美合众新闻社：英国国旗为中国总理倒挂！

【原文标题】British flag upside down for Chinese P.M.
【登载媒体】UPI

【译文】

       英国政府表示在与中国总理的签字仪式上一面倒挂的英国国旗仅仅是个无心的错误，并非发出危难的信号（注：英国历史上遇到敌情会将国旗倒挂借此提醒相关军队及人员注意）。
    据BBC报道（注：该错误由BBC读者首先指出），在周一签署协议的桌上摆放着两国小的塑料国旗，中国总理温家宝和英国首相布朗均在场。 官员就此错误作出道歉。 在不明就里的人看来，英国国旗正着和倒着挂没什么不一样。但旗帜研究协会表示靠近旗杆部分对角线位置宽的白色带在上，窄的白色带在下的挂法才是正确的。
    协会会长Mike Kearsley称他听到消息时的第一反应是“又来了”。 “我一方面关注的是很多人并未真正认识和理解我们自己的国旗，但同时又觉得这是一件很好笑的英国式的尴尬事件”“人们可能会认为唐宁街的工作人员经常要看到国旗，应该对此有正确的认识。可现在很多政府部门有许多国外来的工作人员，可能他们并不知道”。

附图：第一张为当天发生错误的国旗，第二张为正确的挂法。

【原文】
LONDON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The British government says an upside down Union Jack at a ceremony with the Chinese prime minister was a mistake, not a distress signal.

The flags of both countries, small plastic versions, were displayed as a table centerpiece during the signing of an agreement Monday, the BBC reports. Both prime ministers, Wen Jiabao and Gordon Brown, were present.

Officials apologized for the error.

To the untutored eye, the British flag may look like it could be hung either way. But the Flag Institute says the thicker white strips of the diagonal cross are supposed to be above the thinner white ones on the part of the flag closest to the pole.

Mike Kearsley, director general of the institute, said his first thought was "Here we go again."

"One part of me is concerned that we don't recognize and understand our own flag but another part of me is amused that it's a terribly British thing to do," he said. "You would think people in Downing Street would recognize it because they see the flag so often. Many places in government these days have people working from overseas and maybe they don't understand."【原文标题】British flag upside down for Chinese P.M.
【登载媒体】UPI

【译文】

       英国政府表示在与中国总理的签字仪式上一面倒挂的英国国旗仅仅是个无心的错误，并非发出危难的信号（注：英国历史上遇到敌情会将国旗倒挂借此提醒相关军队及人员注意）。
    据BBC报道（注：该错误由BBC读者首先指出），在周一签署协议的桌上摆放着两国小的塑料国旗，中国总理温家宝和英国首相布朗均在场。 官员就此错误作出道歉。 在不明就里的人看来，英国国旗正着和倒着挂没什么不一样。但旗帜研究协会表示靠近旗杆部分对角线位置宽的白色带在上，窄的白色带在下的挂法才是正确的。
    协会会长Mike Kearsley称他听到消息时的第一反应是“又来了”。 “我一方面关注的是很多人并未真正认识和理解我们自己的国旗，但同时又觉得这是一件很好笑的英国式的尴尬事件”“人们可能会认为唐宁街的工作人员经常要看到国旗，应该对此有正确的认识。可现在很多政府部门有许多国外来的工作人员，可能他们并不知道”。

附图：第一张为当天发生错误的国旗，第二张为正确的挂法。

【原文】
LONDON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The British government says an upside down Union Jack at a ceremony with the Chinese prime minister was a mistake, not a distress signal.

The flags of both countries, small plastic versions, were displayed as a table centerpiece during the signing of an agreement Monday, the BBC reports. Both prime ministers, Wen Jiabao and Gordon Brown, were present.

Officials apologized for the error.

To the untutored eye, the British flag may look like it could be hung either way. But the Flag Institute says the thicker white strips of the diagonal cross are supposed to be above the thinner white ones on the part of the flag closest to the pole.

Mike Kearsley, director general of the institute, said his first thought was "Here we go again."

"One part of me is concerned that we don't recognize and understand our own flag but another part of me is amused that it's a terribly British thing to do," he said. "You would think people in Downing Street would recognize it because they see the flag so often. Many places in government these days have people working from overseas and maybe they don't understand."