法律专家表示，政府为制止新冠病毒传播而采取的限制措施引发了人们的质疑，即这些措施是否可能侵犯了美国人的公民权利。
Restrictions by state governments across the country have included orders for citizens to stay home and not to gather in groups. Many businesses and stores have also been ordered to close. As a result of the closings, many people cannot work and will not be paid.
全美各州政府的限制措施包括公民居家和不聚集的命令。很多企业和商店也被下令关闭。由于关闭，许多人没法工作，也就不会得到报酬。
Some Americans have protested the orders because they say some of the restrictions violate civil rights protections.
一些美国人抗议该命令，因为他们称某些限制措施侵犯了公民权。
In New Hampshire, a member of a church brought a legal challenge to the restriction on large gatherings, saying it violates her religious rights. In Pennsylvania, the owner of a golf course brought a case arguing that the state's order to close his business amounts to an illegal seizure of private property.
新罕布什尔州一家教堂的一名成员对限制大型聚会发起了法律诉讼，称其侵犯了她的宗教权利。宾夕法尼亚州一家高尔夫球场的老板发起诉讼，称该州下令关闭他的球场相当于非法扣押私有财产。
Legal experts say such protests are likely to increase if the restrictions become stronger, are extended for longer periods and are backed by enforcement measures.
法律专家表示，如果限制措施变得更加严格，限制措施延期以及得到执法措施的背书，这类抗议活动可能会增加。
Larry Gostin is a public health lawyer at Georgetown University. He told the Associated Press that so far the orders have not included, what he calls, "draconian methods." He said those methods would include armed police blocking people's movement in the streets. It could also involve government monitoring of citizens' movements or telephone calls.
拉里·戈斯汀是乔治敦大学的公共卫生律师。他对美联社表示，到目前为止，这些命令还没有包括他所谓的“严厉措施。”他说，这些措施包括武装警察阻止人们在街上活动。它还可能涉及政府对公民活动或电话的监控。
"But we are seeing lockdowns of millions of citizens like we have never seen before," Gostin said. He added that America could be at the beginning "of something that could transform American values and freedoms."
戈斯汀表示：“但是我们看到数百万公民活动受到限制，这是我们从未见过的措施。”他还说，美国可能处于“可能改变美国价值观和自由的某些事物”的开端。
Thousands of Americans are already under orders to remain in their homes under threat of fines - or possibly jail – and businesses are losing money.
在罚款、甚至可能入狱的威胁下，成千上万的美国人受命呆在家里，企业开始亏损。
In the southern state of Kentucky, one man infected with the coronavirus recently left a hospital and refused to quarantine himself. Officials send an armed local officer to watch the man's home to make sure he did not leave.
在南部的肯塔基州，一名感染冠状病毒的男子最近离开了医院并且拒绝自我隔离。官员派出一名当地武装人员监视该男子的家，以确保他没有离家。
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear defended the action to reporters. "It's a step I hoped I'd never have to take, but we can't allow one person who we know has the virus to refuse to protect their neighbors."
肯塔基州州长安迪·贝希尔就此举向记者辩解。“我希望永远不必采取这样的措施，但是我们不能容许已知感染的个人拒绝保护自己的邻居。”
Under the U.S. Constitution, the power to order shutdowns and quarantines belongs almost entirely to U.S. states.
根据美国宪法，下令关闭和隔离的权力几乎完全属于美国各个州。
American courts have ruled over the years that the federal government itself cannot order nationwide quarantines or business closures. The U.S. government does, however, have constitutional powers to quarantine international travelers or those traveling state to state who are suspected of carrying an infectious disease.
美国法院多年来都裁定联邦政府本身不能下令全国隔离或企业关闭。但是美国政府确实具有隔离涉嫌携带传染病的国际旅客或跨州旅客的宪法权力。
Some legal scholars say if U.S. President Donald Trump did seek to order a nationwide lockdown, he would likely need to get the leaders of all 50 states to agree to the exact same restrictions.
一些法律学者表示，如果美国总统川普真试图下令全国封锁，他可能需要让全部50个州的领导人同意采取完全相同的限制措施。
But such a move does not seem likely. Trump recently said he hopes restrictions can be lifted to help the struggling U.S. economy by as early as Easter Sunday, April 12. Some state officials have warned against lifting the restrictions too soon.
但是这样的举动似乎不太可能。川普最近表示，他希望最快能够在4月12日复活节前取消限制，以帮助陷入困境的美国经济。一些州官员警告不要过早取消限制。
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he thinks the federal government is responsible for giving guidelines that states can then use to create their own policies. "What works for New York isn't necessarily going to work for Tulsa or San Antonio." Cuomo added: "The federal government isn't saying we mandate anything."
纽约州州长安德鲁·库莫表示，他认为联邦政府有责任提供指导方针，然后各州可以根据指导方针制定自己的政策。库莫表示：“对纽约有效，不一定对塔尔萨或圣安东尼奥有效。联邦政府并不代表我们授权任何事务。”
The laws guiding states in what steps they can take can be complex and difficult for judges to follow. Some of the laws are very old and may need to be changed, a report by the Congressional Research Service found.
指导各州可以采取何种措施的法律可能复杂和困难到让法官难以遵循。美国国会研究服务局的一份报告发现，其中一些法律非常古老，可能需要修改。
The laws also differ from state to state. The most severe penalty in most states for someone who violates a quarantine order - which is often backed by a court order - is no more than a year in jail. In Mississippi, it can be 10 years in some cases, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
各州的法律也不尽相同。全美州议会联合会称，大多数州对违反检疫令的人士最严厉的刑罚是监禁不超过一年，这通常需要法院命令支持。而在密西西比州的某些案例中，它可能是10年监禁。
So far, only a few Americans have brought legal challenges to the government's coronavirus restrictions. But legal experts say this small number could grow into a flood if lockdowns continue for weeks or months.
到目前为止，只有极少数美国人对政府抗击冠状病毒的限制措施发起了诉讼。但是法律专家表示，如果封锁持续数周或是数月，那么这个小数字可能就会发展成为滚滚洪流。
I'm Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·琳恩。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)