 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电影《卡萨布兰卡》的人们都知道，影片中很多情节集中发生在一个名叫“里克”的小酒吧，在这个充斥着阴谋的地方，享弗莱·鲍嘉和英格丽·褒曼重新点燃了曾经失去的爱情。 影片的大部分场景都是在好莱坞的摄影棚内拍摄的，这让特地来卡萨布兰卡感受那间美式酒吧气氛的游客感到失望。 现在，传奇成为了现实。 酒吧的主人凯西·克拉格说：“经过60年的修缮，里克酒吧‘重新开张'了。” 克拉格，一位企业家出身的美国外交官，在出任美国驻卡萨布兰卡领事馆商务参赞时爱上了摩洛哥，卡萨布兰卡是摩洛哥的经济中心。
她在2001年任期结束时想继续留下来，心血来潮想要开一家“里克酒吧”，来纪念影片《卡萨布兰卡》。在这部电影中，鲍嘉饰演了酒吧老板里克·布莱恩。 她说：“我无法相信之前竟没有人这样做过。” 2001年10月，这一想法不再是一个白日梦，而成了一项使命。9/11恐怖袭击事件是原因之一。 “9/11事件发生后，我只是觉得为了摩洛哥的国际形象，需要这个酒吧。”生于俄勒冈州的克拉格说。 去年5月，基地组织资助的伊斯兰人体炸弹袭击了卡萨布兰卡后，她的决心更加坚定了。 她说：“我从未有一秒钟想过放弃一切恰恰相反。” 那五次协同袭击的目标离今天的里克酒吧并不远。45人在袭击中丧生，其中包括12名袭击者，他们震惊了这个亲西方的国家，它曾自以为是阿拉伯世界中稳定的避难所。 克拉格得到了许多投资者的支持，包括一位美国商业巨头，一位前美国驻摩洛哥大使，还有一些外交官和摩洛哥的显赫人物。 她说：“没有一位投资者在5月16日的袭击后退出。” 克拉格选择将那个时代的精髓和气氛融入这个酒吧，而不是复制一个和奥斯卡获奖影片《卡萨布兰卡》里描述的一模一样的酒吧。 她说：“那些时常回忆起卡萨布兰卡以前国际化繁荣发展景象的摩洛哥人为此而感谢我。” “事实上，我们的酒吧比电影里的还要好。” commercial counselor：
商务参赞
Consulate：领事馆
toy with：玩弄，随意对待
suicide bomber：
自杀式轰炸者，人体炸弹
bankroll：提供资金
all the more：更加
enlist：支持、赞助
pull out：离开
ambience：周围环境、气氛
（中国日报网站译）
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Updated: 2004-07-02 01:00
