Computer technology company Microsoft has brought a legal case against the U.S. government.
计算机科技公司微软公司状告美国政府。
Microsoft says a law that permits agencies to demand to read emails or online files without their owners' knowledge violates the Constitution.
微软表示，允许联邦机构在文件所有者不知情的情况下要求阅读电子邮件或在线文件违反了宪法。
The Reuters news agency reports that the company believes the government's actions violate the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. That amendment bans "unreasonable searches and seizures."
路透社报道称，该公司认为政府的行为违反了美国宪法第四修正案。该修正案禁止“无理搜查和扣押”。
Reuters also reports that Microsoft says the law violates the company's First Amendment right to free speech.
路透社还报道称，微软公司称这项法律侵犯了该公司根据美国宪法第一修正案拥有的言论自由的权利。
The law in question is the Electronics Communications Privacy Act of 1986. It permits government investigators to examine emails and other electronic files without telling the owners of the documents. In most cases, a judge must give the investigators permission to do so.
我们所谈论的这部法律是1986年实行的《电子通信隐私法案》。该法案允许政府调查人员在不通知文件所有者的情况下检查电子邮件和其它电子文件。在大多数案例中，法官必须授权调查人员这样做。
Microsoft says the law was written before distant computer data storage centers, known as the cloud, were developed.
微软表示，该法案是在远程计算机数据存储中心，也就是云储存中心被开发出来之前制定的。
Microsoft is a major operator of cloud storage for computers. It says the government is using the new technology to increase its power.
微软是一家计算机云储存的重要运营商。该公司表示，政府正利用新技术提升自己的权力。
The Justice Department says it is studying the lawsuit. Daniel Rosenthal is a former U.S. attorney. He told the Associated Press news agency that forcing the government to tell the owners of files that they are being examined could hurt law enforcement efforts. He says doing so would let "child molesters, domestic abusers, violent criminals and terrorists" know that their emails and files are being read.
美国司法部表示正在研究这起诉讼。丹尼尔·罗森塔尔（Daniel Rosenthal）是一位前美国检察官。他对美联社表示，迫使政府告知文件所有者他们正被调查会损害执法工作。他说，这样做会让“儿童性骚扰者、家庭暴力施暴者、暴力罪犯和恐怖分子”知道他们的电子邮件或文件正被查阅。
Microsoft Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith said he understands that there are times when it is important not to tell people their files are being read. But he said "people should not lose their right(s) just because they are storing their information in the cloud."
微软副总裁兼法律总顾问布拉德·史密斯（ Brad Smith）表示，他知道，有时候不告诉人们他们的文件正被查阅非常重要。但是他表示，“人们不应该仅仅因为把自己的信息储存在云上而失去他们的权利”。
Microsoft says it received more than 5,600 federal demands for access to files between September 2014 and March 2015. It says more than half of the requests did not permit the company to tell the owners of the files that their information was being read.
微软表示2014年9月到2015年3月期间，该公司收到了联邦政府5600份访问资料的要求。该公司表示，其中一半以上的请求不允许该公司通知文件所有者他们的信息正被查阅。
I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.
我是克里斯托弗·琼斯克鲁斯。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)