2006年VOA标准英语-New Weapon Available for Battling Wildfire

By Amy Katz
Washington, DC
10 February 2006
 
watch Firefighting report
 
  
  
Wildfires are again burning in the Western U.S. state of California.  There is concern that the high temperatures and high winds will cause the fires to spread.  Though they have a number of tools available to them, firefighters cannot always bring the fires under control.  Soon, a new weapon may help.  The new DC-10 supertanker should prove to be a valuable tool for firefighters.

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D.C.- 10 airplane dispensing¹ water
  
The newest tool in fighting wildfires is a D.C.-10 supertanker airplane being made by a California company.  It has five water tanks mounted beneath its body.  The tanks hold as much as 45,000 liters of water -- four times the capacity of the largest tankers² currently in use.  The tanks are capable of releasing all 45,000 liters of water in less than a minute.  The hydraulic³ controls allow pilots to use one tank of water at a time -- or all of them at once.

Officials believe one of the current fires in California started as a controlled burn -- a fire intentionally⁴ set to clear an area of vegetation.  When weather conditions changed, the fire started to burn out of control.  Situations like that are not unusual in California and other areas. 

The makers⁵ of the new supertanker hope their plane will help make fighting such fires a little easier.  The aircraft, which is still experimental, is generating interest from countries in Europe and also inside the U.S., according to supertanker pilot Jack⁶ Maxey.

 
Pilot Jack Maxey
  
"This is another tool in the toolbox.  It is not going to take the place of the helicopters.  It is not going to take the place of the small airplanes.  But it is going to be another tool," he said.

The plane has been successfully tested at a southern California logistics air base and also at the Paris Air Show.  Those tests prove it is an effective tool in fighting wildfires -- according to Mr. Maxey.  "Everything so far has proven that the airplane will do it and we are ready to take it out and put some fires out."

Its backers hope it will soon get final approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency and that they can put it into operation sometime before the end of this year.

1 dispensing   

v.分配( dispense的现在分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• A dispensing optician supplies glasses, but doesn't test your eyes. 配镜师为你提供眼镜，但不检查眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The firm has been dispensing ointments. 本公司配制药膏。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

4 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。