奇速英语美文阅读：波音公司和空中客车公司都在他们的飞机上安装了负责执行大部分飞行任务的电脑。然而，英国克兰菲尔德大学的穆达西尔·洛内说，对于飞行员如何应对这两种情况，他们各自持不同的观点。波音的设计是为了让飞行员感觉他们才是控制飞行的主体。

　　Humans struggle to cope when automation fails

　　当自动化失败时，人类很难作出应对

　　The perils of the human-machine interface

　　人机界面的危险

　　ONE WAY to tell who made the aircraft you are boarding is to steal a glimpse of the cockpit.A traditional control yoke in front of the pilots suggests a Boeing;a joystick beside each seat,an Airbus.

　　cockpit/ˈkɒkˌpɪt/|CET6+

　　N-COUNT In an aeroplane or racing car,the cockpit is the part where the pilot or driver sits.(飞行员或赛车手的)座舱

　　yoke/jəʊk/

　　N-SING If you say that people are under the yoke of a bad thing or person,you mean they are forced to live in a difficult or unhappy state because of that thing or person.羁绊;枷锁

　　joystick/ˈdʒɔɪˌstɪk/|TEM8

　　N-COUNT In some computer games,the joystick is the lever that the player uses in order to control the direction of the things on the screen.(计算机游戏的)操纵杆

　　要想知道你要坐的飞机是谁开的，一个方法就是偷偷看一眼驾驶舱。飞行员面前的传统控制杆让人联想到波音；或是每个座位旁边都有一个操纵杆的“空中客车”。

　　Pilots argue about which system is better;neither is considered safer than the other.Each exemplifies a different approach to a problem that manufacturers of not just aircraft but also cars,trains and ships must grapple with as long as human operators handle increasingly automated machines.

　　exemplify/ɪɡˈzɛmplɪˌfaɪ/|CET4 TEM8

　　V-T If a person or thing exemplifies something such as a situation,quality,or class of things,they are a typical example of it.是…的典范

　　飞行员们争论哪种系统更好;两者都半斤八两，不见得哪个更安全。对于这个问题，每一个例子都展示了不同的解决方法。对于人类操作员操作日益自动化的机器，不管是飞机制造商、汽车制造商、火车制造商和船舶制造商都必须努力克服这个问题。

　　【搭配与表达】

　　grapple with

　　努力克服

　　&As governments grapple with these challenges,the next question is how open data worksfor business.

　　当政府正努力克服这些挑战的时，新的问题出现了——开放数据如何为商业服务？

　　【背景介绍】

　　驾驶舱人机界面发展历史：1981年，美国波音767中/远程运输机首飞，该机代表上世纪80年代中期人机界面技术水平，采用全数字化和直接显示的原则，把传统的探测器和传感器获得的飞行信息经过计算机处理后的资料，再由大屏幕彩色液晶显示器显示给驾驶员。这种人机界面设计已成为当代飞机的标准模式。其中还保留着应急地平仪等几块传统仪表，作为应急和备用，使整个人机界面显示系统做到万无一失。2006年，美国塞斯纳162“制空者”轻型运动机首飞，这是一架由美国塞斯纳飞机公司最新开发的轻型运动飞机，并可作通飞机，人机界面非常清爽，仪表板上仅有两块大尺寸的彩色液晶显示器，左侧为显示器，右侧是多功能显示器，这种设计已是现代小飞机最先进的人机界面了。

　　The challenge of what engineers call the“human-machine interface”has tragically gained attention after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 on March 10th.Eyewitnesses reported that shortly after departing Addis Ababa,the aircraft climbed and dived repeatedly.

　　eyewitness/ˈaɪˌwɪtnɪs/|TEM4

　　N-COUNT An eyewitness is a person who was present at an event and can therefore describe it,for example in a law court.目击者

　　3月10日，埃塞俄比亚航空公司一架波音737 MAX 8客机坠毁，被工程师们称之为“人机界面”的挑战不幸地引起了人们的关注。目击者报告说，飞机离开亚的斯亚贝巴后不久就开始不断爬升和俯冲。

　　Similarities were drawn with a fatal crash in Indonesia in October last year.That time,the pilots of a Lion Air MAX 8 struggled,also soon after take-off,with an automated safety system that erroneously tried to prevent the aircraft from stalling by lowering its nose.

