2006年VOA标准英语-UK Foils Major Airline Plot, 21 Detained

By Gary Thomas
London
10 August 2006

Passengers wait to check in for their flights at Heathrow Airport, in London, Thursday August 10, 2006   
  
British authorities say they have foiled a plan to blow up aircraft flying from Britain to the United States.  More stringent¹ security restrictions² were immediately ordered at British airports, and air traffic in and out of Britain was severely³ disrupted.

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Deputy Police Commissioner⁴ Paul Stephenson said Thursday that police and security services intercepted⁵ what they believe was a plot to blow up several U.S.-bound aircraft.

"We believe that the terrorists' aim was to smuggle⁶ explosives onto airplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight," Stephenson says. "We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the United Kingdom to the United States of America."

Reports say up to 10 airplanes were targeted.  Exactly how far along the plot had actually advanced was not revealed.  But Commissioner Stephenson said the plot was a serious one.

"We cannot stress too highly the severity that this plot represented," Stephenson says. "Put simply, this was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale."

He said police initially⁷ detained 21 people in connection with the plot, and that the investigation⁸ is continuing.  Most were arrested in London, but raids were also carried out also in the capital's suburbs and in the city of Birmingham.

The security threat level was raised to "critical," the highest such level in Britain.

All flights coming into Britain were canceled, and many outgoing flights were either delayed or canceled altogether.

Stringent new security measures were immediately imposed at all British airports, with particular attention paid to U.S.-bound flights.  Transport Secretary Doug Alexander said virtually all hand luggage is now banned from airplane cabins.

"What these changes mean in practice is that all hand baggage will now have to be checked in, with only a small number of essential items allowed through search controls," Alexander. "Exceptions will be place for those traveling with infants, and for prescription⁹ medicines.  Extra security measures will be in place for flights to the United States of America."

Tony Douglas, managing director of the British Airports Authority, said Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport, had been particularly affected¹⁰ by the new security measures, and advised people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

"As a result, BAA Heathrow is experiencing severe disruption to its operation.  Check-in and hand search processes across all four terminals is severely affected, and this will continue throughout the day," Douglas says.

Transport Secretary Alexander did not say if or when the stringent security would be loosened, saying the measures will remain in place, as he put it, "for as long the situation demands.

1 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

6 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 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。

9 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

10 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。