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Perfect Storm
完美風暴
President Trump faces escalating crises of his own making
特朗普總統面臨自己一手制造的一系列危機不斷升級
By BRIAN BENNETT
文/布萊恩·班尼特
AS THE SUN WAS SETTING ON THE EVEning of April 9
4月9日傍晚太陽下山時，
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
美國總統唐納德·特朗普將副總統、軍方高級領導人以及新上任的國家安全顧問一行人召集在內閣會議室的長木桌旁，
to discuss one of the gravest decisions any Commander in Chief can make: whether to use military force against a foreign threat.
討論一位總指揮能做出的最重大的決策：面對外國威脅，是否動用軍事力量。
The Syrian government had allegedly used chemical weapons on a town near Damascus killing at least 40 innocent civilians,
因為據說敘利亞政府對大馬士革附近的一個城鎮使用了化學武器，殺害了至少40名無辜平民，
violating international law and crossing a strategic red line Trump himself had drawn nearly a year earlier.
此舉不僅違反了國際法，也越過了特朗普本人在近一年前劃定的戰略紅線。
But the President had something else on his mind.
但總統還有別的考慮。
“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.
“我剛聽說，他們還闖入了我一名私人律師的辦公室，”記者被帶進房間后他主動說道。
“Here we are talking about Syria ” Trump groused, “and I have this witch hunt constantly going on.”
“我們現在談論的是敘利亞，”特朗普抱怨道，“而我一直都在受到這種政治迫害。”
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
在將軍們的冷眼旁觀下，特朗普對美國最高執法官員們——都是他任命的——連同聯邦調查局(FBI)一起發起了令人瞠目的大肆抨擊，
for its raids earlier in the day of his lawyer’s home, office and hotel room.
而抨擊FBI的原因是FBI當天早些時候對他律師的家、辦公室和酒店房間進行了搜查。
Trump called the searches “disgraceful” and “an attack on our country.”
川普稱這些搜查“十分可恥”，是“對我們國家的攻擊”。
Trump got the legal facts of the raids wrong—they had been conducted under warrants approved by a federal judge—
特朗普對突襲這種法律事實的理解存在誤區——突襲是在聯邦法官批準的搜查令下進行的——
but clearly appreciated the magnitude of the moment.
但他也很清楚此刻事關重大。
It is rare for authorities to seize evidence of potential crimes from any lawyer’s office.
對于當局來說，從任何律師的辦公室獲取潛在犯罪的證據都是很罕見的。
It is all but unheard of to do it from the personal attorney of the sitting President of the United States.
到美國現任總統的私人律師的辦公室查找潛在犯罪的證據更是聞所未聞。
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.
據報道，這些突襲行動跟特朗普的私人律師，長期為特朗普善后的邁克爾·科恩存在給色情片演員，藝名“斯托米·丹尼爾斯”的斯蒂芬妮·克里福德一筆資金的嫌疑。
She claims to have had a consensual affair with Trump in 2006.
該女士聲稱，自己在2006年曾與特朗普有過一段兩廂情愿的戀情。
The FBI was also reportedly looking for information about Cohen’s possible role
據報道，FBI還在追查科恩可能在攪毀“美國媒體”，
in brokering a deal between American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer,
《國家詢問雜志》就是該公司旗下的雜志，
and 1998 Playboy Playmate of the Year Karen McDougal,
和1998年《花花公子》年度掛歷女郎凱倫·麥克道格爾之間的一筆交易中扮演的角色，
who told friends she had an affair with Trump around the same time.
就是她對朋友說自己曾在那段時間和特朗普有過一段戀情的。
譯文由可可原創，僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載。
