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Dementia？
老年痴呆？
The middle of 2014 was chaos for Bentley, though his staff scrambled to keep it quiet in the days leading up to the election.
2014年年中，Bentley陷入了混乱中，尽管已经到了大选前的几天，他的工作人员依旧竭力保持沉默。
It became clear that Bentley family members had recordings of Bentley phone calls with Mason. Bentley's two closest confidantes other than Mason - bodyguard Ray Lewis and Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier - saw suggestive texts between the two, and both confronted him.
显然，Bentley的家人有Bentley与Mason通话的录音。Mason之外，Bentley有两个最亲密的知己，他的保镖雷·路易斯和阿拉巴马州执法部长斯宾塞·科利尔，他们两个看到了Bently和Mason之间的暧昧短信，然后两人都找到Bentley，并与他对质。
Collier said he asked Bentley about the affair in August, and Bentley vowed he would break it off - but didn't. Bentley actually told Lewis to go upstairs and break up with Mason on his behalf, and Lewis did it in the lieutenant governor's office. Still, it did not end.
科利尔说，他在8月份问了Bentley这件事，那时Bentley发誓他会让这件事结束掉，然而他没有做到。Bentley让路易斯上楼去代表他和Mason分手，路易斯去副州长办公室照做了。然而，他俩的关系还没有结束。
Bentley with former security chief Ray Lewis.
Bentley和前安全局长雷路易斯。
Bentley's children were worried about their family and their dad. Some were concerned for his health. They thought, perhaps reasonably, that his change in behavior might be due to medical problems. They went so far as to make him an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic - somewhere he could receive the best care and not be recognized - to be tested for dementia.
Bentley的孩子们很担心他们的家庭和爸爸。有人担心他的健康。他们认为，有可能他的行为的改变是由于健康上的问题。他们甚至约他到克利夫兰诊所去做老年痴呆检查，那里他可以得到最好的治疗又不会被人认出来。
But Bentley would not go. He saw it as a trick, an attempted coup. Because he knew - everyone knew - that if he was diagnosed with dementia he would be obligated to pull out of the governor's race. He refused.
但Bentley不肯去。他认为这是一个诡计，是一次图谋政变。因为他知道，每个人都知道，如果他被诊断患有痴呆，他必须退出州长竞选。所以他拒绝去做痴呆检查。
Lemons to lemonade
坏事变好事
In August of 2014 I began a series of columns about the governor's many flights on state aircraft, and the amount of money Ray Lewis received -- he was almost doubling his pay -- in overtime on the protection detail.
2014年8月，我开始撰写一系列专栏文章，主要谈论州长频繁使用公务飞机，雷·路易斯在安保细节方面的加班，让他得到了几乎双倍的佣金。
Former staffers in the administration said last week that Mason had claimed credit for "feeding" that Lewis story. Given politics, that's possible, though the initial tip came from grizzled old troopers with personal knowledge and their own axes to grind. But the implications of such a claim are enormous, and telling.
一些前政府工作人员说在上周的时候，Mason以自己提供了路易斯的新闻报道而邀功。从政治的角度来看这是有可能的。虽然最初的爆料来自于那些头发花白的警官，他们知道内情，也有自己的算盘。但Mason这种说法的影响很巨大，并且很有说服力。
Yet Bentley had a different reaction. On Aug. 17, 2014, the day of the story about the flights and pay, Bentley demanded that all his staffers -- but not Mason -- sign confidentiality agreements. In some meetings he refused to allow his staff to bring cell phones into the room.
然而Bentley却有不同的反应。2014年8月14日，媒体曝出了航班和费用的事情。Bentley要求其他员工签署保密协议，除了Mason。在一些会议中他禁止员工把手机带入会议室中。
There was no mention of those stories in the press clippings selected for him, though. The next day his report began with a story headlined:
不过，在为他挑选的剪报中，都没有提到相关报道。第二天，给他看的文章开头这样写道:
"Governor Bentley buys a lemonade to help BARC."
政府官员Bentley买了一瓶柠檬水去帮助BARC。
（BARC指的是一家动物收容所。）
"We can do anything. We're famous!"
我们可以做任何事。我们是名人！
November of 2014 should have been a high point in the life of any politician. Bentley doubled Griffith's votes to win a second term. But a day of elation turned into a nightmare. Bentley thought his scheduling director, Linda Adams, had a recording of him and Mason, and as the post-election celebration played on, he sent Collier to Greenville to confront her. He was chief magistrate.
