VOA慢速英语2014 对阿尔及利亚失踪飞机的搜寻开始

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-25 Search Begins for Missing Air Algeria Plane 对阿尔及利亚失踪飞机的搜寻开始

Searchers are looking for an Air Algeria flight that disappeared during a trip from the capital of Burkina Faso to Algiers.  The airplane is carrying at least 116 people including the crew. 

Reuters news agency reported that an unnamed Algerian official said the airplane had crashed.   However, Air Algeria told reporters in Ouagadougou that the airplane is still considered missing.

Algeria’s official APS news agency reported that the plane was last seen on radar¹ as it flew over the town of Gao in northern Mali on Thursday.  That was about 38 minutes after it left Ouagadougou.  Air Algeria had paid to use, or chartered, the airplane from Swiftair, a Spanish airline.

Reuters news agency reported that Burkina Faso’s transport minister said the plane had asked to change course – its plan for flight- because of a storm in the area.

A French Army spokesman said Thursday that two French fighter-jet planes have been deployed² to try to find the missing flight. The two Mirage³ jet airplanes are based in West Africa.  The spokesman said, “They will search an area from its last known destination along its probable route.”’

A Swiftair statement said there were 116 people on the plane. The official Algerian news agency APS said the plane was carrying 119 people including seven Spanish crew members.  The airline’s representative in Burkina Faso said 50 French citizens were on the passenger list.

Algerian officials have set up a crisis team at the Algiers airport.  Swiftair said emergency equipment and employees have been deployed to find out what happened to the plane.

Gao was among towns in northern Mali seized in 2012 by militants⁴ linked to al-Qaida.  The Malian government regained⁵ control after a military operation last year led by the French.  But militants continue to attack French and government troops.

1 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 mirage   

n.海市蜃楼，幻景

参考例句：

• Perhaps we are all just chasing a mirage.也许我们都只是在追逐一个幻想。
• Western liberalism was always a mirage.西方自由主义永远是一座海市蜃楼。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。