A global cat-and-mouse game involving the admitted leaker of National Security Agency secrets exploded into a diplomatic scramble, as U.S. authorities sought to catch Edward Snowden before he reached what supporters say is his next goal: political asylum in Ecuador.

一场涉及美国国家安全局(National Security Agency)泄密者斯诺登(Edward Snowden)的“全球猫鼠游戏”演变成一场外交争夺战，美国当局寻求在他获得厄瓜多尔政治庇护前将他抓捕归案。斯诺登的支持者称获得这一政治庇护是他的下一目标。

Mr. Snowden's unexpected Sunday flight to Moscow from Hong Kong exposed the apparent limits of America's diplomatic and intelligence-gathering reach. At a time when Mr. Snowden has been the subject of intense interest from U.S. authorities, they were unable to prevent his departure from a jurisdiction generally viewed as friendly to U.S. extradition requests.

周日斯诺登意外离开香港飞往莫斯科，这暴露出美国在外交和情报收集方面明显存在局限。美国当局在对斯诺登表现出强烈关注之际，未能阻止他离开香港这个通常被认为对美国引渡要求较为友善的司法辖区。

Washington had requested Hong Kong arrest Mr. Snowden in anticipation of extradition, but only found out that Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, viewed their request as 'insufficient' after Mr. Snowden had left for Moscow, a U.S. official said. According to people familiar with the case, the U.S. never asked Interpol to issue a so-called 'red notice' for Mr. Snowden, which would have triggered alerts at airports to delay, if not stop outright, his departure.

一位美国官员表示，美国政府已要求香港逮捕斯诺登，以期对他进行引渡，但在斯诺登已离开香港飞往莫斯科后，这个中国特别行政区认为美方要求“存在不足”。据知情人士透露，美国从未要求国际刑事警察组织(Interpol)对斯诺登发出所谓的“红色通缉令”，而这一指令即便不阻止他离开，也能促使机场处于戒备状态，拖延他的离开时间。

Mr. Snowden, who until May was a government contractor working at an NSA facility in Hawaii, has been hailed as a hero by some civil libertarians on the right and left after he said he disclosed the secrets to prompt a public debate about the NSA's surveillance practices. But he has begun to draw harsh bipartisan criticism for involvement with countries such as China, Russia and Ecuador, which are at odds with the U.S. on many issues, and with WikiLeaks, a group that has published U.S. secrets in the past. China and Russia also drew barbs from U.S. lawmakers Sunday, raising the prospect of new strains in America's relations with key powers at a time when President Barack Obama is seeking their help dealing with a host of foreign-policy concerns in places such as Syria, Iran and North Korea.

斯诺登被一些左翼和右翼公民自由主义者称赞为英雄，此前他表示，他披露这些机密文件是为了推动围绕美国国家安全局监控活动的公开讨论。斯诺登直到5月份还是美国政府的个承包商雇员，在美国国家安全局位于夏威夷的一处设施工作。但由于他的逃亡牵涉中国、俄罗斯和厄瓜多尔等与美国在许多问题上存在争议的国家，而且也牵涉过去曾公开美国政府机密的维基解密(WikiLeaks)，因此他已开始遭到美国两党的严厉批评。中国和俄罗斯周日也遭到美国议员的指责，这可能令美国与这些关键国家的关系出现新的压力，而目前美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)正寻求这些国家协助应对在叙利亚、伊朗和朝鲜的一系列外交政策关切。

News of Mr. Snowden's departure from Hong Kong fueled conflicting reports during the day of where he might be headed, and it sent a horde of journalists rushing to Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport to await his expected arrival there.

斯诺登离开香港的消息在当日引发数家媒体争相报道他可能前往的地点，并促使一群预计他将抵达莫斯科谢列梅捷沃国际机场(Sheremetyevo International Airport)的记者赶往该机场，等待他的到来。

No images surfaced of Mr. Snowden exiting Aeroflot flight 213 from Hong Kong. But an airport spokeswoman confirmed late Sunday that he was in the airport's 'transit zone'─where passengers await connecting flights to other countries. Passengers arriving in Moscow from abroad don't need to have a Russian visa if they are booked on a connecting flight and stay within the transit zone.

截至发稿尚没有斯诺登走出俄罗斯国际航空公司(Aeroflot)来自香港的213次航班的图片公布。但一位机场发言人周日晚间证实，斯诺登在该机场旅客等待转机前往其他国家的“过境区”。从国外抵达莫斯科的旅客如果预订的是转机机票并在过境区停留，则无需持俄罗斯签证。

Passengers on Mr. Snowden's reported flight said those on board the plane disembarked via a staircase on the runway rather than via a passenger walkway, which is unusual for big international arrivals. Two business-class passengers said they saw cars meet the plane, one of them a black-windowed, black sedan.

斯诺登据报道搭乘的航班上的旅客称，该航班的乘客是通过跑道上的楼梯而非旅客廊桥下飞机的，这在人数较多的国际航班中并不多见。两位商务舱乘客称，他们看到有轿车接机，其中有一辆黑色车窗的黑色轿车。

Russian media later reported that Mr. Snowden underwent a medical exam and was taken to a hotel inside the transit area.

