President Barack Obama points to visitors singing 'Happy Birthday' to him as he walks with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel towards Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010, prior to traveling to Chicago.
Alone on his 49th birthday, President Barack Obama fled the empty White House mansion and headed for a more intimate celebration with longtime friends in his Chicago hometown.
Obama has been living a bachelor's life for the past several days with first lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha visiting Spain and daughter Malia spending the month away at an undisclosed camp.
Before leaving Washington on Wednesday afternoon with the family dog, Bo, Obama got a couple of presents he didn't have to unwrap and which the White House described as being the highlight of his day: telephone calls from the women in his life.
Mrs. Obama and Sasha phoned in their happy birthday wishes, followed by a lunchtime call from Malia.
"Needless to say ... both those calls were the highlights of his day," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters who traveled with Obama aboard Air Force One.
Obama's Secret Service detail got him a present, though Gibbs would describe it only as "heartfelt."
As the presidential motorcade pulled closer to his house in Hyde Park, neighbors lined the street to welcome him home with waves and signs, including "Happy 49th Birthday President Barack Obama" and "Happy Birthday Mr. President."
Obama's birthday — though a year short of the milestone 5-0 — also was viewed in this election year as a prime fundraising opportunity for Democrats, who fear losing their hold on both houses of Congress come November.
美国总统贝拉克·奥巴马日前独自迎来49岁的生日。当天，奥巴马离开空荡荡的白宫官邸，前往芝加哥老家与老友们团聚，共庆生日。
这几天奥巴马一直过着“单身”生活。第一夫人米歇尔•奥巴马和小女儿萨莎正在西班牙度假，大女儿玛丽亚本月在外地某处参加夏令营。
本周三下午在与白宫第一犬“波”一同离开华盛顿前，奥巴马收到了两份不用打开的礼物，白宫称这是奥巴马生日当天最激动的时刻：接到妻女打来的电话。
米歇尔和萨莎打来电话祝他生日快乐，午饭时分玛丽亚也打来了电话。
白宫新闻发言人罗伯特•吉布斯告诉跟随“空军一号”一同前往芝加哥的记者们说：“毫无疑问，接到这两个电话是他这一天中最开心的时刻。”
奥巴马的特情组人员为他准备了一份礼物，不过吉布斯仅透露这份礼物“很有心”。
当总统车队驶抵奥巴马位于海德园的居所时，邻居们站在街道两旁挥手致意，并举着“奥巴马总统49岁生日快乐！”和“总统先生生日快乐！”等标语欢迎他回来。
奥巴马这次的生日还被视为民主党募款的好时机——尽管离50岁“大关”还有一年时间。今年美国国会将举行中期选举，民主党担心在11月的选举中会失去对参众两院的控制权。
Secret Service detail: 特工处，detail在此处表示an appointment or assignment, as of a small group or an officer, for a special task（特遣队、小分队）
motorcade: a procession or parade of automobiles or other motor vehicles（车队）