上星期五﹐讀著倫敦時報﹐便想起了以前陶傑的課。那天﹐他教我們做特寫。

最近﹐英國政壇滿是刀光劍影。只要一分神﹐隨時身首異處。這都因為財相GORDON BROWN開始等得不耐煩。

眼見保守黨在DAVID CAMERON帶領下﹐越來越受民眾歡迎﹐其支持率已經超過上台十年的工黨。白高敦怕TONY BLAIR到無可救藥的時候﹐方懂得放手﹐放棄權力﹐自己卻在毫無足夠時間準備下﹐無端端變成喪失政權的工黨黨魁。於是﹐跟幕僚商討過後﹐一場腥風血雨的奪權陰謀就此開始。上星期二﹐七個初級內閣成員便集體請辭﹐要求貝利雅落實離任的日期。在他們來說﹐當然越快越好。

在這樣的環境底下﹐傳媒自然爭相報導任何的風吹草動。倫敦時報便派了兩名記者跟隨了兩大主角一整天。不過﹐人寫我寫﹐要文章鶴立雞群﹐的確需要一點心思。THE TIMES的ANN TRENEMAN與MAGNUS LINKLATER就做了一次很好的示範。ANN報導的是貝利雅﹐MAGNUS寫的則是白高敦。

ANN是這樣描述TONY BLAIR到達會場﹕

Mr Blair emerged from one side of the Jag. He gave us a wave. I don't know why because we weren't waving at him. Perhaps he is just practising for his forthcoming Legacy Tour or perhaps he has picked up this tip from the Queen: when in doubt, wave. Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, popped out of the other side of the Jag. The PM still has one friend.

會場附近的一切其實也是很好的題材。因為有很多細節都埋在裡面。

大家都以為TONY BLAIR或者會利用出席學校活動﹐來跟大家談談自己的將來。於是﹐這間北倫敦的中學外面都擠滿了人。記者發覺﹐到處都是警察﹐路障也特別的多。經明察暗訪後﹐the men from BARRIER HOTLINE told that this originally had been 20-barrier job but then they had received a call to say "better make that 40"。

記者也發現﹐學校比正常早了放學。整條街都是藍色制服的學生。有學生說﹐we've got a half day because of Tony Blair。執著這樣的材料﹐ANN便這樣寫道﹕

This seemed a bit strange. What is the logic there? The Prime Minister's coming, clear the school of pupils. The school claimed that it was an induction day and so it was always going to end early for its 1,400 students. Only 50 (very well-behaved) pupils were allowed to stay for the great MY FUTURE speech.

其實﹐寫警察﹑寫路障﹑寫學生﹐記者都是旨在諷刺首相。因為在風聲鶴唳下﹐為免出現一些未經計算的尷尬場面﹐NO 10只容許一名特約記者進場報導。其餘的人都不能越雷池半步。所有記者都只能在門外等候。

ANN TRENEMAN一次又一次利用IRONY，把一件被當事人變成平平無奇的事情﹐很有趣味地報導出來。

事情變得平平無奇﹐因為TONY BLAIR再次沒有跟大家講定自己離任的日期。本來﹐大家都以為﹐在巨大壓力下﹐TB不得不放棄自己的原則。

假如ANN的文章是一個運用IRONY的示範﹐那麼﹐按陶傑的邏輯﹐MAGNUS LINKLATER的那篇﹐便是一個範文。