a senior civil servant (= government official who is not elected) who influences government decisions by clever indirect methods 高级文官（指对政府决策有间接影响力的未经过选举的政府官员）
The new rules governing freedom of information will allow the Sir Humphreys of Whitehall to exercise effective power without being subject to public scrutiny. 新的新闻自由法规将使白厅的高级文官能够行使有效权力而不受公众审查。
Word story: Sir Humphrey
From Sir Humphrey Appleby, a character in an old British television series called ‘Yes Minister’ .