Lesson 20 Pioneer pilots
⻜飞⾏行行员的先驱 In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of $1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV .' He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea. The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.
T wo days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No. XI'. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.
Latham, however, did not give up easily. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'. It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham failed to get up early enough. After making a short test flight at 4,15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.
His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman. Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.
overland adj. 陆上的
attempt to do sth 尝试做某事多种意思如下pick up 捡起获得恢复精神康复加速整理理
收拾拾承载接收集好转搭便便⻋车i 固定器器搭救掘染
上
1908年年，诺斯克利利夫勋爵拿出1,000英镑，作为对第⼀一个⻜飞越英吉利利海海峡的⼈人的奖励。然⽽而⼀一年年多过去了了才有⼈人出来尝试。1909年年7⽉月19⽇日凌晨，休伯特.莱瑟姆驾驶“安特瓦特4号”⻜飞机从法国海海岸起⻜飞，但他只在海海峡上空⻜飞⾏行行7英⾥里里，引擎就发⽣生了了故障，他只好降落在海海⾯面上。“安特瓦特”号⻜飞机在海海上漂浮，后来有船经过，莱瑟姆⽅方才获救。 两天之后，路路易易斯.布莱⾥里里奥驾驶⼀一名为“11号”的⻜飞机来到加来附近。布莱⾥里里奥从1905年年起便便开始研制⻜飞机，“11号”⻜飞机是他制作的最新型号。⼀一周以前，他曾成功地进⾏行行了了⼀一次26英⾥里里的陆上⻜飞⾏行行。但是莱瑟姆不不肯轻易易罢休。同⼀一天，他驾驶⼀一架新的“安特瓦特”号⻜飞机来到了了加来附近。看来会有⼀一场激烈烈的⻜飞越英吉利利海海峡的竞争。两天⻜飞机都打算在7⽉月25⽇日起⻜飞，但莱瑟姆那天起床晚了了。布莱⾥里里奥凌晨4点15分作了了⼀一次短距离试⻜飞，半⼩小时后便便正式出发了了。他这次伟⼤大的⻜飞⾏行行持续37分钟。当他在多佛着陆后，第⼀一个迎接他的是当地⼀一名警察。莱瑟姆⼀一周以后也作了了⼀一次尝试，⻜飞到离多佛不不到半英⾥里里的地⽅方。这次他⼜又遭厄运，因引擎故障第⼆二次降落在海海⾯面上。
Lesson 21 Daniel Mendoza 丹丹尼尔.⻔门多萨 Boxing matches were very popular in England two hundred years ago. In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for prize money. Because of this, they were known as 'prizefighters'. However, boxing was very crude, for these were no rules and a prizefighter could be seriously injured or even killed during a match.
One of the most colorful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza, who was born in 1764.
The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860, when the Marquis of Queensberry drew up the first set of rules.
Though he was technically a prizefighter, Mendoza did much to change crude prizefighting into a sport, for he brought science to the game. In this day, Mendoza enjoyed tremendous popularity. He was adored by rich and poor alike.
Mendoza rose to fame swiftly after a boxing match when he was only fourteen years old. This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most eminent boxer in England. He offered to train Mendoza and his young pupil was quick to learn. In fact, Mendoza soon became so successful that Humphries turned against him.
The two men quarrelled bitterly and it was clear that the argument could only be settled by a fight. A match was held at Stilton, where both men fought for an ⾚赤的贰侯
道厉害地-
