新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）--- 20

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课文20   飞行员的先驱
330. In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of $1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel.
        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。
331. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.
        然而一年多过去了才有人出来尝试。
* j9 @) E, Y- O332. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV.'
        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，
+ m: \( X+ j! `$ ]3 b& s1 W/ `333. He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea.
  S3 A  [. V, g- @% k        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。
. b0 w3 R8 [; i( R334. The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.
! b9 E) P, `5 K* Z  W" l5 b1 w5 S        “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。
: |  o2 u' J4 d- K, l7 b335. Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No. XI'.
        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。
336. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model.
7 g8 s4 X" t7 A        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。
9 D0 w/ `2 t' A$ l% L1 P. N+ }337. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.
% @5 O" A  |7 T1 G' f$ \! b" Q3 ?        一周以前，他曾成功地进行了一次26英里的陆上飞行。
338. Latham, however, did not give up easily.
& l" X6 J( p+ ~, A8 F0 b        但是莱瑟姆不肯轻易罢休。
; b/ C4 J' {5 a. o& S339. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'.
& ^6 X: I$ a( _( m; O( C% E% V  O        同一天，他驾驶一架新的“安特瓦特”号飞机来到了加来附近。
340. It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.
        看来会有一场激烈的飞越英吉利海峡的竞争。
341. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th,
" W& @# s" g! E% \  G        两天飞机都打算在7月25日起飞，
/ }4 `) S& @, D) Z8 H! g342. but Latham failed to get up early enough,
3 O- A/ m! h/ ^; ~        但莱瑟姆那天起床晚了。
343. After making a short test flight at 4:15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.
8 R9 O9 t7 |( l+ k' }        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。
344. His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes.
        他这次伟大的飞行持续37分钟。
9 h3 v8 l- O; s+ U$ o$ @345. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman.
        当他在多佛着陆后，第一个迎接他的是当地一名警察。
346. Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again.
  M- }% V9 E. M        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，
) w  M2 N  c: D" m+ O+ j347. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.
        因引擎故障第二次降落在海面上。

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