The Leader of a Country? No Big Deal!
读故事

  When Mike McGee acceded to the throne of Palador, he had no idea that it would soon be a white elephant! He quickly learned that while he had a great range of power, there was no way to use it. He could rule the country above all others, for example, but he could no longer abandon himself to any of his former pleasures, especially publicly. There were simply a great variety of things he could no longer do.
  When Mike was absent from several key meetings, his staff called him absent'minded. When he refused to partake wholeheartedly in the hot discussions of the moment, they told him to stop being a wet blanket. But he was just not happy! He had to abstain from sex, not take part in the abuse of any alcoholic beverages, listen to boring classical music and always be abounding in grace and dignity. It just didn't suit him.
  It didn't suit the country either.
  In fact, he was quickly becoming abhorrent to all of his citizens. They had liked him a while back, but now they just wanted him to leave. When he finally told a white lie that he needed to return to America to visit his sick grandmother, they were happy to let him leave.
  When he never returned, no one missed him. They just elected a new president more suited to the role of a puppet and moved on. And Mike McGee happily spent the rest of his life in Las Vegas on the pension plan they gave to him!

记短语

a wet blanket扫兴的人（或事物）
a while back一段时间之前，不久以前
a white elephant（保管起来既费钱又费事的）累赘东西，无价值（或不值钱）的东西
a white lie善意的谎言
a (great/wide)range of广泛的；许多的
a (great/wide)variety of种种，各种
abandon oneself to沉溺于，放纵
abhorrent to与…相抵触的，与…不相符的
abound in充满，富于
absent from缺席，不在
absentminded心不在焉，健忘
abstain from戒，避开
abuse of对…的滥用；虐待
accede to同意，答应；正式加入，参加；就任，继任，即位

    当麦克•麦吉就任帕拉多总统时，他不知道那很快就成了一个不值钱的东西！他很快了解到，尽管他的权力很广，却无法使用。比方说，他可以在万人之上治理国家，却再也不能像以前那样尽情享乐了，尤其是在公众面前。他不能再做的种种事情可多啦！
    当麦克缺席几次重要会议的时候，他的众手下就会说他心不在焉。当他不愿全神贯注地参加热烈的时事讨论时，他们就叫他不要做一个扫兴的人。可他就是快乐不起来。他得戒色，任何酒精饮料也不得滥喝，他得听无聊的古典音乐，时刻都要充满优雅和尊严。这些东西对他来说真是太不合适了。
    这对国家也不合适。
    事实上，他很快就厌恶他的所有公民了。不久以前，他们还很喜欢他，可现在他们只想他下台。他告诉了他们一个善意的谎言，说他要回美国看望生病的奶奶，这时他们巴不得他赶快走人。
    他再也没有回来，也没有人想念他。他们重新选举了一位更加适合扮演傀儡角色的人当总统，日子还那样过着。靠着他们给他制订的退休金计划，麦克•麦吉在拉斯维加斯幸福地过着他的晚年生活！