VOA常速英语2016--埃及航空公司灾难警示美国重新关注航空安全

In US, EgyptAir Disaster Prompts Renewed Focus on Aviation Security 埃及航空公司灾难警示美国重新关注航空安全

WASHINGTON—

Washington is refocused on aviation security after last week’s EgyptAir disaster over the Mediterranean¹ that killed all 66 on board the flight from Paris to Cairo. Although the cause of the deadly crash has yet to be determined³, U.S. lawmakers are renewing demands that airport screening be both thorough and speedy.

The EgyptAir disaster raises questions and concerns at a time when U.S. air travelers already experience record lines and delays passing through security. Some lawmakers are pointing a finger at Islamic State for last week’s crash.

就在埃航空难再次引发人们关注航空安全问题之际，美国航空旅行的乘客们却经历着通过安全检查时创纪录的排长队及长时间的拖延。一些议员认定上周的坠机事件是极端恐怖组织“ISIS”所为。

“We know they successfully took down an airliner⁴ flying from Egypt to Russia,” said Republican Congressman⁵ Ed Royce on ABC-TV’s This Week program. “We know that they are working on a bomb that’s undetectable.”

“我们知道他们成功地击落一架从埃及飞往俄罗斯的飞机。埃及航空公司灾难警示美国重新关注航空安全 欲加强机场安检.jpg我们知道他们正在研究制造一枚不能被安全系统检测到的炸弹。”

If lawmakers are assuming a heightened terrorist threat until evidence proves otherwise, pressure will mount on federal airport screeners, widely reported to be understaffed and overburdened even on the best of days.

议员们推断恐怖威胁程度提高了，而直到有证据证明他们这样的推断不成立,那联邦机场的安检人员将会一直面临巨大压力,据广泛报道安检存在人手不足,即使最好的情况下也面临不堪重负的问题。

“One of the difficulties we’ve had is with a great deal of turnover⁶ at TSA, and there are certainly management problems at TSA,” Royce added.

“我们的困难之一是TSA的人员流动性过大,当然还有管理方面的问题。”

Last year, reports surfaced that federal screeners had failed to detect fake weapons and explosives in an alarming percentage of tests. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) insists that gaps and vulnerabilities have been fixed⁷.

Complex task

“We have retrained our entire workforce⁸, corrected procedures, improved our technology and analyzed⁹ systemic issues,” said TSA Administrator¹⁰ Peter Neffenger testifying on Capitol Hill earlier this year. “I am also confident that TSA is able to deter², detect and disrupt threats to our aviation system.”

“我们已经重新训练全部人员,修正程序,改进我们的技术及分析系统问题的能力，”美国运输安全管理局坚称已经堵住了去年安全检查中暴露出的无法发现及存在的安全漏洞。“我也相信TSA能够阻止,检测出及瓦解对我们航空系统的威胁。”

Security may be improved, but tempers have been flaring¹¹ at U.S. airports with some travelers waiting hours to board their flights, or missing flights because of long security check lines.

安全检查机制可能会得到改善,但一些旅客仍在美国机场滞留等待数小时才能登机，这样的愤怒还没有得到平息。

“On the one hand, we are looking for 100 percent security,” said Republican Senator Ron Johnson at a hearing where TSA whistleblowers came forward. “On the other hand, we are looking for complete efficiency so that lines don’t back up. It’s an enormously complex and difficult task.”

“一方面,我们正在寻找100%的安全检测方法。另一方面,我们也在寻找不用长时间排队等待就能完成检查的效率。而这是一项非常复杂且十分艰巨的任务。”

As America enters the busy summer travel season, the White House has a simple message – safety comes first.

随着美国进入繁忙异常的夏季旅游旺季,白宫方面传达出一项简明扼要的信息-那就是安全第一。

“Obviously, our first priority is making sure that people are safe,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Friday. “TSA must continue its rigorous security screenings and we're not going to lower our standards for the sake of convenience.”

“很明显,我们的首要任务是确保人民的安全。TSA必须继续秉承一贯的严格安全检查,我们不会出于方便考虑就降低我们的标准。”

Once pinpointed¹², the cause of the EgyptAir disaster may or may not heighten concerns about the ability of terrorists to down airliners¹³. But lawmakers aren’t waiting and will be pressing for answers at hearings this week.

一旦查明埃及航空公司空难的真正原因，恐怖分子击落飞机的能力可能引发人们的担忧，也可能不会。但议员们不会就此等待,本周的听证会上他们就会进行施压得到期望的答案。

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

7 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

8 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

9 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

11 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

12 pinpointed   

准确地找出或描述( pinpoint的过去式和过去分词 )； 为…准确定位

参考例句：

• His refusal to help simply pinpointed his cowardice. 他拒绝帮助正显示他的胆小。
• Computers pinpointed where the shells were coming from. 计算机确定了炮弹发射的位置。

13 airliners   

n.客机，班机( airliner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fog grounded the airliners. 大雾迫使班机停飞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They placed very stable and accurate atomic clocks on regularly scheduled jet airliners. 他们将非常稳定、准确的原子钟装在定期飞行的喷气式班机上。 来自辞典例句