This month, United States lawmakers launched an impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump. U.S. President Donald Trump became the first American president impeached by the House twice.

本月，美國立法者對總統唐納德·特朗普展開了彈劾調查。美國總統特朗普成為第一位兩次被眾議院彈劾的美國總統。

The move is unusual in American history. Only three out of 44 U.S. presidents have faced impeachment. But so far, none of them has ever been convicted and removed from office.

此舉在美國曆史上極不尋常。44位美國總統中只有3位面臨過彈劾。但是到目前為止，他們都沒有被定罪和罷免。

The possibility of impeaching top public officials for treason or other high crimes is written in the U.S. Constitution. A majority of delegates to the Constitutional Convention approved the process in 1787. But lawmakers did not first use it against a president until more than 80 years later.

以叛國罪或其他重罪彈劾高階公職人員的可能性被寫入美國憲法。1787年，參加制憲會議的大多數代表支援了這一提議。但直到80多年後，立法者才第一次用它來對付總統。

At that time, the country was recovering from a civil war. President Andrew Johnson clashed repeatedly with some members of Congress. They disagreed about civil rights for newly freed slaves, and about how to deal with the southern states that had left the union.

當時，美國正從內戰中恢復。安德魯·約翰遜總統與一些國會議員多次發生衝突。他們對新解放的奴隸的公民權利以及如何處理脫離聯邦的南部各州意見不一致。

To limit the president's power, Congress passed a rule saying the president could not remove a Cabinet official without the approval of lawmakers. Johnson showed his objection to the rule by dismissing a Cabinet member while Congress was out of session.

為了限制總統的權力，國會通過了一項規定，規定未經立法者批准，總統不得罷免內閣官員。約翰遜在國會休會期間解僱了一名內閣成員，以此表明他反對這項規定。

Lawmakers answered the move in 1868 by impeaching Johnson for violating the rule.

立法者在1868年迴應了這一舉動，彈劾約翰遜違反規定。

The case went to the Senate for trial. A number of senators were ready to vote to remove Johnson from office. However, the president's lawyers argued that his actions were not really "high crimes". In the end, they voted to let him keep his job.

該案提交參議院審理。一些參議員準備投票罷免約翰遜的職務。然而，總統的律師認為，他的行為並不是真正的"重罪"。最後，他們投票同意讓他繼續履行總統職責。

In 1974, House members charged President Richard Nixon with asking people who worked for him to commit illegal acts. The president was also charged with trying to block the government's investigation into his actions.

1974年，眾議院議員指控尼克松總統要求為他工作的人實施非法行為。總統還被指控試圖阻止政府對他的行為進行調查。

For several years during the investigation, many politicians and voters had supported Nixon. The president even won re-election in 1972. But in time, more evidence about Nixon's abuses of power were made public. Lawmakers in his own party decided they could no longer support him. One party leader visited Nixon and warned that, if the case went to trial, more than two-thirds of the senators would vote to convict him.

在調查期間的幾年裡，許多政客和選民都支援尼克松。總統甚至在1972年贏得連任。但隨著時間的推移，更多關於尼克松濫用職權的證據被公之於眾。他所在政黨的議員們決定不再支援他。一位民主黨領袖訪問了尼克松，並警告說，如果此案開庭審理，超過三分之二的參議員將投票判定他有罪。

Nixon decided to resign instead and turn his job over to the vice president.

尼克松決定辭職，把工作移交副總統。

In 1998, House members again approved articles of impeachment. This time they were against President Bill Clinton.

1998年，眾議院議員再次批准彈劾條款。這一次他們反對比爾·克林頓總統。

The articles charged him with lying under oath about his relationship with a 25-year-old woman who worked at the White House. They also charged him with blocking investigations by interfering with witnesses.

彈劾條款指控他在宣誓後就自己與一名在白宮工作的25歲女士的關係撒謊。他們還指控他透過干擾證人阻礙調查。

The following year, senators held a trial to decide whether to convict Clinton. His supporters argued that his actions did not harm the country or the government. But critics said his actions challenged the rule of law and so could be considered "high crimes".

次年，參議員們舉行了一次審判，決定是否給克林頓定罪。他的支持者認為他的行為沒有損害國家或政府。但批評人士說，他的行為挑戰了法治，因此可以被視為"嚴重犯罪"。

In the end, he completed the remaining two years of his term as a popular president with a majority of voters.

最後，他以大多數選民的支援率完成了餘下兩年的總統任期。

§知識積累§