总统和我曾于1月27日(周五)晚6时30分在白宫的“绿厅”共进晚餐。他那天在午餐时间给我电话，邀请我当晚赴晚餐，并说他本来打算邀请我全家，但最后决定只邀请我一人，下次再邀请全家人一起来。虽然我设想晚餐还会有其他人，但那次(通话时的)交谈并未说清还有谁会参加晚餐。
It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.
结果晚餐只有我们俩人，坐在“绿厅”中间的小椭圆桌边。两名海军服务员为我们提供了服务，不过只是进来送食物和饮品。
The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.
总统开场便问我是否想留任FBI局长，这让我感到奇怪，因为在早先的谈话中，他已经两次向我表示，他希望我留任；而我也向他保证我有此打算。他说有很多人想要我这份工作，考虑到我在过去一年的滥用职权，他想知道我是否打算离职。
My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI's traditionally independent status in the executive branch.
我的直觉告诉我，在这样一个一对一、且假装这是我们第一次谈论我职位的环境下，这次的晚餐至少有部分原因是为了让我请求留任这份工作，并(在我和总统之间)营造某种主仆关系。考虑到FBI传统上都是独立于行政机构，这让我非常担心。
I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not "reliable" in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody's side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.
我回答说，我热爱我的工作，也打算留任，并服务完10年的局长任期。随后，因为当时的场景让我不太舒服，我多加了一句：我不是政客所理解的那种“可靠”，但他可以指望我总是告诉他实情。我还说，政治上我不与任何人站边，也不能以传统政治角度被指望。我告诉他，我的这一立场，最符合他作为总统的利益。
A few moments later, the President said, "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty." I didn't move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner. At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because "problems" come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.
过了一会儿，总统说，“我需要忠诚、期待忠诚。”之后便陷入尴尬的沉默，但我没有说话、行动或改变面部表情，我们只是默默地看着彼此。随后谈话继续，但他在晚餐尾声时，又转回该话题。我还一度解释为何FBI、司法部独立于白宫之外如此重要。我说这是自相矛盾的悖论：综观历史，有些总统曾决定，因为“问题”来自司法，他们应该努力与司法部紧密联系。但经由降低公众对机构及其工作的信任来模糊这些界线，最终会让问题更糟。
Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, "I need loyalty." I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.
晚餐近尾声时，总统回到关于我工作的话题，称他非常高兴我想留下，并表示他从Jim Mattis(国防部长马提斯)、Jeff Sessions(司法部长塞辛斯)等其他人口中听到关于我的很好的事。然后他说：“我需要忠诚。”我回答：“您将永远受到我的诚实相待。”他顿了顿，然后说：“这就是我想要的，诚实的忠诚。”我顿了顿说，“您将从我这获得这个。”正如我在晚餐后立即纪录的备忘录中所写，有可能我们彼此对“诚实的忠诚”理解不同，但我认定进一步深究不会更有成效。“诚实的忠诚”已经帮忙结束了一场非常尴尬的谈话，而且我的解释已经明确表明他应该期望什么。
During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.
晚餐期间，总统曾谈到1月6日我向他提及的丑恶材料，和先前一样，他表达了自己对这些指控的厌恶，并强烈否定所有指控。他说，他正在考虑下令让我调查这些指控，并证明它们从未发生。我回答，他应该对此慎重考虑，因为这可能会落下“我们(指FBI)正调查他个人”的口实。而我们不会调查，因为很难举反证。他说他会考虑，并让我也考虑。
As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.
作为我和总统川普对话后的惯例，我在晚餐结束后立即详尽写下备忘录，并与FBI高级领导团队共享。
February 14 Oval Office Meeting 2月14日白宫椭圆形办公室会议
On February 14, I went to the Oval Office for a scheduled counter- terrorism briefing of the President. He sat behind the desk and a group of us sat in a semi-circle of about six chairs facing him on the other side of the desk. The Vice President, Deputy Director of the CIA, Director of the National Counter- Terrorism Center, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and I were in the semi-circle of chairs. I was directly facing the President, sitting between the Deputy CIA Director and the Director of NCTC. There were quite a few others in the room, sitting behind us on couches and chairs.
