關於網絡中立（中英對照）

Net Neutrality

　　Net neutrality is the principle that data packets on the Internet should be moved impartially, without regard to content, destination or source. Net neutrality is sometimes referred to as the “First Amendment of the Internet.”

　　In the United States, high-speed Internet carriers, including AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon, are seeking legislative support for a two-tiered Internet service model. In a two-tiered model, carriers would be able to charge owners of Web sites a premium fee for priority placement and faster speed across their pipes. Those opposing the carriers argue that the Internet was designed to work in a traffic-neutral way and has become what it is, to some extent, because of that neutrality. They would like to see Congress pass a telecom reform bill that contains language in favor of Net neutrality.

　　Critics of the two-tiered model fear that the extra costs incurred for premium service would be passed down to the consumers. They point out that small, independent sites, such as personal blogs, are on an even playing field with large, corporately-owned sites in a Net-neutral environment but might be unable to compete in a tiered service model. Editors at the popular SaveTheInternet.com Web site explain, “The Internet has thrived because revolutionary ideas like blogs, Wikipedia or Google could be started on a shoestring and attract huge audiences simply because their users found the sites valuable. Without Net neutrality the pipeline owners will choose the winners and losers on the Web.”

　　Proponents of the two-tiered model point out that a tiered business model already exists: consumers have a choice of using a slower dial-up service or paying a premium price for faster speed over cable or DSL. Providers argue that if that two-tiered business model is applied to site owners as well as users, carriers will be able to offer more services like Internet-based cable TV programming and video at competitive rates. They maintain that legislation protecting Net neutrality would be a unnecessary barrier to the Internet tradition of innovation and free enterprise.

　　Two-tiered Internet refers to proposed changes in Internet architecture that would give priority to the traffic of those who have paid for premium service. Inherent in the model is the possibility for discrimination between different types of content and services. For example, high speed ISPs might favor classified listings from corporate partners instead of other, unaffiliated partners. The two-tiered Internet is already being implemented on a small scale by some Internet service providers (ISPs).

　　The proposed changes conflict with one of the fundamental concepts of the Internet, network neutrality. In a neutral model, traffic is traffic: no preference is given on the basis of source or content. The inherent democratic nature of net neutrality has enabled the Internet to develop as it has, toward the increasingly user-defined model that is sometimes referred to as Web 2.0.

　　At a recent conference on the future development of the Web, Tim Berners-Lee spoke out against the two-tiered model:"What's very important from my point of view is that there is one web. Anyone that tries to chop it into two will find that their piece looks very boring."

網絡中立

　　網絡中立原則是指因特網上的數據包不琯其內容、去処或來源應該一律平等地傳輸。有時，網絡中立也是指“因特網優先改善”。

　　在美國，高速因特網運營商，如AT&T、Comcast、時代華納、Verizon，正在尋求立法機搆對兩層因特網服務模型的支持。在這兩層模型中，運營商能對網站擁有者優先和以更高速度使用他們的網絡征收額外的費用。而反對承載商的人則認爲因特網是設計成按流量中立的方式工作的，在一定程度上由於這種中立性，因特網就成了今天這個樣子。他們希望看到（美國）國會通過一個有利於網絡中立詞語的電信改革法案。

　　兩層模型的批評者擔心，附加服務的額外費用會轉嫁到消費者的頭上。他們指出，在網絡中性的環境中，小型的獨立網站，如個人博客網站，可以與大型的、公司擁有的網站共生共存，但是在兩層的服務模型中，他們可能無法競爭。流行的SaveTheInternet.com網站的編輯稱，“由於一些革命性的新思想，如博客、維基百科（Wikipedia）或穀歌（Google），可以用零星的資金啓動，吸引大量的觀衆，因爲用戶認爲（它們）有用，所以因特網訢訢曏榮。沒有網絡中立，通信琯道擁有者將挑選出Web上的勝利者和失敗者。”