VOA标准英语2008年-Aircraft Safety Group Says 2007 One Of Safest Y

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
02 January 2008

The Geneva-based Aircraft Crashes Record Office says 2007 was one of the safest years in the past half century in which to fly. The group says 965 people died in 136 airplane crashes last year. The private group documents air disasters worldwide in accidents involving planes carrying more than six people. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

The Aircraft Crashes Record Office says zero risk does not exist in the aviation¹ industry, but 2007 came pretty close to that mark. It says the number of air traffic accidents last year was 28 less than in 2006 and the smallest number since 1963.

It also says there were 25 percent fewer fatalities² last year than in 2006. The worst accident it finds was the crash of a TAM Brazil flight in Sao Paolo in July. That crash killed 199 people.

Historian³ in Aircraft Accidents and head of the Record Office, Ronan Hubert, tells VOA this and other aviation accidents are tragic⁴, but they must be put in perspective. He says 965 people lost their lives in plane crashes last year, compared to more than one million who were killed in road accidents.

"In 2007, more than two billion were traveling worldwide and we have thousands and thousands of aircraft, airplanes flying every day worldwide, it means that airplanes, aviation is one of the safest transport modes in the world," said Hubert.

The United States recorded 34 plane accidents last year. This was the highest number, followed by Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, and Indonesia. Hubert explains most air traffic in the world takes place in the United States, which is why most accidents occur there.

But, he says the U.S. aviation industry has a very good safety record, unlike Africa, which has the worst. He says dozens of airlines in seven African countries are blacklisted in Europe and in the United States.

"We know today that countries like Somalia, Sudan and DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], they are totally unsafe," said Hubert. "But, we know why. Somalia is today a country of which you have a civil war for many years. Sudan, you have big problem of corruption⁵. You have the Darfur problem. You have the civil war also and on the DRC there is plenty of corruption problems also."

Hubert makes a distinction between fly-by-night operators in several African countries and reputable national carriers in most African countries. He says national carriers in Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, the North African countries and others are reliable and safe.

He says international flights to and from Africa are not the problem, most of the plane crashes and deaths take place during internal flights in Africa by small, dangerous carriers.

1 aviation   

n.航空，航空学，飞机制造业

参考例句：

• Ten years ago,they began to develop the aviation. 十年前，他们开始发展航空工业。
• Pilots of large aircraft are masters of aviation.大型飞行器的驾驶员是航空学方面的专家。

2 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 historian   

n.历史学家，编史家

参考例句：

• As a historian,he was most typical of the times in which he lived.作为历史学家，他是他所处时代最有代表性的人物。
• He calls himself a historian,but his books are a mere journalism.他自称为历史学家，但是他的书都是些肤浅的通俗作品。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。