VOA慢速英语2013 科技报道 - 对艾伦·斯瓦茨的指控是否过于极端？

 

TECHNOLOGY REPORT - Were the Charges Against Aaron Swartz Too Extreme?

科技报道 - 对艾伦·斯瓦茨的指控是否过于极端？

From VOA Learning English, this is the TECHNOLOGY REPORT in Special English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

Have you ever had an RSS news feed sent to your mobile phone or computer? If so, you have Aaron Swartz to thank. He helped develop that Internet publishing technology when he was only 14. He also helped develop what came to be known as the social news website Reddit.

你曾经在手机或电脑上使用过RSS新闻源吗？如果用过，你就得感谢艾伦·施瓦茨（Aaron Swartz）。他才14岁时就帮助开发了这项互联网发布技术。他还帮助开发了后来被称为Reddit的社交新闻网站。

The 26-year-old Internet activist¹ was found dead in his Brooklyn, New York apartment on January 11. His death was ruled a suicide.

这名26岁的互联网激进主义分子1月11日被发现死在纽约布鲁克林的公寓中。他的死被认定为自杀。

Aaron Swartz believed that information is knowledge. He believed the Internet should be used to make that knowledge available to everyone. This belief is what eventually got him in trouble with the law.

斯瓦茨认为，信息就是知识，互联网应该用于向公众传播知识。这一信念最终使他卷入了法律麻烦中。

He was to face a federal trial in April. He was accused of using computers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to download millions of scholarly documents from JSTOR. The online service charges fees to use its huge collection of research publications. Aaron Swarts could have faced 35 years in prison and as much as $1 million in fines. Some people have called the charges extreme.

四月份他本来要接受联邦审判。他被控使用位于麻省理工学院（简称MIT）的计算机从JSTOR(西文过刊全文库)下载了数百万份学术论文。这家网站对其海量研究论文馆藏的使用收费。施瓦茨可能面临35年监禁和高达1百万美元的罚款。有些认为这项指控过于极端。

Renee Hutchins is a law professor at the University of Maryland.

蕾妮·哈钦斯（Renee Hutchins）是马里兰大学的法学教授。

“It is questionable² whether or not the prosecution³ in this case had a solid criminal case against Aaron Swartz. Basically what he is accused of doing is violating a user agreement with JSTOR.”

“这件案子是否包括对斯瓦茨的刑事指控值得商榷。实际上他被指控的只是违反了JSTOR的用户协议。”

Professor Hutchins says Mister Swartz had legal accounts with JSTOR and with MIT, through Harvard University.

哈钦斯教授表示，斯瓦茨通过哈佛大学获得了JSTOR和麻省理工的合法账户。

“It is a really close question whether or not Aaron Swartz use of his Harvard account through the MIT network to JSTOR to download more than he should have legitimately⁴ was a criminal offense⁵.” 

“斯瓦茨使用他的哈佛帐号，通过麻省理工网络进入JSTOR下载了超出他能够合法下载的论文是不是犯罪，这是个非常封闭式的问题。”

A Court of Appeals ruled that his actions violated user agreements and could be considered criminal. 

上诉法院裁定他的行为违反了用户协议，可被认定为犯罪。

However, Professor Hutchins notes that a more recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court disagreed.

然而，哈钦斯教授指出，第九巡回法院最近做出的裁决不这么认为。

“Unknowingly we may all be violating the terms of those agreements every single day, in multiple ways. And what the Ninth Circuit said is that’s really not the business of federal criminal statue; that that’s not what they were going for.”

“每天我们不知不觉中都会在许多方面违反这些协议的条款。第九巡回法院认为，这确实无关联邦犯罪，这不是他们的目的。”

Aaron Swartz’ family accused the United States Attorney’s office of fighting a crime that had, in their words, “no victims.” And they criticized MIT for refusing to “stand up for Aaron.”

斯瓦茨的家人指责美国联邦检察官办公室打击他们所说的“没有受害者的”犯罪，并指责麻省理工拒绝为斯瓦茨辩护。

MIT has called for its own investigation⁶ of its involvement in the case.

麻省理工已经要求就其在此案中的参与情况展开自身调查。

More than 40,000 people have signed a petition at the White House website for citizen opinions. It calls for the District Attorney in the case to be removed from office. The District Attorney has said the office acted appropriately in its handling of the case.

超过4万人在白宫网站签名请愿，要求罢免此案地方检察官的职务。这名地方检察官曾表示该部门处理此案得当。

1 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。

2 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

3 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

4 legitimately   

ad.合法地；正当地，合理地

参考例句：

• The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
• She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。