纽约时报 波音飞机安全认证内情引密切关注(2)

The F.A.A., in its approval of the plane, did not require training on the software,

联邦航空局在批准这架飞机时，并没有要求对该软件进行培训，

a sign that regulators did not see the system as critical for pilots to understand.

这一迹象表明，监管机构并不认为该系统重要到飞行员需要对其进行了解。

Nor did the F.A.A. require pilots who could fly the predecessor¹ 737 to train on a simulator in order to fly the Max.

联邦航空局也没有要求能够驾驶之前的737的飞行员在驾驶这一新机型之前在模拟器上进行训练。

Most pilots did not know about MCAS until after the Lion Air crash.

大多数飞行员都是狮航坠机后才知道MCAS系统的。

The regulators also approved the software to be triggered after receiving data from only one so-called angle-of-attack sensor².

监管机构还批准，该软件只需要一个所谓的攻角传感器接收到数据就可以触发。

The decision allowed for the system to have a single point of potential failure, a rarity in aviation safety.

这一决定就导致该系统只承认一个潜在故障点，这在航空安全领域是十分罕见的。

Most important safety systems include redundancy.

大多数重要的安全系统都含有冗余设计。

The coming software fix by Boeing will require data from both of the plane’s angle-of-attack sensors³, among other changes, according to pilots and lawmakers.

据飞行员和议员们透露，波音即将进行的软件修复就需要两个攻击角传感器的数据，除此之外软件还做了其他一些改变。

Certifying⁴ the 737 Max was a collaborative effort between the F.A.A. and Boeing.

认证737 Max这项工作是联邦航空局和波音公司的共同责任。

The regulator for decades has relied on employees at aircraft manufacturers to assist in the review process.

数十年来，该监管机构一直依赖飞机制造商的员工来协助审查过程。

In 2005, the F.A.A. delegated more authority to companies,

2005年，联邦航空管理局提升了企业方的权力，

allowing manufacturers like Boeing to select their own employees who would help with certification work.

允许波音这样的制造商选择他们自己的员工来协助认证工作。

And the 737 Max, which started going through certification process in 2012,

2012年开始认证的737 Max，

was one of the first passenger jets to be approved under this new program.

是在新规定下通过的第一批客机之一。

In regards to the F.A.A. inquiry⁵, a spokesman for the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector⁶ General

关于联邦航空局的调查，运输部监察长办公室发言人表示，

said the office was “currently developing the scope and objectives of our review”

他们“目前正在制定这次审查的范围和目标”，

and expected “to formally announce and begin our audit⁷ work as soon as possible.”

他们也期望“能尽快正式宣布并开始我们的审计工作。”

The F.A.A. declined to comment on Tuesday.

周二，联邦航空局拒绝置评。

The agency has said that its “aircraft certification processes are well established and have consistently produced safe aircraft designs,”

他们还表示，他们的“飞机认证程序是很成熟的，也一直在输出安全的飞机设计，”

and that the certification of the Max “followed the F.A.A.’s standard certification process.”

而Max的认证“也是按照联邦航空管理局的标准认证程序认证的。”

For regulators, outsourcing part of the review process was a way to stretch their resources.

对监管机构来说，将部分审查程序外包出去可以拓展资源。

For American plane manufacturers like Boeing,

而对波音这样的美国飞机制造商来说，

it was critical for speeding up the regulatory process, as they try to compete with foreign rivals.

在有外国对手竞争的情况下，加快监管进程至关重要。

1 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

2 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

3 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

4 certifying   

（尤指书面）证明( certify的现在分词 )； 发证书给…； 证明（某人）患有精神病； 颁发（或授予）专业合格证书

参考例句：

• Signed Commercial in quintuplicate, certifying merchandise to be of Chinese origin. 签署商业发票一式五份，证明产品的原产地为中国。
• Other documents certifying the truthfulness of the contents of the advertisements. （三）确认广告内容真实性的其他证明文件。

5 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。

6 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

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。