时代周刊:特朗普对穆勒宣战(1)

The War on Mueller

对穆勒宣战

By Molly Ball and Tessa Berenson

文/莫莉·鲍尔，特莎·贝伦森

In a warren of low-ceilinged rooms on the ground floor of the west wing,

穿过白宫西翼一楼一连串综合交错的低矮房间，

down the stairs from the oval office and next to the situation room,

从椭圆形办公室处下楼，就在战情室旁的会议室，

Donald Trump¹’s lawyers are waging war.

唐纳德·特朗普的律师们正在发动一场战争。

They’re locked in battle with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election,

他们与罗伯特·穆勒陷入了激战，身为调查俄罗斯干预2016年美国大选一事的特别检察官，

who has indicted² 19 people over the past 13 months, five of whom have pleaded guilty.

在过去13个月的时间里，穆勒已经起诉了19人，其中5人已经认罪。

Now he is homing in on the investigation³’s most powerful subject: the President,

现在，他的目光锁定了此案涉及的最为显赫的人物：总统，

whom Mueller wants to testify under oath about what he knows.

穆勒希望总统能够就自己了解的情况宣誓作证。

It’s a dangerous moment for Trump.

对特朗普而言，形势颇为危险。

If he agrees to talk, the notoriously undisciplined President risks making a false statement,

如果同意开口，这位出了名的放飞自我的总统可能会做出错误的声明，

which could be a crime like the one that led to Bill Clinton’s impeachment⁴.

声明就可能像比尔·克林顿被弹劾的情形一样演变成罪行。

But if he refuses, Mueller could issue a subpoena⁵,

但如果他拒绝宣誓作证，穆勒可能会发传票，

instigating⁶ a long, high-profile court battle over whether Trump could be forced to testify.

继而掀起一场备受瞩目，旷日持久的法庭之争，争论的主题则是能不能强迫特朗普出庭作证。

The two legal teams—Mueller’s squad⁷ of top prosecutors⁸ and Trump’s rotating cast of advocates—

两个法律团队——穆勒的高级检察官团队和特朗普的轮换律师团队——

are haggling⁹ over what an interrogation would look like:

正在为审讯的性质，

how long it would be, what topics would be on the table and whether the session would be recorded.

即持续时间，讨论哪些话题，审讯是否会被记录下来等讨价还价。

Before the President talks to investigators¹⁰, Trump’s team wants to see the authorization¹¹ letter that established Mueller’s authority,

据特朗普的律师鲁迪·朱利安尼透露，特朗普的团队希望在总统接受调查之前，

according to Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

穆勒能够先出示证明自己有权调查总统的授权信。

They are also demanding the special counsel’s report to be issued within 60 days of any interview.

他们还要求，特别检察官的报告必须在与总统进行面谈，无论是何种形式的面谈后的60天内发表。

As that conflict grinds on largely out of sight, Trump is leading a brazen¹² political campaign to discredit¹³ Mueller.

就在这场冲突很大程度上已经消失之际，特朗普掀起了一场无耻的政治运动，开始抹黑穆勒。

In Trump’s telling, the special counsel’s investigation was illegitimate from the start,

特朗普称，特别检察官的调查从一开始就不合法，

the product of partisan¹⁴ bureaucrats¹⁵ hell-bent on nullifying his election

是党派官僚们执意废除他的当选资格的产物，

and willing to stoop to nefarious¹⁶ tactics to frame the President’s team and cover up the crimes of Barack Obama and the Clintons.

甘愿自降身份，使用邪恶的策略来陷害总统的团队，掩盖奥巴马和克林顿夫妇的罪行。

The President paints the probe as an unconstitutional distraction¹⁷ that has dragged on and turned up nothing, while casting a pall¹⁸ over his achievements.

据总统描述，此次调查是一场违宪的干扰举措，耗时耗力却是竹篮打水一场空，反倒给穆勒的政绩蒙上了一层阴影。

1 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。

2 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

3 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。

4 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。

5 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

6 instigating   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网
• The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

7 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

8 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。

9 haggling   

v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。
• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

10 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》

11 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

12 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

13 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

14 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

15 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

16 nefarious   

adj.恶毒的，极坏的

参考例句：

• My father believes you all have a nefarious purpose here.我父亲认为你们都有邪恶的目的。
• He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds.因为他干了许多罪恶的勾当，所以人人都惧怕他。

17 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

18 pall   

v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕

参考例句：

• Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。
• I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。