VOA常速英语2008年-Australian Intelligence Agency Asked to Catch L

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
07 April 2008

Australia's spy agency has been brought in to help combat a rise in the number of so-called laser attacks on aircraft landing at the country's busiest airport in Sydney. Pilots say they are being hit with laser light flashes in what appear to be coordinated¹ efforts to hamper² flying. The federal government has called an emergency meeting with officials from Customs, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization and the police. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Laser lights aimed at incoming planes have forced air traffic controllers in Sydney to divert incoming flights several times.

Officials have said that on one day last month six aircraft were hit by a coordinated stream of blinding green lights. Pilots complained that the lights impaired³ their vision.

Those responsible used hand-held laser pointers, which are common tools for teachers and others doing presentations, and are freely sold.

Australian police say the laser lights could cause a plane to crash.

Peter Somerville, from the Australian and International Pilots Association, says the problem is getting worse.

"The first thing to note, the most recent attacks is that there has been a level or organization and certainly that is a very unwelcome development and a new stage in this process," said Somerville. "Three or four lasers that were being utilized⁴ from, I understand it, different locations and so those things don't happen by accident."

These cluster attacks have worried the authorities so much that Australia's intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, has been brought in to help find those responsible.

Most major airports across the Australian continent face a similar threat from laser attacks.

Senior officials in Canberra have discussed a range of responses, including restricting the sale of laser pointers and harsher penalties for those using them against aircraft. Culprits already face up to two years in prison and heavy fines.

Catching⁵ those responsible has been arduous⁶ work for the authorities. They have made only a handful of arrests and the problem has continued.

1 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

3 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

6 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。