From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.
这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。

President Obama this week found himself on the defensive on three different issues. Political observers say the issues could threaten his plan of action for his second term as president.
奥巴马总统本周发现自己在三个不同问题上都处于被动。政治观察家表示，这些问题可能会威胁到他总统第二任期的行动计划。

Critics say the most serious threat right now to the Obama administration involves the federal tax agency, the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has admitted that agency officials targeted conservative political groups which sought to become tax-exempt. Organizations that are tax-exempt do not have to pay federal taxes. The groups targeted for special attention by the IRS oppose many of the administration's spending and tax policies.
批评人士称，目前对奥巴马政府最大的威胁涉及到了联邦税务机构--美国国家税务局（简称IRS）。该局已经承认故意刁难寻求免税的保守派政治团体。免税团体无需缴纳联邦税。这些遭国税局特殊对待的团体反对政府的大部分支出和税收政策。

Late Wednesday, the president announced that Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had asked for and received the resignation of the acting director of the IRS. Mr. Obama spoke after meeting with top officials to discuss a report from the Treasury Department inspector general.
周三晚些时候，奥巴马总统宣布，财政部长杰克·卢（Jack Lew）已经要求国税局代局长辞职，并已收到其辞呈。奥巴马在和高层官员会面讨论了财政部检察长的报告后做出了上述表示。

"I've reviewed the Treasury Department watchdog's report, and the misconduct that it uncovered is inexcusable. It is inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it."
他说，“我已经审阅了财政部检察人员的报告，报告所揭露出来的不当行为是不可原谅的。美国人有权生气，我也非常生气。”

Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a criminal investigation of the actions by the IRS. On Thursday, the president said he did not know about the abuses until they were described in news reports last week.
总检察长埃里克·霍尔德（Eric Holder）已经下令对国税局的行为展开刑事调查。奥巴马总统周四表示，在上周新闻报道之前，他对这一职权滥用毫无所知。

The administration is also on the defensive over the Justice Department's seizure of telephone records from the Associated Press news agency. The AP said on Monday that the government secretly obtained two months of phone records for some of its reporters and editors.
政府在司法部截取美联社电话记录一事上也处于被动。美联社周一表示政府秘密获取了一些记者和编辑两个月的电话记录。

Administration officials say the Justice Department is investigating who may have provided information for an AP story last year. The story described an American intelligence operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida bomb plot.
政府官员表示，司法部正在调查谁为美联社去年的一条新闻提供了信息。该新闻描述了美国在也门阻止基地组织炸弹阴谋的一次情报行动。

On Tuesday, reporters questioned White House Press Secretary Jay Carney about the phone records. He said President Obama supports the constitutional right of freedom of the press.
本周二，记者就电话记录一事向白宫秘书杰伊·卡尼（Jay Carney）提出质疑。他表示，奥巴马总统支持新闻自由的宪法权利。

"The president is committed to the press's ability to pursue information, to defending the First Amendment. He is also, as a citizen and as commander-in-chief, committed to the proposition that we cannot allow classified information that can do harm to our national security interests or to endanger individuals to be leaked. And that is a balance that has to be struck."
他说，“奥巴马总统赞成新闻媒体获取新闻的能力，捍卫宪法第一修正案。作为一位公民与统帅，他也主张我们不能允许危害国家安全利益或危及个人的机密信息被泄漏。我们必须找到平衡。”

Attorney General Holder said he had no direct involvement in the Justice Department's examination of the phone records. He said the seizure was part of an investigation into what he called a grave national security leak. President Obama said he makes "no apologies" for a criminal investigation into national security leaks.
司法部长霍尔德表示，他没有直接参与司法部对电话记录的检查。他说，这是针对他所谓的国家安全严重泄漏的调查的一部分。奥巴马总统表示，他不会就这一针对国家安全泄漏的刑事调查道歉。

Also this week, the administration released 100 pages of e-mails about the attacks on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador Chris Stephens and three other Americans died in the attacks last September 11.
同样是在本周，美国政府发布了有关利比亚班加西市外交使团袭击的100页电子邮件。大使克里斯·斯蒂芬斯（Chris Stephens）和其他三名美国人在去年9月11日的这次袭击中丧生。

Administration officials first described the events in Benghazi as a spontaneous attack, with no sign of a plot. But they later called it an act of terrorism. Republicans say the administration wanted to avoid admitting it was terrorism while Mr. Obama was seeking re-election.
政府官员最初认为班加西的袭击事件是一次自发行动，没有阴谋迹象。但他们随后称其为恐怖主义行动。共和党人表示，在当时奥巴马寻求连任之际，政府想要避免承认这是恐怖主义。