纽约时报 原告同意出席卡瓦诺性侵听证会作证(1)

Accuser Commits to detail Episode before Senators

原告承诺向参议员们当面作证

By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Nicholas Fandos

文/谢丽尔·盖伊·斯托尔伯格，尼古拉斯·范多思

Washington--The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers has committed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday,

华盛顿电——控告法官布雷特·卡瓦诺青少年时曾对其实施性侵的被害者已承诺周四当着参议院司法委员会作证，

setting up a potentially explosive confrontation¹ unlike any seen in decades with the future of the Supreme² Court at stake.

此举可能引发一场数十年来最具爆炸性的冲突，甚至动摇最高法院的未来。

After days of intense and closely watched legal wrangling³,

经过几天紧张而备受关注的法律纠纷，

lawyers for the woman, Christine Blasey Ford⁴, reached final agreement with committee representatives on Sunday for Dr. Blasey to testify.

周日，该女子，也即克里斯蒂娜·布莱西·福特，的律师们终于就布莱西博士出席作证一事同参议院司法委员会的代表们达成了最终协议。

While several details — including whether Republicans will use an outside lawyer to question her — remain unsettled,

尽管有几个细节 - 包括共和党人是否会请外部律师来质询她 - 仍未确定，

a spokesman for the committee said its chairman, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, considers the negotiations⁵ over,

该委员会发言人表示，委员会主席、爱荷华州参议员查尔斯·E·格拉斯利还是认为谈判已经结束，

and Dr.Blasey’s lawyers said the hearing would go on no matter how those details are resolved.

布莱西博士的律师们则表示，无论这些细节最终如何落定，听证会都会如期举行。

"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life,

“尽管自己的安全和生命都受到了切实的威胁，

Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her, "

福特博士还是相信，参议员们很有必要听她当面陈述她当初遭受性侵的经历，”

her lawyers, Debra S. Katz, Lisa J. Banks and Michael R. Bromwich, said in a statement Sunday,

她的律师们，黛布拉·S.卡茨，丽萨·J. 班克斯和迈克尔· R. 布罗米奇，在周日的一份声明中如是说到，

adding that while some logistical and other details were not yet settled, "they will not impede⁶ the hearing taking place."

他们还补充说一些后勤和其他细节虽然尚未落定，“也并不会影响听证会的举行。”

But not long after the agreement was reached,

然而，协议达成不久，

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top Democrat⁷, wrote to Mr. Grassley,

委员会民主党领袖，加利福尼亚州参议员黛安·范斯坦就写信给委员会主席格拉斯利先生，

requesting "an immediate⁸ postponement⁹ of any further proceedings¹⁰ related to the nomination¹¹ of Brett Kavanaugh,"

要求“立即推迟与布雷特·卡瓦诺提名有关的所有进一步审理程序，”

citing a second accusation¹² of misconduct that surfaced against him on Sunday

他还援用了周日出现的指控卡瓦诺行为不当的另一起指控，

and asking that the allegation be referred to the F.B.I.

还请求委员会便将该指控提交给F.B.I.，

If the hearing remains¹³ on course, Dr. Blasey will appear Thursday before a committee of 21 senators

听证会若如期举行，布莱西博士将于周四站到21名参议员组成的委员会面前，

for questioning that could carry unmistakable echoes of the 1991 confirmation¹⁴ hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas,

面对势必与1991年的大法官克拉伦斯·托马斯确认听证会遥相呼应的质询，

who was accused of sexual harassment¹⁵ by the law professor Anita F. Hill.

托马斯也曾被法学教授安妮塔·F. 希尔指控性骚扰。

The Thomas hearings riveted¹⁶ the nation, infuriating women across the country and spurring hundreds of them to run for office.

托马斯的听证会吸引了全国人民的目光，激怒了全国各地的女性，也激励了数百人竞选公职。

The hearing with Dr. Blasey, coming at the height of the #MeToo movement, promises to be a similar spectacle.

布莱西博士的听证会，正好赶上#MeToo运动的高峰，故有望成为类似的奇观。

The on-again-off-again talks — with an appointment to the nation’s highest court in the balance — have consumed official Washington,

一次又一次的谈判 - 国家最高法院的任命也因此悬而未决 - 已经消耗了华盛顿多位官员，

and thrown confirmation proceedings for Judge Kavanaugh, who has vigorously denied Dr. Blasey’s allegations, into turmoil¹⁷.

也让对卡瓦诺法官，他本人矢口否认布莱西博士的指控，提出的确认诉讼陷入了混乱。

Until recently, Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation seemed all but assured; Dr. Blasey’s testimony¹⁸ has the potential to be a fatal blow .

直到最近，卡瓦诺法官的确认听证会似乎一直都毫无把握，然而，布莱西博士的证词则可能对其造成致命的打击。

1 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 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。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

10 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

11 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

12 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

15 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

16 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

17 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

18 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。