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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.
信息自由日会在每年的3月16日庆祝。这一天是美国第四任总统詹姆斯·麦迪逊的诞辰日。他推动了美国的人权法案，并鼓励政府对公民更加公开，更加诚实。麦迪逊去世于1836年，而130年之后（即1966年），信息自由法案才被通过。这项法案改变了人们了解政府信息的方式，从需要了解到有权了解。这就意味着政府变得更加透明，腐败现象减少。1986年，总统罗纳德·里根签署决议，将每年的3月16日定为信息自由日。
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.
人们能够自由了解的到底是什么样的信息呢？信息自由包含许多东西。即了解政府信息。它永远不可能完全自由。罗纳德·里根称为了保卫国家利益，一些机密是必要的。就互联网和信息技术而言，我们有保护自由表达的权力。这通常也被叫作“数字权益”。我们也有许多很难解决的问题。信息自由还会牵涉到对网络的审查制度，这又是一个让立法者头疼的雷区。在这个时代，信息给予我们力量，提高对信息的意识至关重要。
译文属可可英语原创，未经允许，不得转载。
