PBS高端访谈:罗伯特·穆勒正在扩大对俄罗斯的调查

 　　And now for more on the special counsel's investigation¹ into the president for possible obstruction² of justice, we are joined by Carrie Johnson.

　　She's the justice correspondent for NPR. Carrie, welcome back to the program. Happy to be here.

　　First of all, define for us, what is obstruction of justice?

　　There's a bunch of obstruction of justice statutes³ on the books, Judy, but, in plain language, it means trying to interfere⁴ with or impede⁵ an official proceeding⁶,

　　something like a grand jury investigation, a congressional investigation.

　　And prosecutors⁷ would have to prove some kind of bad intent by the person involved.

　　And so tell us what you have been able to learn about how the special counsel is looking into this.

　　And, by the way, we know it's been reported that they're also looking into potential financial misdeeds.

　　Yes, the special counsel investigation appears to be running on three tracks now, one probing any Russian interference in the election,

　　two, probing any financial misdealings in connection with that interference by associates of the Trump⁸ campaign and Russians,

　　and, three, probing obstruction of justice by the president himself in the firing of James Comey, the FBI director he ousted⁹ last month because, he later said, to take some pressure off the Russia thing.

　　So, this is clearly, Carrie, an expansion of what it was originally said the special counsel's mission was here.

　　I think it's another layer. We knew at the time that the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein,

　　appointed Bob Mueller special counsel that his mandate¹⁰ included crimes that arose or may have arisen in connection with the investigation.

　　Of course, obstruction of justice may have arisen in connection with this investigation in the president and his leaning on Comey allegedly to go light on Michael Flynn, the national security adviser¹¹.

　　We have also been hearing in the last few days, Carrie, about some of the professionals that the special counsel, Bob Mueller, has hired, brought on board for his team. Tell us about them.

　　It's a breathtaking array of prosecutorial¹² talent, Judy, from a man who had experience prosecuting¹³ the Watergate scandal, a former FBI agent, Andrew Weissmann,

　　who led the Justice Department's fraud and money-laundering section, Jeannie Rhee, who had been a top lawyer in the Obama administration's DOJ,

　　finally, Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor¹⁴ general, the man many lawyers in Justice think is the most respected guy in the whole department.

　　So, what does that tell you about what Mr. Mueller and they will be — and his team will be looking for?

　　Well, it signals that special counsel Mueller knows there are a number of thorny¹⁵ legal issues involved here, everything from financial dealings and tracking the money,

　　to complicated questions of executive privilege with respect to the president, his aides, and conversations he might have had with people outside the government as well.

　　And Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor general, is well-known for making criminal convictions stick in appeals courts. So they're settling in for the long haul here.

　　Is it your understanding, from what you have been able to learn, that Mr. Mueller is now finished, that the team is done, or that he's continuing to hire, bring people on?

　　They have not given us a formal update. He's not yet submitted a formal budget to the Justice Department.

　　And I'm hearing from sources in and outside the government that more people are clamoring to join this team.

　　They view it as a major public service. And working with Bob Mueller, who had been the FBI director for 12 years,

　　with his reputation for integrity, is something that a lot of people inside the government want to do still.

　　And, finally, what are you hearing about how long this could go on? How long is it going to take?

　　There is no prediction at this point. Of course, all these investigators¹⁶ could dig and dig and dig and find nothing.

　　At the end of that time, they may want to do a report that becomes public, or they may find something they want to charge with a grand jury.

　　And it's unpredictable right now who they might charge, if anyone, and whether that person might want to fight it out in court for months or years to come.

　　Finally, Judy, with respect to the president himself, no evidence yet he will face any charges whatsoever¹⁷,

　　but there is a complicated legal question of whether you can actually indict¹⁸ a sitting president of the United States or turn that evidence over to Congress for possible impeachment¹⁹.

　　A complicated legal question. And we can assume some folks are looking into that.

　　I think a lot of folks are looking into that. It arose during Watergate, of course, and was never fully²⁰ answered. We may yet get an answer in this investigation before it's over.

　　Carrie Johnson of NPR, we thank you. Thank you. undefined

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

3 statutes   

成文法( statute的名词复数 )； 法令； 法规； 章程

参考例句：

• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Each agency is also restricted by the particular statutes governing its activities. 各个机构的行为也受具体法令限制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

5 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

6 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

10 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 prosecutorial   

公诉人的，原告的； 起诉的

参考例句：

• If prosecutorial misconduct results in a mistrial, a later prosecution may be barred. 如果检察官的不轨行为导致审判无效，再行起诉可能会被除数禁止。 来自口语例句
• Prosecutorial supervision is required according to public power attribution of civil litigation. 民事诉讼的个性和检察监督是对立统一的关系，并不排斥检察监督。

13 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

14 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

15 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

16 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

18 indict   

v.起诉，控告，指控

参考例句：

• You can't indict whole people for the crudeness of a few.您不能因少数人的粗暴行为就控诉整个民族。
• I can indict you for abducting high school student.我可以告你诱拐中学生。

19 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

20 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。