刺民主共和两大党派的人士。

Vocabulary:

off key:跑调