时代周刊:特朗普总统面临自己一手制造的一系列危机不断升级(1)

Perfect Storm

完美风暴

President Trump¹ faces escalating² crises of his own making

特朗普总统面临自己一手制造的一系列危机不断升级

By BRIAN BENNETT

文/布莱恩·班尼特

AS THE SUN WAS SETTING ON THE EVEning of April 9

4月9日傍晚太阳下山时，

President Donald Trump gathered the Vice³ President, senior military leaders and his newly minted National Security Adviser⁴ around the long wooden table in the Cabinet Room

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普将副总统、军方高级领导人以及新上任的国家安全顾问一行人召集在内阁会议室的长木桌旁，

to discuss one of the gravest decisions any Commander in Chief can make: whether to use military force against a foreign threat.

讨论一位总指挥能做出的最重大的决策：面对外国威胁，是否动用军事力量。

The Syrian government had allegedly used chemical weapons on a town near Damascus killing⁶ at least 40 innocent civilians⁷,

因为据说叙利亚政府对大马士革附近的一个城镇使用了化学武器，杀害了至少40名无辜平民，

violating international law and crossing a strategic red line Trump himself had drawn⁸ nearly a year earlier.

此举不仅违反了国际法，也越过了特朗普本人在近一年前划定的战略红线。

But the President had something else on his mind.

但总统还有别的考虑。

“So I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys,” he said, unprompted, after reporters were ushered⁹ into the room.

“我刚听说，他们还闯入了我一名私人律师的办公室，”记者被带进房间后他主动说道。

“Here we are talking about Syria ” Trump groused¹⁰, “and I have this witch hunt constantly going on.”

“我们现在谈论的是叙利亚，”特朗普抱怨道，“而我一直都在受到这种政治迫害。”

His generals looking on stiffly, Trump launched into a jaw-dropping diatribe¹¹ against the nation’s highest law-enforcement officers—all appointees of his—and the FBI

在将军们的冷眼旁观下，特朗普对美国最高执法官员们——都是他任命的——连同联邦调查局(FBI)一起发起了令人瞠目的大肆抨击，

for its raids earlier in the day of his lawyer’s home, office and hotel room.

而抨击FBI的原因是FBI当天早些时候对他律师的家、办公室和酒店房间进行了搜查。

Trump called the searches “disgraceful” and “an attack on our country.”

川普称这些搜查“十分可耻”，是“对我们国家的攻击”。

Trump got the legal facts of the raids wrong—they had been conducted under warrants approved by a federal judge—

特朗普对突袭这种法律事实的理解存在误区——突袭是在联邦法官批准的搜查令下进行的——

but clearly appreciated the magnitude of the moment.

但他也很清楚此刻事关重大。

It is rare for authorities to seize evidence of potential crimes from any lawyer’s office.

对于当局来说，从任何律师的办公室获取潜在犯罪的证据都是很罕见的。

It is all but unheard of to do it from the personal attorney of the sitting President of the United States.

到美国现任总统的私人律师的办公室查找潜在犯罪的证据更是闻所未闻。

The raids were reportedly related to alleged⁵ payments by Trump’s personal lawyer and longtime fixer, Michael Cohen, to the pornographic film actor Stephanie Cliford.

据报道，这些突袭行动跟特朗普的私人律师，长期为特朗普善后的迈克尔·科恩存在给色情片演员，艺名“斯托米·丹尼尔斯”的斯蒂芬妮·克里福德一笔资金的嫌疑。

She claims to have had a consensual affair with Trump in 2006.

该女士声称，自己在2006年曾与特朗普有过一段两厢情愿的恋情。

The FBI was also reportedly looking for information about Cohen’s possible role

据报道，FBI还在追查科恩可能在搅毁“美国媒体”，

in brokering¹² a deal between American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer¹³,

《国家询问杂志》就是该公司旗下的杂志，

and 1998 Playboy Playmate of the Year Karen McDougal,

和1998年《花花公子》年度挂历女郎凯伦·麦克道格尔之间的一笔交易中扮演的角色，

who told friends she had an affair with Trump around the same time.

就是她对朋友说自己曾在那段时间和特朗普有过一段恋情的。

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 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 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。

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 groused   

v.抱怨，发牢骚( grouse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When they groused about the parking regulations, they did it with good humor. 他们总是非常幽默地表达对泊车规定的不满。 来自辞典例句
• It was a sad end to her career but she never groused. 这是她事业的不幸结局，但她从不抱怨。 来自辞典例句

11 diatribe   

n.抨击，抨击性演说

参考例句：

• He launched a diatribe against the younger generation.他对年轻一代发起了长篇抨击。
• The book is a diatribe against the academic left.这本书对学术左派进行了长时间的谩骂。

12 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

13 enquirer   

寻问者，追究者

参考例句：

• The "National Enquirer" blazoned forth that we astronomers had really discovered another civilization. 《国民询问者》甚至宣称，我们天文学家已真正发现了其它星球上的文明。
• Should we believe a publication like the national enquirer? 我们要相信像《国家探秘者》之类的出版物吗？