2021年经济学人 美国要害--不堪一击的能源基础设施(2)

Yet weaknesses remain. The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline¹ exposes gaps in companies’ cyber-armour. It also reveals the idea that shale² oil might guarantee energy security to be a fallacy. Oil may be fungible but oil infrastructure³ is not, notes Michael Tran of RBC Capital Markets. America’s north-east is particularly exposed to attack, Mr Tran says. A dearth⁴ of local refineries⁵ makes the region dependent on pipelines⁶ and tankers⁷ for oil products.

但弱点依然存在。Colonial Pipeline输油管道的关闭暴露出各大企业存在网络防护上的漏洞。这也揭示了页岩油可能保障国家能源安全的观点是一种谬论。加拿大皇家银行资本市场的迈克尔·特兰指出，石油也许是可替代的，但石油基础设施却不可或缺。特兰表示，美国东北部的石油基础设施系统尤其容易受到攻击。当地炼油厂的缺乏使美国东北部依赖于输送石油产品的管道和油轮。

The federal government’s cyber-defences are imperfect, too. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the agency charged with criticising other agencies, has found cyber-security a particularly rich subject. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is supposed to help safeguard oil and gas pipelines; in 2019 the GAO identified “factors that limit the usefulness of TSA’s risk assessment”. In March the GAO reported that the Department of Energy’s plans for cyber protection “do not fully⁸ address risks to the grid⁹’s distribution systems”, leaving big cities vulnerable.

联邦政府的网络防御也同样存在漏洞。以评判其他机构为职能的美国政府问责办公室（GAO）发现，网络安全这个话题大有文章。美国运输安全管理局（TSA）应该帮助防护石油和天然气管道；2019年，GAO确定了“限制TSA风险评估实用性的因素”。今年3月，GAO报告称，能源部的网络保护计划“没有完全解决输油网络运输配送系统的风险”，大城市仍然不堪一击。

Worryingly, cyber-attacks may increase in number and ambition. Hackers¹⁰ are using ransomware to infiltrate¹² larger companies and seek higher payments. Their average ransom¹¹ payment has roughly doubled over the past year, according to Coveware, a tracking firm. Furthermore, changes to the electricity system may, without sufficient planning, make it more vulnerable. As more devices are connected to the internet, hackers have a larger number of targets. As more cars run on electricity rather than combustion¹³, a blackout can wreak¹⁴ broader damage.Andas transmission lines connect distant power systems, helping¹⁵ to balance intermittent¹⁶ wind and solar power, a problem in one grid can have an impact on another.

令人担忧的是，网络攻击可能会变得多发，黑客们的狼子野心也会愈加膨胀。黑客正在利用勒索软件入侵更大的公司以谋求更高的报酬。根据追踪公司Coveware的数据，大型公司的平均赎金支付额在过去一年里大约翻了一番。此外，在没有充分规划的情况下，电力系统的变革可能会使黑客攻击更易发生。随着越来越多的设备接入互联网，黑客的目标也越来越多。随着越来越多的汽车依靠电力驱动，而不再燃烧汽油，停电会造成更大规模的损害。随着输电线路连接远距离电力系统以帮助平衡间歇性的风能和太阳能，一个电网的问题也会对另一个电网产生影响。

These challenges are not unique to America. But they pose a particular headache for President Joe Biden, who is trying to win support for climate proposals in his $2trn infrastructure bill. Limiting climate change and fighting cyberthreats are hardly mutually exclusive endeavours. Mr Biden must make a credible¹⁷ case that he can make America’s energy system both greener and more secure.

这些挑战并非美国独有。但对于试图赢得2万亿美元基础设施法案中气候提案的支持的拜登来说，这些挑战尤其伤脑筋。限制气候变化和对抗网络威胁的努力并不互斥。拜登必须提出一个可信的理由，证明他能够使美国的能源系统更加环保和安全。

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 shale   

n.页岩，泥板岩

参考例句：

• We can extract oil from shale.我们可以从页岩中提取石油。
• Most of the rock in this mountain is shale.这座山上大部分的岩石都是页岩。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 dearth   

n.缺乏，粮食不足，饥谨

参考例句：

• There is a dearth of good children's plays.目前缺少优秀的儿童剧。
• Many people in that country died because of dearth of food.那个国家有许多人因为缺少粮食而死。

5 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

6 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

7 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

10 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

11 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

12 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

13 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

14 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 intermittent   

adj.间歇的，断断续续的

参考例句：

• Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗？
• In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里，时断时续地下着雨，使整个大地都生气勃勃了。

17 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？