美国国家公共电台 NPR Opinion: 'National Enquirer' Publisher's CEO Could Testify About Trump And UFOs

Opinion: 'National Enquirer¹' Publisher's CEO Could Testify About Trump² And UFOs

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The reports that David Pecker, head of the company that publishes National Enquirer, received immunity³ to testify about those payoffs Michael Cohen handled for two women who say they were involved with Donald Trump remind us that special and independent counsel investigations⁴ can go anywhere. Investigators⁵ are obliged to follow the evidence wherever it goes. David Pecker's Enquirer endorsed⁶ Donald Trump for president and ran a number of stories about some of his opponents during the 2016 campaign, including especially nasty and preposterous⁷ charges linking another candidate's father to John F. Kennedy's assassination⁸ - a story Trump then passed along. The AP reports there was a safe at National Enquirer offices that held stories about Donald Trump that David Pecker arranged payment for and never ran. But what else might be in that safe?

If the chief of National Enquirer is to testify under oath, there are all kinds of urgent questions he can finally answer for the American people. What's up with UFOs? Where do they come from? Why do they bother to come to Earth if they can order anything through Amazon these days? Do aliens post online reviews of their favorite and least favorite spots on Earth? New York - no place to land - get poppy seed bagels to go. Grand Canyon⁹ - red rocks, just like home. Why bother? Niagara Falls - you get the point after just a splash. Stay dry. Just soar over it - drives the tourists crazy. And is Elvis really still with us? What about Marilyn, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa and D.B. Cooper? Where is Nicolas Cage? Oh, wait, he's got a new movie out this summer. What about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster?

In fact, after they had to pay a number of pricey court settlements to celebrities¹⁰ for running false stories, the Enquirer ran stories about the infidelities of John Edwards, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and other public figures that turned out to be true. It would be a remarkable¹¹ turn of events if a publication that has purveyed¹² truly fake news had a vault¹³ of true stories about President Trump. And where is Elvis? Inquiring minds want to know.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUSPICIOUS MINDS")

ELVIS PRESLEY: (Singing) We can't go on together...

1 enquirer   

寻问者，追究者

参考例句：

• The "National Enquirer" blazoned forth that we astronomers had really discovered another civilization. 《国民询问者》甚至宣称，我们天文学家已真正发现了其它星球上的文明。
• Should we believe a publication like the national enquirer? 我们要相信像《国家探秘者》之类的出版物吗？

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 preposterous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的

参考例句：

• The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。
• It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

9 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

10 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

11 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

12 purveyed   

v.提供，供应( purvey的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the internet's case, the rubbish purveyed is limitless and illimitable. 从互联网的方面说，供应的垃圾是无限和不可限制的。 来自互联网

13 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。