2月14日，我为了向总统进行反恐简报赴椭圆形办公室。他坐在桌子后面，我们一群人坐在桌子另一边的六张椅子上面对着他。副总统、中央情报局副局长、国家反恐中心主任、国土安全部长、司法部长和我坐在椅子上围成半圆，我直接面对总统，坐在中情局副局长和国家反恐中心主任之间。房间里还有不少人，坐在我们后面的沙发和椅子上。
The President signaled the end of the briefing by thanking the group and telling them all that he wanted to speak to me alone. I stayed in my chair. As the participants started to leave the Oval Office, the Attorney General lingered by my chair, but the President thanked him and said he wanted to speak only with me. The last person to leave was Jared Kushner, who also stood by my chair and exchanged pleasantries with me. The President then excused him, saying he wanted to speak with me.
总统以感谢小组的方式示意结束简报，并告诉他们他想单独与我谈话。我留在椅子上。其他与会者开始离开椭圆形办公室，司法部长在我椅子旁徘徊，但总统感谢他，并表示他只想单独与我说话。最后一名离开的人库许纳，他也站在我的椅子旁并与我寒暄。总统之后告诉他（库许纳），他想和我说话。
When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the President began by saying, “I want to talk about Mike Flynn.” Flynn had resigned the previous day. The President began by saying Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the Vice President. He added that he had other concerns about Flynn, which he did not then specify.
当落地钟旁的门关上，我们独处，总统开始说，“我想谈谈佛林（Mike Flynn）。”佛林在前一天请辞了。总统开始说佛林与俄罗斯人谈话并没有错，但他不得不让他走，因为他误导副总统。他补充，他对于佛林有其它担忧之处，但他没有具体说明。
The President then made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information – a concern I shared and still share. After he had spoken for a few minutes about leaks, Reince Priebus leaned in through the door by the grandfather clock and I could see a group of people waiting behind him. The President waved at him to close the door, saying he would be done shortly. The door closed.
总统之后对于泄漏机密情资发表一连串评论－我也同样担忧。在他以数分钟谈论泄漏情资之后，蒲博思（白宫幕僚长）从落地钟旁的门凑近，我可以看到一群人在他后面。总统向他挥手示意关上门，说他很快完成。门关上了。
The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”
总统随后回到佛林的话题，他说，“他是一名好人，经历了很多事情。”他重申佛林与俄罗斯人通话并没有做错，但是误导了副总统。然后他说，“我希望你能看清楚，放过此事，放过佛林。他是名好人。我希望你能放过他。”我只回答“他是名好人。”（事实上，我在FBI任期初期与时任国防情报局局长的佛林有过良好共事经验。）我没有说我会“放过”。
The President returned briefly to the problem of leaks. I then got up and left out the door by the grandfather clock, making my way through the large group of people waiting there, including Mr. Priebus and the Vice President.
总统简要回顾泄漏的问题。然后我起身并从落地钟旁的门离开，我穿过一大群等待的人，包括蒲博思与副总统。
I immediately prepared an unclassified memo of the conversation about Flynn and discussed the matter with FBI senior leadership. I had understood the President to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December. I did not understand the President to be talking about the broader investigation into Russia or possible links to his campaign. I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls. Regardless, it was very concerning, given the FBI’s role as an independent investigative agency.
我立即准备一分关于佛林谈话的非机密备忘录，并与联邦调查局高级领导层讨论。我理解到总统要求我们放弃关于佛林错误陈述其与俄罗斯大使在12月谈话的任何调查。我未理解到总统是在谈论他的竞选团队与俄罗斯之间可能连结的更广泛调查。我可能是错的，但我认为他关注于刚发生的佛林离任一事，以及关于佛林的通话争议。无论如何，这对于联邦调查局作为独立调查机构的角色，非常令人忧虑。
The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one-on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role.
联邦调查局领导团队同意我认为不因总统要求而影响调查团队的重要性，我们不打算遵守。我们也得出结论，鉴于这是一对一的对话，没有任何事物可证实我的陈述。我们的结论是对司法部长塞辛斯报告此事没有意义，我们预计他会退出与俄罗斯相关的调查。（他两周后如此做了。）副司法部长的角色之后由一名美国律师递补代理，他也不会长久任职。
It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.
