PBS高端访谈:罗伯特·穆勒的大陪审团对调查俄罗斯意味着什么?

 　　The Russia probe ramps¹ up. Late today, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that special counsel Robert Mueller is using a grand jury in Washington, D.C.,

　　marking a new phase in the investigation² into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

　　Joining me now to walk us this could mean is Steve Bunnell.

　　He is the former chief of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney's Office here in Washington.

　　Steve Bunnell, welcome to the program. First of all, explain to us, remind us of is a grand jury, what does it do?

　　Well, thank you, Judy, for having me.A grand jury is 23 citizens who sit to review proposed charges and vote indictments³.

　　And in the federal system, they typically are involved in long-term investigations⁴ as well.

　　So, what is it -- I mean, we don't have all the information here, but based on what we know, what is the significance of this news?

　　Well, it appears that the investigation is getting more intensified⁵, it's getting more serious.

　　It could be a consolidation⁶ of grand jury investigations which have been reported in other districts,

　　but certainly a grand jury is used for collecting financial information and for doing long-term, deep-dive investigations.

　　There had been reports that Robert Mueller was using a grand jury in Virginia, perhaps using one in New York City.

　　What would this new grand jury permit him to do that he couldn't do before?

　　It wouldn't expand the authorities that he has.

　　It may be a little more convenient for him, if he doesn't have to travel so far to actually present evidence or to present witnesses.

　　So, it doesn't expand his ability to collect evidence. It may just make it more convenient.

　　Does it say anything about the seriousness of what he is doing?

　　Well, it suggests that the investigation is not ramping⁷ down. It suggests that it is at an early stage of ramping up.

　　And the fact that there is a new prosecutor⁸ that recently joined the team that we have learned about,

　　that suggests that this investigation will be a serious, intensive investigation that will go on for some time.

　　There -- again, there have been reports that Mr. Mueller is not only looking at, of course, the Russian activity,

　　but he is looking at financial transactions, possibly financial transactions on the part of President Trump⁹. Can one read anything along those lines into this?

　　Well, Bob Mueller is a very experienced prosecutor and law enforcement individual.

　　And he knows that you investigate potential crimes. You don't investigate people.

　　And so I think what he's doing is investigating a set of allegations, a set of potential crimes.

　　And whatever individuals may be involved in that will be sort of part of that investigation.

　　How does something like this get out into the public realm? It is supposed to be secret, am I right? So how does it -- what happens?

　　Well, the federal rules of criminal procedure impose secrecy¹⁰ obligations on the prosecutors¹¹, on the grand jurors themselves, on the agents that work with the prosecutors.

　　But the witnesses who appear before a grand jury or people who receive subpoenas¹² are free to talk about what -- you know, what the grand jury ha asked them.

　　And so it's not uncommon¹³ for grand jury investigations to get out into the public domain¹⁴ through witnesses or people who receive subpoenas.

　　And final question, what does this say about how long this could take? I mean, are we looking at weeks, months, longer?

　　I would say longer, certainly not weeks. I would guess several, many months.

　　Federal grand juries are impaneled for 18 months and can be extended another six months.

　　And financial investigations take a long time, especially if you are trying to obtain records from overseas locations.

　　Steve Bunnell, attorney here in Washington, former prosecutor, thank you very much. Thank you very much.

　　All this as two separate pieces of bipartisan legislation emerged in the U.S. Senate designed to protect special counsel Mueller if President Trump were to decide to fire him. undefined

1 ramps   

resources allocation and multiproject scheduling 资源分配和多项目的行程安排

参考例句：

• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。
• He has the upper floor and ramps are fitted everywhere for his convenience. 他住在上面一层，为了他的方便着想，到处设有坡道。

2 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。

3 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

7 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

8 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

9 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。

10 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

11 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。

12 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

13 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

14 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。