【英语时差8,16】信息自由法令

The Freedom of Information Act – on Today's Congressional Moment. The Freedom of Information movement began in earnest in the 1950s. After WWII, the extent of government secrecy¹ was questioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. At about the same time, a young Congressman² from California, John Moss³, was coming to the same conclusion — discovering that a lot of government records were being held back from the public almost by default, without a thoughtful or systematic⁴ process. John Moss worked on this issue for 12 of his 26 years in Congress. He eventually authored the Freedom of Information Act. It offered a compromise between those who argue for secrecy as it relates to national security, and those who argue for a citizen's right to know, on a case–by–case basis. Based on the belief that individuals should know what their government is up to, The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law on July 4, 1966 — and expanded in 1974 after the Watergate scandal. The Act allows any person the right to access information from a federal agency through a written request. Government agencies are required to disclose the documents, unless they can be lawfully⁵ withheld⁶ under the specific exemptions⁷ written into the Act. Because of his push to release government information, the FBI kept an extensive file on Congressman Moss, which was recently released ... through the Freedom of Information Act. STANDARD CLOSING: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center On Congress website at congress.indiana.edu.

1 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。

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

4 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

5 lawfully   

adv.守法地，合法地；合理地

参考例句：

• Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
• As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫，无论疾病灾难，直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白

6 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 exemptions   

n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额

参考例句：

• The exemptions for interpretive rules, policy statements, and procedural rules have just been discussed. 有关解释性规则、政策说明和程序规则的免责我们刚刚讨论过。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• A: The regulation outlines specific exemptions for some WPM. 答：该规定概述了某些木质包装材料的特定的例外情形。 来自互联网