David Kendall had alerted the TV networks that Bill would briefly address the nation at to P.M. eastern standard time. Some of Bill's most trusted advisers gathered in the Solarium to help him work on his statement. David Kendall was there, as was Chelsea, who was trying to make sense of what was happening. I stayed away, at first. I didn't much want to help Bill compose his public statement on a matter that violated my sense of decency and privacy. Finally, though, out of habit, maybe curiosity, perhaps love, I went upstairs. When I walked into the room at about 8 P.M., someone quickly switched off the sound on the television set. They knew I couldn't stand to hear whatever was being said. When I asked how things were going, it was clear that Bill still hadn't decided what to say.

戴维·肯德尔已经通知电视网，比尔将在美国东部时间当晚十点，通过电视向全国民众发表简短演说。事前，比尔最信赖的几位幕僚群聚日光浴室内帮他研拟讲稿。戴维·肯德尔在那，切尔西也在那里，希望能有所帮助。起初我打算撒手不管，不想帮他草拟那份将提及令我难堪的隐私的公开声明。但不知是出于习惯、好奇心或是爱意，我终究还是走上楼去。当我在晚间八点走进日光浴室时，有人立即关掉了电视的声音，他们知道我无法忍受媒体所说的东西。当我问起讲稿进度时，显然当时比尔还拿不定主意要说什么。

He wanted people to know that he deeply regretted misleading his family, his friends and his country. He also wanted them to know that he did not believe he had lied during the Jones deposition because the questions had been so clumsy―but that sounded like legalistic hairsplitting. He had made a terrible mistake, then tried to keep it a secret, and he needed to apologize. At the same time, he didn't think that, the President of the United States could afford to appear on television looking weak.

比尔想让美国民众了解，他对自己先前隐瞒事实误导家人、朋友及国家的做法深感遗憾。他也期望说明，他并不认为自己在为琼斯案提供证词时说了谎，因为提问者的问题实在含混不清，但他的话听上去像认为是法律的吹毛求疵。他犯了严重的过错还意图隐瞒，当然应该道歉。然而，两难的是，比尔认为，美国总统绝不可在电视上示弱。

As the hour for his statement approached, everyone was putting in his or her two cents, and this was not helping Bill. He wanted to use this opportunity to point out the unfairness and excesses of Starr's investigation, but there was a vigorous argument over whether he should take a shot at the independent counsel. Even though I was furious with him, I could see how upset he was, and it was awful to watch. So I finally said, "Well, Bill, this is your speech. You're the one who got yourself into this mess, and only you can decide what to say about it." Then Chelsea and I left the room.

比尔发表声明的时刻渐渐逼近，大家七嘴八舌地出主意，可对比尔都没多少帮助。他想利用这个机会指出斯塔尔调查中不公平和过分之处，可是众人对于他该不该指责独立检察官意见不一，吵个不停。虽然我对他余怒未息，却也不忍心看他如此慌乱。我终于开口：“好了，比尔，这是你的演说，把你拖进这场麻烦的是你自己，也只有你才能决定该有什么说法。”接着，切尔西和我走出房间。

Eventually everyone else left Bill alone, and he finished writing the statement by himself. Immediately after his speech, Bill was criticized for not apologizing enough (or, rather, for appearing less than sincere in his apology because he also criticized Starr). I was still too upset to have an opinion.

最终大家都离开了房间，留下比尔一个人完成他的讲稿。比尔发表谈话之后，有人立刻批评他道歉的程度不够（或是说他道歉的态度不够诚恳，因为他同时也批评了斯塔尔）。我的心情还很乱，不想发表意见。

Over the next days reactions from most Americans indicated that they considered a consensual relationship between adults a private matter, and they did not believe that it affected a person's ability to do a good job, Bill's standing in public opinion polls remained high. His standing with me had hit rock bottom.

不过接下来几天美国民众的反应则显示，大多数人觉得成年人之间两情相悦是私人事情，也不相信这种事会影响一个人的做事能力，比尔的民意调查声望居高不下，但他在我心目中的地位则跌到谷底。