VOA标准英语2014--Malaysia Jet Search Continues to Draw Ire

 

Malaysia Jet Search Continues to Draw Ire 

The Malaysian government has been criticized for its handling of the investigation¹ into the disappearance² of Malaysia Airlines flight 370.   It’s been more than two weeks since the plane and its 239 passengers - two thirds of them from China -  vanished, with only satellite data calculations indicating it likely crashed in a remote area of the southern Indian ocean. 

In Beijing Tuesday, families upset over the handling of flight 370’s disappearance marched toward the Malaysian embassy, one day after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that Flight 370 and all those on board were gone.

Many would dispute that saying the Malaysian government has withheld³ information from families and the media.  Inmarsat, a British satellite company, told Malaysian officials four days after the disappearance that they had hourly signals from the plane.  Yet Malaysian officials delayed for three days before acting⁴ on that information. 

John Goglia spent years with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, investigating plane crashes.  He blames Malaysian inexperience with air tragedies.

 “In this particular instance, what had come out certainly seemed disconnected.  Seemed like [they] didn’t follow any known processes that had been established for years and years,” says Goglia.

Neighboring countries were quick to join the search, but slow to share radar⁵ or satellite information with Malaysia about possible sightings.  Bud Musser used to fly the same Boeing 777 throughout Asia. 

“To save face. To not let the Indians or anyone else know that we have some weak points or that we have some people asleep on the radar,” says Musser.

Malaysia is in a difficult position. Observers say it does not want to anger the economic powerhouse of the area - China - and two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese.  Yet, China’s Global Times newspaper is running editorials blaming  Malaysia's government.  One editorial says:  “Malaysia is determined⁶ to enter the ranks of developed countries by 2020.  But judging from its handling of the MH370 incident, Malaysia’s modernization⁷ will take far longer than this.”

Malaysia has a growing tourism industry and last year, 1.8 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia. But this could change.

There are going to be economic consequences, says Nile Bowie, a political reporter living in Kuala Lumpur.

“I was speaking to some of my Chinese friends in Beijing today and they said ‘We are definitely going to be boycotting⁸ Malaysia.  We won’t be coming to visit you anymore.’  The Chinese, I think have a ‘group think’ in situations like this and it could lead to a lack of trade between Malaysia and China, at the very worst,” says Bowie.

Many watching the events unfold in Malaysia say the longer the search drags on, the greater the chance that Flight 370 becomes an unsolved mystery.

1 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。

2 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

3 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 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。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

8 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。