一笑解危機 - 古德明
Combining the jobs of prime minister and minister of defence in 1942, Churchill faced a motion of censure in the House of Commons just as the war in North Africa was at its most critical stage. In the course of it an MP interjected a query about the so-called Churchill tank.
Churchill said, "This tank, the A22, was ordered off the drawing board and large numbers went into production very quickly. As might be expected, it had many defects and teething problems, and when these became apparent, the tank was appropriately rechristened the 'Churchill'. These defects have now been largely overcome. I have no doubt that this tank will prove, in the end, a powerful, massive, and serviceable weapon of war."
This joke against himself brought delighted laughter from all sides of the House, and in the ensuing vote the censure motion was thrown out by a majority of 475 to 25.
一九四二年，邱吉爾首相兼任國防大臣一職，招來下議院的不信任動議，而當時正是北非戰情最危急的日子。動議在下議院辯論時，一名議員就所謂邱吉爾坦克車，提出疑問。
邱吉爾說：「這款坦克車，即戰車A22型，是設計稿一成就定造的，並迅速大量生產，自然有不少缺點以及初期問題。而這些問題、缺點暴露之後，這款坦克車順理成章改名為『邱吉爾』。現在，缺點多已糾正。我深信，這款坦克車，將會成為強有力的巨型戰爭武器，可以派上用場。」
邱吉爾這樣自我挖苦，贏得下議院笑聲四起。投票結果，是四百七十五票大多數對二十五票，不信任動議遭否決。
Churchill said, "This tank, the A22, was ordered off the drawing board and large numbers went into production very quickly. As might be expected, it had many defects and teething problems, and when these became apparent, the tank was appropriately rechristened the 'Churchill'. These defects have now been largely overcome. I have no doubt that this tank will prove, in the end, a powerful, massive, and serviceable weapon of war."
This joke against himself brought delighted laughter from all sides of the House, and in the ensuing vote the censure motion was thrown out by a majority of 475 to 25.
一九四二年，邱吉爾首相兼任國防大臣一職，招來下議院的不信任動議，而當時正是北非戰情最危急的日子。動議在下議院辯論時，一名議員就所謂邱吉爾坦克車，提出疑問。
邱吉爾說：「這款坦克車，即戰車A22型，是設計稿一成就定造的，並迅速大量生產，自然有不少缺點以及初期問題。而這些問題、缺點暴露之後，這款坦克車順理成章改名為『邱吉爾』。現在，缺點多已糾正。我深信，這款坦克車，將會成為強有力的巨型戰爭武器，可以派上用場。」
邱吉爾這樣自我挖苦，贏得下議院笑聲四起。投票結果，是四百七十五票大多數對二十五票，不信任動議遭否決。
