美國政客爭論“網(wǎng)絡(luò)中立”
Protesters demonstrate across the street from the Comcast Center Monday, Sept. 15, 2014, in Philadelphia calling for net neutrality. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) |
Another political fight is taking shape in Washington, D.C. At issue: proposed changes to the way the Internet is regulated in the United States. One side wants rules to suspend plans to charge extra for some heavy users of the Internet. The other side says new rules will slow the economic growth fueled by online services. Both sides say their way of thinking will lead to continued innovation.
另一輪的政治斗爭在華盛頓特區(qū)上演,爭論的主題是:提議改變美國互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的管理體制。一方希望新規(guī)定暫停向一些過多使用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的用戶索取額外的費(fèi)用。另一方說新規(guī)定會(huì)因?yàn)樵诰€服務(wù)而減緩經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長。雙方都認(rèn)為他們的想法會(huì)引領(lǐng)繼續(xù)革新。
Earlier this year, U.S. regulators proposed big changes in the way the Internet operates in the country. The Federal Communications Commission voted to offer a plan that could affect Internet service providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Under the plan, the service providers could make deals with companies like Google and Facebook to provide them with faster paths to get their content to consumers.
今年早些時(shí)候,美國互聯(lián)網(wǎng)管理人員提議國家的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)運(yùn)作應(yīng)該來次大的改變。美國聯(lián)邦通信委員會(huì)投票提出一項(xiàng)計(jì)劃,這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃會(huì)影響到互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務(wù)供應(yīng)商,如:美國電話電報(bào)公司、威瑞森無限公司和康卡斯特公司。這個(gè)計(jì)劃中,互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務(wù)供應(yīng)商可以與谷歌和臉書之類的公司簽訂協(xié)議,給它們提供更快捷的方式,讓消費(fèi)者獲得他們公司的內(nèi)容。
Some consumer groups and Internet companies oppose the plan. So do a majority of people questioned in a new University of Delaware study. President Barack Obama also dislikes the proposed changes. He spoke recently about how the Internet should be organized around ideas like openness, fairness and freedom.
一些消費(fèi)者和互聯(lián)網(wǎng)公司反對(duì)該項(xiàng)計(jì)劃,很大一部分人對(duì)特拉華大學(xué)的最新一項(xiàng)調(diào)查研究提出疑問。奧巴馬也不喜歡提議提出的改變。他最近發(fā)表關(guān)于在開放、公正和自由的觀念基礎(chǔ)上,如何組織規(guī)劃互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的講話。
“Ever since the Internet was created, it has been organized around basic principles of openness, fairness and freedom. There are no gatekeepers deciding which sites you get to access, there are no toll roads on the information superhighway. This set of principles, the idea of net neutrality, has unleashed the power of the Internet and given innovators the chance to thrive. Abandoning these principles would end the Internet as we know it."
“自從因特網(wǎng)問世以來,遵循公開、公正和自由的原則。沒有人決定你能夠訪問哪個(gè)網(wǎng)站,在信息的高速道路上,沒有收費(fèi)公路。這些基本原則和網(wǎng)絡(luò)的中立理念把互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的重要性釋放出來,同時(shí)也給革新人員機(jī)會(huì)去發(fā)展創(chuàng)新。如果放棄這些原則,將會(huì)終結(jié)我們所熟知的因特網(wǎng)。”
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent regulator. So President Obama cannot order the FCC to make changes. Last week, the President sought to persuade commission members to regulate consumer Internet services like a public utility.
美國聯(lián)邦通信委員會(huì)是一個(gè)獨(dú)立的管理者。因此,奧巴馬總統(tǒng)也不能命令其作出改變。上周,奧巴馬試圖說服委員會(huì)成員規(guī)范互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務(wù)的消費(fèi)者,如公用事業(yè)那樣做。
Harold Furchtgott-Roth is an economist and former FCC commissioner. He says the Internet adds hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. He adds that new rules would be unnecessary and unwise.
哈羅德·弗奇戈特羅斯是一名經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家,同時(shí)也是聯(lián)邦通信委員會(huì)的前專員。他說因特網(wǎng)給美國經(jīng)濟(jì)帶來了數(shù)千億美元的收入。而新規(guī)定既沒必要,也不明智。
"American online companies are the leading on-line companies in the world in practically every field. I think that is in part a result of our lighter regulatory approach relative to a lot of other countries."
