In this Friday June 24, 2004 file photo, Italian premier¹ Silvio Berlusconi, right, and his wife Veronica Lario wait for President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush at the Villa² Madama residence for a social dinner, in Rome.

Silvio Berlusconi may be one of Italy's most popular politicians, but the premier's approval ratings are sinking fast with at least one Italian - his wife.

Veronica Lario publicly voiced her rage over reports that Berlusconi's party was lining³ up a troupe⁴ of TV showgirls and starlets as candidates for June's European Parliament elections.

A spokesman for the conservative Freedom People party said the reports were unfounded, adding that the official list of candidates would be presented later yesterday. Berlusconi contended the reported plans were a fabrication of the opposition⁵ and left-leaning media.

Berlusconi has already faced trouble at home and widespread criticism for flirting⁶ with women and filling his political ranks with female stars, including a Cabinet minister.

Two years ago, Lario received a quick and public apology from Berlusconi when she wrote to a newspaper complaining about a compliment her husband had paid to TV starlet Mara Carfagna, now the minister for equal opportunities.

Late on Tuesday, Lario released a statement to the ANSA news agency, slamming the party's alleged⁷ election plans as "shameless rubbish" that offended her, her children and women in general.

"Somebody has written that this is all for the entertainment of the emperor," she said. "I agree. What emerges from the newspapers is shameless rubbish, all in the name of power."

Lario's public rage came after days of debate in which even Berlusconi's allies raised eyebrows⁸ over reports by left-leaning newspapers that the party's candidates could include a Big Brother contestant⁹ as well as actresses and models.

Alessandra Mussolini, a right-wing politician and a former actress, ironically suggested the leading coalition¹⁰ should also have male models run for office as a measure of fairness.

Lario was less subtle in her criticism. "The impudence¹¹ and shamelessness of power offends the credibility of all (women), damages women in general and especially those who have always struggled to defend their rights," Lario said.

"I want to make clear that my children and I are victims and not accomplices¹² in this situation. We must bear it and it causes us to suffer," she told ANSA.

Lario, also a former actress, is Berlusconi's second wife and the couple have three children.

意大利总理西尔维奥•贝卢斯科尼也许是该国最受欢迎的政界人物之一，但至少有一个人对他的支持率正在下跌——那就是他的夫人。

近日有报道称，贝卢斯科尼领导的政党挑选了一群美女演员和明星参加今年6月的欧洲议会选举。贝卢斯科尼的夫人维罗尼卡•拉里奥公开对此表达了愤怒。

保守派“自由人民党”的一位发言人称，该报道毫无事实根据，并称候选人的正式名单将于昨日晚些时候公布。贝卢斯科尼则表示该报道所描述的选举计划是反对党和国内的左翼媒体编造的。

贝卢斯科尼曾与多名美女私下调情，并有提拔美女明星从政的习惯（包括一名内阁部长），所以他不仅在家里麻烦不断，在外界也是广受指责。

拉里奥曾在两年前致信一家报纸抱怨其丈夫恭维电视台美女主播玛拉•卡尔法尼亚，之后贝卢斯科尼立刻就此事向她公开致歉。玛拉•卡尔法尼亚是意大利现任机会平等部部长。

周二晚些时候，拉里奥向安莎通讯社发表了一份声明，指责自由人民党所谓的选举计划是“无耻的垃圾”，不仅侮辱了她，还侮辱了她的孩子和广大女性。

她说：“有人写文章称这完全是当权者的自娱自乐。我同意这种看法。报纸所报道的选举计划不过是冠以权力名义的无耻的垃圾。”

在拉里奥公开表示不满之前，有关该报道的争论已持续了数日，甚至贝卢斯科尼的盟友也表示气愤。据意大利国内左翼报纸报道，自由人民党挑选的欧洲议会候选人名单除了有美女演员和模特外，可能还有一名“老大哥”节目的参赛选手。

曾为演员的右翼女政客亚历山大•墨索里尼暗讽称，为了公平起见，领导联盟也应该允许男模特参选。

拉里奥的言辞还要温和一点，她说：“当权者的轻率和无耻冒犯了所有（女性）的名誉，伤害了广大女性，特别是那些一直为保护自身权利而斗争的女性。”

她在接受安莎通讯社采访时说：“我想说清楚，在这起事件中，我和我的孩子都是受害者，而不是帮凶。我们必须忍受，这让我们很痛苦。”

拉里奥是贝卢斯科尼的第二任妻子，她曾经也是一名演员。他们育有三个孩子。

Vocabulary:

raise eyebrows:竖起眉毛，比喻气愤、愤怒

accomplice:同谋者；帮凶