大学英语精读第一册 Unit Two: Sailing Round the World
时间:2018-12-04 作者:英语课 分类:大学英语精读第一册
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At sixty-five Francis Chichester set out to sail single-handed round the world. This is the story of that adventure.
Sailing Round the World
Before he sailed round the world single-handed, Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times. He had tried to fly round the world but failed. That was in 1931.
The years passed. He gave up flying and began sailing. He enjoyed it greatly. Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo 1 transatlantic sailing race. His old dream of going round the world came back, but this time he would sail. His friends and doctors did not think he could do it, as he had lung cancer. But Chichester was determined 2 to carry out his plan. In August, 1963, at the age of nearly sixty-five, an age when many men retire, he began the greatest voyage of his life. Soon, he was away in this new 16-metre boat, Gipsy Moth 3.
Chichester followed the route of the great nineteenth century clipper ships. But the clippers had had plenty of crew. Chicheater did it all by himself, even after the main steering 5 device had been damaged by gales 7. Chichester covered 14, 100 miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously 8 sailed alone.
He arrived in Australia on 12 December, just 107 days out from England. He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him. On shore, Chichester could not walk without help. Everybody said the same thing: he had done enough; he must not go any further. But he did not listen.
After resting in Sydney for a few weeks, Chichester set off once more in spite 9 of his friends' attempts to dissuade 10 him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous 11 Cape 12 Horn.
On 29 January he left Australia. The mext night, the blackest he had ever known, the sea became so rough that the boat almost turned over. Food, clothes, and broken glass were all mixed together. Fortunately, bed and went to sleep. When he woke up, the sea had become calm the nearest person he could contact by radio, unless there was a ship nearby, Wild be on an island 885 miles away.
After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn, Chichester sent the followiing radio message to London:" I feel as if I had wakened from a nightmare 13. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister 14 Southern Ocean again."
Juat before 9 o'clock on Sunday evening 28 May, 1967, he aeeived back in England, where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him. Queeh Elizabeth II knigthed him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had sailed round the world for the first time. The whole voyage from England and back had covered 28, 500 miles. It had taken him nine months , of which the sailing time was 226 days. He had done what he wanted to accomplish.
Like many other adventurers, Chichester had experienced fear and conquered it. In doing so, he had undoubtedly 15 learnt something about himself. Moreover, in the modern age when human beings depend so much on machines, he had given men throughout the world new pride.
NEW WORDS
single-handed
a & ad. (done) by one person alone 单独的(地)
adventure
n. 冒险(活动)
solo
a. single-handed 单独的
transatlantic
a. crossing the Atlantic Ocean 横度大西洋
lung
n. part of the body with which one breathes 肺
cancer
n. 癌
determined
a. with one's mind firmly made up 下定了决心的
determine
v.
determination
n.
retire
vi. stop working at one's job(because of age) 退休
voyage
n. sea journey 航海;航行
route
n. way from one place to another 路线
clipper
n. 快速帆船
crew
n. group of people who work together on a ship or aeroplane 全体船员;全体乘务员
steer 4
vt. make (esp. a boat or road vehicle) go in a particular direction 为...撑舵
device
n. a piece of equipment 设备;装置
steering device
n. 操舵装置
damage
vt. cause harm or injury to 损坏
ad. harm, injury 损坏
gale 6
n. very strong wind 大风
cover
vt. travel (a certain distance) 行过(一段距离)
previously
ad. before 以前
previous
a.
attempt
n. try 试图,尝试
dissuade
vt. prevent (sb.) from doing sth. by reasoning 劝阻
treacherous
a. more dangerous than it seems 暗藏危险的;奸诈的
cape
n. 海角
rough
a. (of weather or the sea) stormy; not calm (气候)有暴风雨的;(海)波涛汹涌的
fortunately
ad. luckily 幸运地;幸亏
fortunate
a.
contact
vt. get in touch with 联系,接触
nearby
ad. close by 在附近
following
a. next; to be mentioned immediately 接着的;下列的
waken
v. (cause to) wake 唤醒;醒来
nightmare
n. terrible dream 恶梦
drag
vt. pull along with great effort 拖,拉
sinister
a. 凶恶的,邪恶的
knight 16
n. 爵士
vt. 封... 为爵士
sword
n. 剑,刀
accomplish
vt. finish successfully 完成
conquer
vt. overcome 征服
undoubtedly
ad. certainly 无疑地
moreover
ad. in addition 此外,而且
human
a. of or concerning people 人们
being
n. a living thing, esp. a person 生物;人
PHRASES & EXPRESSIOMS
set out
begin a course if action 着手,开始
give up
atop doing 放弃
be determined to (do)
have a strong will to (do) 决心(做)
(all) by oneself
(completely) alone
in spite of
not taking notice of; not caring about 尽管;虽然
by far
by a large amount or degree...得多
turn over
(cause to) fall over, upset (使)翻倒,(使)倾覆
can not help
can not keep oneself from 禁不住
PEOPER NAMES
Francis Chichester
弗朗西斯. 奇切斯特
Gipsy Moth
吉普赛. 莫斯
Sydney
悉尼(澳大利亚城市)
Cape Horn
合恩角(智利)
London
伦敦
Elizabeth
伊丽莎白(女子名)
Drake
德雷克(姓氏)
- Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
- There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。
- I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
- He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
- A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
- The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。
- If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车,我就来驾车。
- It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。
- He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
- Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵,口吻也马上变得温和了。
- We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
- According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
- I could hear gales of laughter coming from downstairs. 我能听到来自楼下的阵阵笑声。
- This was greeted with gales of laughter from the audience. 观众对此报以阵阵笑声。
- The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
- Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
- He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高,但思想观念却很入时。
- In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气,说的话还是有节制的。
- You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
- I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。
- The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
- The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。
- I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
- She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
- I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
- I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦,失眠了。
- There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
- Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
- It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
- He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。