VOA标准英语2013--Kerry: Lives May be Lost Due to Snowden's Betrayal

 

Kerry: Lives May be Lost Due to Snowden's Betrayal

With Snowden on the run from Hong Kong, Secretary of State John Kerry said there will be consequences for countries that help him escape U.S. justice.

"All appropriate countries have been notified with respect to the status, his status, legally, and that is the appropriate step to take, to put them on notice that he is an indicted¹ fellow, he is an indicted individual, indicted with three felony accounts and that he is wanted by the legal process of the United States," said Kerry.

Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum² request. Foreign Minister Ricardo Pati?o said Snowden believes he would not receive a fair trial in the United States.

"The man who intended to expose acts that affects the fundamental liberties of all people now finds himself persecuted³ by those very people who should offer an explanation to the governments and the citizens of the world regarding the claims made by Mr. Snowden," said Pati?o.

But in an interview with VOA, Kerry said Snowden has put counterterrorism at risk.

"He has put individuals at risk. And it may well be that lives will be lost in the United States because terrorists now have knowledge of something that they need to avoid that they didn't have knowledge of before he did this," said Kerry.

Snowden supporters say he is standing⁴ up for the right to privacy and exposing government misconduct in the collection of phone and Internet records.

"All governments, most governments do it, and China does it, the U.S. is doing it. So I think what he did was actually a very brave thing. He was willing to give up everything for that," said John Wakefield.

Kerry told VOA that Snowden is not a whistleblower like those who helped expose secret U.S. policies during the Vietnam War.

"He has betrayed his country because he took an oath. He swore that he would uphold the secrecy⁵. He was given access to documents based on that trust and he violated that trust. And he hasn't violated it in any way similar, nothing similar to Daniel Ellsberg or somebody who was revealing a government who is actually lying or that had a completely distorted view of something going on. This man just took real information and put it out there because he happens to believe something that is not in fact justified⁶ by the facts," he said.

In an interview with the Guardian⁷ newspaper, Snowden said he wanted to help people decide for themselves if the surveillance is warranted.

"I think that the public is owed an explanation of the motivations behind the people who made these disclosures that are outside of the democratic model," said Snowden.

But Kerry says the surveillance program protects the right to live free from terrorism. 

1 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

3 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

6 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

7 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。