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The first impeachment proceeding in the United States Senate in fifty years began today,
50年來美國首次彈劾程序于今天開始，
the trial of Federal Judge Harry E. Claiborne of Nevada.
遭到彈劾的對象是內華達州的法官哈里·克萊本。
Judge Claiborne is a convicted felon, now serving a prison term for income tax evasion.
法官克萊本是已經定罪的重罪犯，現在正在因逃所得稅而服刑。
He has refused to resign from the bench and has demanded a trial in the Senate,
他拒絕從聯邦政府辭職，并要求在參議院進行審判，
the only constitutional means of removing a federal judge from office.
參議院是將聯邦政府法官撤職的、符合憲法規定的唯一途徑。
NPR's Linda Wertheimer is following that trial.
下面請聽我臺記者琳達·韋爾泰梅從審判庭現場發回的報道。
Early this morning, the presiding officer of the Senate, who was at that time Senator Charles Grassley,
今早，參議院審裁官查爾斯·格拉斯利還是參議院，
Republican of Iowa, summoned Senators to a historic occasion, a trial in the Senate.
也是愛荷華州的共和黨議員，他召集各議員來到了歷史性的場合，參議院的審判會議。
The Senate will now proceed, he said, as a court of impeachment. The Sergeant at Arms will make the proclamation.
他說，現在，參議院的彈劾會議將開始。警衛官將宣布公告。
All persons are commanded to keep silence, on pain of imprisonment while the House of Representatives
在眾議院向參議院提交針對法官哈里·克萊本的彈劾案期間，
is exhibiting the Senate of the United States articles of impeachment against Judge Harry E. Claiborne.
所有人一律保持安靜，違者監禁論處。
That was the Sergeant at Arms, Ernest Garcia, who then rang the bells for the Senators to appear for a live quorum.
這位宣布公告的警衛員是歐內斯特·加西亞。在宣布公告后，他拉動了響鈴，代表各位議員可以按照法定人數參會了。
At least fifty-one members of the Senate must be present during this trial.
參議院至少有51人參加了這次彈劾審判。
As the Senators filed in, they saw sitting at long tables in the well of the Senate the prosecution and the defense.
參議員們陸續入場的同時也看到了被告方和起訴方坐在數張長桌前。
The prosecutors are members of the House who exhibit in the constitutional term the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
在場的檢察官都是眾議院的議員，他們向參議院提交了符合憲法規定的彈劾案文件。
The defense, Judge Claiborne and his attorneys, including a former Senator, Howard Cannon of Nevada.
而被告方是哈里·克萊本及其多位律師，其中還有一位曾經擔任過參議員。他就是內華達州的霍華德·坎農。
The two tables face the one hundred desks of the Senators who will serve as judge and jury in this trial.
這兩桌人面前是坐滿了100張桌子的議員，這些議員將在本次審判中起到法官和陪審團的作用。
The attorney for the defense led of with some prefacory remarks.
被告方的這位律師進行了開場白。
Oscar Goodman told the Senate that Judge Claiborne insisted on this trial because he believes that he is innocent.
這位律師名為奧斯卡·古德曼，他在向參議院陳詞時說道，法官克萊本堅持參加這次審判，因為他認為自己是無辜的。
But the center of the argument made by Judge Claiborne's attorney is that
但克萊本律師辯論的重點是：克萊本之所以會被人捏造不實之罪
the judge was rail-roaded into prison by overenthusiastic prosecution.
而入獄是因為有人起訴的內容言過其實。
He has been caught in the vortex of a constitutional crisis, a situation that has to affect every member of this body,
他被抓之際正是憲法危機的風口浪尖之時，這個危機勢必影響參議院的每位議員。
because, God forbid, it could happen to them where Judge Claiborne became victimized as a result of a vendetta of the Justice Department,
因為這種事情也會發生在其他人身上，既然法官克萊本因為司法部、
and the strike force, and a special agent in charge of the FBI who came to the Nevada desert to bury the American flag there.