　　fatal/ˈfeɪtəl/|CET4 TEM4

　　ADJ A fatal accident or illness causes someone's death.(事故、疾病)致命的

　　erroneous/ɪˈrəʊnɪəs/|CET6 TEM4

　　ADJ Beliefs,opinions,or methods that are erroneous are incorrect or only partly correct.错误的

　　这跟去年10月印尼发生的一起致命空难也有相似之处。当时，雄狮航空(Lion Air)MAX 8的飞行员在起飞后不久也遇到了困难，他们的自动安全系统错误地试图通过降低机头来防止飞机失速。

　　【拓展理解】

　　埃塞俄比亚航空公司一架波音737 MAX 8客机坠毁：英国《镜报》消息称，埃塞俄比亚航空公司称，该飞机载有149名乘客和8名机组人员。报道称，这架飞机据信在起飞6分钟后坠毁。据BBC报道，航空公司一名发言人表示，飞机从埃塞俄比亚首都起飞后不久，于当地时间周日8时44分坠毁。据此前媒体报道，波音公司此前曾向所有运营波音737 Max飞机的航空公司发布安全公告，称传感器可能存在问题，导致飞机自行大角度俯冲并坠落。

　　Lion Air MAX 8：2018年10月29日6时20分，一架载有189名乘客和机组人员的印尼狮子航空公司波音737MAX8客机，从雅加达苏加诺⋅哈达国际机场飞往邦加勿里洞省槟港。飞机起飞13分钟后失联，随后被确认在西爪哇省加拉璜(Karawang)附近海域坠毁，机上人员全部遇难。目前对印尼狮航坠机的调查倾向于认为，飞行数据传感器存在问题，可能会反馈错误数据。彭博社称，在某些情况下，比如飞行员手动飞行时，若传感器发现可能出现空气动力学失速的问题，737Max飞机会自动将机头向下推。

　　Although authorities around the world have grounded the model,Boeing insists that it is airworthy.The company is updating the MAX’s automated flight-control software to make it easier for pilots to assume manual control.

　　airworthy/ˈɛəˌwɜːðɪ/ADJ If an aircraft is airworthy,it is safe to fly.(飞机)适航的

　　manual/ˈmænjʊəl/CET4 TEM4 ADJ Manual means operated by hand,rather than by electricity or a motor.用手操作的

　　尽管世界各地的有关部门都已停飞了这款机型，但波音坚称它是适航的。该公司正在更新MAX的自动飞行控制软件，使飞行员更容易进行手动控制。

　　Boeing and Airbus both pack their planes with computers that do most of the flying.Each,though,espouses a different philosophy on how a pilot reacts to them,says Mudassir Lone of Cranfield University in Britain.Boeings are designed to make the pilot feel like the aviator in charge.

　　espouse/ɪˈspaʊz/|TEM8

　　V-T If you espouse a particular policy,cause,or belief,you become very interested in it and give your support to it.拥护;支持

　　aviator/ˈeɪvɪˌeɪtə/

　　N-COUNT An aviator is a pilot of a plane,especially in the early days of flying.(尤指早期的)飞行员

　　波音公司和空中客车公司都在他们的飞机上安装了负责执行大部分飞行任务的电脑。然而，英国克兰菲尔德大学的穆达西尔·洛内说，对于飞行员如何应对这两种情况，他们各自持不同的观点。波音的设计是为了让飞行员感觉他们才是控制飞行的主体。

　　Although the control yoke looks and feels like something from the analogue era,the way it behaves—including shaking when approaching a stall—is created digitally by a computer.Airbus’s joystick is seldom used besides take-off and landing.A sound alerts the pilot to trouble;in an Airbus,he is more supervisor than airman.

　　analogue|TEM8

　　N a physical object or quantity,such as a pointer on a dial or a voltage,used to measure or represent another quantity模拟物;类比量

　　supervisor/ˈsuːpəˌvaɪzə/|CET6 TEM4

　　N-COUNT A supervisor is a person who supervises activities or people,especially workers or students.监督员;指导者

　　尽管控制轭的外观和感觉都像是来自模拟时代的东西，但它的行为方式——包括准备停止时的晃动——都是由计算机数字化创建的。除了起飞和降落，空中客车的操纵杆很少使用。当出现麻烦时，有声音会提醒飞行员;在空中客车上，这比飞行员更像是飞机主管。

　　【长难句分析】

　　Although the control yoke looks and feels like something from the analogue era,the way it behaves—including shaking when approaching a stall—is created digitally by a computer.

