PARIS — Did President Jacques Chirac of France actually tell half of Europe to shut up last week? Was he scolding a bunch of unruly children? Not exactly. Translating the nuances of the "language of diplomacy," as French was once known, can be très difficile. Although France and Germany have stood at the forefront of European resistance to the Bush administration's position on Iraq, 13 East European countries have expressed support for the United States. They include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, already accepted by the European Union as future members, and 10 others, most of them candidates for...