俄罗斯媒体后来报道说，斯诺登进行了一次体检，后被带到过境区域的一家酒店。

The day was marked by a flurry of diplomatic and law-enforcement maneuvering, with U.S. authorities saying they had revoked Mr. Snowden's passport and asking other countries not to harbor him. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said Mr. Snowden 'should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States.'

当天发生了一系列外交斡旋和执法行动。美国有关部门说，他们已经吊销了斯诺登的护照，要求其他国家不要收容他。美国国务院发言人柏莎琪(Jennifer Psaki)说，除了把斯诺登交还给美国的必要行程之外，他不应被允许继续其国际旅行。

Mr. Obama was getting updates from national-security aides on Mr. Snowden's travels, according to a senior administration official.

美国一名高级行政官员说，奥巴马正在从多名国家安全助手那里获取有关斯诺登行踪的最新信息。

Mr. Snowden had traveled to Hong Kong from Hawaii on May 20, taking with him secret information detailing the government's mass collection of Americans' telephone-call records and its Internet surveillance program called Prism. That information formed the basis of articles in the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers that spurred intense public debate about U.S. surveillance methods.

斯诺登5月20日从夏威夷抵达香港，携带著有关政府收集的美国人大量通话记录，以及“棱镜”(Prism)互联网监控项目的具体内容的保密信息。《卫报》(Guardian)和《华盛顿邮报》(Washington Post)以这些信息为基础进行了报道，这些报道引发了公众对美国监控手段的激烈争论。

A person familiar with Mr. Snowden's case said his decision to get on a flight to Moscow was 'very sudden,' made only in the day before departing. The decision was made in consultation with WikiLeaks, which encouraged Mr. Snowden to leave the city after communicating with others about his options abroad, the person said.

一名熟悉斯诺登案的人士说，斯诺登乘飞机去莫斯科的决定非常突然，是在离开香港前一天做出的。这名人士说，斯诺登与维基解密商量之后做出了这个决定。在与其他方面交流了斯诺登在海外的选择之后，维基解密鼓励斯诺登离开香港。

'He is very independent, but also very willing to listen to advice,' the person said, adding that Mr. Snowden was concerned that any further delay would result in his detainment by Hong Kong authorities. In part, Mr. Snowden's determination to leave Hong Kong was based on the fear of losing access to the Internet─his vital link to the rest of the world─should he be detained, the person said.

这名人士说，斯诺登非常独立，但也愿意听取建议。这名人士补充说，斯诺登担心，如果有任何拖延，他可能会被香港有关部门拘捕。这名人士说，斯诺登决定离开香港的一个原因是担心一旦被捕就将无法上网，而网络是他与外部世界联系的重要方式。

One American official said the U.S. had privately requested on June 15 that Hong Kong authorities provisionally arrest Mr. Snowden in anticipation of extradition. Two days later, Hong Kong authorities acknowledged receiving the request and said the matter was under review, the U.S. official said.This past Friday, Hong Kong asked for additional details about the charges and the evidence, according to the official. U.S. officials say they were responding to that request when they learned Hong Kong had allowed him to leave.

一名美国官员说，美国曾在6月15日私下请求香港有关部门临时逮捕斯诺登，以期将其引渡到美国。这名美国官员说，两天后，香港承认收到了请求，并表示，此事正在复核之中。这名官员说，上周五，香港要求获得有关指控和证据的额外的详细信息。美国的官员们说，他们突然得知香港已经允许斯诺登离境时正在准备回应这一请求。

Hong Kong authorities said Sunday they had to let Mr. Snowden leave because there were problems with the U.S. charges. Some of the city's lawmakers had a mixed response to his departure. Legislator Alan Leong noted Mr. Snowden's presence in Hong Kong would likely further intensify local debate over cyberspying both by the U.S. and China. 'Handling it in this way really allows the two superpowers to avoid this kind of focus,' he said. 'We've lost the opportunity for such a debate now.'

香港有关部门周日说，他们必须让斯诺登离境，因为美国的指控存在问题。香港的一些议员对斯诺登的离境反应不一。议员梁家杰指出，斯诺登在香港很可能会进一步加剧香港对美国和中国内地从事的网络间谍活动的辩论。他说，这样的处理方式可以使这两个超级大国避免关注此类问题；我们现在已经失去了这样一种辩论的机会。

'For Hong Kong, this was the best option,' said Regina Ip, the city's former security secretary and a current legislator. She added that the city might not have had any other choice.

香港前保安局局长、现议员叶刘淑仪说，对于香港来说，这是最好的选择。她还补充说，香港可能没有任何其他选择。

WikiLeaks, best known for publicizing a trove of secret U.S. government cables provided by Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, said it was helping Mr. Snowden on his travel from Hong Kong to Russia and Ecuador. Whether Mr. Snowden will make it to South America was unclear late Sunday. The lack of a valid passport is not in itself enough to force the Russians to turn Mr. Snowden over to U.S. authorities.

