2006年VOA标准英语-Airline Chief Slams New British Security Rules

By Gary Thomas
London
18 August 2006

Passengers wait to check in with a pile of luggage at Heathrow Airport terminal 4, London, Tuesday, August 15, 2006

The head of the leading low-cost airline in Britain lashed¹ out at the government's new airport security measures Friday. He threatened to sue the government if security measures were not restored to the levels in place before the revelation last week of a terrorist plot against U.S.-bound airliners². The heightened security has thrown air traffic into chaos³, especially in Britain.

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Michael O'Leary, chief executive officer of the popular low-cost European airline Ryanair, said the situation at British airports is still far from normal due to what he called "farcical" new security measures.

"We're still faced with long queues [lines] at security at the British airports," he said. "We're still delayed with farcical, Keystone Cops-like security measures which add nothing whatsoever⁴ to security, are completely ineffectual in our adding to or improving security, and are just serving to block up the airports and to delay the airlines' operations."

The outspoken⁵ airline chief threatened to sue the government for lost revenue unless security measures are returned within seven days to the level at which they were before the discovery of an alleged⁶ plot to blow up several U.S.-bound airliners.

After the plot was disclosed, British authorities imposed stringent⁷ new measures, including a ban on all hand luggage and body searches of all passengers. Many flights were delayed or canceled and passengers found themselves stranded⁸.

O'Leary says he agrees with the government action, but faults authorities for not calling out police and army troops to help with the newly mandated⁹ body searches.

"In many respects the airports were only able to function as badly as they did because the larger airlines in Britain like British Airways¹⁰, like Ryanair, canceled up to 30 percent of our flight operations, stranding¹¹ thousands of passengers," he said. "In so doing, the government gave some of these terrorists, lunatics, and fanatics¹² an undeserved public relations victory."

The hand baggage ban hit Ryanair particularly hard. Started in 1985, it is a no-frills carrier offering budget-minded vacationers very cheap flights to 362 destinations in 22 European countries. The airline keeps costs low by encouraging passengers to only bring carry-on luggage and charges them for any checked baggage.

Authorities have relaxed the rules somewhat, allowing one small briefcase-sized carry-on bag and carrying out slightly fewer searches. O'Leary called on the government to return to the prior allowance of a small wheeled carry-on bag, saying the size of a bag has no effect on security.

Asked to respond to the Ryanair chief, the Department for Transport issued a written statement saying that the current security regime is necessary because of the threat. It said it would not compromise security and that while the measures are kept under constant review, no change in those measures is anticipated within the next seven days.

1 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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

3 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。

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

5 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

6 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

7 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。

8 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

9 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

10 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

11 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

12 fanatics   

狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The heathen temple was torn down by a crowd of religions fanatics. 异教徒的神殿被一群宗教狂热分子拆除了。
• Placing nukes in the hands of baby-faced fanatics? 把核弹交给一些宗教狂热者手里？