　　此句中，“Although the control yoke looks and feels like something from the analogue era,”是让步状语从句，主句是“the way it behaves is created digitally by a computer.”中间的“including shaking when approaching a stall”是插入语，解释说明“behaves”。

　　The big worry is what happens if a sensor feeds the flight-control system the wrong data.This might have happened in the Lion Air crash,according to a preliminary report.Something similar downed an Air France Airbus A330 over the Atlantic in 2009:

　　sensor/ˈsɛnsə/|TEM8

　　N-COUNT A sensor is an instrument which reacts to certain physical conditions or impressions such as heat or light,and which is used to provide information.传感器

　　preliminary/prɪˈlɪmɪnərɪ/|CET4 TEM4

　　ADJ Preliminary activities or discussions take place at the beginning of an event,often as a form of preparation.初步的

　　最大的担忧是，如果传感器向飞行控制系统提供了错误的数据该怎么办。根据一份初步报告，这一情况可能发生在雄狮航空的坠机事件中。2009年，法国航空(Air France)一架空客A330客机在大西洋上空被类似的东西击落:

　　an airspeed sensor iced over and the ensuing loss of data caused the autopilot to disengage.Unable to work out what was happening,the pilots lost control.

　　disengage/ˌdɪsɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/

　　V-T/V-I If you disengage something,or if it disengages,it becomes separate from something which it has been attached to.使脱离;脱离

　　一个空速传感器结冰，随后数据丢失，导致自动驾驶仪脱离。由于无法弄清发生了什么，飞行员对飞机失去了控制。

　　Switching from automatic to manual is not straightforward.Flight-control systems may not disengage entirely.Instead,they might continue to assist the pilot in an attempt to prevent a dangerous manoeuvre.When things do go wrong,it is critical that pilots follow the correct procedures,which are different for each model of aircraft.

　　straightforward/ˌstreɪtˈfɔːwəd/|CET6 TEM4

　　ADJ If you describe something as straightforward,you approve of it because it is easy to do or understand.容易的;易懂的

　　从自动切换到手动并不简单。飞行控制系统可能不会完全脱离。相反，他们可能会继续协助飞行员，以防止危险的操作。当出现问题时，飞行员遵循正确的程序是至关重要的，因为每种型号的飞机都有不同的程序。

　　Pilots learn these and carry checklists spelling them out.Proliferation of systems necessitates frequent retraining.To make life easier for pilots,the MAX 8 employs a system that makes it feel to them like older,more familiar versions of the 737.But this adds another layer of complexity.

　　necessitate/nɪˈsɛsɪˌteɪt/|CET6 TEM8

　　V-T If something necessitates an event,action,or situation,it makes it necessary.使成为必需

　　retrain/riːˈtreɪn/

　　V-T/V-I If you retrain,or if someone retrains you,you learn new skills,especially in order to get a new job.再培训;接受再培训

　　complexity/kəmˈplɛksɪtɪ/|CET6

　　N-UNCOUNT Complexity is the state of having many different parts connected or related to each other in a complicated way.复杂性

　　飞行员要学习这些程序，并随身携带一份细节清单。系统的补充更新使得频繁的再培训成为必要之举。为了给飞行员减负，MAX 8采用了一种系统，感觉像是更古老、更熟悉的737版本。但这又增加了另一层复杂性。

　　Incidents are not confined to aviation.In Washington,DC,automated trains have largely been out of service since 2009,when a faulty circuit made a stationary train invisible to the safety system on the one behind it.The driver was unable to brake in time;the resulting crash killed nine people.

　　aviation/ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən/|CET6 TEM4

　　N-UNCOUNT Aviation is the operation and production of aircraft.航空;飞机制造业

　　circuit/ˈsɜːkɪt/|CET4 TEM4

　　N-COUNT An electrical circuit is a complete route which an electric current can flow around.电路

　　事故并不局限于航空领域。在华盛顿特区，自2009年以来，自动列车基本上已经停止运行，当时由于线路故障，一辆静止的列车无法被后面那辆列车的安全系统看到。司机没能及时刹车;事故造成9人死亡。

　　Ships may soon face similar problems.Some ferries and offshore support vessels have already replaced ship’s wheels with computer-assisted joysticks.A series of accidents involving self-driving cars may have been caused by sensors’failure to recognise objects in the road,and drivers failing to respond fast enough.

　　ferry/ˈfɛrɪ/|CET6 TEM4

　　N-COUNT A ferry is a boat that transports passengers and sometimes also vehicles,usually across rivers or short stretches of sea.渡船;渡轮

　　船舶可能很快就会面临类似的问题。一些渡轮和海上支援船只已经用电脑辅助操纵杆取代了轮船的方向轮。一系列涉及自动驾驶汽车的事故很大程度上是由于传感器无法识别道路上的物体，以及司机反应不够快造成的。

　　【搭配与表达】

　　A series of

　　一系列

　　&To do this they pitted the groups against each other in a series of competitions.

