VOA标准英语2015--先进技术改变飞机驾驶舱

Advanced Technology Changing Aircraft Cockpits 先进技术改变飞机驾驶舱

Thanks to the seemingly unstoppable advance of electronic and mechanical devices, aircraft manufacturers are constantly upgrading the cockpit environment and the passenger cabin, making flying the plane and traveling in it easier, and more pleasurable. Some of these innovations were on display at the recent International Air Show in Paris.

Aircraft cockpits have changed considerably² over the past half century. The yoke-shaped control columns were replaced with joysticks, first developed for computer games.

Analog³ clock-like instruments have given way to electronic displays with touch-sensitive screens.

Honeywell Aerospace⁴ Vice¹ President Ken⁵ Snodgrass said his company is testing its advanced cockpit in a small passenger jet.

“It has four very large screens, and you'll see things are set up to be very, very graphical. So, not like the older cockpits where you had a lot of button pushes. There's a lot more now like you use on your mobile phone and also for your tablets,” said Snodgrass.

Visually simplified information, displayed on small screens in front of a pilot’s eye, will enable pilots to quickly grasp a situation and make the best possible decisions, said Thales Avionics Marketing⁶ Director Richard Perrot.

“This system is based on our [more than] 20 years of experience within the military field on helmet-mounted display systems, and for the first time we will introduce it on commercial aircraft,” said Perrot.

Thales’ senior development engineer Sylvain Moos said similar changes are coming to air traffic control centers.

“We have no keyboard, no mouse. The controller is interacting with the system through the gaze information [eye tracking technology] and the touchscreen,” said Moos.

Manufacturers are not forgetting the passengers. Video displays in the back of passenger seats will offer real-time connectivity and much more entertainment than today.

Senior manager for Panasonic Avionics, Matthias Walther, said the goal is to make the passenger feel almost at home.

“What we're close to really delivering is the seamless travel process for the passenger. So there's no difference between the experience that you have on the ground and the experience you have on the aircraft,” he said.

Exhibitors at the Paris Air Show say that by 2020, cockpits in most passenger aircraft will have advanced touch-sensitive screens, while pilots will wear head-mounted displays.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

3 analog   

n.类似物，模拟

参考例句：

• The analog signal contains high-frequency video information,which helps make up the picture.模拟信号包括有助于构成图像的高频视频信息。
• The analog computer measures continuously,without proceeding step by step.模拟计算机不是一步一步地进行，而是连续地进行量度。

4 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。

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。