经济学人:埃航失事:波音信誉遭到危机(2)

This week's crash foreshadows the end of that golden age . Another MAX 8 crashed in October in Indonesia in similar circumstances . Although investigators have yet to determine the cause of the Ethiopian Airlines accident，regulators suspect that the max 8 has a design flaw.

foreshadow  [fɔːˈʃædəʊ]  预示;是…的预兆
circumstance[ˈsɜːkəmstəns]环境;状况;
investigator[ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪtə(r)] 调查者;侦查员
yet [jet]adv.用于否定句和疑问句，谈论尚未发生但可能发生的事; conj.但是;
suspect [səˈspekt ] 怀疑; n 嫌疑犯  adj 不可信的
regulator[ˈreɡjuleɪtə(r)]n 监管者
flaw [flɔː]n.错误; v 缺陷

本周的坠机事件预示着黄金时代的终结。2018年10月，MAX 8在印度尼西亚也发生了类似事故。尽管调查人员尚未确定埃塞俄比亚航空公司事故的原因，但监管机构怀疑MAX 8存在设计缺陷。

This plays into the worry that a new technological phase is under way. Aircraft are becoming autonomous, as computers take charge.This promises safer, more efficient flying, but the interaction between human pilots and machines is still unpredictable and experimental.In the Indonesian crash the pilots fought a losing battle against anti-stalling software that forced the plane’s nose down at least 20 times.

phase  [feɪz] n 时期 v 分段进行
under way进行着;
Aircraft  [ˈeəkrɑːft] n 飞机
autonomous [ɔːˈtɒnəməs]自主的;有自主权的
take charge掌管
promise[ˈprɒmɪs]v承诺 n 诺言
interaction  [ˌɪntərˈækʃən] 相互影响
pilots  [ˈpaɪləts] n 飞行员 v 驾驶 adj 试验性的
experimental [ɪkˌsperɪˈmentl]adj以实验(或试验)为基础的battle
battle[ˈbætl]   v 搏斗 n 战役   
anti-stalling防失速

这加剧了人们对新技术阶段本来就有的担忧。随着计算机的应用，飞机变得越来越智能。但人类飞行员与机器之间的互动仍是不可预测的，在印尼坠机事件中，防失速系统迫使飞机机头向下至少20次，飞行员最终没能战胜防失速系统。

The industry’s technical complexity is amplified by its organisational complexity. In the 1990s a few Western airlines dominated and a handful of regulators had global clout. Now there are hundreds of airlines and 290,000 pilots worldwide.In 2018, for the first time, less than half of the global fleet was based in the West.Maintaining common standards on training and procedures is harder.China and other countries want a bigger say. The credibility of American regulators has slipped because they have let domestic competition decline.This suggests they are cosy with industry.

amplify[ˈæmplɪfaɪ] v放大，扩大
dominate [ˈdɒmɪneɪt]v支配;控制;左右;影响;
handful [ˈhændfʊl] 一把(的量);用手抓起的数量;少数人(或物);
clout [klaʊt]n.影响力;势力
fleet[fliːt]舰队
maintain [meɪnˈteɪn]维持
standard  [ˈstændəd]v (品质的)标准，水平，规格 adj 标准水平的
credibility[ˌkredəˈbɪləti]n 可信性;可靠性
domestic [dəˈmestɪk]adj 国内的，本国的 n 家佣，家庭矛盾
suggest [səˈdʒest]建议，表明
cosy [ˈkəʊzi]adj 温暖舒适的(尤指狭小的室内地方);亲密无间的;

飞机业的组织复杂性增强了技术复杂性。上世纪90年代，少数西方航空公司占据主导地位，少数监管机构拥有全球影响力。现在全球有数百家航空公司和29万名飞行员，2018年，全球航空队伍首次只有不到半数驻扎在西方。维持培训和程序方面的共同标准更加困难，中国和其他国家想要更多发言权。美国监管机构的信誉已经下滑，这表明他们对飞机业很放松。

Then comes geopolitics. With their hubs in Seattle and Toulouse, Boeing and Airbus are among the West’s largest exporters and a rare example of an industry in which China cannot compete. It would be depressing, but not impossible, if safety decisions were influenced by trade tensions.Over time, China and India may insist that the duopoly make more aircraft within their borders, to capture more jobs and intellectual property. That could require a restructuring of how both firms manufacture. Rows over aircraft emissions will further complicate the debate.

geopolitics  [ˌdʒiːəʊˈpɒlətɪks]n 地缘政治;
hub[hʌb]中心
export [ɪkˈspɔːt ] v 出口
trade [treɪd]n 贸易 v 做买卖
tension[ˈtenʃn]n紧张局势
duopoly[djuːˈɒpəli]双头垄断
capture [ˈkæptʃə(r)]v 俘虏 n（被捕获）
restructure [ˌriːˈstrʌktʃə(r)] v 重组 
manufacture [ˌmænjuˈfæktʃə(r)] v 大量生产 n大批生产
complicate [ˈkɒmplɪkeɪt] 使复杂化
row [rəʊ}n一排 v 争吵 n噪音
emission[iˈmɪʃn] v排放

然后是地缘政治。处于西方最大出口商位列，也是中国无法与之竞争的一个罕见行业。如果安全决策受到贸易紧张局势的影响，这将令人沮丧，但并非不可能。中国和印度可能会坚持要求这两家双头垄断企业在各自境内制造更多的飞机，以获取更多的就业机会和知识产权。这可能需要对两家公司的生产方式进行重组。有关飞机排放的争吵将使这场辩论进一步复杂化。