英语杂谈：05 The naked airport

   It’s a familiar sight in many of the UK’s airports – long queues of people waiting to go through security to catch their flights. What if there was a simple and quick way to avoid all the hassle of having to take off all metal objects, coats, belts and shoes in order for them to be scanned in the X-ray machine? Surely everybody would jump at the chance to beat the queues and get through security quickly and conveniently without the fuss of a ‘pat down’ search. A new technological¹ solution to this problem is being trialled at Manchester Airport, but not everybody is happy to take part. That’s because the technology being tested is an X-ray machine that makes a full body scan of passengers to see if they are carrying concealed² weapons or explosives. However, the scan reveals a lot more than that. The images produced by the scan show a clear black and white outline of the passengers’ naked bodies, as well as breast enlargements and piercings. Although the airport has said that the images are hidden from public view and destroyed immediately after being checked, many people travelling at the airport are uncomfortable with the idea of being viewed in this way. One middle-aged³ lady, who preferred not to use the scanner, said, “Maybe if I was 18, slim and lovely, I'd take it, but it’s a bit too personal.” A spokesperson for the airport told the BBC that the images from the scan could only be seen by an officer in a remote location before being deleted thus protecting the anonymity⁴ of travellers. After the trial the Department for Transport will decide whether or not to roll out the machines across the UK’s airports. So if you’re coming to the UK next year, you might end up showing more than you expect.

 

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

3 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

4 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。