外国计算机黑客正在瞄准美国的选举系统，这不是什么秘密。
Government officials believe Russian agents searched for weaknesses in election systems in all 50 U.S. states during the presidential election in 2016. But if hackers were able to interfere in U.S. elections in 2020, voters and some public officials may not learn about it until much later.
政府官员认为俄罗斯特工在2016年的美国总统大选中，查找了美国所有50个州的选举系统的弱点。但是，如果黑客能够干预2020年美国大选，选民和一些公职人员可能要很久以后才知道。
Government officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation – or, FBI – usually investigate computer hacking. But they are not required to share information when an election system is hacked. And they must follow rules about protecting the identities of possible victims.
美国联邦调查局的政府官员常常调查计算机黑客。但是当选举系统遭到黑客入侵时，他们无需公布信息。他们必须遵守保护潜在受害者身份的规定。
The Associated Press has reported that the situation can be difficult for election officials. They want to know about hacking efforts so they can protect their systems. But they do not want their agencies to look bad. And they do not want to create chaos and confusion, which is what hackers are seeking.
美联社报道称，这种状况可能让选举官员们很难办。他们想要知道黑客行为的有关信息，这样他们就能保护自身的选举系统。但是他们不希望破坏本机构的形象。他们也不想造成混乱，而这正是黑客们所追求的效果。
In general, election agencies can decide whether and whom to tell that their systems have been hacked.
通常选举机构可以决定是否公布系统被入侵，以及由谁来公布。
Jena Griswold is a public official in Colorado. Her state urges local election officials to tell the government if they suspect a cyberattack.
耶娜·格利斯沃尔德是科罗拉多州的一名公职人员。该州督促地方官员如果怀疑网络受到攻击要上报政府。
"Every American in this nation deserves to have a democracy they can believe in..." she said. Griswold believes better communication about possible hacking will help voters trust that the systems are working.
她说：“所有美国人都应该拥有一个他们可以信任的民主国家。”格利斯沃尔德认为，对可能的黑客行为进行更好的沟通将会有助于让选民相信该系统在有效运行。
Government officials who are dealing with the problem say communication about election security has become better in the last two years. They are trying to balance the importance of privacy about criminal cases, and the need for voters to feel that the elections are free and fair. Last June, a public opinion study found that a majority of Americans said they worried voting systems might not be protected against hackers.
处理这个问题的政府官员表示，过去两年选举安全方面的沟通变得更好了，他们试图平衡刑事案件隐私权的重要性和选民感觉选举自由公正的需求。去年6月，一些民意调查发现，大多数美国人表示，他们担心投票系统无法防住黑客。
Matt Dietrich is a spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections. In 2016, Russian hackers broke into the state's voter registration database. State officials moved quickly to shut down the system and prevent the hackers from gaining more information.
马特·迪特里希是伊利诺伊州选举委员会的发言人。2016年，俄罗斯黑客侵入了该州的选民注册数据库。州官员迅速采取行动关闭了系统，并阻止了黑客获得更多信息。
Election officials in Illinois told the public about the hack. But most people quickly lost interest in it, Dietrich said.
伊利诺伊州选举官员公开了这次入侵行为。但是迪特里希称大部分人对此很快失去了兴趣。
He believes 2020 will be different. If foreign hackers attack U.S. voting systems, "it will be a national and worldwide story," Dietrich said. He believes everyone will be watching what happens this time.
他认为2020年将会有所不同。迪特里希表示，如果外国黑恶攻击美国的投票系统，“这将是全国性乃至全球性的新闻。”他相信大家都将会盯着这次会发生什么。
I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
我是凯莉·吉恩·凯莉。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)