2014的十一月对于任何一位政治家而言都应该是他们生活中的一个亮点。Bentley以多出一倍的票数击败了Griffith取得了职位的连任。但是这一令人兴高采烈的一天却转变成了噩梦。Bentley认为他的调度总监Linda Adams有着他和Mason的记录，随着大选结束后的庆祝活动开展，他派遣Collier前往Greenville去与LInda会面。他觉得自己是首席法官。
Collier says he had already warned Bentley that chasing the recording was dangerous. He says he previously told him to leave Heather Hannah and others alone, but Bentley ordered him to go. And he went.
Collier声称他已经提醒过Bentley去追查过去的记录是很危险的。他说他先前和Bentley说过让他别管Heather Hannah和其他那些人的事情，但是Bentley执意让他前往。于是他就去了。
And trouble piled up.
紧接着麻烦就开始堆积了起来。
Bentley, according to the sworn testimony in a report by the House Judiciary Committee, tried to get Mason a job with Alabama Power or UA, but nobody wanted her. He decided to hire her as his chief political adviser, but was warned it would be a risk. If she was a state employee the trysts and trips could quickly become crimes.
众议院司法委员会发布的一份报道中的宣誓证词显示，Bentley试图在阿拉巴马州权力机构或是州立大学中给Mason找一份工作，但是没人愿意接受她。他决定雇佣Mason成为他的主要的政治顾问，但是被警告这么做很有风险。
So ACEGOV, a shadowy non-profit, was set up to pay her from private sources. After months of research by investigators and media, we still can't say for certain who contributed.
于是ACEGOV，一个概念模糊的非盈利机构成立了，并且给Mason提供来自私人的经济援助。在经过了调查者和媒体数个月的研究调查，我们目前依然无法百分百确定谁通过这一机构中提供了帮助。
Diana Bentley
But as the election ended and inauguration loomed, Bentley was on top of the political world. And Mason was right there with him.
但是随着大选的结束以及就职典礼近在眼前，Bentley已经站在了政治世界的最高点上，而Mason也就在他的身边。
A campaign staffer asked Mason what she planned to do after the race.
一位竞选工作人员问了Mason在这次竞选之后她打算做什么。
"We can do anything," she said. "We're famous."
“我们可以做任何事。”她说，“我们是名人了。”
But trouble was coming. It was coming fast.
但是麻烦很快就出现了。
In December of 2014 an event occurred that has become known in Alabama simply as "The Wallet." Bentley fought with his wife and drove away mad - without his wallet. A state aircraft took off from Montgomery, picked up the wallet in Tuscaloosa and brought it to Bentley at the beach.
2014年的十二月一个在阿拉巴马州为人熟知为“钱包”的事件发生了。Bentley和她的老婆发生了争斗并且疯狂地驾车驶离了那里，却把钱包落下了。一架公务飞机从蒙哥马里起飞，在土司卡卢萨拿到那个钱包并且把这个钱包交还给了在海边的Bentley。
"Will that woman be there?"
“那个女人会去吗？”
By January's inauguration day, Bentley's personal life was in ruins. Members of his own family did not want to come to the ceremony or the inaugural ball, and Dianne Bentley had asked, "Will that woman be there?"
到一月的就职典礼那天，Bentley的私生活已千疮百孔，他的家人不想参加他的就职典礼和舞会，然而Bentley夫人只问了一句“那个女人会去吗？”
Mason was there. In a dress the staff described as "scandalous."
Mason出席了他的就职典礼，身着被员工们描述为“丢脸”的裙子。
Collier remembers how the governor and Mrs. Bentley walked in silence through the corridors before the swearing in. But as they reached the door, opening to the public, she reached down and grabbed the governor's hand.
Collier仍记得州长和州长夫人是如何在宣誓就职前沉默地穿过走廊，当他们缓缓推开面向公众的大门时，Mason现身并握住了州长的手。
Jon and Rebekah Mason. This dress distressed staff and Mrs. Bentley.
图为Bentley和Mason正是这条裙子让政府工作人员和州长夫人感到窘迫
"The only reason she did it is because Dianne Bentley has a world of class," he said.
“她这么做的唯一理由是看到州长夫人风度一流。”Collier说。
That night troopers mapped and remapped ways to "set picks" for Mason if she came too close, and extraction was planned if the First Lady became upset.
当晚州警官们一次又一次设法给Mason设障以防她和州长过于亲密，他们也时刻准备护送尴尬的州长夫人离场。
"We had a plan to get her out of there quickly and quietly," Collier said.
