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课文20 飞行员的先驱
; b! B9 `8 s: z2 r3 r330. In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of $1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel.0 ^: g0 `2 b4 E# O% e' Q
1908年,诺斯克利夫勋爵拿出1,000英镑,作为对第一个飞越英吉利海峡的人的奖励。
1 x0 K6 {/ F3 n: U+ K331. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.( A9 O6 [3 f9 D7 I
然而一年多过去了才有人出来尝试。
* {0 W$ n ], a. [! e K& j5 p/ e* h332. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV.'
; x7 a5 M8 |; s" {! D8 n7 d1 F 1909年7月19日凌晨,休伯特.莱瑟姆驾驶“安特瓦特4号”飞机从法国海岸起飞,6 {; k2 F0 j9 ^, i0 ? p7 _
333. He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea.% Y8 X7 M& \3 F
但他只在海峡上空飞行7英里,引擎就发生了故障,他只好降落在海面上。
, s7 t- z) a; O( c) o2 C$ H% f334. The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.8 A. E6 V' @8 k+ u. k) b# H; I
“安特瓦特”号飞机在海上漂浮,后来有船经过,莱瑟姆方才获救。
0 T6 l/ U5 `5 n3 H& P6 d. G335. Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No. XI'.* x- V+ n- X; _8 K) d5 G" l. F: n
两天之后,路易斯.布莱里奥驾驶一名为“11号”的飞机来到加来附近。
3 g: U% I# z+ ?9 G7 `# O336. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model.0 v' s3 D7 y% d7 x9 C( W9 k
布莱里奥从1905年起便开始研制飞机,“11号”飞机是他制作的最新型号。5 d) O% Z4 |+ H' X4 t( |2 ^
337. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.* K4 r$ d; q! G
一周以前,他曾成功地进行了一次26英里的陆上飞行。
, Z! u8 W, @1 v0 G5 a$ ~& H338. Latham, however, did not give up easily.
# y0 e) x$ R9 J- I, E0 t' e 但是莱瑟姆不肯轻易罢休。
@ N2 B+ f: v J339. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'.
6 L& p, ~6 V- [( ^5 ~ 同一天,他驾驶一架新的“安特瓦特”号飞机来到了加来附近。; [2 Z: {. J; F5 K2 ~8 [
340. It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.9 [& Q3 g3 s! s9 b( l+ U
看来会有一场激烈的飞越英吉利海峡的竞争。- ], a# X3 [* e: T2 i( N7 s. H0 P
341. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th,
( N: A) J7 x0 l% e1 B0 ~; X 两天飞机都打算在7月25日起飞,
7 H& D& E ~3 l6 B% u; X; ~342. but Latham failed to get up early enough,; P1 ]3 k& e3 A- B+ f
但莱瑟姆那天起床晚了。
# ^- a9 L5 p: W5 [/ K343. After making a short test flight at 4:15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.
% i8 \3 W( Q7 k0 q4 w 布莱里奥凌晨4点15分作了一次短距离试飞,半小时后便正式出发了。2 g5 F. D, p" K4 ?. \
344. His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes.* C1 l0 q% T- F
他这次伟大的飞行持续37分钟。
$ X3 N& h7 I: G3 m" Q& L345. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman.! w' P5 A9 M% m1 n3 Z8 o5 ?/ Y, D
当他在多佛着陆后,第一个迎接他的是当地一名警察。1 l1 N- }! F; U. Y N( ~( g
346. Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again.
# `7 o# K% i4 P" M$ l0 i* Z( o 莱瑟姆一周以后也作了一次尝试,飞到离多佛不到半英里的地方。这次他又遭厄运,
) o/ r" M2 ?& A/ r' D* j347. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.8 C+ V" {+ o( g: y# B
因引擎故障第二次降落在海面上。 |
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