2006年VOA标准英语-Major Terror Plot Disrupted in Britain

By Jim Malone
Washington
10 August 2006

British authorities said Thursday they have foiled a major terrorist plot that involved the use of liquid explosives on several airliners¹ flying from Britain to the United States.  So far, 21 people have been arrested in connection with the alleged² plot in Britain, and the disruption to commercial air traffic has hit both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. 

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George Bush speaks at Austin Straubel International Airport
  
News of the foiled plot in Britain brought a quick response from President Bush during a visit to the Midwest state of Wisconsin.

"The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark³ reminder⁴ that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists⁵ who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," he said.

Authorities in London said the suspected terrorists intended to smuggle⁶ liquid explosives aboard as many as 10 U.S. airliners bound from Britain to the United States.

Forensic⁷ police remove objects from one of houses in northeast London that are believed to be part of police investigation⁸, following raids on some premises⁹, Aug. 10, 2006   
  
 "We believe that the terrorists' aim was to smuggle explosives onto airplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight.  Put simply, this was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale," said London's Deputy Police Commissioner¹⁰ Paul Stephenson.

U.S. officials quickly put new security measures into effect in the wake of the foiled plot.  The terrorism alert level was raised to red, or severe, for flights bound from Britain to the U.S.  It is the first time U.S. officials have raised the terror alert status to the highest level.

The terror risk level was elevated to high, or orange, for the rest of U.S. domestic air travel.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plot was in its final planning stages when British authorities disrupted it.

"It was sophisticated," he said. "It had a lot of members and it was international in scope.  This operation is in some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot.  But because the investigation is still under way, we cannot yet form a definitive¹¹ conclusion."

British police officers stand guard outside Houses of Parliament in London, after Britain's national security threat level raised to critical, Aug. 10, 2006   
  
FBI Director Robert Mueller also said the plot had what he called the earmarks of al-Qaida, but U.S. officials are holding off on a final determination of who was behind it.

Word of the terror plot caused major airline disruptions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Many flights heading out of Britain were cancelled and security officials banned liquids, gel and even toothpaste from being taken on board airplanes, resulting in long security delays.

U.S. airports were also affected¹² by the tight security and the ban on liquids.  

New signs taped on prohibited items list as passengers line up to go through security checkpoint at Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC, Aug. 10, 2006  
  
Most passengers seemed to accept the delays associated with the increased security measures in stride, including one couple passing through Dulles Airport outside Washington.

"If it is for security, I will do it," said the man. "But most of it is just standing¹³ in lines."

"No, it does not bother me at all," said the woman.  "If it has to be done, it has to be done.  It is an inconvenience, but if you want to fly, you follow the rules."

Word of the foiled plot came just one month shy of the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States, in which jetliners were used as weapons of mass destruction.

Terrorism experts say the foiled plot in Britain is a reminder that terrorists remain fixated on air travel.

Neil Livingstone has written nine books on terrorism, security and foreign policy.  He spoke¹⁴ on VOA's Talk to America program.

"If they had succeeded today in knocking ten airliners out of the sky, they essentially¹⁵ probably would have shut down the civil aviation system worldwide with remarkable¹⁶ impact on various economies and on world commerce and so on," he said. "So this was a home run [big strike] in the making if they had been successful in carrying it out."

Professor Yonah Alexander has lectured on terrorism at various universities around the world.

He told Talk to America that the uncovering of the plot makes the case for continued vigilance and the need for reliable intelligence on suspected terrorists.

"There is no end to their evil intentions, and secondly¹⁷, there is no end to their imagination, so I think this is another example of that," Alexander said.

Officials in both Britain and the United States say the new security measures for air travel will remain in place indefinitely.

1 airliners   

n.客机，班机( airliner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fog grounded the airliners. 大雾迫使班机停飞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They placed very stable and accurate atomic clocks on regularly scheduled jet airliners. 他们将非常稳定、准确的原子钟装在定期飞行的喷气式班机上。 来自辞典例句

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 fascists   

n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

7 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 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。

16 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

17 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。