VOA慢速英语:Intelligence Gathering, Leaks Dominate US News

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.
来自美国之音慢速英语，这里是新闻报道。
This week, a U.S. military judge ruled in the case of Army Private Bradley Manning. The soldier was found guilty of espionage for providing secrets to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The court also found him guilty of several other charges. The punishment for these crimes could add up to more than 100 years in prison. The Oklahoma native was found not guilty of aiding the enemy. That charge could have resulted in a life prison sentence.
本周，一名美国军事法官对美国陆军士兵Bradley Manning一案做出裁决。该士兵因为向反保密网站维基解密提供机密文件被判犯有间谍罪。法庭还认定他的其它一些罪名成立。这些罪行的处罚加起来超过100年徒刑。这名俄克拉何马人被判通敌罪名不成立。该指控可能会导致终生监禁的判决。

Manning had admitted to what is called the largest leak of secret U.S. documents in history. The documents included secret diplomatic messages and military reports about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Manning承认了所谓美国史上最大的秘密文件泄漏。这些文件包括有关伊拉克和阿富汗战争的机密外交电文和军事报告。

The case was tried at Fort Meade, Maryland, close to the grounds of the National Security Agency. That is where intelligence contractor Edward Snowden once worked. He recently leaked secret documents on government efforts to collect information about American citizens.
该案件在马里兰州米德堡审理，距离情报承包人爱德华•斯诺登曾经工作过的美国国家安全局不远。斯诺登最近泄露了美国政府收集公民信息的机密文件。

On Wednesday, members of Congress met with intelligence and law enforcement officials. The officials said the U.S. government's information gathering does not violate the privacy of citizens. And they said these activities help to identify and defeat terrorist threats.
周三，美国国会议员和情报与执法官员会面。这些官员称，美国政府的信息收集不会侵犯公民的隐私权。他们说，这些活动有助于鉴别和挫败恐怖威胁。

The officials spoke after the Obama administration released documents that described the government's telephone data collection programs.
官员们是在奥巴马政府公布了记述美国政府电话数据收集项目的文件后发言的。

Patrick Leahy is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Patrick Leahy是参议院司法委员会的主席。

"The patience of the American people is beginning to wear thin. But what has to be of more concern in a democracy is, the trust of the American people is wearing thin."
“美国人民正在失去耐心。但在一个民主国家更应该关注的是，美国人民的信任也在逐渐减少。”

On Wednesday, the administration released what once were secret documents about the government's collection of telephone records. Deputy Attorney General James Cole spoke to the Senate committee.
周三，政府公布了曾经是机密的有关政府收集电话记录的文件。副检察长James Cole对参议院委员会表示：

"These are telephone records maintained by the phone companies. They include the number the call was dialed from, the number the call was dialed to, the date and time of the call and the length of the call. The records do not include the names or other personal identifying information. They do not include cell site or other location information, and they do not include the content of any phone calls."
“这些通话记录是由通讯公司保存的，它们包括呼叫方号码、被呼叫方号码、日期，时间和时长。这些记录不包括姓名或其它个人识别信息，不包括蜂窝站点或其它位置信息，并且它们不包括任何通话内容。”

The government must have special court approval to get names or addresses linked to phone numbers. It also needs a court order to listen to phone calls.
政府必须持有特别法庭批准才能获得有关该电话号码的姓名或地址，它也需要得到法庭命令的才能监听电话。

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse questioned the lack of voluntary public disclosure by the government.
罗德岛参议员Sheldon Whitehouse质疑政府未能自愿公开信息。

"We have a lot of good information out there that helps the American public understand these programs. But it all came out late. It all came out in response to a leaker [Edward Snowden]. There was no organized plan for how we rationally declassify this, so that the American people can participate in the debate."
“我们有很多良好的消息帮助美国公众了解这些程序。但这一切来得太晚，它们都是在回应斯诺登这位泄密者。我们没有任何有组织的理性将其解密的方案，那样美国人民就可以参与进来辩论。”

The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that supports individual rights, has criticized the government for collecting so much information. The group says this will change the way people act and prevent them from enjoying their freedoms under the U.S. Constitution.
美国公民自由联盟是一家支持个人权利的组织，它批评政府收集这么多的信息。。该组织称，这将改变人们的行为方式，并阻止他们享受美国宪法所规定的自由。

The top lawyer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Robert Litt, told lawmakers he disagrees.
美国国家情报总监办公室的首席律师Robert Litt告诉国会议员们，他不同意这种说法。

"Collection of this kind of telephone metadata from the telephone companies is not a violation of anyone's constitutional rights."
“从通讯公司收集这些元数据并不会侵犯任何人的宪法权利。”

Mr. Litt told the Senate committee that public disclosure of the programs has damaged the government's ability to protect the nation.
Litt先生对参议院委员会表示，公开披露该项目已经损害了政府保卫国家的能力。