Barack Obama remembers Queen Elizabeth II
美国前总统奥巴马追忆英国女王伊丽莎白二世
The first time that I met the Queen was visiting London. She reminded me very much of my grandmother, which surprised me, not just in appearance but also in manner, very gracious but also no-nonsense. Wry sense of humor. She could not have been more kind or thoughtful to me and Michelle.
Shortly thereafter, Michelle and Malia and Sasha, my two daughters, had occasion to go back to England. Buckingham Palace reached out and Her Majesty had invited Michelle and the two girls to tea. She had then offered the girls to drive in her golden carriage around the grounds of Buckingham Palace. It was the sort of generosity and consideration that left a mark in my daughter’s lives that’s still there.
The queen was an excellent listener. She had a genuine curiosity, although she was impatient to get to the point.
女王是一位出色的倾听者。她有一种特别的好奇心，同时也总愿意尽快进入正题。
This is in 2011 and we’ve been invited to a State Dinner at Buckingham Palace. State Dinners at Buckingham Palace are a little different than state dinners everywhere else. The queen was dressed up quite a bit for the state dinner and it was a little bit concerning for Michelle because as a gift to Her Majesty, Michelle had selected a small, modest broach of nominal value. We reciprocated the following evening with a dinner that we hosted at the American Embassy. But the one thing we immediately notice is that she's wearing the brooch that Michelle had given and it was an example of the subtle thoughtfulness that she consistently displayed not just to us but everybody who she interacted with.
She was very mindful of guests at Buckingham Palace not overstaying their welcome. She was looking at her watch and at some point said, “Well, OK, it's time to go.” And the same was true as a guest, she wasn't interested in overstaying her welcome. She looked at her watch at a certain point and said, “I think we need to wrap this up.”
The combination of a sense of duty and a clear understanding of her role as a symbol for a nation and as the carrier of a certain set of values, combined with a very human quality of kindness and consideration, I think that's what made her so beloved not just in Great Britain but around the world.