结果晚餐只有我们俩人，坐在“绿厅”中间的小椭圆桌边。两名海军服务员为我们提供了服务，不过只是进来送食物和饮品。
The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.
总统开场便问我是否想留任FBI局长，这让我感到奇怪，因为在早先的谈话中，他已经两次向我表示，他希望我留任；而我也向他保证我有此打算。他说有很多人想要我这份工作，考虑到我在过去一年的滥用职权，他想知道我是否打算离职。
My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI's traditionally independent status in the executive branch.
我的直觉告诉我，在这样一个一对一、且假装这是我们第一次谈论我职位的环境下，这次的晚餐至少有部分原因是为了让我请求留任这份工作，并(在我和总统之间)营造某种主仆关系。考虑到FBI传统上都是独立于行政机构，这让我非常担心。
I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not "reliable" in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody's side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.
我回答说，我热爱我的工作，也打算留任，并服务完10年的局长任期。随后，因为当时的场景让我不太舒服，我多加了一句：我不是政客所理解的那种“可靠”，但他可以指望我总是告诉他实情。我还说，政治上我不与任何人站边，也不能以传统政治角度被指望。我告诉他，我的这一立场，最符合他作为总统的利益。
A few moments later, the President said, "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty." I didn't move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner. At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because "problems" come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.
过了一会儿，总统说，“我需要忠诚、期待忠诚。”之后便陷入尴尬的沉默，但我没有说话、行动或改变面部表情，我们只是默默地看着彼此。随后谈话继续，但他在晚餐尾声时，又转回该话题。我还一度解释为何FBI、司法部独立于白宫之外如此重要。我说这是自相矛盾的悖论：综观历史，有些总统曾决定，因为“问题”来自司法，他们应该努力与司法部紧密联系。但经由降低公众对机构及其工作的信任来模糊这些界线，最终会让问题更糟。
Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, "I need loyalty." I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.
晚餐近尾声时，总统回到关于我工作的话题，称他非常高兴我想留下，并表示他从Jim Mattis(国防部长马提斯)、Jeff Sessions(司法部长塞辛斯)等其他人口中听到关于我的很好的事。然后他说：“我需要忠诚。”我回答：“您将永远受到我的诚实相待。”他顿了顿，然后说：“这就是我想要的，诚实的忠诚。”我顿了顿说，“您将从我这获得这个。”正如我在晚餐后立即纪录的备忘录中所写，有可能我们彼此对“诚实的忠诚”理解不同，但我认定进一步深究不会更有成效。“诚实的忠诚”已经帮忙结束了一场非常尴尬的谈话，而且我的解释已经明确表明他应该期望什么。
During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.
晚餐期间，总统曾谈到1月6日我向他提及的丑恶材料，和先前一样，他表达了自己对这些指控的厌恶，并强烈否定所有指控。他说，他正在考虑下令让我调查这些指控，并证明它们从未发生。我回答，他应该对此慎重考虑，因为这可能会落下“我们(指FBI)正调查他个人”的口实。而我们不会调查，因为很难举反证。他说他会考虑，并让我也考虑。
As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.
作为我和总统川普对话后的惯例，我在晚餐结束后立即详尽写下备忘录，并与FBI高级领导团队共享。
February 14 Oval Office Meeting 2月14日白宫椭圆形办公室会议
On February 14, I went to the Oval Office for a scheduled counter- terrorism briefing of the President. He sat behind the desk and a group of us sat in a semi-circle of about six chairs facing him on the other side of the desk. The Vice President, Deputy Director of the CIA, Director of the National Counter- Terrorism Center, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and I were in the semi-circle of chairs. I was directly facing the President, sitting between the Deputy CIA Director and the Director of NCTC. There were quite a few others in the room, sitting behind us on couches and chairs.
