Aaron Schock, who announced his resignation from the US Congress on Tuesday, is the latest politician to suffer a pratfall on the glossy surface of a lavishly decorated interior. First it was discovered that the congressman’s berth on Capitol Hill had been redecorated in a style said to have been inspired by the costume drama Downton Abbey. Then it turned out that Euro Trash LLC, the company that did the work, had made no charge for its services. When questions were raised about the propriety of the gift Mr Schock ponied up $40,000 of his own cash, but it was not enough to save him. His office — a theatrical splash of blood red walls, pheasant feather arrangements and candelabras — will soon be occupied by someone else.
艾伦•朔克(Aaron Schock)于不久前宣布从美国国会辞职，成为最新一位栽在室内浮华装潢上的政治家。首先是人们发现，这位议员在国会山办公室的装修风格据说是从古装大戏《唐顿庄园》(Downton Abbey，右图为唐顿庄园的拍摄地点海克利尔城堡（Highclere Castle）)中得到灵感的。接着有证据表明，负责装修工作的Euro Trash LLC公司没有为该服务收取任何费用。当朔克被质疑这份礼物是否恰当时，他自掏腰包付清了4万美元的装修费，但此举不足以挽救他的声誉。他的那间有着血红色墙壁、雉羽插瓶、枝形大吊灯，充斥着戏剧气息的办公室，很快就将迎来新的主人。