“我们准备了能将州长夫人快速低调送走的计划。”
It was a long and sordid year. At one point a fight erupted over what tie Bentley should wear to a speech -- one chosen by Mason or one chosen by the First Lady. Bentley chose the Mason tie, but never wore it.
这是漫长而耻辱的一年，有一次，一场关于Bentley该在演讲上打什么领带的争斗爆发了，一条领带是州长夫人挑的，一条是Mason挑的，Bentley选了Mason的那条，后来却并没有带戴。
Somehow -- no one will say exactly -- the tie was destroyed before he could put it on.
没人说得清楚，但那条领带不知怎么在他准备戴之前就被毁坏了。
So while it may have been a surprise to the state when Ms. Bentley filed for divorce a month after her 50th anniversary, it was no surprise to those who had witnessed the last several months.
尽管州长夫人在50周年结婚纪念日的一个月后提出离婚的消息惊呆了阿拉巴马州的公民，但对那些目睹了几个月来发生的事的人来说不足为奇。
But the indignities continued.
但Mason对州长夫人的侮辱仍未停歇。
Mason, the other woman, wrote a statement for Mrs. Bentley to read about the divorce. Ms. Bentley did not give it.
作为第三者的Mason竟给Bentley夫人写了一份离婚声明并让她读给民众，州长夫人没有让她得逞。
Mason apparently helped devise a plan to close driver license offices in rural counties -- a decision for which both Bentley and Collier took substantial political heat.
Mason显然参与制定了一个关闭农村地区驾驶执照办公室的计划，这个计划让Bentley和Collier都承受了巨大的政治压力。
And in October rumors of the affair began to blow up in blogs and social media. They were greeted mostly with disbelief.
10月，关于这对男女的流言开始在博客和社交网络上疯狂传播，但大多数人持怀疑态度。
All the while Bentley continued to tell the public he was put in office by God, humbled by how much the people loved him.
即使这样，Bentley还一直告诉公众他是被上帝选中的人，并对人民的厚爱心怀谦卑。
He believed it. He deserved it. So he took Mason and Ardis and others on a state plane to the Republican Governor's Association meeting in Las Vegas. He didn't attend a lot of meetings while he was there, according to testimony. He did go backstage at a Celine Dion concert.
他对此坚信不疑，并认为这是他应得的。Mason和Ardis等一群人乘专机到拉斯维加斯参加共和党的州长大会。然而实际上根据会议记录，他虽然人在拉斯维加斯却没有出席很多会议，相反他的确在Celine Dion音乐会的后台曾出现。
Revelations of that trip -- and his attempt to cover it up -- would later lead to charges of campaign violations that helped to bring him down.
对这此事的揭露以及他而后试图掩饰的行为，使得他在竞选活动中备受指责，这也导致了他的最终失败。
Another turning point came in December 2015 when the governor, in an interview with AL.com, for the first time addressed the rumors of the affair. He denied it.
另一转折点出现在2015年12月，作为时任州长他在接受AL.com采访时首次提到了相关传言。他否认了这件事。
Members of the Bentley family and the Tuscaloosa Brain Trust felt the story allowed Bentley to blame his wife for their marital troubles. Bentley's family further felt he'd violated an agreement made with Dianne Bentley not to throw stones in the wake of the divorce.
Bentley家族成员以及塔斯卡卢萨县智囊团认为，此事使得Bentley在婚姻问题上指责他的妻子。他们还进一步认为他违反了与Dianne Bentley先前达成的协议——不在离婚前指责对方。
It would come, perhaps ironically, to mobilize state employees and family members and ignite a fire under those who would see Bentley's sins unveiled.
具有讽刺意味的是，他这么做反而发动了州政府雇员以及他的家庭成员们。他亲手点燃了一场大火，照亮了自己的罪恶。
The beginning of the end
结局的开端
At that time, though, there was far more at play than politics. House Speaker Hubbard was facing trial on ethics charges, special prosecutor Matt Hart was scouring the Statehouse and the Capitol, and Mason became convinced she was next on Hart's to-do list.
然而此事牵扯到的远不止政治。当时州众议院议长Hubbard正面临职业道德上的指控。联邦特别检察官Matt Hart正在参众两院进行大清洗。而Mason相信她已经是Hart的下一个清洗目标。
She began to step across the line, and that was the biggest political blunder of the entire saga. She sat in on meetings with Collier and the Governor and tried to prevent Collier from responding to a request for an affidavit in the Hubbard case. When Collier signed an affidavit for Hart - something he thought was part of his sworn duty - Bentley and Mason were furious.
