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Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a news conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow March 8, 2008.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel put President Vladimir Putin on the spot on Saturday, asking if the former KGB spy had cooked breakfast for his wife Lyudmila to celebrate International Women's Day.
The Russian president began talks with Merkel at his residence just outside Moscow by congratulating her on Women's Day, which is widely celebrated in Russia.
"Have you prepared breakfast for your wife this morning?" Merkel asked with a smile.
Putin smiled awkwardly before taking a deep breath: "I prepared her present and we will have breakfast together."
"Then breakfast means lunch?" Merkel quipped back at a meeting that took place after midday at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow.
"Yes I suppose so. But it is Pancake holiday too ... so we will have fun later today." Putin snapped back.
Women's Day is a serious celebration in Russia, where men are expected to give flowers to their female partners and colleagues and do the house work at home.
Russians are also celebrating the end of winter with Pancake week, a pre-Christian carnival of revelry across Russia.
(Agencies)
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德國總理默克爾在上周六的國際勞動婦女節可是讓俄羅斯總統普京難堪了一回，她問這位前克格勃有沒有為妻子柳德米拉做早餐慶祝節日。
“婦女節”在俄羅斯廣受重視。當天，普京與默克爾在位于莫斯科郊外的總統官邸舉行會談，普京首先向這位德國女總理送上了節日的祝福。
默克爾面帶微笑地問普京：“今天你為妻子準備早餐了嗎？”
普京尷尬地笑了笑，深吸了一口氣后回答說：“我為她準備了禮物，我們還會一起吃早餐。”
默克爾風趣地說：“那么這頓早餐就是午餐了？”兩位領導人的會晤于當天下午在莫斯科郊外的新奧加廖沃總統官邸舉行。
普京立即回答說：“我想是的。不過今天也是薄餅節（又稱“送冬節”），今天晚些時候我們可以一起慶祝。”
“婦女節”在俄羅斯很受重視，男士們在這一天要送花給伴侶和女同事，還要做家務。
俄羅斯民眾正在舉辦“薄餅節”慶祝冬天的結束，“薄餅節”持續一周，是起源于前基督教時期的一個全國性的狂歡節。
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（英語點津編輯）
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