“美國最筆直的那枝箭”

There are two words for those who think the US republic is teetering: Donald Trump. There is also a two-word riposte: Robert Mueller. While Mr Mueller stays in his job, the US system is working as it should. Credit where it is due. The single-minded former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief was appointed as special counsel by Mr Trump’s administration. If a nation’s politics is judged on how it responds to alleged crime in high places, America is acting in textbook fashion. In the words of his biographer, Mr Mueller is “America’s straightest arrow”. He is entrusted with the integrity of the system.

那些認(rèn)為美國共和國搖搖欲墜的人會說兩個詞：唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)。對此也有兩個詞的回應(yīng)：羅伯特•米勒(Robert Mueller)。只要米勒在職，就說明美國的體系在正常運轉(zhuǎn)。應(yīng)該肯定的是，特朗普政府任命了這位一根筋的聯(lián)邦調(diào)查局(FBI)前局長為特別檢察官。如果從如何回應(yīng)高層涉嫌犯罪來評判一國的政治，那么美國的做法堪稱教科書。用其傳記作家的話來說，米勒是“美國最筆直的那枝箭”。他受托維護體系的完整。

Yet the temptation for Mr Trump to fire him grows by the day. It would be hard to think of anyone more inoculated against a smear campaign than Mr Mueller. Unlike many of his detractors, he fought in the Vietnam war. He was wounded but voluntarily returned to lead his platoon in combat. He won several medals, including a Purple Heart. At the FBI he oversaw the largest mafia investigation in history, which ended with the conviction of John Gotti, head of the powerful Gambino family. A registered Republican, he was appointed to head the FBI by George W Bush — a job he began one week before the 11 September attacks.

然而，特朗普炒掉米勒的沖動與日俱增。很難想象有比米勒更難抹黑的人了。與許多詆毀者不同，他參加過越戰(zhàn)。他受了傷，但自愿返回戰(zhàn)場繼續(xù)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)他的排。他獲得了多枚勛章，包括一枚紫心勛章(Purple Heart)。在聯(lián)邦調(diào)查局，他對黑幫展開了史上最大規(guī)模的調(diào)查，最終導(dǎo)致勢力極大的甘比諾(Gambino)家族首腦約翰•戈蒂(John Gotti)被定罪。作為一名注冊共和黨人，他被喬治•W•布什(George W Bush)任命為聯(lián)邦調(diào)查局局長——他在9/11恐怖襲擊事件發(fā)生一周前走馬上任。

Such a record tells you two things. Mr Mueller is an all-American hero and he will not be intimidated. He cuts the kind of figure Mr Trump normally admires — a tall, square-jawed, patriot straight from central casting. That, of course, is why Mr Trump wants to sack him. Mr Mueller has that zealous G-man quality that sends shivers down White House spines. Whatever Mr Mueller’s investigation turns up — anyone who thinks they know where it will end is bluffing — the process is unflinching. Ask Paul Manafort, Mr Trump’s former campaign manager, who was marched into court on Monday to hear 12 criminal counts against him. Or George Papadopoulos, Mr Trump’s former campaign adviser, who has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Here is a public servant who actually believes in public service.

這樣的記錄告訴你兩件事。一是米勒是一位純正的美國英雄;二是他不會被嚇倒。他是特朗普通常會敬佩的那種英雄——魁梧高大、有著方下巴的愛國者，仿佛出自標(biāo)準(zhǔn)模子。而這當(dāng)然是特朗普想要炒掉他的原因。米勒擁有那種熱誠探員的品質(zhì)，這讓白宮不寒而栗。無論米勒的調(diào)查結(jié)果如何——任何認(rèn)為自己知道結(jié)果的人都是在吹牛——目前的調(diào)查進(jìn)程是勢不可擋的。問問特朗普前競選經(jīng)理保羅•馬納福特(Paul Manafort)吧，他在近日出庭聽取對他的12項犯罪指控?；蛘邌枂柼乩势涨案傔x顧問喬治•帕帕多普洛斯(George Papadopoulos)，他已承認(rèn)向FBI撒了謊。米勒是一位真心相信公共服務(wù)的公職人員。

Such virtues are normally celebrated by patriots. They are also what make it so hard to bring Mr Mueller down. The pro-Trump media are nevertheless trying to do just that. From Fox News to the Wall Street Journal, the goal is to pave the way for Mr Mueller’s dismissal by casting doubt on his objectivity. Their case rests on two thin reeds. The first is that Barack Obama asked Mr Mueller to extend his FBI tenure for the first two years of his presidency. That meant Mr Mueller was one of the nine agency heads, along with Hillary Clinton, who oversaw the clearance of the sale of a Canadian uranium mining company to a Russian one. Neither personally approved the transaction. Yet this notional overlap is exhibit A in the appearance of collusion between Mr Mueller and Mrs Clinton.

