Sunnylands

走進安納伯格莊園，習奧輕鬆會晤之所

JACKIE CALMES 2013年06月08日

Ned Redway/The Annenberg Foundation Tust at Sunnylands, via Associated Press

安納伯格的「陽光之鄉」莊園建築，一座高爾夫球場與之隔湖相望。The estate house from across one of the lakes on a golf course at the Annenbergs' Sunnylands retreat.

加利福尼亞州蘭喬米拉奇——利奧諾·安納伯格 (Leonore Annenberg)曾經有個願望，在她和億萬富翁丈夫沃爾特·H·安納伯格(Walter H. Annenberg)去世之後，他倆在南加利福尼亞沙漠地帶修建的豪華冬季莊園能成為美國總統的「西部戴維營」——一個既適合放鬆，又適合與世界領 導人會晤的場所，特別是來自太平洋大國的領導人。

夫婦二人的夥伴表示，兩人都希望他們的「陽光之鄉」莊園擺脫共和黨精英專屬度假場所的名聲。

如今，在沃爾特去世近11年，利奧諾去世四年後，奧巴馬總 統將於周五在陽光之鄉歡迎中國國家主席習近平，開始實現夫婦二人的夢想。中美關係常常出現緊張局勢，而且在40年間基本處於僵硬狀態，由於具有非同尋常的 非正式性質，這次為期兩天的會晤已經被解讀為美中外交歷史的里程碑。奧巴馬將會在莊園過夜，休息地點大概是淡黃色的主卧室，屋內的揚聲器會傳送戶外鳥兒的 鳴叫聲。據說，中國官員及其領導人擔心屋內裝有竊聽器，已經選擇入住附近的一家酒店。

喬治·P·舒爾茨(George P. Shultz)表示：「此次會晤與安納伯格夫婦的理念相符。」曾是尼克松(Nixon)和里根(Reagan)內閣成員的舒爾茨以前經常會伴隨這兩 位總統，與他們的配偶及鮑勃·霍普(Bob Hope)、弗蘭克·辛納塔(Frank Sinatra)等明星一起到陽光之鄉來度假。

不過，就莊園環境來說，陽光之鄉與戴維營有所不同。

自富蘭克林·D·羅斯福(Franklin D. Roosevelt)總統時代以來，戴維營一直是總統的度假場所，對於那些喜歡鄉村風格及小屋的人來說，這個位於華盛頓附近馬里蘭州山區的樹木繁茂 的地方非常棒。而佔地2.5萬平方英尺（約合0.23公頃）的陽光之鄉是戰後現代主義風格的建築群，靠近棕櫚泉，有22個客房，一個裝有許多落地窗的巨大 客廳，窗外是周圍的聖哈辛托山。這個佔地200英畝（約合 81公頃）的莊園建有一個9洞高爾夫球場，11個人工湖，三座客居別墅，一個網球場及一些帶有雕塑和橄欖樹林的園林。

莊園內部陳設着中國古代瓷器、雕塑及景泰藍，肯定會讓來自 北京的客人有賓至如歸的感覺。還有畢加索(Picasso)的畫作及羅丹(Rodin)和賈科梅蒂(Giacometti)等人的雕塑作品。莊園中塞尚 (Cezanne)、馬奈(Manet)、莫奈( Monet)等印象派及後印象派藝術大師的52幅畫作都是數字化複製版，真跡都保存在大都會藝術博物館 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)，這是因為沃爾特去世後，安納伯格夫婦捐出了價值十億美元的藝術品。

舒爾茨表示，陽光之鄉仍然是幾十年來的老樣子。他補充說：「這是一個神奇的好地方，適合坐下來交談。」

但有一年，他和里根總統卻是在一起行走，打高爾夫，舒爾茨 說，這是他們新年前夕在派對開始前的傳統活動。當時，里根總統問時任國務卿的舒爾茨，關於經濟政策，有沒有什麼好的想法。身為尼克松總統任期內的財政部 長，舒爾茨向里根總統傳達了他從一個朋友那裡聽到的一項稅法改革建議。正是該想法促成了具有里程碑意義的全面改革稅制的1986年法律。

