Things to know about G20 US President Barack Obama (L) laughs with Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev as they pose for a family photograph at the G20 summit, in London on April 2. REUTERS After a month of media buzz around the *VIP-studded one-day summit, the G20 leaders, last Thursday, promised an additional $1.1 trillion to restorehope in the world economy. That's good. But for ordinary folks, protectionism or capital injection may not be the major concern. What really interests us is who sits next to whom at dinner, and who stand where at a high-level photo shoot. Quiet please At the end of a family photo with the Queen and the world's leaders at Buckingham Palace, the Italian prime minister shouted: "Mr Obama!" Obama replied: "Mr Berlusconi!" – in a softer voice. The Queen, on hearing Berlusconi's strident tones, turned – seemingly to Obama – and exclaimed: "What is it? Why does he have to shout!"口译笔译 This footage was broadcast and brought criticism from Italians. Berlusconi, 72, is well known for his social mistakes on the world's stage. Last year he caused outrage by describing the US President as "suntanned". Q: Why does Her Majesty appear so unhappy? A: The Queen represents a formal culture. Anyone speaking rather loudly can be regarded as ignorant or hard of hearing. At the same time, speaking in a whisper, particularly for the purpose of excluding others from a conversation aside, is also rude. The important thing is to be conscious of whom you're talking to and to aim to be understood more than to be heard. Photo position It's about as challenging putting together 30 world leaders and offcials for a *photo-op as it is to *herd cats. The traditional "family photo" of G20 leaders had to be restaged after Canadian PM Stephen Harper was missing from the line-up. The *call of nature nearly wiped Harper out of the history books, but the leaders reassembled to put on their smiles for the cameras a second time. This time, however, it was Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who went absent. Q: How do you group world leaders for a "family photo"? A: Protocol says that Gordon Brown, as host, be front and center, with the leaders *radiating out from him in order of seniority and length of service. That meant the positions to either side of Brown were reserved for the heads of state who had been in harness the longest – President Luis "Lula" Ignacio de Silva of Brazil and Hu Jintao of China. Don't touch me She's not known for her public display of affection. But at a Buckingham Palace reception, the Queen put her hand towards the middle of Michelle Obama's back. Mrs Obama responded and even rubbed the Queen's shoulder before both women moved gently apart after about 10 seconds. The sight of the Queen publicly touching another woman astonished the guests. It was the first time that anyone could remember in her long public life that she had put her arm around another woman. The British media criticized Mrs Obama for breaking *protocol. Q: Did the first lady break protocol? A: The rule concerning the *sovereign was set in stone generations ago: "Whatever you do, don't touch the Queen." But Mrs Obama's manner was justified. One must certainly touch the Queen if she offers her hand. Outside the royal court, of course, bodily contact is acceptable in public. But a man should wait for a woman to extend her hand first, so that she gets to choose whether she wants to have any bodily contact or not. Seating plan for Wednesday night's Downing Street dinner for delegation leaders Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank The seats out at the end of the long table are generally punishment for something. This time, blame the bankers! King Abdullah, Saudi Arabian king The place directly opposite the host is a particularly cherished one. This permitts as much discussion of oil sales as any British leader could hope for. Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France It's also important to put VIPs next to people they might get on with. Sarkozy met Chinese counterpart Hu in London on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Dinner together was good for healing a *rift. Dominique Strauss-Kuhn, International Monetary Fund Gordon Brown, PM of UK The host of a western banquet should sit at the centre of one side of the long table. Hu Jintao, president of China The seats immediately to either side of the host are admirable spots. Protocol says the host and heads of state (as opposed to mere heads of government) should be seated towards the centre. This allows for intense discussion of trade issues over the main course. Did you know? For the summit itself, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office will say only that the "protocol of seating arrangements at G20 meetings is decided by the host country and based on a logical ordering system, for example alphabetical order". Of course. Did you know? England's royals claimed a *divine right to rule, a right often glorified by a title bestowed by the Pope in Rome. That touch of holiness once gave the King or Queen the supposed ability to cure certain diseases. So, bodily contact had to be contolled. 英语词汇解析 call of nature 上厕所 divine神性的 herd 把……赶在一起放牧 photo-op 拍照时间 protocol礼仪 radiate呈放射状排列 rift不和 sovereign君主 VIP-studded 名流云集的 suntanned 晒黑的 BONUS well-bred 有教养的 She was too well-bred to show her uneasy feelings about the remark. 她良好的涵养让它听到这样的言论仍然不形于色。 genteel 上流社会的、举止高贵的 He went to an upper-class institution where the students learned to develop a very genteel manner.