此類品行通常受到愛國者的贊揚。這也是很難讓米勒下臺的原因。然而，支持特朗普的媒體正在努力搞掉米勒。從?？怂剐侣?Fox News)到《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)，這些媒體的目的是讓人們懷疑米勒的客觀性，從而為其免職鋪平道路。他們的主張建立在兩個莫須有的指控之上。第一個是巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)曾經(jīng)請求米勒在其總統(tǒng)任期的最初兩年繼續(xù)任職。這意味著米勒是和希拉里•克林頓(Hillary Clinton)一起、批準(zhǔn)一家加拿大鈾礦公司被俄羅斯的一家鈾礦公司收購的9個政府部門主管之一。這兩人都沒有親自批準(zhǔn)該交易。然而，這種臆想的交集被當(dāng)作米勒和希拉里勾結(jié)的頭號證據(jù)。

The second is that Mr Mueller worked for a law firm that included several partners who gave money to the Democrats. Mr Mueller did not. Unlike the president, Mr Mueller is a life-long Republican. Mr Trump donated to both parties on many occasions. Should such standards apply, few prosecutors would make the grade. That is the sum of Mr Mueller’s alleged conflicts of interest. There is nothing there. But the campaign to tarnish his credentials is now the priority.

第二個莫須有指控是米勒曾在一家律所工作，而這家律所的多名合伙人曾向民主黨捐款。米勒從未這么做。與總統(tǒng)不同，米勒一輩子都是共和黨人。特朗普曾在許多場合向兩黨捐款。如果要執(zhí)行此類標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，沒有幾個檢察官會達(dá)標(biāo)。這就是米勒被指存在的全部利益沖突。完全是無中生有，但現(xiàn)在抹黑他是某些勢力的工作重點。

At this point two more words are relevant: Rupert Murdoch. Whatever doubts the conservative media baron had about Mr Trump are now forgotten. Any elected Republican who departs from this script would be risking career suicide. Mr Trump claims Mr Mueller is conducting a “witch hunt” against him. Mr Murdoch’s outlets clearly agree. They are thus rekindling a parallel witch-hunt against Mrs Clinton.

說到這里，還有兩個相關(guān)的詞：魯珀特•默多克(Rupert Murdoch)。無論這位立場保守的媒體大亨當(dāng)初對特朗普有什么疑慮，現(xiàn)在都已被忘卻了。假如是選舉產(chǎn)生的共和黨官員，偏離這樣的腳本將面臨職業(yè)自殺的風(fēng)險。特朗普聲稱米勒正在對他進(jìn)行“政治迫害”。默多克旗下的媒體機構(gòu)顯然認(rèn)同這一點。他們因此對希拉里展開并行的政治迫害。

My bet is that on this turf Mr Mueller is wilier than either of them. He has one job — to pursue whichever leads he deems relevant to the Russia collusion inquiry. He knows how to conduct an investigation. But it is Mr Mueller’s professionalism that most endangers him. The deeper he probes, the bigger the threat to Mr Trump. As the quip goes, Mr Mueller would indict his mother if he thought she broke the law. Did Mr Trump collude with Russia? We do not know. But in the course of his job Mr Mueller is examining Mr Trump’s business record, including his taxes.

我敢說，米勒在這方面比特朗普或默多克更厲害。他只有一個任務(wù)：追查他認(rèn)為與通俄案有關(guān)的無論什么線索。他知道如何展開調(diào)查。但正是米勒的專業(yè)精神最讓他面臨危險。他調(diào)查得越深入，對特朗普的威脅就越大。就像人們打趣說的那樣，如果米勒認(rèn)為自己的母親違反了法律，他也會起訴她。特朗普與俄羅斯有勾結(jié)嗎?我們不知道。但米勒在執(zhí)行任務(wù)的過程中檢查了特朗普的商業(yè)記錄，包括稅收記錄。

Mr Trump has said any inquiry into his commercial history would cross a “red line”. Mr Mueller is already doing that. He is playing a bold game. People in autocracies should watch him work. This is democracy in action. Some might say that Mr Mueller is putting “America First”. Alas, those two words may get him fired.

特朗普已經(jīng)表示，任何對其商業(yè)歷史的調(diào)查都將逾越“紅線”。米勒已經(jīng)在這么做了。他在玩一個大膽的游戲。威權(quán)國家的人們應(yīng)該看一看他的工作。這是民主機制在起作用的例證。一些人甚至可能會說，米勒正在讓“美國優(yōu)先”(America First)。可惜，這兩個詞可能使他被炒。

[email protected] 譯者/裴伴