PBS高端访谈:参议员梅南德兹贪腐案流审

 　　Judy Woodruff: Now back to the mistrial declared today in the federal bribery¹ case against New Jersey²'s U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. John Yang is back with that.

　　John Yang: Thanks, Judy. Senator Menendez had been charged with 18 counts. Prosecutors⁴ said he used his office to help a Florida eye doctor, in exchange for personal gifts and campaign contributions. Outside the courthouse today, Menendez blasted the federal investigation⁵ and prosecution⁶ of him from beginning to end.

　　Sen. Robert Menendez: The way this case started was wrong. The way it was investigated was wrong. The way it was prosecuted⁷ was wrong. And the way it was tried was wrong as well. Certain elements of the FBI and of our state cannot understand or, even worse, accept that the Latino kid from Union City and Hudson County can grow up to be a United States senator and be honest.

　　John Yang: We take a closer look at the trial and where things go from here with Michael Aron. He's the chief political correspondent for PBS member network NJTV News. Michael Aron, thanks for joining us. The Associated Press quoted one of the jurors saying that 10 of the 12 members of the jury wanted to acquit⁸ Menendez on all counts. What was the defense⁹ argument?

　　参议员梅南德兹贪腐案流审

　　Michael Aron: John, the defense argument was that these men have been friends for 25 years, that, yes, Salomon Melgen flew Bob Menendez to the Dominican Republic dozens of times on his private jet, and, yes, he paid for a Paris vacation once, and, yes, he gave $700,000 to the Democratic Party in 2012 earmarked for Menendez's reelection, but that's not necessarily a bribery scheme. The government said that Menendez intervened, went to bat for Melgen in a couple of areas with the Commerce Department and the State Department on visas and port security contracts, with Medicare on an overbilling dispute of $8.9 million, but the government never proved that the one set of gifts was in return for the set of favors.

　　John Yang: They argued that -- and the defense argued these were just two friends doing this, and that the senator's interest in these things was broader policy?

　　Michael Aron: That's right. That was probably the weakest part of the defense case, was that the defense tried to say that talking to Kathleen Sebelius at Health and Human Services about the right way to administer a certain kind of eye drops that Melgen often used and double-billed for was Menendez's interest in Medicare efficiency, and that talking to the State Department and the Commerce Department about a cargo¹⁰ screening contract in the ports of the Dominican Republic was about Menendez's interest in port security throughout the Western Hemisphere. That never really rang true. But, on the other hand it was never any proof that the one act was done because the other was done. There was -- as one of my colleagues put it, there was a quid and there was a quo, but no pro³.

　　John Yang: Michael, in less than a minute we have left, he's up for reelection next year, Menendez. He may have a retrial. He may have a Senate Ethics¹¹ Committee investigation, which Mitch McConnell called for today. What's this done to his political standing¹²?

　　Michael Aron: Well, his approval rating among the public -- well, 28 percent in a recent poll said they thought he deserved reelection. But I think, within the party itself, party leaders, party bosses, as we still call them in New Jersey, there's a fair amount of good will for Bob Menendez. It's hard to imagine someone challenging him in a Democratic primary. There could be a substantial Republican to step up and try and knock him off, on the theory that he's tarnished¹³ now in the general election. But I could see this man saying- I have been vindicated¹⁴ after a 10-week trial. Reelect me to the Senate.

　　John Yang: Michael Aron of NJTV News, thanks so much for joining us.

　　Michael Aron: Thanks, John.

1 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

2 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

3 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

4 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。

5 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。

6 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

7 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

8 acquit   

vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出

参考例句：

• That fact decided the judge to acquit him.那个事实使法官判他无罪。
• They always acquit themselves of their duty very well.他们总是很好地履行自己的职责。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

11 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

14 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》