希拉里•克林顿(Hillary Clinton)呼吁中国对谷歌(Google)上周表示受到的网络攻击进行“彻底”和“透明”的调查。

　　Hillary Clinton yesterday called on China to carry out a “thorough” and “transparent” investigation into the cyberattacks that Google last week said in its announcement.

　　不过，对于网络搜索巨擘谷歌在审查问题上的姿态，美国国务卿并未给予任何直接支持。她在这场冲突将如何影响美中两国关系的问题上措辞谨慎。

　　However, the US secretary of state stopped short of offering any direct support for the web search company's gesture over censorship and trod carefully over how the clash would affect relations between the two countries.

　　希拉里是在华盛顿发表演说时做出上述评论的。美国国务院将这一演说描绘成美国支持网络公开之举。

　　Her comments were made in a speech in Washington that was billed by the state department as an initiative to throw US support behind openness online.

　　美国科技公司和互联网专家对政府的这一公开立场表示欢迎，尽管一些人警告称，美国可能难以逆转近期万维网审查急剧上升的趋势。

　　The public stance was welcomed by US technology companies and internet experts, though some warned that the US would find it hard to reverse a recent sharp rise in web censorship.

　　“从事网络攻击的国家或个人，应当面对后果和国际谴责，”希拉里表示。“在一个互联互通的世界上，对一个国家网络的攻击，可能是针对全球社会的攻击。”

　　“Countries or individuals that engage in cyberattacks should face consequences and international condemnation,” Mrs Clinton said. “In an interconnected world, an attack on one nation's networks can be an attack on all.”

　　谷歌表示，据该公司追查，上述网络攻击是12月中旬从中国发起的。一名知情人士表示，该公司正是因为相信这些攻击以某种方式得到官方认可，才威胁要撤出中国。

　　Google said it had traced attacks in mid-December to China, and one person close to the matter said it would not have threatened to pull out if it didn't believe the attacks had been sanctioned officially in some way.

　　希拉里承认，让企业站出来反对审查制度是很难的，但她接着说：“对企业来说，这个问题不止是关于占领道德制高点；归根结底，这是公司与其顾客之间的信任问题。”

　　Mrs Clinton conceded that it was hard for businesses to take a stance against censorship, but added: “For companies, this issue is about more than claiming the moral high ground; it comes down to the trust between firms and their customers.”

　　她补充说：“各国的消费者都希望能够相信，自己依赖的互联网公司将提供完整的搜索结果，并且负责任地管好用户信息。”

　　She added: “Consumers everywhere want to have confidence that the Internet companies they rely on will provide comprehensive search results and act as responsible stewards of their information.”

　　希拉里表示，她将利用美国的援助来反击审查制度，保持在线网络畅通。

　　Mrs Clinton said she would use US aid to help push back against censorship and keep online networks open.

　　一名官员补充说，美国将研究向站出来反对审查、试图保持网络畅通的海外团体提供财务及技术支持，比如去年伊朗举行有争议的大选后该国涌现的抗议团体。她说，各国的自身利益应当促使它们放松网上管制。

　　One official added that the US would look to offer financial and technical support to groups overseas that stood up to censorship and tried to keep networks open, such as the protest groups that sprang up in Iran after last year's disputed presidential election. Self-interest should prompt countries to loosen online controls, she said.