中英双语新闻——23 New warnings over online safety

　　WHEN you`re surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?

 

　　当你在宿舍或家中用笔记本上网时，你知道有人正在偷偷收集你的个人信息么？如果有人告诉你这些信息被廉价出售给广告商和销售商，你是否会感到吃惊呢？

 

　　According to an investigation¹ by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters-to record the computer user`s age, gender², location, favorite movies and hobbies.

 

　　《华尔街日报》一项调查显示，电脑中一个特别小的文件--一个由一系列数字和字母组成的简单代码，就可以记录电脑使用者的年龄、性别、地址、喜欢的电影和爱好。

 

　　The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc., a New York company, uses sophisticated software called a "beacon³" to capture what people are typing on a website.

 

　　报道称，Lotame Solutions Inc（一家纽约公司）使用一种名为"beacon"的高科技软件来捕捉人们在网站上输入的文字。

 

　　Lotame packages that data into profiles about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Batches⁴ of such data may be sold for a few dollars.

 

　　接着，Lotame将很多这样的个人信息打包出售给那些正在寻找潜在消费者的公司，出售的个人信息不包括用户的姓名。几批这样的数据可能卖到几美元。

 

　　The Wall Street Journal probe discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.

 

　　《华尔街日报》的调查发现，目前，监视互联网用户已经成为万维网上成长最快的生意之一。

 

　　Today, tracking consumers is far more intrusive⁵ than the public realizes. For example, the top 50 websites in the US on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning.

 

　　现如今，追踪技术的植入程度已经远超社会大众的想象。例如，全美最大的50家网站平均在访问者的电脑上安装了64种追踪技术，而且通常都没有任何警告。

 

　　The "cookie"- a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing⁶ firms which might be used to remember your preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites-is already old news. There are new and more complex tools such as "beacons⁷" which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage. These beacons instantly assess the Internet user`s location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions.

 

　　过去，网站或营销公司会在你的电脑上安装一个小文本（cookie），用来记录你对一个网站的喜好，或者跟踪你访问各个网站的情况。但如今，像beacon这种更新颖、更复杂的软件可以在人们浏览网页时进行实时扫描，然后立即对用户的地址、收入、购物兴趣，甚至医疗条件等因素进行评估。

 

　　Tracking files get onto websites and are downloaded to a computer, in several ways. Often, companies simply pay sites to distribute their tracking files. But tracking companies sometimes hide their files within free software offered to websites, or hide them within other tracking files or ads. When this happens, websites aren`t always aware that they`re installing the files on visitors` computers.

 

　　网站安装、下载追踪文件的方式多种多样。通常，公司付费给网站来发布他们的追踪文件。但是，追踪公司偶尔也会将文件隐藏在网站上的免费软件或其他追踪文件或广告中。这种情况下，网站本身也不清楚他们在用户电脑上安装了追踪文件。

 

　　Tracking companies are often staffed by math gurus with expertise⁸ in quantitative⁹ analysis. Some use probability algorithms to try to pair what they know about a person`s online behavior with data from offline sources about household income, geography and education, among other things.

 

　　追踪公司的员工多为精通定量分析的数学专家。他们通过使用几率算法，根据了解到的用户的线上行为来推算线下资料，比如家庭收入、所在地和教育程度等。

 

　　Personal data gathered from such tracking is now bought and sold on stock market-like exchanges.

 

　　通过此种追踪手段收集来的个人信息会在交易所等证券市场进行买卖交易。

 

　　The new technology is now exerting a profound impact on the Internet industry, especially on how retailers¹⁰ locate and sell to their customers. Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented¹¹ threats. Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.

 

　　这项新技术已经对时下的互联网行业产生了巨大影响，尤其是对零售商寻找潜在用户、销售商品而言更是如此。与此同时，这对世界各地数百万的互联网用户们来说也是个前所未有的威胁。他们的私人、敏感甚至商业信息都在不知不觉中被收集和出售。

 

　　Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous¹² and the data is used harmlessly. But the technology has grown so powerful and evasive that even some of the biggest websites in the US don`t know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors` computers. These include MSN.com and Yahoo.com.

 

　　对此，追踪公司表示，他们是以匿名的方式收集此类信息，而且这些信息的使用对用户无害。但是，追踪技术成长得如此强大，使用如此隐秘，就连美国最大的一些网站也不知道自己在用户电脑上安装了入侵文件。这其中就包括MSN网 和 Yahoo网。

 

　　Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising¹³ something you`ve been planning to buy, don`t be amazed that your computer can read your mind.

 

　　所以，下次浏览网页的时候如果发现有广告向你推荐商品，而这些商品恰恰是你最近想买的东西时，千万别惊叹什么“电脑居然能读懂我的心”啦。

1 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。

2 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

3 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

4 batches   

一批( batch的名词复数 )； 一炉； （食物、药物等的）一批生产的量； 成批作业

参考例句：

• The prisoners were led out in batches and shot. 这些囚犯被分批带出去枪毙了。
• The stainless drum may be used to make larger batches. 不锈钢转数设备可用来加工批量大的料。

5 intrusive   

adj.打搅的；侵扰的

参考例句：

• The cameras were not an intrusive presence.那些摄像机的存在并不令人反感。
• Staffs are courteous but never intrusive.员工谦恭有礼却从不让人感到唐突。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 beacons   

灯塔( beacon的名词复数 )； 烽火； 指路明灯； 无线电台或发射台

参考例句：

• A chain of beacons was lit across the region. 整个地区点起了一系列灯塔。
• Lighthouse and beacons flash at night. 晚上灯塔与信号台闪着光。

8 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

9 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。

10 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

11 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

12 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

13 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。