D(ata) Day: Europe's new privacy law
① When, around two years ago, the European Union adopted the General Data Protection Regulation, many dismissed its tough new privacy law as another piece of unnecessary bureaucracy.
② But as the GDPR comes into force today, it is widely seen in a different light.
③ Many firms admit that efforts to comply have forced them finally to organise the reams of personal data they have stored.
④ And consumers are being asked politely in emails whether they wish to keep receiving this or that newsletter.
⑤ To be sure, the new law is dizzying and will lead to many complications down the line.
⑥ But, for now, Europe is much better prepared to protect its citizens' data than America, which stumbles from one privacy crisis to another.
⑦ Its latest plague is "robocalls" computers bombarding people with increasingly personalised marketing messages.
⑧ In April 3.4bn such calls were placed, up more than a third on the same month last year.
词句:
D day: (军事术语)发起某一次作战或行动的第一天
adopt /əˈdɒpt/: vt. 正式通过/批准(法令、决议等);采纳(建议等)
General Data Protection Regulation: 通用数据保护条例
dismiss /dɪsˈmɪs/: vt. 对……不予理睬;将(某想法)摒弃(常用搭配:dismiss sth. as sth.)
bureaucracy /ˌbjʊ(ə)ˈrɒkrəsi/: n. 官僚主义
come into force: 生效
in a different light = in a different way: 以不同的角度/方式
comply /kəmˈplʌɪ/: vi. 遵守;遵从
reams of /riːmz/: 海量的;大量的
newsletter /ˈnjuːzlɛtə/: n. 简报;简讯
to be sure: 必须要承认(让步承认某个事实)
dizzying /ˈdɪziɪŋ/: adj. 令人困惑的
dizzy /ˈdɪzi/: adj. 头晕的;困惑不解的 vt. 使困惑
complication /kɒmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/: n. 麻烦;纠纷
down the line: 将来
stumble /ˈstʌmb(ə)l/: vi. 绊倒;跌跌撞撞、蹒跚而行
plague /pleɪɡ/: n. 麻烦;瘟疫 vt. 困扰;折磨(常用搭配:be plagued with)
robocall /ˈrəʊbəʊkɔːl/: n. 自动语音电话
bombard /bɒmˈbɑːd/: vt. 轰炸(使人应接不暇)
译: