探訪日本駐英大使的官邸
Kensington Palace Gardens has a good claim to be the most exclusive road in Britain.
Kensington Palace Gardens被稱爲全英國最顯赫的大街當屬實至名歸。
It runs alongside the palace that was once home to Diana, Princess of Wales, and is now the residence of her son, Prince William, and assorted other royals.
街邊就是肯辛頓宮(Kensington Palace)：它曾是威爾士王妃戴安娜(Diana, Princess of Wales)的寢宮，如今則是其大兒子、威廉王子(Prince William)以及各色皇室貴胄的居住地。
Several billionaires are reputed to own mansions on the street — including Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea Football Club and Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian steel tycoon.
據稱好幾位億萬富豪也在此擁有豪華府邸——其中就包括切爾西足球隊老闆、俄國富豪阿布拉莫維奇(Roman Abramovich)以及印度鋼鐵大王拉克希米•米塔爾(Lakshmi Mittal)。
National flags flutter from many of the other houses to signal that they are ambassadorial residences.
好多豪宅上飄揚的各色國旗表明此處是大使的府邸雲集之地。
It is the Japanese ambassador — who resides at number 23 — who I am visiting on a bright summer’s afternoon.
這兒也是日本駐英國大使官邸所在地（Kensington Palace Gardens街23號）。我在一個陽光明媚的盛夏下午採訪了日本駐英國大使。
Despite its rich and powerful residents, the wide avenue — which runs from Notting Hill Gate to Kensington — is only semi-private.
儘管達官貴人匯聚於Kensington Palace Gardens這條始於諾丁山門(Notting Hill Gate)、終於肯辛頓宮的寬闊大街，但它只是半私家性質。
There are police boxes at both entrances and armed policemen, still a relative rarity in London, can be seen strolling up and down.
大街兩端設有警亭，荷槍實彈的警察（在整個倫敦實屬鳳毛麟角）在這條街上來回巡邏。
But nobody asks me my business, as I turn into the avenue from the Bayswater Road and stroll past a few joggers and pedestrians.
但我從貝斯沃特路(Bayswater Road)步行拐入這條大街、與幾位慢跑者和行人擦肩而過時，並沒有警察攔路盤問我。
At the appointed hour (midday), I press the bell on the gate of the Japanese residence.
在約定好的會面時間（午時），我按響了日本大使官邸的門鈴。
After a few moments of silence, the iron gates swing open and I walk up the crescent-shaped drive. The front door also opens, as if by magic, and I am ushered left, into a comfortably appointed sitting room.
過了一會兒，大鐵門打開，我於是沿着通往官邸的新月形寬闊車道信步而上，官邸前門像變魔術一樣應聲而開後，我被帶至舒適溫馨的小客廳。
Sitting on a well-stuffed cream-coloured sofa is Koji Tsuruoka.
坐在米色厚軟沙發上的正是日本駐英大使鶴岡公二(Koji Tsuruoka)。
The ambassador is a relative newcomer to London.
鶴岡公二大使可謂新官上任，他之前擔任日方首席代表，經歷了三年艱苦卓絕的跨太平洋夥伴關係(TPP)談判，今年6月他就任這個新職。
He arrived in June, after spending three arduous years negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that is meant to break down economic barriers between the US, Japan and 10 other Pacific nations.
TPP這一貿易協定旨在破除美日以及其它10個太平洋國家之間的經貿壁壘。
As we are served tea, I suggest to Tsuruoka that the role of ambassador in London probably offers a gentler pace than the intense and highly technical TPP negotiations.
茶端上來後，我向鶴岡公二大使暗示：相比工作強度大、技術要求高的TTP談判，駐英大使也許要更爲悠閒些吧。
