马来西亚航空370号班机到底发生了什么？：英语精读讲义

As we create this show,

就在我们制作这期节目时，

News Media is showing us a video of what looks like a UFO 語法

新闻媒体向我们展示了一段看起来像UFO的视频，

with a former Pentagon official telling the press we may not be alone. 習語

一位前五角大楼官员告诉媒体，我们在宇宙中可能并不孤独。

The object, described as a 40-foot long Tic Tac,

这个被称为40英尺长的“嘀嗒糖（Tic Tac）”的物体，

was spotted in 2004.

是在2004年被发现的。

No one is sure what it really is.

没人确定它到底是什么。

We all love a good unsolved mystery,

我们都喜欢引人入胜的未解之谜，

whether they are of this world or possibly outside of this world.

无论它们是属于这个世界的，还是可能来自世界之外的。

Who was Jack the Ripper?

开膛手杰克是谁？

Who really killed or was behind the assassination of JFK?

究竟是谁杀害了肯尼迪，或者谁是幕后黑手？

Was there actually a city of Atlantis?

真的存在亚特兰蒂斯城吗？

Is there any credence to Graham Hancock's alternate theories

格雷厄姆·汉考克关于

on the pyramids of Egypt?

埃及金字塔的另类理论可信吗？

Whatever happened to the Ark of the Covenant and the stone tablets it contained? 語法

约柜和里面的石板到底怎么了？

Today we'll look at perhaps a more prosaic mystery. 用詞

今天，我们将探讨一个或许更为现实的谜团。

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在这期《The Infographics Show》中，

why was Malaysian Flight 370 never found?

为什么马航370航班至今未被找到？

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell button so that you can be part of our notification squad.

别忘了订阅并点击小铃铛按钮，这样你就能加入我们的通知小队。

First,

首先，

a bit of background information.

介绍一些背景信息。

It was more than three years ago since Malaysian Airlines Flight 370

距离马来西亚航空370航班

literally vanished into thin air. 習語

真的凭空消失，已经过去三年多了。

But as we write this show,

但就在我们撰写这期节目时，

there are reports today featuring new theories of what might have actually happened, 語法

今天的报道提出了一些关于到底发生了什么的新理论，

telling us the real story will soon be unearthed. 習語

告诉我们真相很快就会浮出水面。

Others think that this is wishful thinking. 習語

其他人则认为这只是一厢情愿。

On March 8th,

在3月8日，

2014,

2014年，

Flight 370 was on its way to Beijing International Airport 短語搭配

370航班正在飞往北京国际机场的途中，

from Kuala Lumpur.

起飞地是吉隆坡。

The last we ever heard from the plane was less than 30 minutes after takeoff 語法

我们最后一次收到这架飞机的消息是在起飞后不到30分钟，

when it was over the South China Sea.

当时它正飞越南海。

It disappeared from air traffic control radar

它从空中交通管制的雷达上消失了，

but still remained visible on Malaysian military radar for a time.

但在马来西亚军方雷达上仍可见了一段时间。

They then lost it presumably somewhere over the Andaman Sea.

随后他们失去了它的踪迹，推测大概是在安达曼海上空。

12 crew members and 227 passengers

12名机组人员和227名乘客

from 15 countries were gone

均来自15个不同的国家，他们消失了，

as was the plane. 語法

飞机也一样。

It has been presumed the aircraft fell somewhere over the southern Indian Ocean

人们推测这架飞机坠毁在了南印度洋的某个地方，

and parts of the plane were said to have been found on the island of Reunion 語法

据说在留尼汪岛

near Madagascar,

（靠近马达加斯加）发现了飞机的残骸，

but the disappearance is far from being solved. 短語搭配

但失踪事件还远远没有解决。

The theories are wide ranging as to what happened

关于发生了什么的理论五花八门，

with one latest theory being that the plane was carrying a cargo

其中最新的一个理论是，飞机上载有一种

that someone didn't want to reach China.

某人不希望运抵中国的货物。

The theorist says that the plane was cyber hijacked

该理论提出者称，飞机遭到了网络劫持，

and could have been flown as far as the Antarctic,

可能已经飞到了南极，

the perfect hiding spot.

那个完美的藏身之处。

What other theories are out there?

还有什么其他的理论呢？

First of all,

首先，

some theories are seen as credible and have been investigated 短語搭配

有些理论被认为是可信的，并已受到调查，

while others are seen as more outlandish conspiracy theories

而有些则被视为更加离谱的阴谋论，

such as aliens took the plane right out of the sky

比如外星人直接把飞机从天上劫走，

and right now 239 people are under observation somewhere in outer space.

