美国国家公共电台 NPR--Investigators probe why a dump truck crossed into the path of an Amtrak train

Investigators¹ probe why a dump truck crossed into the path of an Amtrak train

Transcript²

An Amtrak train derailed in Missouri on Monday, killing³ four people and injuring dozens. The railroad crossing outside the town of Mendon is a dangerous one, according to local residents.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Today investigators will be back at the scene of the Amtrak train crash that happened Monday in Missouri, trying to figure out why a dump truck crossed into the path of that train. The collision killed four people, including the truck driver. At least 150 other people were injured. NPR's David Schaper has more.

DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE⁴: The Porsche-Prairie Avenue railroad crossing outside of tiny Mendon, Mo., is a dangerous one, according to local residents, including Mike Spencer, who farms the land there on both sides of the tracks. In fact, two weeks ago, he posted a video about the crossing on Facebook.

(SOUNDBITE OF FACEBOOK VIDEO)

MIKE SPENCER: We've got a train coming right here at this crossing.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN HORN)

SPENCER: You should see this.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN CROSSING)

SCHAPER: Well, that was a BNSF freight train speeding through this passive crossing. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy explains what that means.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JENNIFER HOMENDY: What makes this a passive crossing is there was a stop sign and cross bucks⁵. There were no arms. There were no warning lights. There were no bells.

SCHAPER: When the train hit the dump truck, passengers were violently flung about the train's compartments⁶ as the rail cars ended up on their sides. Two troops of teenage Boy Scouts⁷ on their way home to Wisconsin from a camp in New Mexico provided first aid to several of the injured, including the dying driver of the dump truck. Farmer Mike Spencer told the Kansas City Star that he and his neighbors have been complaining about the dangerous crossing to the railroad and to the state for years.

SPENCER: There's no reason for this to have - I mean, my heart goes out to the families. It's just a tragedy. And I don't feel like it should have happened.

SCHAPER: Missouri's Department of Transportation confirms the crossing was on a list to receive safety upgrades, but BNSF says that the state has not taken the first step of contacting the railroad yet to do a diagnostic review of the crossing. Chair Homendy says the NTSB has been recommending for years that passive grade crossings like this one be eliminated or made safer.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HOMENDY: And it's very frustrating⁸ for our investigators - very frustrating - when they are on scene and they know what would have prevented this.

SCHAPER: Homendy says there are 130,000 similar passive railroad crossings nationwide, and grade crossing collisions killed 236 people last year.

David Schaper, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROSPECT LUX'S "KELMPT LON")

1 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 compartments   

n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层

参考例句：

• Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

8 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》