VOA标准英语207--英国和美国某些航班禁止携带笔记本进入客舱

 

WASHINGTON — 

Britain joined the United States Tuesday in banning laptops, tablets, cameras and some other electronic devices from cabin luggage on flights from Turkey and several countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Devices larger than a smartphone will now have to be checked in.

Many air travelers, however, cannot imagine going on a trip without an electronic gadget¹.

"People carry laptops and iPads for all kinds of reasons related to work, related to daily life, and if they can't bring it, then what are they going to do?" said Amitava Dutt, who was deboarding an Abu Dhabi flight.

But terror groups have been using electronic devices as explosives, most recently on a plane in Somalia. The Trump² administration announced Tuesday it is putting in place measures to prevent such terrorist attacks against Americans.

"Elevated intelligence that we are aware of indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation and are aggressive in pursuing innovative³ methods to undertake their attacks to include smuggling⁴ of explosive devices in various consumer objects," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

The British government announced similar restrictions⁵ Tuesday. Travelers already undergo tight airport security and some say this extra measure is unnecessary.

But security experts say removing electronic devices from the cabin is a prudent⁶ measure.

"What we are essentially⁷ seeing is that by putting equipment into the hold of the plane, we are separating the larger electronic equipment from the individual who could detonate that," security expert Daniel Gerstein of the Rand Corporation said.

Gerstein told VOA via Skype that if potential terrorists move to the airlines that do not ban electronics, more countries could adopt the measure.

"So this could be something that becomes the new normal, or we could see it rapidly diminish if we find procedures -- screening procedures -- that will allow for safely getting passengers and their gear onto and off of the aircraft," he said.

As a result, some flights to the United States and Britain may be long and boring for passengers who like to pass the time with their laptops and other electronic gear.

1 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

4 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

5 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

6 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。