领导身边的“魔术贴式官员”

领导出行，紧随其后；领导拍照，尽量靠近，不错过任何可以跟领导近距离接触并被拍照的机会。这样的人哪个国家都有，美国的媒体把这一类人称为Velcroid。

Velcroid is a person who remains in close proximity to an important leader, particularly during photo sessions, to achieve increased media exposure. It's someone who tries to enhance his own status by attaching himself to someone more important.

Velcroid指随时与重要领导保持近距离，拍照的时候尤其如此，这样可以增加自己的媒体曝光度。这种人试图通过紧跟重要人物来提升自己的地位。我们可以称之为“魔术贴式官员”。

It is a term often used in political circles, referring to officials who form a Velcro-like attachment to leaders at events or on the road, sticking to the leaders everywhere they go in the hope of turning up next to them in newspapers or on television.

这个词多用于政界，指在参加活动或者路途中像魔术贴一样紧跟着领导，领导走到哪就跟到哪，希望能在报纸或电视的资讯报道中能够出现在领导身边。

For example:

A Velcroid will come up to Mr. Bush as he climbs into his limousine. He will begin telling the President something he needs to know about the scheduled event, hoping that Mr. Bush will invite him into the car to finish the conversation, since pictures taken with the President in his limousine are exceptionally prestigious trophies.

魔术贴式官员会在布什总统快上车时走到他跟前，跟总统报告接下来的行程安排，希望布什总统会邀请他上车接着汇报，因为被拍到跟总统同坐专车是一件格外有面子的事情。

—Maureen Dowd, “Saving Face Means Having It in the Picture,” The New York Times, June 16, 1991

小编注释：

Velcroid一词由Velcro和后缀-oid构成，Velcro其实就是我们平时衣服和鞋帽上常用的那个粘扣带，而-oid多表示“像...一样的（东西）”。这样一说，这个词的意思就好理解多了吧。