I vividly remember the slightly ludicrous, slightly risqué, and somewhat distressing predicament in which Western diplomats in Prague found themselves during the Cold War. They regularly needed to resolve the delicate issue of whether to invite to their embassy celebrations various Charter 77 signatories, human rights activists, critics of the communist regime, displaced politicians, or even banned writers, scholars, and journalists – people with whom the diplomats were generally friends.
布拉格的西方外交官在冷战期间陷入的那些有点滑稽、有点尴尬，又令人烦恼的困境，至今还让我记忆犹新。他们经常会碰到是否要邀请77宪章缔约方、人权民主人士、共产党政府的批评者、流离失所的政治家、甚至是被禁作家、学者和记者来参加使馆庆祝活动的敏感问题¾这些人一般都是外交官们的朋友。