她开始僭越法律的边界，这是整个长篇故事最大的政治错误。她在与Collier和州长的会议上，试图阻止Collier回应在Hubbard案中提出的法律宣誓书要求。当Collier为Hart签署法律宣誓书——他认为这是他宣誓职责的一部分——Bentley和Mason对此十分愤怒。
Prosecutor Matt Hart questions witness Minda Riley Campbell in one of the memorable moments of Mike Hubbard's trial.
检察官Matt Hart在审判Mike Hubbard过程中质询Minda Riley Campbell
Bentley put Collier on medical leave for back problems and installed former Bentley bodyguard Stan Stabler in his place. At the same time, though, Bentley told another AL.com reporter Collier's leave had more to do with punishment for disobeying him than Collier's health.
Bentley以Collier背部问题为借口,让他休了病假，并安排了自己的保镖Stan Stabler取而代之。然而与此同时，Bentley却告诉另一位AL.com记者，比其科利尔的健康问题，科利尔的病假更是一种对其违抗命令的处罚。
Mason and the governor's office began to push stories about Collier's "instability." They spoke of personal problems but never provided details. They treated him like he stole something, but never provided evidence.
Mason和州长办公室开始扩散有关Collier“不稳定”的情况。他们谈到他个人的问题，但从未提供细节。他们对待他的方式像是他偷窃了什么，但从未提供证据。
They took a man who knew too much, and pushed him away. They took a man who had been loyal, and betrayed him. They took a man who kept notes like the investigator he was trained to be, and gave him reason to reveal all.
他们带走了一个知道得太多的人，并将他远远推开。他们带走一个一直忠诚的男人，然后背叛了他。他们带走了一个本分做好自己笔记工作的侦察员，并且给了他揭露一切的理由。
The unceremonious end
唐突的结局
A week ago Friday, as the state hummed with expectation and news that the House Judiciary Committee would release its damning investigative findings, the governor's morning press briefing contained no mention of problems.
上个星期五，由于州政府被人们的期望和众议院司法委员会将发布负面调查结果的消息忙的团团转，州长的早间新闻发布会没有提及这一问题。
· There was a Decatur Daily story about the end of judicial override.
·“迪凯特报”有关终结司法覆盖的报道。
· There was a Dothan Eagle piece about the death penalty.
· Dothan Eagle有关死刑的报道。
· There was an AL.com story on prison reform.
· AL.com有关监狱改革的故事。
No bad news.
没有坏新闻。
Any governor has responsibility to educate himself about the world around him, of course, but a curtain hung around Bentley. He was so snug in his Rebekah bubble he could not see anything but his margin of victory.
任何州长都有责任了解自己周围的环境，但是在Bentley的周围却仿佛挂着一帘幕布。他在Rebekah为他塑造的气泡中过于舒适，除了自己的胜利之外，他什么都看不到。
Three days later -- last Monday -- Bentley pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and resigned the governorship. He spoke to Mason on the phone and was, according to some, advised on what to say. Then he went before cameras again, and gave an unapologetic speech to the people of Alabama.
三天后的周一， Bentley承认了自己的两项轻罪并辞去州长职务。他通过电话与Mason进行交谈。据一些人说，她建议他该怎么说。接着他又回到摄影机前，向阿拉巴马州的人民发表了一场毫无歉意的演说。
Former Gov. Robert Bentley places personal items in his truck Friday, April 14, 2017, at the Governor's Mansion. (Julie Bennett)
2017年4月14日，星期五，前州长Robert Bentley将自己的个人物品搬放进州长府邸的卡车上
He said he wanted to find a new way to serve Alabama, though critics said it sounded like O.J. saying he'd devote his life to finding the real killers.
他说他想找到一种为阿拉巴马州服务的新方式，而评论家却表示这听起来仿佛就像O.J.说他会致力于寻找真正的杀手。
Minutes before, Bentley had been in the sally port at the Montgomery County jail, having a mugshot made and fingerprints taken.
几分钟前， Bentley在蒙哥马利县监狱的萨利港口拍摄了一张照片，并录下了指纹。
There, one cop turned to another and said this:
在那里，一名警察转向另一名警察说：
"I bet he's not saying God put me here now."
“我敢打赌，他现在说的绝不是：上帝将我安放在这里。”
原文链接：https://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/04/how_could_robert_bentley_fall.html
THE END
编辑：严佳童
翻译：严佳童，黄青阳，王旭彤，代雪，刘孟昊
