2006年VOA标准英语-Privacy Concerns Slow Launch of New US Avi

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
12 February 2006

A United Airlines pilot walks to security check point at O'Hare International Airport (file photo)
  
  
The hijacking¹ of four jets on September 11, 2001, made airline security a top priority in the United States. Now, more than four years later, American lawmakers are asking why airlines - and not the government - are still responsible for checking passenger names against terrorist watch lists. Some new security initiatives have not yet taken off.

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Among the security programs that have stalled is one called Secure Flight.

Secure Flight would involve airlines collecting limited information about a passenger traveling within the United States and giving it to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, or TSA. That information would then be compared to a terrorist watch list. If a name similar to that passenger's is found on the list, the passenger could undergo additional security or, in some cases, may not be allowed to fly.

Nearly $200 million has been spent to develop Secure Flight, and Thursday on Capitol Hill, members of the Senate committee that oversees² transportation issues heard from government officials about why the program is still in the developmental stages.

Republican Party Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi expressed the frustration³ of several committee members.

"We want you to succeed. This is very important work you do," he said. "We want secure flights, but we want some common sense applied⁴ in how people are screened and what the conditions are for flying. Let's do some of these programs or forget them. But quit fumbling⁵ around with them."

TSA Assistant Secretary Edmund Hawley defended the long time it is taking his agency to launch Secure Flight, saying passenger privacy and data security issues must first be resolved.

"My priority is to ensure that we do it right, not just that we do it quickly," he said.

Cathleen Berrick of the Government Accountability Office says the TSA has made some progress on Secure Flight, but questions remain, including deciding what passenger information the TSA will require air carriers to provide and how it will protect that information.

"Secure Flight required documentation does not fully⁶ explain how passenger privacy protections will be met," she said. "And TSA has not yet issued privacy notices that describe how it will protect passenger data for an operational system. As a result it is not possible for us to fully assess how TSA is addressing privacy concerns."

Another program the Transportation Security Administration is developing is Registered Traveler. This program is designed to expedite the security screening process by having travelers voluntarily provide information about themselves that the TSA would verify. If the person qualifies, they would pay for and receive a so-called "smart card," complete with their biometric eye and fingerprints⁷, that would help speed them through airport security. Hawley, of the TSA, said this program is on track to launch by mid-June.

Senators heard from industry executives and civil liberties advocates who had mixed opinions about whether Secure Flight and Registered Traveler should be implemented⁸.

"We absolutely support the concept of Secure Flight, or whatever name you want to give to passenger pre-screening. It's the concept that we support. We don't support at this time Registered Traveler, we think it takes the focus away from where we really ought to have it," said James May, the head of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), which is the country's largest airline trade association.

Tim Sparapani of the American Civil Liberties Union said his organization thinks both programs should be scrapped⁹.

"It's time for Congress to decide enough is enough. Secure Flight and Registered Traveler will not make us any safer and they will certainly make us less free," he said.

Passenger privacy concerns have slowed the implementation¹⁰ of these programs, but legislators and the aviation industry say they are continuing to work to find ways to enhance security, while causing as little inconvenience to the traveling public as possible.

1 hijacking   

n. 劫持, 抢劫 动词hijack的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I have been told about the hijacking . 我已听说了那次劫机事件。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• They are taking measures to guarantee against the occurrence of hijacking. 他们正采取措施防止劫机事件的发生。

2 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

3 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

4 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

5 fumbling   

n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理

参考例句：

• If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。
• If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。

6 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。

7 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

9 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

10 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。