（長桌上放着一幅世界地圖。）

習（語速平緩）：

川普先生，世界運行成本越來越高，

我們是不是可以考慮——

分區負責，各盡其責？

川（猛地抬頭）：

Whoa.

Hold on.

You're talking as if you own half of the world.

習（微笑）：

不是擁有，

是承擔。

川：

承擔？

High-sounding words.

But I've got news for you.

This is about trade deals.

If our money fuels bad actors in our backyard, 

the buying stops. Period.

Now offer me something I can sell to the American people.

習（聽完翻譯，眼皮更形下垂）：

西半球穩定與否，當然要看川普先生。

東半球穩定與否，當然看我。

各有規則，合作雙贏嘛。

雙雙贏麻了，多好！

川（笑了一聲）：

Rules?

So you offer rules.

Rules are cheap.

Very cheap.

Power, on the other hand, is expensive.

And America paid for a lot of it.

With all due respect, President Xi,

don't bite off more than you can chew.

What's up—

（門忽然打開。）

歐盟代表：

我們反對任何“勢力範圍”的劃分，

即使是紙上談兵也反對。

順便補充一句——

咱們歐人擁有紙上談兵的專利。

這裡是聯合國的認證。

不信就看看。

（習瞪着歐。）

川（隨手一揮）：

Relax.

You'll still have values.

Lots of values.

Nobody's taking away your values.

習：

川普先生，

你不覺得、

現在的世界已經分化了嗎？

川 （不禁莞爾）：

Facts change.

They change all the time.

People change facts every day.

Deals don't.

Deals stay — unless I renegotiate them.

Which I do. Very successfully.

習（語氣稍硬）：

那你希望怎樣？

川：

Look.

America doesn't take the sunset side.

Not even in the worst case.

And by the way —

I always plan for the best case.

Always.

習：

意思是？

川：

It means we don't “manage decline.”

That's your specialty, not ours.

President Xi, you're my buddy.

But buddies compete.

Trump competes everywhere — Greenland included. 

（短暫停頓。）

習：

那你為什麼還坐在這兒？

川（咧嘴一笑）：

Because talking is cheap.

Very cheap.

Not talking?

That costs elections.

Count your blessings, my friend.

You don't need to worry about elections.

習：

選舉不如舉手。

舉手表態，多快好省。

不如——

在聯合國搞個公投。

川：

Hahaha!

You've got a sense of humor,

after all.

歐（小聲）：

We are big fans of the UN.

With the UN on our side,

we demand a multilateral framework.

川：

The EU loves the UN. I get that.

But here's the problem:

Frameworks don't win votes in America.

Never have.

習（做個手勢，示意歐靠邊站）：

川普先生，

世界不是擂台。

川：

Really?

OK. You don't like “arena.”

How about “stage”?

Everything is a stage.

Everything.

Some people sell tickets.

Some people write scripts.

Some people—

they just complain.

（向歐扮個鬼臉）

習：

那你擔心什麼？

川：

I'm worried you're selling balance—

but expecting obedience

if not also obeisance.

That's not balance.

That's imbalance, pure and simple. 

習（急喝一口散發怪味的茶）：

楚河漢界不好麼？

川：

You mean bipolar geopolitics?

How about MAGA?

I expect competition, buddy.

Hard competition.

Fair? No guarantees.

Boring? Never.

（兩人對視，氣氛直逼“決戰紫禁之巔”。）

習：

看來……

（時鐘滴答作響。）

川：

I don't mean to rush you.

All I'm saying is this:

It's leverage I'm looking for.

Global leverage. 

Count on that. 

（歐盟代表嘆氣。習又端起怪味茶。川已起身告辭。）

川：

Sayonara!

（長桌上的世界地圖不見了。）

作者：紉秋蘭