2月14日，我为了向总统进行反恐简报赴椭圆形办公室。他坐在桌子后面，我们一群人坐在桌子另一边的六张椅子上面对着他。副总统、中央情报局副局长、国家反恐中心主任、国土安全部长、司法部长和我坐在椅子上围成半圆，我直接面对总统，坐在中情局副局长和国家反恐中心主任之间。房间里还有不少人，坐在我们后面的沙发和椅子上。
The President signaled the end of the briefing by thanking the group and telling them all that he wanted to speak to me alone. I stayed in my chair. As the participants started to leave the Oval Office, the Attorney General lingered by my chair, but the President thanked him and said he wanted to speak only with me. The last person to leave was Jared Kushner, who also stood by my chair and exchanged pleasantries with me. The President then excused him, saying he wanted to speak with me.
总统以感谢小组的方式示意结束简报，并告诉他们他想单独与我谈话。我留在椅子上。其他与会者开始离开椭圆形办公室，司法部长在我椅子旁徘徊，但总统感谢他，并表示他只想单独与我说话。最后一名离开的人库许纳，他也站在我的椅子旁并与我寒暄。总统之后告诉他（库许纳），他想和我说话。
When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the President began by saying, “I want to talk about Mike Flynn.” Flynn had resigned the previous day. The President began by saying Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the Vice President. He added that he had other concerns about Flynn, which he did not then specify.
当落地钟旁的门关上，我们独处，总统开始说，“我想谈谈佛林（Mike Flynn）。”佛林在前一天请辞了。总统开始说佛林与俄罗斯人谈话并没有错，但他不得不让他走，因为他误导副总统。他补充，他对于佛林有其它担忧之处，但他没有具体说明。
The President then made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information – a concern I shared and still share. After he had spoken for a few minutes about leaks, Reince Priebus leaned in through the door by the grandfather clock and I could see a group of people waiting behind him. The President waved at him to close the door, saying he would be done shortly. The door closed.
总统之后对于泄漏机密情资发表一连串评论－我也同样担忧。在他以数分钟谈论泄漏情资之后，蒲博思（白宫幕僚长）从落地钟旁的门凑近，我可以看到一群人在他后面。总统向他挥手示意关上门，说他很快完成。门关上了。
The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”
总统随后回到佛林的话题，他说，“他是一名好人，经历了很多事情。”他重申佛林与俄罗斯人通话并没有做错，但是误导了副总统。然后他说，“我希望你能看清楚，放过此事，放过佛林。他是名好人。我希望你能放过他。”我只回答“他是名好人。”（事实上，我在FBI任期初期与时任国防情报局局长的佛林有过良好共事经验。）我没有说我会“放过”。
The President returned briefly to the problem of leaks. I then got up and left out the door by the grandfather clock, making my way through the large group of people waiting there, including Mr. Priebus and the Vice President.
总统简要回顾泄漏的问题。然后我起身并从落地钟旁的门离开，我穿过一大群等待的人，包括蒲博思与副总统。
I immediately prepared an unclassified memo of the conversation about Flynn and discussed the matter with FBI senior leadership. I had understood the President to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December. I did not understand the President to be talking about the broader investigation into Russia or possible links to his campaign. I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls. Regardless, it was very concerning, given the FBI’s role as an independent investigative agency.
我立即准备一分关于佛林谈话的非机密备忘录，并与联邦调查局高级领导层讨论。我理解到总统要求我们放弃关于佛林错误陈述其与俄罗斯大使在12月谈话的任何调查。我未理解到总统是在谈论他的竞选团队与俄罗斯之间可能连结的更广泛调查。我可能是错的，但我认为他关注于刚发生的佛林离任一事，以及关于佛林的通话争议。无论如何，这对于联邦调查局作为独立调查机构的角色，非常令人忧虑。
The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one-on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role.
联邦调查局领导团队同意我认为不因总统要求而影响调查团队的重要性，我们不打算遵守。我们也得出结论，鉴于这是一对一的对话，没有任何事物可证实我的陈述。我们的结论是对司法部长塞辛斯报告此事没有意义，我们预计他会退出与俄罗斯相关的调查。（他两周后如此做了。）副司法部长的角色之后由一名美国律师递补代理，他也不会长久任职。
