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Freedom of Information Day is celebrated every year on March 16. This is the day on which the 4th United States President James Madison was born. He was behind America’s Bill of Rights, which encourages government to be open and honest with its people. James Madison died in 1836 and it took 130 years following his death for the Freedom of Information Act to pass into law in 1966. The Act changed the way the people had access to government information from a need to know basis to a right to know basis. It meant government became more transparent and less corrupt. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a resolution that made March 16 Freedom of Information Day.
信息自由日會在每年的3月16日慶祝。這一天是美國第四任總統詹姆斯·麥迪遜的誕辰日。他推動了美國的人權法案，并鼓勵政府對公民更加公開，更加誠實。麥迪遜去世于1836年，而130年之后（即1966年），信息自由法案才被通過。這項法案改變了人們了解政府信息的方式，從需要了解到有權了解。這就意味著政府變得更加透明，腐敗現象減少。1986年，總統羅納德·里根簽署決議，將每年的3月16日定為信息自由日。
What information is it exactly that people should have free access to? Freedom of information is many things. It is the accessibility of information held by governments. This is never total freedom. Ronald Reagan said that some privacy and secrecy was necessary to protect national interests. There is also the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology. This is often called digital rights. These are so new there are many issues that are difficult to resolve. Freedom of information also concerns censorship on the Web, another minefield for legislators to deal with. In an age where information gives people power, it is more and more important to be aware of this day.
人們能夠自由了解的到底是什么樣的信息呢？信息自由包含許多東西。即了解政府信息。它永遠不可能完全自由。羅納德·里根稱為了保衛國家利益，一些機密是必要的。就互聯網和信息技術而言，我們有保護自由表達的權力。這通常也被叫作“數字權益”。我們也有許多很難解決的問題。信息自由還會牽涉到對網絡的審查制度，這又是一個讓立法者頭疼的雷區。在這個時代，信息給予我們力量，提高對信息的意識至關重要。
譯文屬可可英語原創，未經允許，不得轉載。
