U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, William Barr, on Tuesday pledged to shield the special counsel’s Russia probe from political pressures and took issue with Trump’s labeling the investigation of his inner circle’s contacts with Moscow as a “witch hunt.”
美国总统唐纳德·川普提名的司法部长人选威廉·巴尔周二誓言保护特别检察官罗伯特·穆勒领导的涉俄调查不受政治干预，他还反对川普把这项针对他的内部圈子同莫斯科接触的调查称为“猎巫”的说法。
“I don’t believe [special counsel Robert] Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,” Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing to become America’s top law enforcement officer, adding that he intends to let the probe run its course and that the results should be made known to the public and Congress.
巴尔在提名美国最高执法官员（司法部长）的确认听证会上对参议院司法委员会表示：“我不相信穆勒会卷入猎巫。”他还说，他打算让调查进行到底，并且应该把调查结果向公众和国会公布。
Barr said the special counsel could only be terminated for good cause and that “it’s unimaginable” that Mueller would “ever do anything that gave rise to good cause.”
巴尔表示，只有在充分理由的情况下才能罢免特别检察官，而“无法想象”穆勒会做“任何能够构成充分理由的事情。”
Democrats repeatedly stressed the importance of independence to the role of attorney general and noted Trump’s penchant for lashing out at the Justice Department.
民主党人一再强调司法部长独立的重要性，并提到川普喜欢抨击司法部。
“I believe it is important that the next attorney general be able to strongly resist pressure, whether from the administration or Congress,” California Democrat Dianne Feinstein said. “He must have the integrity, the strength and the fortitude to tell the president ‘no’ regardless of the consequences.”
加州民主党联邦参议员黛安·范斯坦说：“我相信，重要的是，下任司法部长必须坚决地抵抗压力，不管压力是来自行政当局还是国会。他必须有向总统说‘不’的节操、力量和刚毅，不管后果如何。”
“If confirmed, the president is going to expect you to his bidding. I can almost guarantee he’ll cross the line at some point,” Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said.
佛蒙特州联邦参议员帕特里克·莱希说：“如果获得确认，总统将指望您言听计从。我几乎可以保证他早晚会越过底线。”
“I can truly be independent,” Barr insisted. “I’m in a position in life where I can do the right thing and not really care about the consequences … I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong.”
巴尔坚持说：“我能够真正做到独立。我已经到了这样的人生阶段，可以做正确的事情，而真的不用去在乎后果……我不会被逼着去做任何我认为是错误的事情。”