一场外交游戏.doc

16、A Diplomatic Game The ambassador entered the Oval Office a minute early, at 10:59 A.M. on December 10th of a year in early 1980s. He was a short, overweight man with a broad Slavic1 face and eyes that would have done a professional gambler proud. They revealed2 nothing. He was a career diplomat, having served in a number of posts throughout the Western world. 　　“ Good morning, Mr. President, Dr. Pelt,” Alexei Arbatov nodded politely to both men. The president, he noted at once, was seated behind his desk. Every other time hed been here the president had come around the desk to shake hands, then sat down beside him. 　　“ Help yourself to some coffee, Mr. Ambassador,” Pelt offered. The special assistant to the president for national security affairs was well known to Arbatov. Jeffrey Pelt was an academic from the Georgetown Universitys Center for Strategic and International Studies--an enemy, but a well- mannered enemy. Arbatov had a fondness for3 the niceties 　　“ Mr. Ambassador,” Pelt began, “ we have noted a troubling increase in your naval activity in the North Atlantic.” 　　“ Oh?” Arbatovs eyebrows shot up in a display of surprise that fooled no one, and he knew it. “ I have no knowledge of this. As you know, I have never been a sailor.” 　　“ Shall we dispense5 with the bullshit6 , Mr. Ambassador?” the president said. Arbatov did not permit himself to be surprised by the vulgarity7. The American president seemed to need a professional like Pelt around to smooth the edges. “ You certainly have nearly a hundred naval vessels8 operating in the North Atlantic or heading in that direction. Chairman of your country and my predecessor agreed years ago that no such operation would take place without prior notification9. The purpose of this agreement, as you know, was to prevent acts that might appear to be unduly10 provocative11 to one side or the other. This agreement has been kept--until now. 　　“ Now, my military advisers tell me that what is going on looks very