VOA常速英语--NSA, DHS Lose Free Speech Legal Fight 美国国家安全局和国土安全部遭遇法律失利

 

NSA, DHS Lose Free Speech Legal Fight 美国国家安全局和国土安全部遭遇法律失利

The U.S. National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security suffered a legal defeat Tuesday as a feisty T-shirt designer reaffirmed the right to ridicule¹ these large and powerful federal agencies. The issue concerns satire², free speech, and the process of democracy.

Shirts designed by Dan McCall poke³ fun at the NSA as "the only part of the government that actually listens."

丹·麦考尔所设计的衬衫取笑国家安全局为“政府唯一一个只会监听的机构。”

After the NSA's alleged⁴ overzealous monitoring of millions of people, many Americans find that satiric⁵ message very funny.

而在国家安全局承认过度监控数以百万计的人后,许多美国人发现这样讽刺的笑果非常有趣。

Another shirt spoofs⁶ the Department of Homeland Security logo as the "Department of Homeland Stupidity."

另一件衬衫将国土安全部的标志恶搞到了极致，称它为国土愚蠢局。

Not as funny, but just as critical.

“不只是有趣,而且同样具有讽刺意味。

美国国家安全局和国土安全部遭遇法律失利.jpgThe agencies were not amused and had threatened legal action against the printer who made and distributed McCall's satiric T-shirts.

评级机构龙颜大怒并威胁采取法律行动打击印制者制造及散播麦考尔的讽刺T恤。

McCall said the threats violated the constitutional guarantee of free speech.

麦考尔称此举违反了宪法保障言论自由。

On Tuesday, the government agencies agreed to end their legal threats and pay McCall $500 to cover his legal expenses.

周二,政府机构同意终止他们的法律威胁并支付麦考尔500美元用于他的法律费用。

He spoke⁷ to VOA via Skype.

他通过Skype对美国之音说道。

"I think it's important to keep your sense of humor about yourself, as a nation, as a person, as individuals," said McCall.

“我认为作为一个国家,作为个人,作为个体,重要的是要保持你自己的幽默感，”麦考尔说道。

Attorney Paul Levy⁸ of the activist⁹ group Public Citizen helped McCall.

激进组织公民的律师保罗·利维曾经帮助过考尔。

He says the case is about satire and free speech, elements that are critical for democracy.

他表示这件案子是关于讽刺和言论自由,民主是至关重要的元素。

"Sometimes talking about your government with a sense of humor is the best way to capture people's imagination and move them to take action.

“有时幽默的调侃你的政府是丰富人们想象力并让他们采取行动的最好方式。

We can't be serious all the time," said Levy.

我们不可能一直认真,”利维说道。

Dan McCall plans to make and sell more T-shirts.

丹·麦考尔计划生产并销售更多的T恤衫。

The Department of Homeland Security declined comment.

 

国土安全部拒绝置评。

1 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

2 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

3 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 satiric   

adj.讽刺的，挖苦的

参考例句：

• Looking at her satiric parent she only gave a little laugh.她望着她那挖苦人的父亲，只讪讪地笑了一下。
• His satiric poem spared neither the politicians nor the merchants.政客们和商人们都未能免于遭受他的诗篇的讽刺。

6 spoofs   

n.（进行）滑稽的模仿( spoof的名词复数 )；哄骗；戏弄；讽刺

参考例句：

• Nobody likes those clumsy spoofs of yours. 谁都不喜欢你那拙笨的玩笑。 来自辞典例句
• The show successfully spoofs the TV programs and commercials. 这场表演通过模仿成功地讽刺了那些电视节目和商业广告。 来自互联网

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。