2007年VOA标准英语-Search Continues for Brazil Plane Crash Victims

By Brian Wagner
Miami
18 July 2007

Brazilian rescue workers are continuing to search for victims of a plane crash at the main airport in the city of Sao Paulo. In Miami, Brian Wagner reports that officials say nearly 190 people died when the plane overshot the runway while trying to land and crashed into neighboring buildings.

Rescue workers have been struggling to locate bodies in the smoldering¹ wreckage² of the plane that crashed at Brazil's busiest airport. Officials say they have recovered some 100 bodies since the incident late Tuesday, and rescue workers are continuing to search for others.

Firemen organize around buildings set on fire by a TAM airlines A320 aircraft that crashed in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 17 July 2007

Scores of rescue workers were called to extinguish intense flames that erupted after the plane overshot the runway and crashed into a busy cargo³ terminal and gas station near the Congonhas airport. Officials say they believe all 186 people on the plane were killed, as well as several people on the ground.

The TAM airlines flight from the southern city of Porto Alegre was attempting to land during rainy weather when the crash occurred.

Brazil's Minister of Institutional Relations Walfrido dos Mares Guia says an investigation⁴ is under way.

He says aviation officials are expected to quickly inform the government and the Brazilian people about the causes of the crash and about safety measures that may be needed.

Firefighters work at the site where a TAM airlines commercial jet crashed in Sao Paulo, 18 July 2007

Witnesses say the Airbus 320 accelerated near the end of the runway, in what officials say was an apparent attempt to abort⁵ the landing and regain⁶ altitude. The plane left the runway and and flew over a busy city street, before crashing.

Aviation experts say rainy weather likely played a factor, as well as the condition of the airport, which was renovated⁷ in recent months.

Brazil's Globo news channel broadcast a recording⁸ of conversations between air traffic controllers and pilots of a different plane, who were preparing to land at the airport, also on Tuesday.

One controller told pilots to take care not to land near the start of the runway, because it was slippery.

Sao Paulo-based journalist Dan Horch says Congonhas airport, which serves as a key hub in Brazil's largest city, has raised concerns in the past.

"It is well known at least here in Brazil, that that airport is dangerous in the rain," said Horch. "And they regularly close down that runway."

Brazil's airline industry has been crippled by air traffic controller strikes in recent months, which have caused massive flight delays and cancellations.

Aviation officials also are working to rebuild confidence in air travel after a crash last September, when a plane carrying 154 people went down after a mid-air collision.

1 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

2 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

3 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

4 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。

5 abort   

v.使流产，堕胎；中止；中止(工作、计划等)

参考例句：

• The captain instructed them to abort the mission.上尉指示他们中止执行任务。
• With this button the user can abort the audio sequence.用户可以用该按钮终止音频序列。

6 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

7 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。