Ministry brass entertained by company Suga’s son works at

Ministry brass entertained by company Suga’s son works at

部會高官接受菅義偉之子任職的企業招待

【摘要2021.3.12.自由】◎張沛元

High-ranking bureaucrats at the telecommunications ministry were secretly wined and dined by employees of a major visual media production company, including Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s son － a possible ethics code violation.

（日本）總務省高官曾秘密接受一家大型視訊媒體製作公司的工作人員—包括首相菅義偉之子—的餐飲招待，此舉恐有違反風紀規範之虞。

After Bunshun Online broke the scandal on Feb. 3, Suga told reporters, "I am not aware of the matter at all."

在文春（週刊）網路版2月3日踢爆此一醜聞後，菅義偉告訴記者：「我完全不曉得這件事。」

"I think the ministry will properly handle the case," Suga said, adding that he has "no intention" of asking his son about it.

「我認為總務省會適當處理此事。」菅義偉說，並補充道，他「不打算」問兒子這件事。

But Suga’s aloof approach quickly changed at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Feb. 4, where opposition lawmakers grilled the prime minister about the scandal.

但當他在2月4日的國會眾議院預算委員會的會議上，被反對黨國會議員盤問這起醜聞時，菅義偉一改原本的冷處理態度。

Suga said he has talked with his son over the phone about the Bunshin report.

菅義偉說，他曾在電話裡與兒子談過文春週刊的報導。

"I told him to cooperate with the fact-finding investigation," Suga said.

「我告訴他要配合核實調查。」菅義偉說。

新聞辭典

brass：名詞，黃銅；黃銅製品；銅管樂器；厚顏無恥；高級軍官（或官員，職員）。

be aware of：片語，意識到，知道。例句：He was not aware of being fooled.（他沒有意識到自己被耍了。）

grill：動詞，（架在火上）燒烤；盤問。例句：The Supreme Court judge nominee had been grilled by lawmakers on a broad range of issues in his confirmation hearings.（這名最高法院大法官被提名人，在他的任命案確認聽證中，被國會議員就廣泛議題進行盤問。）