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It's the open secretthat nobody in government wants to talk about: That cherished presidential signature that's tucked awayin a scrapbook or framed for all to see might never have passed under the president's hand. 这是美国政府内部一个“公开的秘密”，但没有人愿意谈及：很多人收藏在剪贴簿，或者装裱起来供众人欣赏的总统签名可能是自动签名机代劳的。 For decades, presidents of both parties have let an autopendo some of the heavy liftingwhen it comes to scrawling their signatures. The machine was recently put to use signing a bill into law, apparently a first. 几十年以来，两党各总统在需要完成繁重的签名任务时，自动签名机就派上了用场。不久前，自动签名机还被用于签署一项法案，这在美国历史上还属首次。 Overseas and out of reach when lawmakers passed an extension of certain provisions of the Patriot Act, President Barack Obamaemployed the autopen to sign it, a step the White House has been mum aboutever since. 美国国会近日通过一项法案，涉及扩大部分《爱国者法》所设权力。但奥巴马当时身处海外，于是下令用自动签名机替他签署法案。白宫对此事一直闭口不谈。 "I always heard the autopen was the second most guarded thing in the White House after the president," says Jack Shock, who had permission to wield former President Bill Clinton's autopen as his director of presidential letters and messages. | 
