PBS高端访谈:潜在的爆炸威胁带来了更加严格的机场安检

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: New worries over terrorist threats are prompting American officials to take additional safety measures at a number of airports in Europe, the Middle East and Africa that have flights directly to the U.S.

　　Airports on both sides of the Atlantic ramped¹ up security after American officials warned of potential plots to smuggle² bombs on flights to the U.S. They said al-Qaida affiliates³ in Yemen and Syria are trying to make bombs that current security measures won't detect.

　　The secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson, appeared last night on MSNBC.

　　JEH JOHNSON, Secretary of Homeland Security: People shouldn't overreact to it or overspeculate about what's going on. But there clearly are concerns centered around aviation security that we need to be vigilant⁴ about. There is a terrorist threat to this country that remains⁵.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Al-Qaida's Yemen branch, known as AQAP, was behind the so-called underwear bomber⁶ on Christmas Day 2009. A Nigerian man tried and failed to set off plastic explosives inside his underwear on a flight to Detroit.

　　The following year, AQAP tried again, placing bombs in printer cartridges⁷ on cargo⁸ planes bound for the U.S. They were intercepted⁹ and disarmed¹⁰. Now the Department of Homeland Security is asking for expanded passenger screening, with special emphasis on smartphones and shoes.

　　British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged his support today.

　　DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister, United Kingdom: This is something we have discussed with the Americans, and what we have done is put in place some extra precautions and extra checks. The safety of the traveling public must come first.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Also, the U.S. Embassy in Uganda warned of a threat to attack Entebbe International Airport tonight. U.S. officials said the information came from Ugandan police.

1 ramped   

土堤斜坡( ramp的过去式和过去分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• With the arrival of George Lucas, the pace has ramped up. 随着乔治·卢卡斯的到来，速度大大加快。
• They also sold corporate bonds as the global financial crisis ramped up. 在全球金融危机加剧之际，他们还抛售了公司债券。

2 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

3 affiliates   

附属企业( affiliate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She affiliates with an academic society. 她是某学术团体的成员。
• For example, these security affiliates participated in the floating of 19,000,000,000 of issues in 1927. 例如，这些证券发行机构在1927年的流通证券中，就提供了一百九十亿美元的证券。

4 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

7 cartridges   

子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头

参考例句：

• computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
• My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。

8 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

9 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

10 disarmed   

v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
• The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械，并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》