The end of the world is nigh, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces in a TV appearance, warning of flesh-eating zombies and demonic beasts from hell.
flesh-eating：肉食的
But don’t panic – true to Australia’s penchant for over-the-air pranksters in the wake of the Kate Middleton radio hoax – Miss Gillard’s dire warnings are just aspoof.
over-the-air：无线
She has agreed to make the short video to promote a radio station’s breakfast show as part of their ’end of the world’ celebrations following predictions that we will all die on December 21, according to interpretations of the Mayan calendar.
Her jokey, but emotionless, warning that Armageddon will be upon us in a couple of week’s time is reminiscent of Orson Welles’ radio production of H.G.Wells’ novel ’War of the Worlds’ ,which caused widespread panic across America when it went to air in 1938.
reminiscent of：令人回想起
With a straight face, British-born Miss Gillard stares into the camera and addresses viewers as ’My dear remaining fellow Australians.
straight face：无表情的脸=poker face
’The end of the world is coming. It wasn’t Y2K, it wasn’t even the carbon price (a reference to her Labour government’s introduction of a carbon tax).’
Y2K：千禧年危机(year 2000)
Then came the terrifying details.
’Whether the final blow comes from flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell beasts or from the total triumph of K-pop, if you know one thing about me it is this: I will always fight for you to the very end.’
Finishing the 46-second video, made for radio station Triple J’s breakfast show – which was not the broadcaster involved in the Kate hoax – she adds in a reference to a popular question-and-answer political programme she has appeared in: ’At least this means I won’t have to do Q&A again.’
Her tongue-in-cheek support of the Mayan belief that doom is upon us later this month has been met with mixed reactions from Australians.
tongue-in-cheek：半开玩笑的
Some thought she had been wasting taxpayers’ money, while others saw the funny side.
’Go Jules!’ said one man in an online comment. ’You went up a giant notch for this…And personally, I hope it’s zombies.’
Another writer commented: ’Just think of all the men that will be spared the X-mas eve shopping rush.’
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office seemed aghast when a newspaper asked for an official comment about Miss Gillard’s video clip.
’What Australian doesn’t mind a laugh from time to time?’ he asked
’Anyway, the world’s going to end tomorrow, so shouldn’t you be writing about that?’
The ’tomorrow’ reference is based on science writer Dr Karl Kruszeinicki’s theory that the world will end two weeks earlier than the Mayan prediction.
The author of ’50 Shades of Grey Matter’ came up with the earlier date after developing a complex algorithm using the Mayan calendar the Gregorian calendar, mathematics and, well, comedy.
【新闻快讯】澳大利亚总理吉拉德近日在一视频网站上宣称世界末日就要降临，她将与澳人民一起战斗到最后。经查，视频确实是吉拉德本人录制，但其实是一个搞笑事件。
作为“三J晨间秀”节目“世界末日”庆祝活动的一部分，吉拉德为节目录制了这段视频。这些笑话是之声和吉拉德联手起草的，有不少关于流行文化和政治暗喻的段子。
吉拉德讲话全文：我亲爱的澳大利亚同胞们，世界末日就要来啦。这不是千禧年危机，玛雅人的年历是真的。澳大利亚最权威的联邦科学与工业研究组织还不能确认世界将要灭亡，但我相信“三J晨间秀”的预测，世界将要灭亡啦。不管最后我们是死在僵尸、恶魔怪兽后下，还是韩国流行音乐的全面胜利之下，如果你对我有所了解的话，那就是，我一定会为你们战斗到底。还有，至少这意味着我将不用再去参加议会质询了。祝你们好运!