“美國在線公司幾乎領(lǐng)導(dǎo)著世界各個(gè)領(lǐng)域的在線公司。我想其中的原因就是我們國家的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)管理方式比其他國家更少。”
He says proposals to govern the Internet as if it was a telephone company would interfere in many decisions, including pricing. He says those decisions should be made by people who operate the business.
他說提議管理互聯(lián)網(wǎng)就好像是電話公司干擾包括定價(jià)在內(nèi)的很多決策一樣。這些決定應(yīng)該由運(yùn)行商來抉擇。
The former commissioner says even the threat of new rules is bad for the investments needed to support innovation on the Internet. Some Republican members of Congress and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are in agreement with Mr. Furchtgott-Roth. The Chamber of Commerce speaks for many major businesses.
聯(lián)邦通信委員會(huì)的前任專員說新規(guī)定的威脅對(duì)于支持互聯(lián)網(wǎng)創(chuàng)新的投資來說不是件好事。一些國會(huì)中共和黨的成員和美國商會(huì)的成員同意弗奇戈特羅斯的觀點(diǎn)。因?yàn)樯虝?huì)代表主要商業(yè)團(tuán)體的利益。
The issue will likely be fought over by regulators, the courts and Congress.
對(duì)于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)變革的議案會(huì)繼續(xù)在聯(lián)邦通信委員會(huì)、法院和國會(huì)之間爭論。
I’m Jonathan Evans.
我是喬納森·伊凡斯。
_____________________________________________________________
Words in this Story
economy – n. the system by which money, industry and
trade are organized
principle - n. a basic truth or theory; an idea that forms the basis of something
innovation – n. the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods
regulate – v. to bring something under the control of authority; to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of something
US Politicians Debate 'Net Neutrality'
Protesters demonstrate across the street from the Comcast Center Monday, Sept. 15, 2014, in Philadelphia calling for net neutrality. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) |
Another political fight is taking shape in Washington, D.C. At issue: proposed changes to the way the Internet is regulated in the United States. One side wants rules to suspend plans to charge extra for some heavy users of the Internet. The other side says new rules will slow the economic growth fueled by online services. Both sides say their way of thinking will lead to continued innovation.
Earlier this year, U.S. regulators proposed big changes in the way the Internet operates in the country. The Federal Communications Commission voted to offer a plan that could affect Internet service providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Under the plan, the service providers could make deals with companies like Google and Facebook to provide them with faster paths to get their content to consumers.
Some consumer groups and Internet companies oppose the plan. So do a majority of people questioned in a new University of Delaware study. President Barack Obama also dislikes the proposed changes. He spoke recently about how the Internet should be organized around ideas like openness, fairness and freedom.
“Ever since the Internet was created, it has been organized around basic principles of openness, fairness and freedom. There are no gatekeepers deciding which sites you get to access, there are no toll roads on the information superhighway. This set of principles, the idea of net neutrality, has unleashed the power of the Internet and given innovators the chance to thrive. Abandoning these principles would end the Internet as we know it."
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent regulator. So President Obama cannot order the FCC to make changes. Last week, the President sought to persuade commission members to regulate consumer
Internet services like a public utility.
Harold Furchtgott-Roth is an economist and former FCC commissioner. He says the Internet adds hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. He adds that new rules would be unnecessary and unwise.
"American online companies are the leading on-line companies in the world in practically every field. I think that is in part a result of our lighter regulatory approach relative to a lot of other countries."
He says proposals to govern the Internet as if it was a telephone company would interfere in many decisions, including pricing. He says those decisions should be made by people who operate the business.
The former commissioner says even the threat of new rules is bad for the investments needed to support innovation on the Internet. Some Republican members of Congress and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are in agreement with Mr. Furchtgott-Roth. The Chamber of Commerce speaks for many major businesses.
The issue will likely be fought over by regulators, the courts and Congress.
I’m Jonathan Evans.
_____________________________________________________________
Words in this Story
economy – n. the system by which money, industry and
trade are organized
principle - n. a basic truth or theory; an idea that forms the basis of something
innovation – n. the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods
regulate – v. to bring something under the control of authority; to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of something
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