American and British officials privately disdained all the candidates as lacking stature and experience for the top spot at the U. N. in the post-cold war era and regarded Ghali, 69, as too old.

• 美英官员私下根本看不起所有的候选人，认为他们缺乏担任冷战后联合国这项要职所需的资历和经验，而且觉得69岁的加利年龄太大。