VOA慢速英语2018 美国怀疑华盛顿存在手机监听设备

US Suspects Listening Devices in Washington

The United States has acknowledged that it suspects that cellphone spying devices exist in Washington. It says the devices could be permitting foreign spies and criminals to follow an individual’s movements, secretly listen to calls, and read text messages.

美国已经承认它怀疑华盛顿存在手机间谍设备。美国表示，这些设备可能会让外国间谍和犯罪分子跟踪某人的活动，秘密监听电话并查阅短信。

The devices are called cellphone-site simulators. American intelligence and law enforcement agencies use the equipment themselves. However, they have been quiet about the issue of such equipment being used against the U.S.

这些设备被称为基站模拟器（伪基站）。美国情报和执法机构自己也在使用这些设备。然而，他们一直对这类设备被用于对付美国的问题三缄其口。

Ron Wyden is a Democratic Party lawmaker from Oregon. Last year he requested information about simulators in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. Last week, the DHS answered Senator Wyden by letter. It said the DHS had identified suspected illegal cellphone-site simulators in the nation's capital. The letter said the agency did not know the kind of devices in use or who might have been operating them. It did not give more details.

罗恩·怀登（Ron Wyden）是一位来自俄勒冈州的民主党议员。去年他致信美国国土安全部（DHS）要求获得基站模拟器相关信息。上周，美国国土安全部以信函方式回复了参议员怀登。信中表示该部门已经在美国首都发现了疑似非法的基站模拟器。信中还称该部门不了解在用的设备类型，也不知道谁在操作这些设备。该部门没有提供更多细节。

The Associated Press got the agency’s answer from Wyden’s office. It suggests little has been done about such equipment, called Stingrays by U.S. police departments. The Federal Communications Commission formed a committee to deal with the subject four years ago. However, it has never produced a report and no longer meets on a usual basis.

美联社从怀登办公室获得了该部门的这封回复。这表明美国警察部门对这类被称之为魔鬼鱼（Stingrays）的设备少有作为。美国联邦通讯委员会四年前组建了一个委员会负责处理此事，但是它从未提交过报告，也不再照常开会。

Stingrays trick cellphones into connecting through them instead of through legal cell systems. Other devices force cellphones to connect through lower level technology that does not prevent access by others. Some of these devices can attach malware to a system.

“魔鬼鱼”欺骗手机与它们连接，而不是与合法的蜂窝通信系统连接。其它设备强制手机通过低级别的技术连接，这种技术不会阻止他人访问。其中一些设备可以将恶意软件安装到某个手机系统。

The devices can cost from $1,000 to about $200,000. They are commonly the size of a briefcase¹, but some are as small as a cellphone.

这些设备价值从1000美元到20万美元左右。它们通常是公文包大小，但是有些跟手机一样小。

Thousands of members of the military, intelligence and federal law enforcement services live and work in the Washington area. Many have special security measures on their cell phones. But average citizens could become victims of stingray users.

成千上万名军事、情报和联邦执法机构成员在华盛顿地区生活和工作。许多人的手机有特殊安全措施，但是普通公民可能会成为“魔鬼鱼”的受害者。

DHS official Christopher Krebs signed the letter to Wyden. It said that the agency had seen "anomalous² activity" possibly from Stingrays in the Washington area.

国土安全部官员克里斯托弗·克雷布斯（Christopher Krebs）向怀登签发了这份信件。信中表示，该机构曾经在华盛顿地区发现可能来自于“魔鬼鱼”的“异常活动”。

A DHS official added that the devices were found in a 90-day trial that began in January 2017 with equipment from a Las Vegas-based DHS contractor³, ESD America.

一位美国国土部官员补充说，这些设备是在2017年1月开始的为期90天的试验中被发现的，当时发现“魔鬼鱼”的设备来自于国土安全部的一家承包商，拉斯维加斯的ESD America公司。

Krebs is the top official in the department's National Protection and Programs Directorate. He wrote that the agency lacks the equipment and money to detect Stingrays. And he called the use of such devices against the U.S., “a real and growing risk.”

克雷布斯是美国国土安全部国家保卫和计划局的高级官员。他写道，该机构缺乏检测“魔鬼鱼”的设备和资金。他还称使用这种设备针对美国是“一种真实存在且不断放大的风险。”

Legislators have been worried about the use of Stingrays in the capital since at least 2014 when suspected illegal devices were found near the White House, the Supreme⁴ Court, the Commerce Department and the Pentagon.

议员们至少从2014年以来就一直担心“魔鬼鱼”在华盛顿的应用。当时在白宫、最高法院、商务部和五角大楼附近发现了疑似非法设备。

Wyden said in a statement Tuesday that "leaving security to the phone companies has proven to be disastrous⁵." He added that the FCC has refused to force phone companies to act.

怀登在声明中表示，“将安全交给手机运营商已经被证明是灾难性的。”他补充说，美国联邦通讯委员会拒绝强制手机运营商采取行动。

After the 2014 news reports about Stingrays in Washington, Representative Alan Grayson of Florida wrote to the FCC about the report. Then-FCC chairman Tom Wheeler answered that the agency had created a committee to fight illegal use of the devices.

在2014年华盛顿发现“魔鬼鱼”的报道之后，佛罗里达州众议员阿伦·格雷森（Alan Grayson）就该报道致函美国联邦通讯委员会。时任美国联邦通讯委员会主席汤姆·惠勒（Tom Wheeler）回应称，该机构已经成立了一个委员会以打击这些设备的非法使用。

That committee appears to have done little. A former adviser⁶ to Wheeler, Gigi Sohn, said there was no political desire to stop Stingrays because the intelligence agencies and local police forces were using them so often.

该委员会似乎没什么动作。惠勒的前顾问齐琪·索恩（Gigi Sohn）表示，美国没有阻止“魔鬼鱼”的政治愿望，因为情报机构和地方警察机构都在频繁使用它们。

“The FCC is not doing its job," said Laura Moy of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University. The agency, she said, should be enforcing its rules and demanding companies protect their network.

乔治敦大学隐私和科技中心的劳拉·莫伊（Laura Moy）表示：“美国联邦通讯委员会没尽到职责。”她说该机构应该要执行规定，并要求各家通信公司保护其网络。

FCC spokesman Neil Grace, however, said the agency does not have that power.

然而美国联邦通讯委员会发言人尼尔·格雷斯（Neil Grace）说，该机构没有这种权力。

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

acknowledge --v. to admit, to say

simulator – n. an object that gives a false location for a cellphone

malware – n. Software that harms a computer

briefcase - n. a flat, rectangular container, typically made of leather, for carrying books and papers.

countermeasure- n. an action or device that is intended to stop or prevent something bad or dangerous

anomalous – adj. not expected or usual

detect - v. to notice or to find

anonymous⁷ – adj. not named or identified

1 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

2 anomalous   

adj.反常的；不规则的

参考例句：

• For years this anomalous behaviour has baffled scientists.几年来这种反常行为让科学家们很困惑。
• The mechanism of this anomalous vascular response is unknown.此种不规则的血管反应的机制尚不清楚。

3 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 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。