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)（在线收听）

Perfect Storm

完美风暴

President Trump faces escalating 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 Vice President, senior military leaders and his newly minted National Security Adviser 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 killing at least 40 innocent civilians,

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 drawn 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 ushered 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 groused, “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 diatribe 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 alleged 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 brokering a deal between American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer,

《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。