VOA标准英语2013--US Budget Impasse Causes Flight Delays

 

US Budget Impasse¹ Causes Flight Delays

At some of America's busiest airports, flight delays and cancelations are mounting. Travelers are frustrated².

Flight delays are becoming more common since government budget cuts reduced staffing at airport control towers. Lawmakers from both political parties are blaming each other for the cuts.

Michael Huerta heads the Federal Aviation Administration. He told a congressional committee that the agency had to cut staff in airport towers to achieve $220 million in savings³.

"In order to comply with the sequester⁴ [forced budget cuts] law, we have to take these actions," said Huerta.

With fewer people directing take-offs and landings, fewer planes are able to fly in and out of airports. Transportation officials says 6,700 flights a day could be delayed.

"It is like equating⁵ it to [highway] tollbooths. If you have 10 tollbooths and you only open eight, you are going to have delays," said Air Traffic Controller Victor Santore.

Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood said the situation is a calamity⁶, but air travelers are safe.

"Safety will never be compromised. Safety is not involved in the decisions we have made," said Lahood.

It is not just flight operations at the nation's smaller airports. At some of the busiest airports, like at Baltimore Washington International for instance, landings of commercial and cargo⁷ aircraft are being affected⁸.

Linda Green, who directs the Baltimore airport business partnership⁹, says there already is an economic slowdown near the airport.

"You look at the fact this airport, for example, is surrounded by 35 hotels, all of whom rely on the traffic that comes through this airport," she said. "As things slow down it will have a ripple¹⁰ effect, ripple first through the airport and then the surrounding businesses around the airport." 

In Florida, which relies heavily on tourism, the impact on travel could cost the state $19 million a year.

"It is going to impact people's interest in coming to the state because of these delays. It is going to impact business in our state, and it is absolutely the wrong thing to do," said Florida Governor Rick Scott.

Analysts¹² say passengers also could end up paying more to fly during the coming vacation season.

"Airlines may have to cut seats. That will drive up ticket prices because demand will still be high," said air travel analyst¹¹ Rick Seaney.

With air travelers increasingly frustrated, some lawmakers are calling for legislation to get more air traffic controllers back on the job. 

1 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

4 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

5 equating   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的现在分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• [ Ray ] I definitely started equating crossword puzzles with songwriting. 我已经干脆开始把字谜游戏等同于歌曲写作了。 来自电影对白
• But they have a hard time equating plural marriage with those evils. 但是他们很难把这种多妻婚姻与上面说的那些坏事联系起来。 来自互联网

6 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

7 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

10 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。