新西兰英语 660 Illegal spying on Kim Dotcom

 　　September 27th 2012

　　The Prime Minister apologized to Kim Dotcom today for the GCSB spying on him. The GCSB can only spy on foreigners who could be a threat to New Zealand but Mr Dotcom is a New Zealand resident. Most Aucklanders know this because when Mr Dotcom gained his PR status in 2011, he held a giant fireworks display in Auckland which cost half a million dollars. It seems the GCSB did not know this.

　　In January this year, Kim Dotcom’s home was raided² by the police and he was arrested. Two months before this, the GCSB spied on him. They said this was to check that he and his partners were not a danger to police. We don’t know what kind of spying the GCSB did. Was it checking emails or phone tapping or just watching who entered and left the house?

　　The Labour Party said this action could cost the country millions of dollars because Kim Dotcom could sue³. It also damaged New Zealand’s reputation as a country without corruption⁴.

　　The Prime Minister said that the GCSB made a mistake. The Inspector-General, who is an independent person, will investigate how this mistake happened.

　　Listen to January 21st 2012 to hear about the raid¹ on Kim Dotcom’s home.

　　Vocabulary

　　GCSB – Government Communications Security Bureau

　　threat – a possible danger

　　raid – a surprise attack by the police

　　sue – go to court to get money for this illegal action

　　reputation – good name

　　investigate – try to find out

1 raid   

v.劫掠，攫取，袭击，突击搜捕；n.突然袭击

参考例句：

• Our house was blown up in an air raid.在一次空袭中我们的房子被炸掉了。
• During their raid on the house,the police found a lot of drugs.在对这所房子的搜查中，警方发现了大量的毒品。

2 raided   

对…进行突然袭击（raid的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The enemy raided the docks. 敌人突然袭击了码头。
• Enemy troops raided our border areas. 敌军对我边境地区进行袭击。

3 sue   

vt.控告，起诉；vi.请求，追求，起诉

参考例句：

• If you don't pay me the money,I'll sue you.如果你不付给我钱，我就告你。
• The war criminals sue for peace.战犯求和。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。