此刻那239人正在外太空的某个地方接受观察。

For starters, 表達脈絡

首先，

say some people,

有些人说，

if that plane really did hit the ocean, 語法

如果那架飞机真的坠入了大海，

it would have broken into many pieces

它应该会碎成很多块，

and many of those pieces,

而且很多碎片，

such as seat cushions,

比如座椅垫，

would have been floating around

会漂浮在海面上，

and could have easily been found.

本该很容易被发现。

So why didn't these pieces get discovered?

那为什么这些碎片没有被找到呢？

They searched high and low, 習語

他们上天入地地寻找，

scouring 46,300 square miles of ocean

搜寻了46300平方英里的海洋，

where the plane could or should have crashed 語法

即飞机可能或应该坠毁的地方，

and then in January 2017

然后在2017年1月，

the search was suspended. 用詞

搜寻工作被暂停。

One theorist speaking to the Guardian said,

一位接受《卫报》采访的理论家说，

"Indeed the plane could have gone a long way before it eventually crashed."

"事实上，飞机在最终坠毁前可能飞了很长一段距离。"

He believed that in the case of an electrical fire,

他认为，在发生电气火灾的情况下，

the plane could have lost contact

飞机可能会失去联系，

and that the crew could have been incapacitated by the fire and smoke.

而机组人员可能会因火灾和浓烟而丧失行动能力。

With them all out for the count, 習語

由于他们全都失去意识，

the plane could have drifted on autopilot for at least six hours,

飞机可能在自动驾驶模式下漂行了至少六个小时，

which means it could have traveled a great distance.

这意味着它可以飞出很远的距离。

Other experts have said this is highly unlikely

其他专家表示这极不可能，

as the plane's autopilot would have malfunctioned.

因为飞机的自动驾驶仪会发生故障。

Another thing that doesn't give that theory credence 短語搭配

另一个让这个理论显得不可信的地方在于，

is that it was said that the plane's communication systems

据说飞机的通信系统

had been deliberately turned off.

是被故意关闭的。

This tells us someone could have sabotaged the journey.

这告诉我们可能有人破坏了这次航行。

Was that the pilot and copilot themselves

那是机长和副机长本人，

or was it a hijacker or hijackers?

还是一个或多个劫机者？

The pilots were not under any suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities,

飞行员并没有涉嫌参与恐怖活动的嫌疑，

so experts say that was unlikely.

因此专家表示这种可能性不大。

A New York Times report stated that the plane ascended 45,000 ft

《纽约时报》的一篇报道指出，飞机爬升到了45000英尺，

and then suddenly plummeted.

然后突然急速坠落。

This could have been because a struggle took place in the cockpit, 短語搭配

这可能是因为驾驶舱内发生了搏斗，

a scene from a Hollywood movie.

就像好莱坞电影里的场景。

The report also said that the reason the plane climbed so high

报道还说，飞机爬升得如此之高的原因，

could have been to deprive the passengers of oxygen 短語搭配

可能是为了让乘客缺氧，

and so rendering them unconscious.

从而使他们失去知觉。

In the case of hijackers,

至于劫机者，

it was found that two Chinese men on the plane were traveling with stolen passports,

调查发现飞机上有两名中国男子使用偷来的护照旅行，

but it was also said they were seeking asylum in Europe 文化背景

但也有人说他们是想去欧洲寻求庇护，

and had no connection to terrorism.

与恐怖主义毫无关联。

To fly the plane and cut off communication also takes quite a bit of know-how. 用詞

驾驶飞机并切断通讯也需要相当多的专业知识。

Back to the more recent theory that the plane was hacked, 表達脈絡

回到最近关于飞机被黑客攻击的理论，

but this is also no easy feat. 習語

但这同样绝非易事。

A recent investigation in theory says

一项近期的调查理论称，

that the plane had one extra passenger on board.

飞机上多了一名乘客。

This passenger,

这名乘客，

according to the man that was interviewed by the Huffington Post,

根据接受《赫芬顿邮报》采访的男子的说法，

likely acted in conjunction with larger external operational support 短語搭配

极可能是与更大规模的外部行动支持人员联手行动，

and control of the cockpit of MH370.

并控制了MH370的驾驶舱。

Another theory featuring hacking

另一个以黑客攻击为特征的理论是，

is that somehow the hijackers managed to spoof the pings 用詞

劫机者不知何故设法伪造了飞机

the plane sent regarding its position

发出的关于其位置的信号，

and this is why all the searching came to no success.

这就是为什么所有的搜寻都无功而返。

Did the USA take the plane?

