巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)昨日荣膺诺贝尔和平奖，此时距离他就任美国总统只有263天。这一决定更多地是褒奖其承诺、而非成就，在全世界引发了赞扬和怀疑。
　　Barack Obama yesterday received the Nobel peace prize just 263 days after taking office, triggering praise and incredulity across the world over a decision that rewards him more for promise than achievement. 　　奥巴马表示，他对于挪威诺贝尔委员会的决定感到“意外和惭愧”，同时补充称，他感到不配跻身先前获得该奖项的历史“改革人物”之列。
　　The US president said he was “surprised and humbled” by the Norwegian Nobel committee's decision, adding that he felt unworthy to be counted among the “transformative figures” of history who had previously won the prize.
　　然而，这个奖金为140万美元的奖项也被视为对奥巴马某种形式的挑战，批评者辩称，奥巴马迄今未能在外交政策上获得明显的成功。
　　However, the $1.4m award was also seen as something of a challenge to Mr Obama, with his critics arguing that he has so far failed to secure a clear foreign policy success.
　　诺贝尔委员会称赞奥巴马“为增强国际外交及各国人民间的合作做出了非凡的努力”，赞扬他在推动无核化方面尚显稚嫩的努力以及与穆斯林世界建立联系。
　　The Nobel Committee praised Mr Obama for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”, citing his fledgling push for nuclear disarmament and his reaching out to the Muslim world.
　　奥巴马获奖令白宫感到意外。在被一家美国媒体要求就此消息予以置评时，总统发言人罗伯特•吉布斯(Robert Gibbs)用电子邮件回复了一个字：“哇！”
　　The award took the White House by surprise. Asked by a US media organisation to comment on the news, Robert Gibbs, the president's spokesman, e-mailed back the one word: “Wow.”
　　授予奥巴马诺贝尔和平奖的决定受到了世界各国领导人的欢迎。刚刚连任德国总理的安哥拉•默克尔(Angela Merkel)表示，奥巴马使国际外交的基调向着对话的方向迅速改变。她表示：“仍有很多事情要做，但可能性的窗口已经开启。”
　　The decision was welcomed by world leaders. Angela Merkel, the newly re-elected German chancellor, said Mr Obama had rapidly changed the tone of international diplomacy towards dialogue. “There is still much left to do, but a window of possibility has been opened,” she said.
　　但其他人也对该决定颇有微词：奥巴马迄今未能在中东获得任何突破，或阻止伊朗的核计划，而且还可能很快为阿富汗战争增兵数千人。
　　But others were scornful of the decision to reward a president who has yet to score any breakthrough in the Middle East or halt Iran's nuclear programme – and who may soon be sending thousands more troops to war in Afghanistan.
　　曾获得诺贝尔和平奖的波兰前总统列赫•瓦文萨(Lech Walesa)表示，授予这位48岁的美国总统诺贝尔和平奖为时尚早。
　　Lech Walesa, Poland's former president and a Nobel laureate himself, said it was too early to bestow the award on the 48-year-old US president.
　　“谁，奥巴马？这么快？就目前而言，奥巴马只是提出了建议。但有时诺贝尔委员会授予该奖项是为了鼓励人们采取负责任的行动。”
　　“Who, Obama? So fast? For the time being Obama's just making proposals. But sometimes the Nobel Committee awards the prize to encourage responsible action.”