PBS高端访谈:脸书、推特及谷歌对被俄罗斯影响美国大选表态

 　　What role did social media play in Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election?

　　We now know fake accounts created by Moscow reached more Americans than the total number of U.S. citizens who voted.

　　For the record, the NewsHour has worked with both Facebook and Twitter. The three tech giants were back on Capitol Hill today.

　　Appearing before two separate congressional Intelligence Committees, Facebook, Twitter and Google lawyers faced tougher questions than yesterday.

　　First, at the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Democrat¹ from California, Dianne Feinstein...

　　I must say, I don't think you get it, that what we're talking about is a cataclysmic change.

　　What we're talking about is the beginning of cyber-warfare. We are not going to go away, gentleman. And this is a very big deal.

　　Yesterday, Facebook admitted that from June 2015 to August 2017, 120 fake Russian accounts posted 80,000 times and reached as many as 126 million Americans.

　　That number was revised to nearly 150 million today, as 16 million more people were reached by Russian Instagram posts.

　　All three companies admitted fault again. Facebook's general counsel, Colin Stretch...

　　The fact that foreign actors were able to use our platform to exploit that openness is a deeply painful lesson for us, and one we're focused on learning from going forward.

　　The representatives vowed² to invest more money, time and people to do better.

　　At times, lawmakers used the hearing to draw partisan³ lines on Russia's impact on the election. Republican from Florida Marco Rubio:

　　These operations, they're much more widespread than one election. And it's about our general political climate. Is that correct?

　　I would certainly agree with that statement, Senator.

　　Democratic Senator from New Mexico Martin Heinrich:

　　Last month, President Trump⁴ called Russian-purchased Facebook ads a hoax⁵. Are they, in fact, a hoax?

　　No. The existence of those ads were on Facebook, and wasn't a hoax.

　　The House Intelligence Committee released dozens of those ads, some exhibited with blown-up versions. Lawmakers chided Facebook for their existence.

　　All of the ads focused on hot-button, divisive issues, one for an event called -- quote

　　"Down With Hillary" by the group Being Patriotic⁶, another mirroring the social movement Black Lives Matter.

　　Back on the Senate side, Twitter was singled out multiple times. The Republican Senator from Arkansas Tom Cotton questioned where Twitter's loyalties⁷ lie.

　　Is it biased⁸ to side with America over our adversaries⁹?

　　We are trying to be unbiased around the world.

　　Top Democrat on the Senate Committee Mark Warner expressed doubt over Twitters' claim that it found only about 2,800 accounts linked to Russian operatives.

　　I'm concerned, sir, that Twitter seems to be vastly underestimating the number of fake accounts and bots pushing disinformation.

　　Independent researchers, people who have testified before this committee,

　　have estimated that up to 15 percent of active Twitter accounts, or potentially 45 million-plus accounts, are fake or automated¹⁰.

　　Representatives from each company said none has yet to identify the full scope of Russian interference on their platforms. undefined

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

9 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

10 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。