Hillary Clinton gets asked the same thing over and over: if she is elected president, what will Bill do Obviously, we've never had a woman president. But we've also never had a male First ... Lady. So let's start there. What would he be called As the president's husband, Bill Clinton would most likely have the formal title "First Gentleman." But he would be addressed directly by his other, loftier title: Mr. President. Likewise, when he walks into a room, with or without Hillary, he'll still have the option of being greeted with the sweet strains of "Hail to the Chief."
希拉蕊．柯林頓再被問起同樣的問題：如果她當選總統，她老公比爾．柯林頓要做什麼？事實擺在眼前，我們從來沒有女總統，但我們也從來沒有男的第一…夫人。問題來了，首先，該怎麼稱呼他？身為總統的丈夫，柯林頓很可能被冠上正式的頭銜「第一先生」；但大家還是可能直接稱他更高階的頭銜：總統先生。同樣的，當他步入房間，不管希拉蕊是否在身旁，他仍可選擇較順耳的稱呼「向領袖致敬」。
The Constitution is silent about the role of a president's spouse. The position has traditionally been more symbolic than substantive. It is true that more than a few First Ladies—among them Hillary Clinton herself—have exerted power in front of and behind the scenes. But our national image of the First Spouse is still that of the quiet, coiffed wife beaming adoringly at her husband.
憲法對總統配偶的角色並未著墨。傳統上，這個位子比較是象徵性的，不具實質意義。沒錯，不少第一夫人，包括希拉蕊在內，曾公然或在幕後操控權力。但在全國人心中，第一配偶的形象，仍是頭髮梳理得一絲不亂、安安靜靜、對著丈夫臉上堆滿笑容的妻子。
Don't expect Bill Clinton—a formidable political strategist and policy wonk—to hover quietly in the background. Some in D.C. have speculated that he might take on a powerful post, perhaps Secretary of State. But he can't. Ever since John F. Kennedy appointed his brother Bobby to be his attorney general, nepotism laws have forbidden the president to hire relatives.
但別指望柯林頓，這位令人望而生畏、強勢的政治策士和政策學究，會默默游走幕後。華府有人揣測，他可能出任一呼風喚雨的職位，也許是國務卿。但這恐怕行不通。自從已故總統約翰．甘迺迪指派他弟弟羅伯．甘迺迪出任司法部長以來，禁用親信的法規已禁止總統雇用親人。
That isn't to say Bill Clinton would eschew the kind of social causes—literacy, education—that First Ladies typically embrace. He has already taken on a couple of First Gent-like projects, including tsunami relief and childhood obesity. A consummate schmoozer, he could easily embrace traditional First Lady tasks such as visiting with the spouses of world leaders who come to meet with Hillary.
但這可不是說，柯林頓可以規避第一夫人通常肩負的社會志業，像文盲和教育問題。他已扛起幾件類似第一先生該推動的計畫，包括海嘯救難及兒童肥胖問題。身為頂級溝通者，他可以輕易挑起傳統第一夫人的工作，例如拜會來見希拉蕊的世界領袖的配偶。
《詞解》
lofty 地位崇高的
coiffed 梳理頭髮
formidable 令人望而生畏
policy wonk政策學究
speculated揣測
attorney general司法部長
nepotism 任用親信
tsunami relief 海嘯救難
consummate schmoozer頂級溝通者