(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
The government in Burma carries out much of its business the same way it has for years. It uses large books to record marriages, business taxes and even official documents between government agencies. But this paper-based system is going away, as ministries make the move to computers.
Myint Kyaw is head of the information department in Burma's Ministry of the Information. He is responsible for the program that aims to bring all 36 ministries online by 2015. Under the plan, each ministry will have its own web-portal and administrative software programs.
FILE - People use the use computers at an internet cafe in Rangoon, Burma, Nov. 21, 2011.
Myint Kyaw says social networks like Facebook will make it easier for government officials to connect with the public.
"So many people from our country use Facebook, very easy way to get information. To put the more information they can distribute, they can contribute personal information and organizational information." he said.
Facebook is the most widely used tool for communicating online in Burma. Only about one percent of Burma's population has an internet connection, but most of those users are believed to have Facebook accounts.
This year, only an American-based group Freedom House described the Internet in Burma as "not free". It noted barriers to availability and poor infrastructure as major problems. However, restrictions have been eased on many websites that formerly will blocked, and the most severe sentence for a violation of the electronic transactions act has been reduced from 15 to 7 years. Yet observers say Burmese officials still have a long way to go to create a free Internet environment.
Nay Phone Latt is a blogger and former political prisoner. He once was charged with crimes under the electronic transactions act. Now that he is free, he is advising the government on its communication policies. He says the government is now using the Internet to ask the public for comments, a big change from even a few years ago.
"In the earlier days, the government think they are in the higher ranks and they can decide everything; they don't need [the] people's advice...actually in a democratic society the key player is not only the government," he said.
Internet service first came to Burma in 2000, at first it was offered only to the military. Service expanded slowly and remained much too costly for most Burmese. But now people are using smartphones to go online, that helps to explain the recent jump in the number of Internet users.
And that is the Technology Report from VOA Special English. I'm June Simms.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.availability n. 可用性；有效性；实用性
One area of contention is the availability of nursery care.
争论的一个方面是提供幼儿保育的可能性。
2.block vt. 阻止；阻塞；限制
Some students today blocked a main road that cuts through the centre of the city.
一些学生今天封锁了穿过市中心的公路。
3.transaction n. 交易；事务；办理；会报，学报
The transaction is completed by payment of the fee.
交易在支付费用之后就完成了。
4.smartphone n. 智能手机
The clothes connect to the web via a smartphone.
智能衣服通过智能手机连接到了网络。
内容解析
1.Yet observers say Burmese officials still have a long way to go to create a free Internet environment.
Still have a long way 仍然有很长的路要走，仍有很长的路
Step out, you still have a long way to go.
加快步伐，你还得走很长一段路呢。
Don't be above yourself. You still have a long way to go.
不要得意忘形，你还有很长的路要走。
2.He once was charged with crimes under the electronic transactions act.
be charged with 承担，被控告；充满
Both men were charged with assault.
两人均被控侵犯他人身体罪。
The youth was charged with three counts of burglary.
那位年轻人被控犯有三次盗窃罪。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
缅甸政府多年来处理许多公务的方式都一样，使用大本子记录婚姻、营业税，甚至政府机构间的官方文档。但这种纸化系统即将消失，各部门都开始使用电脑。
Myint Kyaw是缅甸信息部情报部门负责人，他负责这个着力在2015年之前将全部36个部门上网的项目。根据该计划，每个部门将拥有自己的网络门户和行政软件项目。
Myint Kyaw说诸如脸书这样的社交网络将使得政府部门更容易与公众进行联系。
“我们国家很多人在使用脸书，很容易就获取信息了。为了传播更多信息，他们可发布更多的个人和组织信息。”
脸书是缅甸最普遍的沟通工具，只有1%的缅甸人口有互联网连接，但据悉大多数用户都有脸书账户。
今年，只有一家总部在美国的自由之家称缅甸互联网“不自由”，它指出可获得性和差的基础设施是主要问题。然而，以前被屏蔽的很多网站将被放松限制，违法电子交易最严重的判刑是已从15年减轻到7年。然而观察家称缅甸官员在创造自由的互联网环境方面仍有很远的路要走。
Nay Phone Latt是位博主，曾是政治犯。他曾被控违反电子交易法，现在已经获释，他就传播政策为政府提供咨询。他说政府现在使用互联网向公众征求意见，这与几年前相比是大的改变。
“最初政府认为他们位于高位，能决定一切，不需要公众的意见，事实上在民主社会关键的角色不仅是政府。”
互联网服务2000年进入缅甸，最初只提供给军队。互联网服务扩展缓慢，对大多数缅甸人来说仍很贵。但现在人们使用手机上网，这就解释了最近互联网用户增加的现象。
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道，我是琼·希姆斯。
