VOA慢速英語(yǔ):Intelligence Gathering, Leaks Dominate US News

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

這里是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)新聞報(bào)道。

This week, a U.S. military judge ruled in the case of Army Private Bradley Manning. The soldier was found guilty of espionage for providing secrets to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The court also found him guilty of several other charges. The punishment for these crimes could add up to more than 100 years in prison. The Oklahoma native was found not guilty of aiding the enemy. That charge could have resulted in a life prison sentence.

本周，美國(guó)一位軍事法官對(duì)美國(guó)陸軍列兵布拉德利·曼寧(Bradley Manning)一案做了宣判。曼寧因?yàn)橄蚍礄C(jī)密網(wǎng)站維基解密(WikiLeaks)提供機(jī)密文件被判犯有間諜罪。法庭還判決控訴他的其它罪名成立。對(duì)這些罪行的處罰加起來(lái)超過(guò)了100年徒刑。曼寧出生于俄克拉荷馬州，他被判通敵罪名不成立。通敵這一控訴可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致終生監(jiān)禁的判決。

Manning had admitted to what is called the largest leak of secret U.S. documents in history. The documents included secret diplomatic messages and military reports about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

曼寧承認(rèn)了所謂美國(guó)史上最大的機(jī)密文件泄漏。這些文件包括有關(guān)伊拉克和阿富汗戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的機(jī)密外交電文和軍事報(bào)告。

The case was tried at Fort Meade, Maryland, close to the grounds of the National Security Agency. That is where intelligence contractor Edward Snowden once worked. He recently leaked secret documents on government efforts to collect information about American citizens.

該案件在馬里蘭州米德堡審理，距離情報(bào)承包人愛(ài)德華·斯諾登(Edward Snowden)曾經(jīng)工作過(guò)的美國(guó)國(guó)家安全局不遠(yuǎn)。斯諾登最近泄露了美國(guó)政府收集公民信息這一政府行為的機(jī)密文件。

On Wednesday, members of Congress met with intelligence and law enforcement officials. The officials said the U.S. government's information gathering does not violate the privacy of citizens. And they said these activities help to identify and defeat terrorist threats.

周三，美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)議員會(huì)見(jiàn)了情報(bào)與執(zhí)法官員。這些官員表示，美國(guó)政府的信息收集并未侵犯公民的隱私權(quán)。他們還表示，這樣做有助于發(fā)現(xiàn)和挫敗恐怖威脅。

The officials spoke after the Obama administration released documents that described the government's telephone data collection programs.

這些官員是在奧巴馬政府公布了記述美國(guó)政府電話(huà)數(shù)據(jù)收集項(xiàng)目的文件后做出了上述發(fā)言。

Patrick Leahy is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

帕特里克·萊希(Patrick Leahy)是參議院司法委員會(huì)的主席。

"The patience of the American people is beginning to wear thin. But what has to be of more concern in a democracy is, the trust of the American people is wearing thin."

他說(shuō)，“美國(guó)人民的耐心在逐漸喪失。但在一個(gè)民主國(guó)家更應(yīng)該關(guān)注的是，美國(guó)人民的信任也在逐漸喪失。”

On Wednesday, the administration released what once were secret documents about the government's collection of telephone records. Deputy Attorney General James Cole spoke to the Senate committee.

周三，美國(guó)政府公布了曾經(jīng)是機(jī)密的有關(guān)政府收集電話(huà)記錄的文件。美國(guó)司法部副總檢察長(zhǎng)詹姆斯-科爾(James Cole)對(duì)參議院委員會(huì)表示：

"These are telephone records maintained by the phone companies. They include the number the call was dialed from, the number the call was dialed to, the date and time of the call and the length of the call. The records do not include the names or other personal identifying information. They do not include cell site or other location information, and they do not include the content of any phone calls."

“這些通話(huà)記錄是由通訊公司保存的，其中包括呼叫方號(hào)碼、被呼叫方號(hào)碼、撥打時(shí)間和時(shí)長(zhǎng)。這些記錄不包括姓名或其它個(gè)人識(shí)別信息，不包括蜂窩基站或其它位置信息，不包括任何通話(huà)內(nèi)容。”

The government must have special court approval to get names or addresses linked to phone numbers. It also needs a court order to listen to phone calls.

政府必須持有特別法庭許可才能獲得有關(guān)該電話(huà)號(hào)碼的姓名或地址，它還同樣需要得到法庭命令才能監(jiān)聽(tīng)電話(huà)。

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse questioned the lack of voluntary public disclosure by the government.

羅德島參議員謝爾頓·懷特豪斯(Sheldon Whitehouse)質(zhì)疑政府未能主動(dòng)公開(kāi)披露信息。

"We have a lot of good information out there that helps the American public understand these programs. But it all came out late. It all came out in response to a leaker [Edward Snowden]. There was no organized plan for how we rationally declassify this, so that the American people can participate in the debate."

他說(shuō)，“我們有很多好的消息有助于幫助美國(guó)公眾了解這些項(xiàng)目。但它們都來(lái)得太晚，它們都是在回應(yīng)斯諾登這位泄密者。我們沒(méi)有任何有組織的理性將其解密的方案，那樣美國(guó)人民就可以參與進(jìn)來(lái)辯論。”

The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that supports individual rights, has criticized the government for collecting so much information. The group says this will change the way people act and prevent them from enjoying their freedoms under the U.S. Constitution.

美國(guó)公民自由聯(lián)盟是一家支持個(gè)人權(quán)利的組織，他們對(duì)政府收集如此多的信息提出了批評(píng)。該組織表示，這將改變?nèi)藗兊男惺路绞剑⒎恋K他們享受美國(guó)憲法賦予的自由。

The top lawyer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Robert Litt, told lawmakers he disagrees.

美國(guó)國(guó)家情報(bào)總監(jiān)辦公室的首席律師羅伯特·利特(Robert Litt)對(duì)議員們表示，他不同意這種說(shuō)法。

"Collection of this kind of telephone metadata from the telephone companies is not a violation of anyone's constitutional rights."

“從通訊公司收集這類(lèi)電話(huà)元數(shù)據(jù)未侵犯任何人的憲法權(quán)利。”

Mr. Litt told the Senate committee that public disclosure of the programs has damaged the government's ability to protect the nation.

利特對(duì)參議院委員會(huì)表示，公開(kāi)披露該項(xiàng)目已經(jīng)損害了政府保衛(wèi)國(guó)家的能力。