VOA标准英语2013--US Experts Call for Debate on National Security, Civil Liberties

 

US Experts Call for Debate on National Security, Civil Liberties

The controversy¹ has caused outrage² - with critics claiming there is too much government overreach, that it goes too far and is too intrusive³.

Frank Sesno, director of the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, calls the Justice Department's search of journalists' phone records abusive.

“To reach out and scoop⁴ up two months’ worth of phone calls from maybe as many as, or nearly, two dozen reporters… this is a gross intrusion into the way journalism⁵ needs to be conducted, into the way reporters need to protect their sources, and into the kind of flow of information that is required in a free and open society.”

Sesno says journalists must acknowledge that there is a balance between the public’s right to know and the government’s responsibility to protect certain information to keep the public safe. But there is a limit, he says.

“Where it gets very dangerous is if the government turns to those who are asking those questions, turns to journalists, and says ‘if you pursue this information, that’s criminal’ - because the pursuit of information should not be criminal."

Despite the political criticism, Americans overall are somewhat tolerant of government surveillance.

One recent survey found that 56 percent of Americans say the National Security Agency’s telephone tracking program is an acceptable way to investigate terrorism.

President Barack Obama says he welcomes a debate about the tradeoff between civil liberties and security.

Former New York Times reporter and editor Bill Kovach says it is the president’s responsibility to begin such a conversation.

“We’re now as a country facing an enemy, ill-defined, hardly known to most people, hard to track, small groups engaged in all kinds of secret activity. And with all the technology available, the challenge to the president and the attorney general is extraordinary. They should take it on themselves to begin an education, a discussion with journalists and the American people describing this conflict, how they feel about it, and how we should step and move forward.”

Kovach and others say Americans sorely need a debate on how new communications technology intersects with the rights enshrined in the Constitution.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

3 intrusive   

adj.打搅的；侵扰的

参考例句：

• The cameras were not an intrusive presence.那些摄像机的存在并不令人反感。
• Staffs are courteous but never intrusive.员工谦恭有礼却从不让人感到唐突。

4 scoop   

n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出

参考例句：

• In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
• Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。

5 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。