是美国劫走了飞机吗？

There were some sightings of the aircraft near the Maldives,

有人曾在马尔代夫附近目击到这架飞机，

not far from the US base of Diego Garcia,

距离美国在迪戈加西亚岛的基地不远，

where some missing pieces were found on Reunion.

而一些失踪的残骸正是在留尼汪岛找到的。

Several residents of the Maldives reported a huge low-flying jet

马尔代夫的多名居民报告说，看到一架巨大的低飞喷气式飞机，

making a very loud noise,

发出巨大的噪音，

something they never seen before.

这是他们以前从未见过的。

The theories are that the plane was shot down by the US or even landed. 短語動詞

理论认为飞机被美国击落，甚至已经降落。

And if it didn't land or get shot down,

如果它没有降落或被击落，

why did this large US base not see the plane via radar

为什么这个庞大的美国基地没有通过雷达发现飞机，

when people on the ground could with their eyes?

而地面上的人却能亲眼看到？

A French former airline director told the media the US did see the plane

一位法国前航空公司负责人告诉媒体，美国确实看到了这架飞机，

and feared a September 11th style attack 文化背景

并且担心会发生“9·11”式的袭击，

and so shot it down.

所以把它击落了。

He said it is just not possible in this day and age to lose a plane like that. 習語

他说，在当今这个时代，不可能就这样弄丢一架飞机。

And so it is feasible that the US covered up their execution. 短語動詞

因此，美国掩盖他们的处决行动是说得通的。

This is why the mystery hasn't been solved,

这就是为什么这个谜团还没有被解开，

not because it went missing 語法

不是因为它失踪了，

but because it was purposefully hidden from sight.

而是因为它被故意隐藏了起来。

Only a part of it managed to float to Reunion,

只有一部分残骸设法漂到了留尼汪岛，

a consequence of an almost impossible crime scene cleanup.

这是一场几乎不可能的犯罪现场清理工作的结果。

By the way, 表達脈絡

顺便说一句，

many theorists and even relatives of passengers on the plane

许多理论家，甚至飞机上乘客的亲属

don't believe the parts found there were

都不相信在那里发现的部件是

real.

真的。

Australia's former prime minister Tony Abbott.

澳大利亚前总理托尼·阿博特，

He said the pilot had the intention of creating the world's greatest mystery. 短語搭配

他曾说飞行员有意制造世界上最巨大的谜团。

He told the press,

他告诉媒体，

"I have always said the most plausible scenario was murder suicide." 短語搭配

"我一直说，最有可能的情况是谋杀后自杀。"

He could have somehow taken full control over the flight direction 短語搭配

他可能以某种方式完全控制了飞机的飞行方向，

and flown to a place where he expected authorities would never find the plane.

飞到了一个他认为当局永远找不到飞机的地方。

Did North Korea do it?

是朝鲜干的吗？

Some people think so.

有些人这么认为。

The North Koreans in December were blamed for the massive WannaCry cyber attack,

朝鲜在12月被指责发动了大规模的WannaCry网络攻击，

so does that mean they have hackers as good as they come? 習語

这是否意味着他们拥有顶尖的黑客？

Did they just shoot it down?

他们是不是直接把它击落了？

None of those theories have really gotten off the ground, 習語

这些理论没有一个能真正“起飞”（站得住脚），

excuse the pun. 語氣意圖

原谅我的双关语。

And if that doesn't sound credible,

如果这听起来不可信，

what about the possibility of a meteorite hitting the plane

那陨石击中飞机

or it being swallowed by a black hole?

或者被黑洞吞噬的可能性呢？

Did aliens take it?

是外星人把它带走的吗？

Perhaps the same ones flying the 40-foot Tic Tac

也许就是驾驶那个40英尺长的“嘀嗒糖”的外星人，

we are now seeing on every news media website.

我们现在在所有新闻媒体网站上都能看到它。

In all likelihood, 短語搭配

极有可能的是，

someone on planet Earth right now probably knows

现在地球上的某个人可能知道

what happened to Flight MH370,

MH370航班到底发生了什么，

but it's also likely we'll never know the truth.

但同样可能的是，我们永远不会知道真相。

That's really sad for all the relatives of the deceased,

这对所有死者的亲属来说真的很可悲，

but some things, it seems, have to remain a mystery. 語氣意圖

但有些事情，似乎注定要成为未解之谜。

Do you have your own theory?

你有你自己的理论吗？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

Also,

同时，

be sure to check out our other video called

一定要去看看我们的另一部名为

What If You Only Drank Coke and Nothing Else.

《如果你只喝可乐不喝别的会怎样》的视频。

Thanks for watching and as always,

感谢观看，和往常一样，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

我们下期再见。