 Those familiar with the 1942 film with the same name as Morocco's biggest city know that much of the action centers on a gin joint known as Rick's, a place of intrigue where Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman reignite lost love.
Most of the film was shot in a Hollywood studio and visitors arriving in Casablanca hoping to savor the atmosphere of the Cafe Americain were disappointed. Now legend has met reality. "After 60 years of renovation," says owner Kathy Kriger, Rick's Cafe has "re-opened." An entrepreneur turned US diplomat, Kriger fell in love with Morocco where she worked ascommercial counselorfor the USConsulatein Casablanca, the country's economic hub. Wanting to stay on when her post ended in 2001, shetoyed withthe idea of opening a Rick's Cafe to honor the film in which Bogart plays bar owner Rick Blaine. "I couldn't believe no one had done it before," she said. In October 2001, the idea stopped being a daydream and became a mission. The events of Sept. 11 were a factor. "After 9/11, I just felt like Morocco needed this for its international image," said Oregon-born Kriger. And when Islamistsuicide bombersbankrolledby al Qaeda hit Casablanca in May last year, she wasall the moredetermined. "Not one second did I think of giving up. It was exactly the opposite," she said. The five coordinated attacks -- on targets not far from today's Rick's Cafe -- killed 45 people, including 12 bombers. They shocked a pro-Western country which had prided itself on being a haven of stability in the Arab world. Kriger hadenlisteddozens of investors, including an American business magnate, a former US ambassador to Morocco, diplomats and prominent Moroccans. "None of my investorspulled outafter the May 16 attacks," she said. Instead of making a replica of the cafe portrayed in the Oscar-winning "Casablanca" Kriger chose to instill the essence andambienceof the era. "Moroccans who remember how cosmopolitan and sophisticated the old Casablanca they knew was thank me for it," she said. "What we got is actually better than the movie." (Agencies)
| 熟悉1942年那部和摩洛哥最大城市同名的電影《卡薩布蘭卡》的人們都知道，影片中很多情節集中發生在一個名叫“里克”的小酒吧，在這個充斥著陰謀的地方，享弗萊·鮑嘉和英格麗·褒曼重新點燃了曾經失去的愛情。 影片的大部分場景都是在好萊塢的攝影棚內拍攝的，這讓特地來卡薩布蘭卡感受那間美式酒吧氣氛的游客感到失望。 現在，傳奇成為了現實。 酒吧的主人凱西·克拉格說：“經過60年的修繕，里克酒吧‘重新開張'了。” 克拉格，一位企業家出身的美國外交官，在出任美國駐卡薩布蘭卡領事館商務參贊時愛上了摩洛哥，卡薩布蘭卡是摩洛哥的經濟中心。
她在2001年任期結束時想繼續留下來，心血來潮想要開一家“里克酒吧”，來紀念影片《卡薩布蘭卡》。在這部電影中，鮑嘉飾演了酒吧老板里克·布萊恩。 她說：“我無法相信之前竟沒有人這樣做過。” 2001年10月，這一想法不再是一個白日夢，而成了一項使命。9/11恐怖襲擊事件是原因之一。 “9/11事件發生后，我只是覺得為了摩洛哥的國際形象，需要這個酒吧。”生于俄勒岡州的克拉格說。 去年5月，基地組織資助的伊斯蘭人體炸彈襲擊了卡薩布蘭卡后，她的決心更加堅定了。 她說：“我從未有一秒鐘想過放棄一切恰恰相反。” 那五次協同襲擊的目標離今天的里克酒吧并不遠。45人在襲擊中喪生，其中包括12名襲擊者，他們震驚了這個親西方的國家，它曾自以為是阿拉伯世界中穩定的避難所。 克拉格得到了許多投資者的支持，包括一位美國商業巨頭，一位前美國駐摩洛哥大使，還有一些外交官和摩洛哥的顯赫人物。 她說：“沒有一位投資者在5月16日的襲擊后退出。” 克拉格選擇將那個時代的精髓和氣氛融入這個酒吧，而不是復制一個和奧斯卡獲獎影片《卡薩布蘭卡》里描述的一模一樣的酒吧。 她說：“那些時常回憶起卡薩布蘭卡以前國際化繁榮發展景象的摩洛哥人為此而感謝我。” “事實上，我們的酒吧比電影里的還要好。” commercial counselor：
商務參贊
Consulate：領事館
toy with：玩弄，隨意對待
suicide bomber：
自殺式轟炸者，人體炸彈
bankroll：提供資金
all the more：更加
enlist：支持、贊助
pull out：離開
ambience：周圍環境、氣氛
（中國日報網站譯）
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Updated: 2004-07-02 01:00
