Law-enforcement officials in California seized computers of a blogger and editor who had written about a prototype of Apple Inc.'s iPhone for technology blog Gizmodo, intensifying the controversy over the methods used to obtain the phone.
州执法部门官员查封了科技博客Gizmodo博主兼编辑Jason Chen的电脑，他此前撰文介绍了苹果公司(Apple Inc.)下一代iPhone样机，人们围绕Gizmodo获取该手机的方式而起的争论因此愈加激烈。
The tech world has been abuzz for a week about Gizmodo, which acknowledged paying $5,000 for what it said was a prototype of a next-generation iPhone, and posted stories and pictures of the phone and its innards. Gizmodo said on its Web site that the police in San Mateo County, Calif., seized several computers on Friday at the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen.
在过去一周中科技业一直在不停地谈论Gizmodo，该网站承认花了5000美元买了部下一代iPhone样机，随后撰写了介绍性文章，还贴出了该手机的外观及内部照片。Gizmodo在网站上说，加州圣马刁县警方周五从编辑Jason Chen的家中没收了几台电脑。
Gizmodo has attracted widespread publicity and some scorn for its methods-particularly its admission of payment-in obtaining the phone, which the Web site has said was left in a California bar by an Apple employee and picked by an unnamed person. The search warrant intensifies the spotlight on Gizmodo and opens new questions about the limits of journalists' legal protections.
现在的Gizmodo倍受关注，它也因为自己获取消息的手段而招来了一些批评，特别是在它承认是花钱买样机之后──该网站曾说这部手机是苹果工程师遗落在一家酒巴、而后被一不知名人士捡拾起来的。搜查令使得人们更加关注Gizmodo，并就新闻采编能在多大程度上受法律保护提出了新的疑问。
Gizmodo's parent, Gawker Media LLC, said the police seizure wasn't valid because the information on the computers is covered by federal and California journalist-protection statutes. Gizmodo on Monday posted a letter citing a section of the California penal code that protects journalists and news outlets from being held in contempt for failing to disclose 'unpublished information' and data gathered while reporting news.
Gizmodo的母公司Gawker Media说警方查没电脑的行为是没有法律依据的，因为里面所存储的信息是受到联邦及加州记者保护法案保护的。Gizmodo周一发布的信件援引了加州刑法典中相关条例，即记者及新闻机构不会因为拒绝披露在采访过程中获得的不公开数据及信息而被判定藐视法庭。
Apple didn't respond to a request for comment. Gawker Media Chief Operating Officer Gaby Darbyshire declined further comment.
苹果公司并未回复记者的置评要求。Gawker Media首席运营长戴比夏尔(Gaby Darbyshire)拒绝进一步发表评论。
Eugene Volokh, a professor and First Amendment specialist at UCLA School of Law, said journalists' legal protection may not apply if the police are seeking information that pertains directly to the commission of a crime. 'If what they're looking for is itself evidence of a crime, then I think they're entitled to do that,' he said.
加州大学洛杉矶分校(UCLA)法学院教授、宪法第一修正案(First Amendment, 译者注：该法案着重解释媒体自由问题)专家沃勒克(Eugene Volokh)说，如果警方正在寻求与犯罪直接相关的信息，那么此时记者保护法案可能并不适用。如果警方要寻找的东西本身就是罪证，那么我想他们有权这么做。
Stephen Wagstaffe, the chief deputy district attorney for San Mateo County, said authorities are waiting to search the confiscated computers. 'We are not searching it for its information until the legal situation is cleared up,' he said. Mr. Wagstaffe said the district attorney's office is investigating the case and has not decided whether to pursue charges.
圣马刁县地方检察官威格斯塔夫(Stephen Wagstaffe)说当局现在还未动手调查没收的电脑。他说，在涉及的法律问题厘清前，我们不会调取电脑中的信息。威格斯塔夫说地方检察官办公室正在调查这一案件，还未决定是否提起诉讼。
Shira Ovide
- california [,kæli´fɔ:njə]
n.加利福尼亚 (初中词汇) - obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中词汇)
- admission [əd´miʃən] n.接纳；承认 (初中词汇)
- federal [´fedərəl] a.联邦的，联邦制的 (初中词汇)
- respond [ri´spɔnd] v.回答；响应；有反应 (初中词汇)
- comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中词汇)
- amendment [ə´mendmənt] n.改正，修订；修正案 (初中词汇)
- protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中词汇)
- attorney [ə´tə:ni] n.代理人；律师 (初中词汇)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中词汇)
- pursue [pə´sju:] v.追赶；追踪；从事 (初中词汇)
- controversy [´kɔntrəvə:si] n.争论；争吵 (高中词汇)
- contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中词汇)
- disclose [dis´kləuz] vt.揭露；透露；泄露 (高中词汇)
- commission [kə´miʃən] n.委任(状) vt.委任 (高中词汇)
- deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中词汇)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中词汇)
- widespread [´waidspred] a.广布的；普遍的 (四级词汇)
- warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (四级词汇)
- specialist [´speʃəlist] n.专家 (四级词汇)
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