　　为了达到这个目的，他们让两组人在一系列的竞赛中相互竞争。

　　Studies have shown that when people have to wrest control from an automated system,it can take them around five seconds to grasp what is happening.The monotony of monitoring a semi-automated vehicle may reduce vigilance by provoking what psychologists refer to as“passive”fatigue.

　　monotony/məˈnɒtənɪ/|TEM8

　　N-UNCOUNT The monotony of something is the fact that it never changes and is boring.单调乏味;一成不变

　　fatigue/fəˈtiːɡ/|CET4 TEM4

　　N-UNCOUNT Fatigue is a feeling of extreme physical or mental tiredness.疲惫

　　研究表明，当人们不得不从自动化系统中夺取控制权时，他们可能需要5秒钟左右的时间来掌握正在发生的事情。对半自动汽车进行单调的监控可能会引发心理学家所说的“被动”疲劳，从而降低警惕性。

　　【搭配与表达】

　　wrest control

　　夺回控制权

　　&There’s no way Apple is going to wrest control.But the home is a different matter.

　　苹果已经根本无法夺回控制权了，但是苹果的目标却没有改变。

　　Such concerns have led some carmakers,Ford among them,to consider skipping semi-automation and go straight to something closer to full autonomy,cutting people out of the loop.That would remove the human-machine interface—but not humans’machine-induced fears.

　　autonomy/ɔːˈtɒnəmɪ/|CET6 TEM4

　　N-UNCOUNT Autonomy is the ability to make your own decisions about what to do rather than being influenced by someone else or told what to do.独立自主

　　这种担忧已导致包括福特在内的一些汽车制造商考虑跳过半自动化，直接转向更接近完全自主的模式，把人排除在控制圈外。

　　【搭配与表达】

　　out of the loop

　　在圈外

　　&If an artist did not go to Beijing or Shanghai,one would be,in a sense,out of the loop.

　　如果一个艺术家不去北京或上海，在某种意义上，他或她仍然不在圈内。

　　【长难句分析】

　　Such concerns have led some carmakers,Ford among them,to consider skipping semi-automation and go straight to something closer to full autonomy,cutting people out of the loop.

　　此句中，主干是“Such concerns have led some carmakers to consider skipping semi-automation and go straight to something closer to full autonomy”，中间的“Ford among them”是插入语，其补充说明的作用，一般情况下插入语删除后也不影响句子结构；后面的“cutting people out of the loop.”是现在分词作结果状语。

　　【阅读小测答案】

　　1.Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

　　A.Although authorities around the world have grounded the model,Boeing insists that it is airworthy.

　　B.Switching from automatic to manual is not straightforward.Flight-control systems may not disengage entirely.Instead,they might continue to assist the pilot in an attempt to prevent a dangerous manoeuvre.

　　C.Manufacturers of not just aircraft but also cars,trains and ships must grapple with the human-machine interface problem as long as human operators handle increasingly automated machines.

　　D.When people have to wrest control from an automated system,it can take them around five seconds to grasp what is happening.

　　2.How many examples are mentioned in the passage in order to prove the problem of human-machine interface？What are they?

　　Three examples.

　　①The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 on March 10th.

　　②A fatal crash of Lion Air MAX 8in Indonesia in October last year.

　　③An Air France Airbus A330 over the Atlantic in 2009:an airspeed sensor iced over and the ensuing loss of data caused the autopilot to disengage.

　　3.Manufacturers must grapple with（努力克服）as long as human operators handle increasingly automated machines.

　　4.Each,though,espouses（支持）a different philosophy on how a pilot reacts to them.

　　5.Such concerns have led some carmakers go straight to something closer to full autonomy,cutting people out of the loop（处于圈外）.

　　从自动切换到手动并不简单。飞行控制系统可能不会完全脱离。相反，他们可能会继续协助飞行员，以防止危险的操作。当出现问题时，飞行员遵循正确的程序是至关重要的，因为每种型号的飞机都有不同的程序，更多英语美文精选阅读文章，请持续关注奇速英语美文阅读专栏：www.qisuabc.com