WATER IS A strategic vulnerability(战略弱点), a fact that is not news to military commanders. When the Ostrogoths(东哥特人，古代日耳曼部落) wanted to cripple(使瘫痪，削弱) Rome in 537, they destroyed its aqueduct(引水渠，渡槽)s. More recently, water infrastructure has been an important target in America’s conflict with Iran, despite international laws classifying such attacks as potential war crimes.(最近，水基础设施一直是美国与伊朗冲突中的重要目标，尽管国际法将此类攻击归类为潜在战争罪。) In March Donald Trump threatened to “completely obliterate…possibly all” of Iran’s desalination(海水淡化) facilities, which are essential to life in the country’s arid southern provinces. Iran says that one such facility was bombed on Qeshm island. Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have had their own water plants struck by missiles, presumed to have come from Iran.
水是一种战略弱点，这一点对军事指挥官来说并不新鲜。公元537年，东哥特人想削弱罗马时，摧毁了它的引水渠。更近一些，在美国与伊朗的冲突中，水基础设施一直是重要目标，尽管国际法将此类攻击定性为潜在战争罪。今年3月，唐纳德·特朗普威胁要“彻底摧毁……可能全部”伊朗的海水淡化设施，这些设施对伊朗干旱南部省份的生存至关重要。伊朗称，格什姆岛上的一处此类设施遭到轰炸。巴林、科威特和阿联酋的供水厂也遭到导弹袭击，据推测来自伊朗。
It was therefore noteworthy(值得注意的), but should have come as no surprise, when America’s own water facilities came under attack(遭到攻击) this summer. On July 27th Maple Plain, near Minneapolis, declared an emergency(宣布进入紧急状态). That same day the Clayton County Water Authority in Georgia, which serves 300,000 people south of Atlanta, asked customers to boil their water after a drop in pressure caused disruption.(同一天，佐治亚州的克莱顿县水务局（服务亚特兰大以南30万人）在压力下降导致供水中断后，要求用户煮沸饮用水。) In all, hackers wormed their way into(悄悄潜入) water and waste-water facilities in at least seven American states; some reports suggest more than 12. Minnesota was hardest hit, with 30 community water systems affected. American officials’ early assessments suggest that groups affiliated(有关联的) with Iran are responsible.
因此，当美国自己的供水设施今年夏天遭到攻击时，这值得注意，但也不应令人意外。7月27日，明尼阿波利斯附近的梅普尔普莱恩宣布进入紧急状态。同一天，佐治亚州的克莱顿县水务局（服务亚特兰大以南30万人口）在压力下降导致供水中断后，要求用户煮沸饮用水。总的来说，黑客侵入了至少七个美国州的水和废水处理设施；一些报道称超过12个。明尼苏达州受灾最严重，有30个社区供水系统受到影响。美国官员的初步评估表明，与伊朗有关联的组织应对此负责。
Hacks can disrupt(扰乱，中断) water supply and make water unsafe to drink, though none of the recent attacks is thought to have done so. The question is whether politicians will, at last, move to deter(威慑，阻止) hackers before their next big onslaught(猛攻，攻击). On August 13th Amy Klobuchar and Adam Schiff, a pair of Democratic senators, introduced(提出（法案）) the Water Cyber Shield Act,which includes more power for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(美国环境保护署). But on August 19th federal officials had already issued a new warning: hackers were trying to breach(攻破，突破) Siemens devices used in water facilities and other critical infrastructure.
黑客攻击可以扰乱供水，使水不适合饮用，尽管最近的攻击中没有一个被认为造成了这种后果。问题是，政客们是否会最终采取行动，在黑客下一次大规模进攻之前威慑他们。8月13日，民主党参议员艾米·克洛布彻和亚当·希夫提出了《水网络盾牌法案》，该法案赋予环境保护署（EPA）更多权力。但8月19日，联邦官员已经发布了新的警告：黑客正试图攻破用于水设施和其他关键基础设施的西门子设备。