美国政客争论“网络中立”

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.

另一轮的政治斗争在华盛顿特区上演，争论的主题是：提议改变美国互联网的管理体制。一方希望新规定暂停向一些过多使用互联网的用户索取额外的费用。另一方说新规定会因为在线服务而减缓经济的增长。双方都认为他们的想法会引领继续革新。

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.

今年早些时候，美国互联网管理人员提议国家的互联网运作应该来次大的改变。美国联邦通信委员会投票提出一项计划，这项计划会影响到互联网服务供应商，如：美国电话电报公司、威瑞森无限公司和康卡斯特公司。这个计划中，互联网服务供应商可以与谷歌和脸书之类的公司签订协议，给它们提供更快捷的方式，让消费者获得他们公司的内容。

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.

一些消费者和互联网公司反对该项计划，很大一部分人对特拉华大学的最新一项调查研究提出疑问。奥巴马也不喜欢提议提出的改变。他最近发表关于在开放、公正和自由的观念基础上，如何组织规划互联网的讲话。

“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."

“自从因特网问世以来，遵循公开、公正和自由的原则。没有人决定你能够访问哪个网站，在信息的高速道路上，没有收费公路。这些基本原则和网络的中立理念把互联网的重要性释放出来，同时也给革新人员机会去发展创新。如果放弃这些原则，将会终结我们所熟知的因特网。”

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.

美国联邦通信委员会是一个独立的管理者。因此，奥巴马总统也不能命令其作出改变。上周，奥巴马试图说服委员会成员规范互联网服务的消费者，如公用事业那样做。

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.

哈罗德·弗奇戈特罗斯是一名经济学家，同时也是联邦通信委员会的前专员。他说因特网给美国经济带来了数千亿美元的收入。而新规定既没必要，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."

“美国在线公司几乎领导着世界各个领域的在线公司。我想其中的原因就是我们国家的互联网管理方式比其他国家更少。”

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.

他说提议管理互联网就好像是电话公司干扰包括定价在内的很多决策一样。这些决定应该由运行商来抉择。

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.

联邦通信委员会的前任专员说新规定的威胁对于支持互联网创新的投资来说不是件好事。一些国会中共和党的成员和美国商会的成员同意弗奇戈特罗斯的观点。因为商会代表主要商业团体的利益。

The issue will likely be fought over by regulators, the courts and Congress.

对于互联网变革的议案会继续在联邦通信委员会、法院和国会之间争论。

I’m Jonathan Evans.

我是乔纳森·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