2006年VOA标准英语-Congress Debates Free and Open Internet

By Jeff Swicord
Washington, DC
17 July 2006
 
watch Net Neutrality report

Recently the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee rejected a provision called Net neutrality that would have kept Internet network owners such as Comcast and A.T.&T. from creating premium¹ lanes on the Internet for higher fees, and giving preferential access to their own services.  Net neutrality was being considered as part of a new telecommunications bill working its way through the U.S. Congress.   Analysts² say the issue could have implications for Internet users worldwide. 

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Internet café    
  
At an Internet café in downtown Washington D.C, consumers enjoy the benefits of a free and unfettered World Wide Web. Up on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are debating something called Net neutrality, a provision of the new telecommunications bill that would keep network owners from controlling the content and services that flow over their network.  

 
Ben Scott 
  
Ben Scott is Policy Director for Free Press, a consumer organization that advocates Net neutrality. "Net neutrality is a simple concept that lays at the base of communications law for the Internet.  It is, simply put, non-discrimination.  It means that if you own a network, you can't discriminate³ against the content or services that flow over your network."

But network owners, such as Verizon, Comcast, and A.T.&T. don't see it that way.  Under Net neutrality they would have to continue charging all customers the same rate for use of their networks. They argue the marketplace should dictate⁴ cost -- and want the option to charge content companies at any rate they see fit, just as different banks set A.T.M. fees as they see fit.  The network owners see Net neutrality as corporate⁵ welfare for Internet content companies such as Microsoft, Google and E-bay.  

Scott Cleland   
  
Scott Cleland is with Net Competition.org,  a lobbying organization that represents network owners. "They want a special deal for just a few companies.  And we don't think that is smart or the way to run the Internet.  The best way to guard a free and open Internet is free and open competition, not regulating the Internet."

But the networks are not getting much support form the public.  All the major U.S. consumer groups have endorsed⁶ Net neutrality.  They say the network owners' opposition⁷ to Net neutrality has nothing to do with free market competition.  Ben Scott says they are more interested in being able to selectively discriminate what they charge content providers. "You can make a pile of money if you can force every content provider on the Internet to pay you a double toll⁸.  Once to get on the Internet and once to reach customers at a guaranteed quality of service."

The consumer groups say if content providers are forced to pay more to network owners, they would have no choice but to pass those costs on to Internet users.

Scott adds, the cost will be borne by consumers. "If you want to guarantee that your site downloads then you are going to have to pay an extra fee.  Are Google and Amazon and Yahoo just going to swallow hard and take that hit, take that money out their pocket and give it to Verizon?  Of course not, they are going to pass those costs along to the consumer."

Convergence is another issue on the Net neutrality battleground. Both network owners and service provider companies are looking to expand into the other's businesses.  The network owners want to get involved in e-commerce and compete with companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo, and E-bay.  Likewise, the content providers want to move into the communications field by providing phone, television and movie services over the web. 

Scott Cleland -- who represents the network owners -- argues that Net neutrality would regulate his clients out of the e-commerce business. "Right now Microsoft, Yahoo, and E-Bay, they are converging¹⁰ into the communications sector¹¹.  What they want is regulation that prevents competition the other way that broadband companies shouldn't be able to converge⁹, integrate and compete with e- commerce.  We think that is a classic double standard and Americans can see that."

Consumer groups don't buy that argument either.  They say what the network owners really want is the ability to control the marketplace as they move into e-commerce and compete with the big web content providers.

Scott says, "The Internet is already a free market.  It is already doing its thing for consumers.  What they are talking about is changing the free market into a market that has a gatekeeper.  And the gatekeeper will be the network owner.  The network owner will decide which websites work better and which don't.  That is not a free market.  That is a market dictated¹² by the owner of the network.  That's a monopoly market much like cable TV."

A Senate committee has rejected the Net neutrality provision as part of the larger telecom bill.  Analysts say it is unlikely the full Senate will have a chance to vote on the bill before the summer recess¹³. 

What is at stake is the business model and structure of the Internet, as we know it.  Web companies around the globe are watching what happens in the U.S., looking at the new Internet business model network owners are developing in the U.S. and contemplating¹⁴ whether it will be profitable for them. 

1 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

4 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

5 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

6 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

9 converge   

vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近

参考例句：

• The results converge towards this truth.其结果趋近于这个真理。
• Parallel lines converge at infinity.平行线永不相交。

10 converging   

adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句
• This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

14 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。