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WikiLeaks Speaks Out 危机解密──引爆话题

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You can bet your bottom dollar that everyone has visited the Wikipedia website. But they may not be aware of WikiLeaks. Nevertheless, this website – which is not related to Wikipedia – is an important source for journalists that could change the news forever. WikiLeaks receives, verifies, and publishes anonymous submissions and leaked documents. This is information that would otherwise not make it into the public domain.

你可以跟人打赌：每个人都造访过维基百科，但他们也许没注意到维基解密。然而，维基解密跟维基百科之间并无关联，对记者而言维基解密是一个可以永久地改变新闻的重要来源。维基解密收到匿名呈交的对象跟泄露的档案后，加以证实并将之公布，这些都是无法以其他方式公诸于世的信息。

WikiLeaks was established in 2006 and rapidly amassed more than a million documents. In many cases, the information passed to the organization is highly sensitive in nature. Hence, the site is particularly useful for dissidents, whistleblowers, journalists, and those who wish to share top-secret or classified data. As a result, the international community can gain access to previously unreleased or unreported documents.

维基解密于2006年成立至今快速累积了超过一百万份的文件。在大多的情况下呈交到此机构的文件大多数为高敏感性的信息。因此，此网站对于异议者、告发者、记者跟那些希望分享最高机密或是机密文件的人而言特别有用。也因此，国际社群可以取得之前未曾公布或尚未报导的文件。

Consequently, much of the content available on WikiLeaks was never meant for public scrutiny, and much of it is shocking. In April, 2010, the site published a video entitled Collateral Murder, in which U.S. forces open fire on Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Eighteen people are killed, including two journalists. Although the video evidence seems indisputable, the U.S. military continues to deny negligence on its part.

所以很多在维基解密网站上可看到的内容，并不是用来接受公众审查的，且其中很多信息令人震惊。2010年四月，此网站发布了一段名为「附带谋杀」的影片，影片中美军在巴格达对伊拉克的平民开枪射击，使两名记者在内的18人遭杀害。虽然这支影片似乎是不容置疑的铁证，但美国军方仍一再否认自身的疏失。

Three months later, the Afghan War Diaries were released by WikiLeaks. Nearly 80,000 secret documents, penned by soldiers and intelligence officers, began to paint a picture of what really happens on Afghanistan’s battlefields, and this reminds us that, even at a time when information seems to be everywhere, there is much we aren’t told. But, as long as there is WikiLeaks, no secret is truly safe.

三个月后，维基解密公布了「阿富汗战争日记」。这是由士兵与情报人员所写将近80,000份的秘密文件，此文件开始勾勒出阿富汗战场上真正发生的事情。这件事提醒了我们尽管现今信息似乎无所不在，但我们没被告知的事仍有很多。但只要有维基解密，没有什么秘密是守得住的。

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

bet one's bottom dollar 【口】绝对确信某事物; 打包票 be very sure

anonymous [əˋnɑnəməs] adj. 无名的; 不署名的

leak [lik] v. 泄漏

document [ˋdɑkjəmənt] n. 公文; 文件

establish [əˋstæblɪʃ] v. 建立；设立

sensitive [ˋsɛnsətɪv] adj. 敏感的; 要审慎处理的；机密的

classified [ˋklæsə͵faɪd] adj.〔数据或文件〕保密的; 机密的

gain access to 可以获得

content [ˈkɑnˌtɛnt] n. 内容，要旨

entitle [ɪnˋtaɪt!] v. 给……称号

evidence [ˋɛvədəns] n. 证据

indisputable [͵ɪndɪˋspjutəb!] adj. 无可争辩的; 不容置疑的

intelligence [ɪnˋtɛlədʒəns] n. 情报；情报工作

More Information

单词发音

verify [ˋvɛrə͵faɪ] v. 核对，查实

submission [sʌbˋmɪʃən] n. 提交（物）

domain [doˋmen] n. 领域，范围

amass [əˋmæs] v. 积聚﹐积累; 大量收集

dissident [ˋdɪsədənt] n. 意见不同的人；不赞成者; 异议者

whistleblower [ˋhwɪsəl͵bloɚ] n.【口】告发人；告密者

scrutiny [ˋskrutnɪ] n. 详细的检查；仔细的观察

collateral [kəˋlætərəl] adj. 间接的; 附属的; 附带的

negligence [ˋnɛglɪdʒəns] n. 疏忽; 玩忽职守

paint a picture 勾勒出...的情况 to describe a situation in a particular way

Reading Questions

1.  Why has WikiLeaks become famous?

A.  It has become more popular than Wikipedia.

B.  Many important journalists work there.  

C.  It publishes information that was once top-secret.

D.  It helped the U.S. military during a war.

2.  Which of the following is NOT true about WikiLeaks?

A.  Many people have used the site to share data.

B.  A lot of information on the website is quite shocking.

C.  It released a video which made the U.S. military apologize.

D.  It made some people realize they aren’t told everything.

3.  What would be the best title for this passage?

A.  WikiLeaks: Bringing the Truth to Light

B.  Keeping Secrets Safe with WikiLeaks

C.  The Early Years of WikiLeaks

D.  Could WikiLeaks Be the Next Google?

WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord

Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq

Answer