时代周刊:穆勒调查到底告诉了我们什么

What do Mueller’s inquiries¹ for Trump² tell us about his probe?

穆勒调查到底告诉了我们什么?

IN A TOWN NOTORIOUS FOR LEAKING,

在那个因泄密而臭名昭著的圈子里，

special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has been a striking exception to the rule.

特别检察官罗伯特·穆勒的团队堪称是例外中的例外。

Since launching its investigation³ last May into Russian meddling⁴ in the 2016 election,

自去年（2017年）5月启动对俄罗斯干预美国2016年大选的调查以来，

the team of federal prosecutors⁵ has been tightlipped,

穆勒的这一联邦检察官团队的口风一直很紧，

tipping its hand only when unveiling an indictment⁶ or announcing a guilty plea.

只有在公布起诉或宣布（某涉案人）认罪时才会稍稍松口。

While the source of the April 30 leak has not been revealed,

尽管4月30日的泄密事件的源头尚未被披露，

that made the more than four dozen questions Mueller’s office would like to ask President Trump especially revealing.

但这一事件还是让穆勒办公室想要问特朗普总统的四十多个问题显得特别有启发性。

The questions, which probe everything from the firings of former National Security Adviser⁸ Michael Flynn and FBI Director James Comey

这些问题，从解雇前国家安全顾问迈克尔·弗林和联邦调查局局长詹姆斯·科米

to potential campaign coordination⁹ with Russia,

到为了竞选疑与俄罗斯有合作无所不包，

represent the clearest indication yet about the focus and scope of the investigation as well as the perils¹⁰ it may pose to the President.

不仅是表明这次调查的重点和范围的迄今为止最明确的线索，也显示了这次调查可能给总统带来怎样的危险。

Prosecutors say the wording of the questions makes it clear

检察官们表示，问题清单的措辞清楚地表明，

that the special counsel is particularly interested in whether Trump obstructed¹² justice.

特别检察官尤其关心的是特朗普是否存在妨碍司法公正的行为。

“Before there was a very rational expectation that there was a lot of focus on the obstruction¹³ issue,”

“且不说大家是否能理性地预料到我们会把大量的注意力放在这个问题上，”

says Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who was removed by the Trump Administration last year after he refused to resign from his post.

去年因为拒绝辞职被特朗普政府解雇了的前纽约南区联邦检察官普里特·巴拉拉说到，

“If these are the questions they intend to put to the President directly, then it erases¹⁴ all doubt.”

“如果这些问题就是他们打算问总统的问题，那所有的疑点就都消散了。”

Mueller may never get the chance to ask them.

穆勒可能永远都不会有机会问这些问题。

Trump has said he would “love to” talk with Mueller under oath,

因为特朗普曾表示，虽然他很“乐意” 开诚布公地跟穆勒谈，

but outside advisers¹⁵ and some of his own lawyers have advised him not to,

但外部顾问和他自己的一些律师都建议他不要这样做，

with one warning ominously¹⁶ that it could be a “perjury trap.”

其中一位还警告他，这可能是一个“伪证陷阱”。

Giving misleading answers under oath was one of the reasons former President Bill Clinton was impeached¹⁷.

毕竟，前总统比尔·克林顿被弹劾的原因之一就是他在宣誓后作出了误导性的回答。

Trump responded to the leaked questions by claiming they vindicated¹⁸ him,

面对调查问题被泄，特朗普回应说那些问题恰好证明了他的清白，

tweeting that there were no questions about collusion (there are, in fact, 13)

他在推特上说到，那些问题中并没有关于共谋的问题(事实上，有13个)，

and that it’s “very hard to obstruct¹¹ justice for a crime that never happened.”

而且，“对于子虚乌有的罪行，阻碍司法公正是很难的。”

(Obstruction charges do not require that an underlying¹⁹ crime be proved.)

(阻碍司法公正的指控是不需要证明罪行属实的。)

While the tweets show Trump’s current mind-set,

虽然这些推文揭示的是特朗普当前的心态，

many of the questions are focused on what Trump was thinking

但被泄的问题很多都集中在了川普

when he took action at important moments during his presidency²⁰, like firing Comey.

在他任期内的重要时刻，比如解雇科米时的心理活动上。

That’s because intent is a key element of any obstruction charges—

这是因为任何阻碍司法公正指控中，意图都是一个关键的因素——

which is why prosecutors say an interview with Trump is essential.

这也是检察官们为什么说采访特朗普是整个调查必不可少的一个环节的原因。

“One of the easiest ways to get to someone’s state of mind, to determine guilt⁷ or innocence²¹, is to question them directly,” Bharara says.

“要了解一个人的思维活动，判断TA是否有罪，最简单的办法就是直接询问，”巴拉拉说到。

If the questions provide a road map for the Mueller inquiry²²,

如果这些问题能为穆勒的调查提供方向，

the interrogation might still go diferently if the President ever decides to sit down with the special counsel.

要是总统真的决定和特别检察官（穆勒）坐下来面谈，审讯的情况可能还是会变得不一样。

“These strike me as a proxy²³, even though they’re very specific, for areas they might want to explore,” Bharara says.

“这些问题还是让我觉得只是表象，尽管已经很具体了，他们真正想问的问题可能还在这些问题的背后，”巴拉拉说:

“I don’t think these are precisely²⁴ the questions that are gonna be asked.”

“我不认为这些问题就是将要被问到的问题。”

1 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

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 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

7 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

8 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。

9 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

10 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

11 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

12 obstructed   

阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• Tall trees obstructed his view of the road. 有大树挡着，他看不到道路。
• The Irish and Bristol Channels were closed or grievously obstructed. 爱尔兰海峡和布里斯托尔海峡或遭受封锁，或受到了严重阻碍。

13 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。

14 erases   

v.擦掉( erase的第三人称单数 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• This command erases all data on the specified partition. 这指令在指定的分区上抹去所有的数据。 来自互联网
• A literary image erases the more indolent images of perception. 文学意象抹除那些感官的懒惰意象。 来自互联网

15 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

16 ominously   

adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地

参考例句：

• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mammy shook her head ominously. 嬷嬷不祥地摇着头。 来自飘（部分）

17 impeached   

v.控告（某人）犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 )；弹劾；对（某事物）怀疑；提出异议

参考例句：

• Elected officials can be impeached. 经过选举产生的官员可以被弹劾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The judge was impeached for taking a bribe. 这个法官被检举接受贿赂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

20 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

21 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

22 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

23 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

24 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。