维基解密曾因曝光了由美国陆军一等兵曼宁(Bradley Manning)提供的一系列美国政府秘密电文而广为人知。维基解密说，它正在帮助斯诺登从香港到俄罗斯和厄瓜多尔。截至周日晚间，尚不清楚斯诺登最终是否能到达南美。缺乏有效的护照本身并不足以迫使俄罗斯把斯诺登交给美国当局。

Russia's Interfax News Agency said Mr. Snowden was booked on a flight from Moscow to Cuba. The Russian airline Aeroflot has no direct flights to Ecuador.

俄罗斯国际文传电讯社(Interfax News Agency)说，从莫斯科至古巴的一个航班有斯诺登的订票信息。俄罗斯国际航空公司没有直飞厄瓜多尔的航班。

A top Ecuadoran official said that country would analyze Mr. Snowden's asylum application before making a decision.

一位厄瓜多尔高级官员说，厄瓜多尔将在分析斯诺登的政治避难申请后做出决定。

Mr. Snowden has been charged in a criminal complaint with theft of U.S. government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information. The last two charges are espionage-related, which complicated the matter.

斯诺登在刑事起诉书中被控窃取美国政府财产、未经授权泄露国家防务信息、故意泄露机密通信情报。后两项指控涉及到间谍罪，这令问题变得更加复杂。

The U.S. could have sought an Interpol red notice─the equivalent of an arrest warrant sent to its 190 member countries. But under Interpol guidelines, espionage charges are considered political, and the organization isn't permitted to get involved in a matter of a military, political, racial or religious nature, an Interpol official said.

美国本可以寻求请国际刑警组织发出红色通缉令，这相当于向该机构的190个成员国发出逮捕令。但据国际刑警组织的一位负责人说，根据该机构的指导原则，间谍罪指控被认为带有政治企图，该机构不得卷入带有军事、政治、种族或宗教性质的事件。

Douglas McNabb, a veteran extradition lawyer based in Washington, D.C., said if officials had charged Mr. Snowden initially with just the theft of government property, they could have tied Mr. Snowden down in Hong Kong, while U.S. prosecutors built a stronger case and negotiated with local authorities over possible additional charges.

华盛顿资深引渡事务律师麦克纳布(Douglas McNabb)说，如果美国政府最初只是指控斯诺登窃取政府财产，他们本可以在香港把斯诺登控制住，而美国检方可以趁此机会将案件进一步做实，与香港当局就可能的更多指控进行谈判。

'They could have gone the safe route, charged him with the theft, and then once you have him detained, they could then indict him,'' said Mr. McNabb. 'I think somebody dropped the ball. I think it was poorly done.''

麦克纳布说，他们本可以采取安全的方法，以窃取国家财产对斯诺登提出指控，等到斯诺登被捕就可以对他提起诉讼；我认为有人把事情搞砸了，这件事处理得不好。

A U.S. official said they didn't seek a red notice on Mr. Snowden because the government was already negotiating with Hong Kong, and the charges had been sealed.

一位美国官员说，他们没有寻求请国际刑警组织对斯诺登发出红色通缉令，因为美国政府当时已经在与香港方面进行谈判，所指控罪名已经确定。

On a day when U.S. authorities were forced to react to the high-profile gamesmanship of Mr. Snowden, politicians in the U.S. could do little but vent their frustration at Russia and China.

在美国当局被迫对斯诺登的高调手段做出反应之际，美国的政界人士几乎无计可施，只能向俄罗斯和中国发泄自己的不满。

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for allowing Mr. Snowden to travel there, predicting the incident would have 'serious consequences'' for diplomatic relations between the two countries.

美国纽约州民主党参议员舒默(Charles Schumer)批评俄罗斯总统普京(Vladimir Putin)允许斯诺登前往俄罗斯，他预测此事可能将给美俄外交关系带来严重后果。

Mr. Schumer also told CNN Sunday that he suspected China's leaders had a hand in allowing Mr. Snowden to leave Hong Kong.

舒默周日还对美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)说，他怀疑在斯诺登获准离开香港一事中，中国领导人也脱不了干系。

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Mr. Snowden's choice of countries undercuts his claims to be defending privacy and freedom.

南卡罗来纳州共和党参议员格雷厄姆(Lindsey Graham)说，斯诺登选择的国家削弱了他自称的捍卫隐私权和自由的说辞。

'The freedom trail is not exactly China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela. So I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there will be consequences if they harbor this guy,'' Mr. Graham told Fox News.

格雷厄姆对福克斯新闻(Fox News)说，确切地说，中国、俄罗斯、古巴和委内瑞拉并非真正的自由之路，我希望我们将追到天涯海角，将其绳之以法，让俄罗斯人知道窝藏此人是会有后果的。

Previously, Russian officials had said they would consider an asylum request from Mr. Snowden, if he made one.

此前，俄罗斯官员曾说，如果斯诺登提出政治避难的请求，他们会予以考虑。

Nanda Chitre, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Justice Department, said the agency will 'pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel.''

美国司法部发言人奇特尔(Nanda Chitre)说，司法部将寻求从斯诺登可能试图前往的其他国家获得相关执法部门的合作。