美国拳坛传奇人物穆罕默德·阿里周三从美国总统布什手中接过了美国最高公民奖“总统自由奖”的奖章。阿里的双手不停颤抖，眼中折射出白宫屋顶上的枝形吊灯。

    布什称赞阿里是“有史以来最伟大的人”、“爱好和平的人”，他亲自将一枚“总统自由奖”奖章挂在这位前世界重量级拳王的脖子上。

    这是阿里数月以来首次在公共场合露面，6天前他刚刚在亚特兰大做完背部外科手术。受帕金森综合症的折磨，阿里的身子总是晃晃悠悠。这位现年63岁的前世界重量级拳王拍手时不时将自己的左手紧握成拳头状，而且看上去坐着有点费劲。

    但是，当轮到他接受奖章时，穿着黑西装、打着红、黄、黑三色相间领带的阿里骄傲地站了起来，和布什总统热情拥抱，并耳语了几句。

    布什假装给了阿里一拳，拳王随即指着自己的头，并晃动手指在耳边绕起圈来，意思说布什不是对手，惹得下面的观众哈哈大笑。但是，当他回到座位上后，又恢复了原来的模样。

    周三，共有14位杰出人物获得了荣誉奖章，阿里是其中之一。在颁奖台上，他坐在演员卡罗尔·伯内 特身旁。其他获奖者还有高尔夫球选手杰克·尼克劳斯，歌手艾瑞莎·弗兰克林和美联邦储备委员会主席格林斯潘。

    布什在颁奖时称赞阿里是“一位坚强的战士和爱好和平的人”。布什还说，阿里的拳击风格会被别人研究很多年，但它是不可复制的。

    “我想真正神奇的是，阿里如何保持得这么完美，”布什说。

    包括美国国防部长拉姆斯菲尔德、前美国高等法院候选法官哈里特·迈尔斯和白宫政治顾问卡尔·洛夫在内的与会嘉宾都笑了。布什补充说：“这也许和他美丽的心灵有关。”

    Muhammad Ali, his hands shaking and eyes reflecting the White House chandeliers, accepted the nation's highest civilian award from President George W Bush on Wednesday.

    Bush called him "the Greatest of All Time" and "a man of peace," and tied the Presidential Medal of Freedom around the former heavyweight champion's neck.

    It was Ali's first public appearance in months, six days after undergoing back surgery in Atlanta. Wobbly from the effects of Parkinson's disease, the 63-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion at times had to applaud with his left hand clenched in a fist, and now and then appeared to have trouble sitting up in his seat.

    But when it came time to accept his medal, Ali stood proudly in his black suit and red, yellow and black tie, embraced the President and whispered in his ear.

    The President pretended to take a jab at Ali. The champ responded by pointing to his own head and moving his finger in a circle around his ear. The crowd laughed. When he sat down, Ali made the same gesture again.

    Ali was one of 14 luminaries to receive the award on Wednesday. On stage, he sat next to actress Carol Burnett. Other winners included golfer Jack Nicklaus, singer Aretha Franklin and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

    Calling Ali "a fierce fighter and a man of peace," Bush said, Ali's fighting style would be studied for years but defy imitation.

    "The real mystery, I guess, is how he stayed so pretty," Bush said.

    The audience of dignitaries, including Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers and White House adviser Karl Rove, laughed. Bush added: "It probably had to do with his beautiful soul."