高级监察员担忧美国航空安全

AS IT IS 2015-06-12 Top Inspector¹ 'Concerned' about US Air Safety 高级监察员担忧美国航空安全

United States lawmakers met this week with the top inspector for the federal agency that protects America’s flying public.

Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth told members of Congress he is “deeply concerned” about failures in security. His comments follow reports that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration failed to identify 73 workers with links to terrorism. Separately, TSA crews reportedly failed to identify simulated weapons and other dangerous materials in 96 percent of tests performed at U.S. airports.

Serious questions are being raised about U.S. air safety and whether the Transportation Security Administration is meeting its stated goal of protecting the flying public. The TSA was created 14 years ago, shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States.

On Tuesday, Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth spoke² to a Senate committee about the agency and its work.

“We remain deeply concerned about its (TSA’s ability) to execute its important mission.”

Mr. Roth said his team uncovered what he called “significant vulnerabilities” in the TSA’s job of performing safety inspections³ at airports.

“TSA cannot afford to miss a single genuine threat without potentially catastrophic consequences. Yet a terrorist only needs to get it right once.”

Reports that security problems remain have shocked lawmakers like Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. He noted⁴ the huge number of safety screenings required.

“TSA screens nearly 2 million passengers each day, nearly 660 million every year. That is an enormous challenge and task.”

Some Americans have noted problems they have witnessed, such as a seeming lack of attention to a list of passengers approved for speedy TSA screening at U.S. airports. Rebecca Roering supervises the TSA office at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota. She criticized the agency for adding so many names to the list.

“TSA is handing out pre-checked status like Halloween candy in an effort to expedite passengers as quickly as possible, despite self-admitted security gaps that are being created by the process.”

Airplanes are also likely targets for easily hidden explosive devices, says Robert MacLean, a federal air marshal.

“If a terrorist group puts thought into it, it is relatively⁵ easy to sneak⁶ small bombs into jets in order to blow them up at high altitude.”

Two air travelers near Washington say they are worried.

“I mean, it’s horrifying⁷. There is no other way to feel about it.”

“I’m appalled⁸, frankly⁹. I think there was such a panic after 9/11 that we just hired a lot of people because we could. And I’m not sure we did our job in terms of vetting¹⁰ them to begin with.”

Delaware Senator Tom Carper says the TSA must do a better job.

“We should be focused on perfection. We will never get there, but that should be our goal.”

Recent terrorist plots against U.S. aviation have been stopped. But if things do not change at TSA, lawmakers worry it is only an issue of time before one of those plots succeeds.                                                               

Words in This Story

simulate(d) – v. made to look or feel like something

mission – n. a job, project or operation

catastrophic – adj. relating to a disaster

enormous – adj. huge or really big

task – n. a job, project or mission

air marshal – n. a federal agent who travels on flights to stop or defeat hostile acts

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

7 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

8 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网