2006年VOA标准英语-Airline Terror Plot Foiled in Britain, Air Traf

By Gary Thomas
London
10 August 2006

watch UK Airline Plot report

British authorities say they have foiled a plan to blow up aircraft flying from Britain to the United States. Stringent¹ security restrictions² were immediately ordered at British airports, throwing air traffic in and out of Britain into chaos⁴. 

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Passengers wait at check-in desks for their flights at Gatwick Airport in England, Aug. 10, 2006 
  
Police and agents of Britain's security service raided homes in greater London and the city of Birmingham overnight, arresting 21 people in what authorities say was a plot to blow up several U.S.-bound aircraft.

Paul Stephenson speaks to media, Aug. 10, 2006  
  
In London, Deputy Police Commissioner⁵ Paul Stephenson said the plotters planned to smuggle⁶ explosives on board the airplanes, then detonate them while in mid-flight in what he labeled "mass murder on an unimaginable scale."

Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Clarke, who is responsible for counterterrorism, said the arrests were the culmination⁷ of a long investigation⁸ in a wide-ranging case.

"We have been looking at meetings, movements, travel, spending, and the aspirations⁹ of a large group of people," he said. "This has involved close cooperation not only between agencies and police forces within the United Kingdom, but also internationally. As is so often the case in such investigations¹⁰, the alleged¹¹ plot has global dimensions."

Exactly how far along the plot had actually advanced was not revealed. Deputy Commissioner Stephenson would only say that security authorities felt they had to move quickly.

"It did reach a critical point last night when the decision was made to take urgent action to disrupt what we believe was being planned," he added. "The prime motivation for that action was, as always, public safety. We thought it was absolutely essential to take that action last night."

Michael Chertoff, left, and US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales hold press briefing, Aug. 10, 2006   
  
In Washington, U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said it appeared the plotters were ready to act.

"I would say that this plot was well-advanced, and that they had accumulated and assembled the capabilities¹² they needed, and they were in the final stages of planning before execution," he said.

U.S. officials said the plot had the "hallmarks" of an al-Qaida operation. British officials have made no such claims.

As the plot came to light, flights in and out of Britain, a major air hub, were severely¹³ disrupted. Some airlines canceled flights altogether for the day, stranding¹⁴ thousands of passengers.

Air security levels were also raised to their highest levels in both Britain and the United States. In Britain, virtually all hand luggage was banned from airline cabins. Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander regretted the inconvenience it caused.

"Earlier this morning we issued instructions to U.K. airports and the airlines that operate from them requiring that new security measures be put in place, he said. "The seriousness of the threat gave us no choice but to require that these stringent measures be implemented¹⁵ with immediate³ effect."

Passengers like this one at London's bustling¹⁶ Heathrow airport found themselves caught by surprise by the new security measures.

"We went up to the desk and had to wait, and they told us that we had to pack all of our things and put it away into the hold, and that we could not take anything except our documents onto the airplane," said one passenger. "So we got in the queue [line] from the nightmare, and here we are."

Officials said the security measures will stay in place as long as the situation demands.

1 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 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。

7 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

12 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 stranding   

n.（船只）搁浅v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The airport had to be closed, stranding tourists. 机场被迫关闭，造成游客滞留。 来自辞典例句
• The stream of history had changed course away from him, stranding him in failure. 历史潮流已经改变方向，与他背道而驰，使他陷于失败之中。 来自辞典例句

15 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

16 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。