纽约时报 波音飞机安全认证内情引密切关注(1)

How Boeing's Jet was Deemed Safe Gets a Closer Look

波音飞机安全认证内情引密切关注

As regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration reviewed designs for Boeing’s newest passenger jet,

美国联邦航空管理局的监管人员审查波音最新客机的设计时，

they paid extra attention to several features, including the lithium batteries, the pressure fueling system and the inflatable safety slides.

他们特别留意了包括锂电池、压力加油系统和充气安全滑梯等特征。

One feature that did not receive exceptional scrutiny¹: a new software system intended to prevent stalls.

但有一个特征没有被特别审查，这个特征就是该机型上预防失速的一款新的软件系统。

That same software is suspected of playing a role in two deadly crashes involving the same jet, the Boeing 737 Max.

而这一软件疑似在两起致命坠机事件，都涉及了波音737 Max这一机型，中都发挥了一定的作用。

Authorities around the world are now taking a closer look at the jet’s approval by the F.A.A.,

目前，世界各地的有关部门都在密切关注这架飞机是如何获得联邦航空管理局的批准的问题，

a process that relies heavily on Boeing employees to certify² the safety of the plane.

而获得联邦航空管理局的批准又严重依赖于波音员工对飞机安全性的认证。

The 737 Max was one of the first commercial jets approved under new rules,

播音737 Max是在新规定下拿到批准的首批商用机型之一，

which delegated more authority to Boeing than had been the case when most previous planes were certified³.

而新规定赋予波音的权力比以往大多数飞机获得认证时所获得的权力要大。

And the software system did not raise warnings during the approval process.

而且，该软件系统在审批过程中也没有引发警告。

Top F.A.A. officials, who are briefed on significant safety issues, were not aware of the software system,

联邦航空管理局的高级官员，如果有重大安全问题是会向他们汇报的，对这个软件系统并不知情，

according to three people with knowledge of the process.

据三位知情人士透露。

The United States transportation secretary, Elaine L. Chao, on Tuesday called for her agency’s internal watchdog to open an inquiry⁴ into the process,

周二，交通部长赵小兰要求交通部的内部监督机构对审批过程展开调查，

saying that “safety is the top priority of the department.”

她说：“安全是我们交通部的第一要务。”

Lawmakers in the United States are similarly pushing for a review,

加拿大已经开始就他们对这架飞机获得的美国认证的认可展开调查，

while Canada is looking into its approval of the plane’s American certification.

美国国内的立法者们同样也在推动一项审查工作。

The scrutiny adds to the pressure at Boeing, an aerospace⁵ giant with a strong safety record.

这一轮审查进一步加大了波音公司的压力，因为这家航空巨头原本有着良好的安全记录。

The 737 Max, its best-selling jet, has more than 4,600 pending⁶ orders,

波音最畅销的737 Max机型如今还有4600多个待执行的订单，

which are expected to bring in hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years.

这些订单预计将在未来几年内给波音带来数千亿美元的收入。

The plane is now grounded as the company races to come up with a fix to the software.

该机型现已停飞，波音公司也在加紧修复该软件。

It is unclear when the jet will start flying again.

目前还不清楚这架飞机何时才能再次起飞。

A spokesman for Boeing said the manufacturer would cooperate with the audit⁷ by the Department of Transportation.

波音公司某发言人表示，该公司会配合美国交通部的审计。

It has defended the certification process for the jet,

该公司也为这架飞机的安全认证过程进行了辩护，

saying that “the 737 Max was certified in accordance with the identical F.A.A. requirements and processes that have governed certification of all previous new airplanes and derivatives⁸.”

称“737 Max是根据联邦航空管理局认证此前所有新飞机和衍生品的那些要求和流程认证的。”

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

3 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

4 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

5 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

8 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句