打擊力量、某FBI特工的仇視而成為了受害者，他們來到內華達州這片荒漠是為了在那里將美國國旗埋葬。
Attorney Goodman's charge was answered in prefatory remarks again by Congressman Henry Hide of Illinois,
律師古德曼陳詞后，伊利諾斯州的國會議員、
a member of the House, I effect acting for the prosecution.
眾議院議員亨利·海德也進行了陳詞，我要提起訴訟。
Judge Claiborne isn't here because of any alleged misconduct by the government.
法官克萊本之所以出現在這個審判庭上并不是因為政府有什么所謂的不當行為。
He's here because he was tried and convicted beyond a reasonable doubt given the presumption of innocence by a jury of twelve people.
他之所以在這，是因為他犯了罪，要受到審判，這已經在合理懷疑外了，這是12個人的陪審團根據無罪推定做出的決定。
His motion for a new trial was denied, his appeal to the ninth circuit was denied,
他要求進行再一次審判的動議遭到了否決，他申請去第九巡回上訴法院的申請也遭到了駁回，
his motion for rehearing and ban was denied, and his writ of certionrari to the Supreme Court was denied. That's why he's here.
他請求再次進行聽證會和禁令的動議也遭到了否決，他寫給最高法院的文書也遭到了駁回。因此，他站在了這里。
Judge Claiborne was convicted of income tax evasion, of willfully filing false returns
克萊本法官犯有逃稅的罪名，他主管上故意進行錯誤
which failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars of income.
的網上納稅申報，少報了很多所得稅。
Claiborne's defense is that he made a mistake but did not commit a crime, and further the prosecutors pursued of a vendett against him.
克萊本的自我辯護是：他犯了錯，但他并沒犯法。他還進一步指出，這些檢察官是想報復他。
Members of the House argued that whatever the prosecutors' conduct, it is Claiborne who is on trial in the Senate.
眾議院認為，無論檢察官有怎樣的行為，在參議院受審的是克萊本自己。
Congressman Peter Rodino, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee argued that Judge Claiborne's Contention
國會議員皮特·羅迪諾是眾議院司法委員會的主席。他認為，
that he made a mistake is simply not credible.
克萊本法官關于自己犯錯的論點是完全不可信的。
According to Judge Claiborne, an individual can hire the most incompetent tax preparer,
根據克萊本的說法，一個公民可以雇傭最沒能力報稅員，
participate in the most irresponsible treatment of basic tax concepts, create sales of assets that do not exist,
以最沒責任感的方式處理基礎的稅收理念，然后無中生有一些從未存在過的資產出售記錄。
fail even to bother to read the return, enjoy a refund of thousands of dollars, and simply wait for an audit.
他甚至都不用查看就能坐擁大筆收益，然后絲毫不慫地等著審計來查。
Late in the day, Judge Claiborne spoke in his own defense.
晚些時候，克萊本進行了自我辯護。
"I wanted to talk to you," he said to the Senators.
他跟參議員們說，“我有些話想跟大家說。”
"I wanted you to see me. I feel," he said, "like a piece of meat torn between two dogs."
他說，“我希望大家看著我，我感覺自己就像兩虎相爭的一塊肉。”
I want to be honest with every member of this body.
我想跟大家坦誠相待。
I would much rather, right today, be almost any place than here.
除了這里，我愿意待在任何地方。
But I knew when I was convicted that this was the place that I had to come.
但當我被定罪的那一刻，我就知道，這個地方我非來不可。
Claiborne told the Senate that young Turks in the Justice Department are head hunters
克萊本向參議院說，司法部有一些年輕人是獵頭，
looking for prosecutions which will gain them the most publicity.
他們專門尋找可以起訴的案件來蹭熱度。
The Senate is deciding now in closed session what to do about the articles of impeachment against Judge Claiborne.
現在，參議院已經閉會，并正在就克萊本彈劾審判案做決定。
Impeachment requires a two-thirds votes of the members present.
彈劾審判需要2/3的在場議員投票。
I'm Linda Wertheimer at the Capital.
以上是琳達·韋爾泰梅從國會大廈發回的報道。