50年前，安納伯格家族開始興建陽光之鄉，三年建設後，安 納伯格夫婦開始在這片沙漠綠洲過冬，他們在賓夕法尼亞州、紐約、華盛頓以及愛達荷州太陽谷均有住宅。安納伯格夫婦住在那裡時，同住的還有德懷特·艾森豪威 爾(Dwight Eisenhower)及瑪米·艾森豪威爾(Mamie Eisenhower)夫婦，他們享受着卸任後的隱居生活。因開啟中美兩國關係而仍在中國備受尊 敬的理乍得·M·尼克松(Richard M. Nixon)也是陽光之鄉的常客，還在辭去總統職位之後跑到這裡避開打擾，他在安納伯格的嘉賓留言本上寫道：「患難見知交。」傑拉爾德·福特 (Gerald Ford)及貝蒂·福特(Betty Ford)夫婦，還有喬治·布殊(George Bush)及芭芭拉·布殊(Barbara Bush)夫婦，也都曾多次到訪該莊園。

1975年，曾在尼克松任期內擔任駐英國大使的安納伯格給 當時英國下議院反對黨領袖瑪格麗特·撒切爾(Margaret Thatcher)寫了信，希望撒切爾應里根請求，安排與其見面；很快，撒切爾和里根在倫敦見了面，幾年後，兩人便各自接掌政權，建立起一個跨大西洋聯 盟。今年4月去世的前英國首相撒切爾夫人，以及伊麗莎白女王(Queen Elizabeth)，都曾多次到訪陽光之鄉。

當年，是第一位布殊總統設下了在位世界領導人在陽光之鄉會晤的先例，22年後的2012年，該莊園為此目的再度開放。1990年，布殊總統在陽光之鄉設國宴招待當時的日本首相海部俊樹(Toshiki Kaifu)，兩人進行會談，力圖避免一場貿易危機。

1988年，在陽光之鄉里安納伯格的辦公室，一身休閑裝的 里根和加拿大簽署了第一份自由貿易協定，並且通過電話和加拿大總理交流。據陽光之鄉安納伯格信託基金會(Annenberg Foundation Trust)主席傑弗瑞·科萬(Geoffrey Cowan)稱，現在那個辦公室被叫做「總統的辦公室」。此外，他補充稱，「它將成為奧巴馬總統的辦公室」。

奧巴馬將成為在這棟莊園逗留的第八位美國總統及第三位民主 黨總統。吉米·卡特(Jimmy Carter)和比爾·克林頓(Bill Clinton)也都曾是這裡的客人，儘管他們來訪並不頻繁，也不像共和黨總統那樣是安納伯格的朋友。安納伯格夫婦都「很喜歡克林頓夫婦」，科萬說，「我 這麼說的根據是我和他們的談話。」

在信託基金會委託製作的21分鐘視頻《一個叫做陽光之鄉的地方》中，充斥着關於該莊園共和黨傳統的鏡頭。但在視頻的最後，克林頓現身表達了自己的願望，說希望陽光之鄉成為21世紀世界領導人的會晤場所。 

翻譯：許欣、谷菁璐

Obama to Meet With China’s Leader at Expansive Setting

By JACKIE CALMES June 08, 2013

 

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — It was Leonore Annenberg’s wish that the sumptuous winter home that she and her billionaire husband, Walter H. Annenberg, built in the Southern California desert would become, after their deaths, “Camp David West” for American presidents — a place both to relax and to parley with world leaders, preferably those from Pacific powers.

And both Annenbergs, associates say, wanted their Sunnylands estate to shed its reputation as a retreat only for Republican elites.

Now, nearly 11 years after Mr. Annenberg’s death and four years after his wife’s, President Obama begins to realize the couple’s dream by welcoming President Xi Jinping of China at Sunnylands on Friday. By its unusual informality, the presidents’ two-day meeting is already being interpreted as a milestone in their nations’ often tense and generally stilted four-decade diplomatic history. Mr. Obama will sleep at the estate, presumably in the canary yellow master bedroom where speakers pipe in the songs of the birds outdoors; Chinese officials and their leader, reportedly fearful of eavesdropping bugs, have opted for a nearby hotel.

