美国有线新闻 CNN 埃航和狮航客机坠毁事故有相似之处 波音MCAS系统备受争议

 

Up next, the U.S. Justice Department is trying to determine if any laws were broken in the certification process for certain passenger planes. The model is Boeing 737 Max series. One of these planes crashed in Indonesia last October. Another crashed in Ethiopia earlier this month. Everyone aboard both flights was killed, and the 737 Max jets have been grounded world wide. U.S. investigators¹ are looking into everything from how the plane was certified² as safe to how it was marketed. Meantime, Boeing has developed a software patch and a pilot training program to address some of the issues with the Max aircraft.

OREN LIEBERMANN: One of the most important concepts in aviation is the angle of attack. In simple terms, it's the difference between the angle of the wings and the direction in which the plane is flying. Imagine a plane that's about to land. Its nose is pointed³ up, but the plane is still moving down towards the runway. That difference there is the angle of attack, sometimes called alpha. If the angle gets too big, if it exceeds a critical angle of attack, a plane stalls. Airliners⁴ have an angle of attack sensor⁵. It's connected to the instruments and systems inside the plane.

One of these is Boeing's new MCAS system on its 737 Max series of airliners. MCAS is an automated⁶ anti-stall system. This system is the focus of the investigation⁷ into October's Lion air crash. And experts say there are similarities between it and the Ethiopian Airlines crash. If the MCAS system senses a high angle of attack, it will push down the nose to avoid a stall. But if the angle of attack sensor is malfunctioning⁸, and gives a faulty reading, the system could force the plane to dive with potentially disastrous⁹ consequences.

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 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 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

5 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

6 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 malfunctioning   

出故障

参考例句：

• But something was malfunctioning in the equipment due to human error. 但由于人为的错误，设备发生故障了。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• Choke coils are useful for prevention of malfunctioning electronic equipment. 扼流圈对于防止电器设备的故障很有帮助。 来自互联网

9 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。