“This meeting fits the Annenbergs’ conception to a T,” said George P. Shultz, who as a member of both the Nixon and Reagan cabinets often joined those presidents at Sunnylands, along with their spouses and celebrities like Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra.

Yet as properties go, Sunnylands is no Camp David.

Camp David, the wooded retreat of presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the Maryland mountains near Washington, is plenty nice for those who favor rustic chic and cabins. Sunnylands, by contrast, is a 25,000-square-foot structure of postwar Modernist design near Palm Springs, with 22 guest bedrooms and a sprawling living room with walls of windows that look out to the surrounding San Jacinto Mountains. The house sits on 200 acres that include a nine-hole golf course, 11 artificial lakes, three guest cottages, a tennis court and landscaped grounds with sculptures and groves of olive trees.

Inside, and certain to make the guests from Beijing feel more at home, are ancient Chinese porcelain, sculptures and cloisonné pieces. But there also are paintings by Picasso and sculptures by Rodin and Giacometti, among others. The home’s 52 Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, by Cezanne, Manet, Monet and more, are digitized copies of the real things; the originals are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art because of a billion-dollar bequest from the Annenbergs after Mr. Annenberg’s death.

Sunnylands remains much as it was in past decades, Mr. Shultz said. “It’s a magical place, and a wonderful place to sit and talk,” he added.

But he and Mr. Reagan were on their feet and golfing one year, he said, playing their traditional pre-party New Year’s Eve game, when the president asked Mr. Shultz, his secretary of state, if he had any good economic policy ideas. Mr. Shultz, who had been Treasury secretary to Mr. Nixon, passed along a tax proposal he had heard from a friend. That was the idea that led to the landmark 1986 law overhauling the tax code.

The Annenbergs broke ground for Sunnylands 50 years ago, and it was three years under construction before the couple, who also had residences in Pennsylvania, New York, Washington and Sun Valley, Idaho, began spending the winter months at the desert oasis. When they were in residence, so were others: Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower enjoyed post-presidency getaways. Richard M. Nixon, who is still revered in China for opening relations between the two countries, was a frequent guest and escaped here after his resignation as president, writing in the Annenbergs’ guest book, “When you’re down, you find out who your real friends are.” Gerald and Betty Ford visited repeatedly, as did George and Barbara Bush.

In 1975, Mr. Annenberg, who had been Mr. Nixon’s ambassador to Britain, wrote to Margaret Thatcher, who was then the opposition leader in the House of Commons, to arrange a meeting with Mr. Reagan at the latter’s request; it soon took place in London, just a few years before each would take power and forge a trans-Atlantic alliance. Mrs. Thatcher, the former prime minister, who died in April, visited Sunnylands a number of times, as has Queen Elizabeth.

The first President Bush set the precedent for incumbent world leaders conferring at Sunnylands, 22 years before the estate would open for that purpose in 2012. In 1990 he held a state dinner for Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu of Japan, and the two men had talks to avert a trade crisis.

In 1988, a casually dressed Mr. Reagan signed the first free-trade pact with Canada in Mr. Annenberg’s office at Sunnylands, communicating by phone with the Canadian prime minister. According to Geoffrey Cowan, the president of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, the office is now called “the president’s office,” and, he added, “It will be President Obama’s office.”

Mr. Obama will be the eighth president to stay at the estate, and the third Democrat. Both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have been guests, if not such frequent visitors and Annenberg friends as the Republican presidents. Both Annenbergs “really liked the Clintons,” Mr. Cowan said, “and that I know from my own conversations with them.”

A 21-minute video created for the trust, called “A Place Called Sunnylands,” is rich with footage of the estate’s Republican heritage. But it closes with Mr. Clinton, who expresses hope that Sunnylands will become a meeting place for world leaders in the 21st century.