大学英语精读第一册Unit2译文.doc

大学英语精读第一册第二单元65岁的弗朗西斯奇切斯特打算单独进行一次环球航行，这就是那次冒险的故事。环球航行弗朗西斯奇切斯特在独自驾船环球航行之前，已有好几次让他的朋友们感到吃惊了。他曾试图作环球飞行，但没有成功。那是在1931年。好多年过去了，他放弃了飞行，开始航海。他领略到航海的巨大乐趣。奇切斯特在首届横渡大西洋单人航海比赛中夺魁时，已经58岁。他周游世界的宿愿又被唤起，不过这一次他是要驾船环游。由于他患有肺癌，朋友们和医生们都认为他不该去，但奇切斯特决意实施自己的计划。1966年8月，在他年近65岁的时候许多人在这个年龄已经退休他开始了一生中最了不起的一次航海。不久，他就驾着那艘16米长的新船吉普赛莫思号启程出海了。奇切斯特沿着19世纪大型三桅帆船的航线航行。不过，三桅帆船拥有众多船员，而奇切斯特却是独自扬帆破浪，即使在主要转舵装置被大风刮坏之后仍是这样。奇切斯特一直航行了14，100英里，到了澳大利亚的悉尼港才停船靠岸。这段航程比以往单人驾舟航海的最远航程还多一倍。他于12月12日抵达澳大利亚，这一天正是他离开英国的第107天。他受到澳大利亚人和乘飞机专程前去迎接他的家人们的热烈欢迎。奇切斯特上岸后，得由人搀扶才能行走。大家众口一词，说他已航行得够远了，不要再继续向前航行了。但他却置若罔闻。在悉尼休息了几周之后，他不顾朋友的多方劝阻，再次扬帆出航。这后半段航程更为艰险，在此期间，他绕过了险情四伏的合恩角。1月29日他驶离澳大利亚。第二天夜晚这是他所经历过的最黑暗的一个夜晚海面上波涛汹涌，小船几乎被风浪掀翻。食物、衣服还有碎玻璃，全都混杂在一起了。幸好小船受到的损坏还不算太严重。奇切斯特镇静地钻进被窝，睡着了。等他醒来时，大海又恢复了平静。然而，他仍禁不住想到，要是果真有什么意外，他能借无线电联系上的人，最近的也要在885英里以外的岛上，除非附近哪儿有条轮船。成功地绕过合恩角以后，奇切斯特便通过无线电给伦敦发去如下的电文：“我觉得好象刚从恶梦中醒来。就是野马也休想再把我拖回到合恩角和那凶险莫测的南大洋去了。”1967年5月28日，星期天，晚上将近9点，他回到了英国。有25万人等在那儿欢迎他。女王伊丽莎白二世手持宝剑刺封他为爵士。大约在400年前，伊丽莎白一世也曾手持同一把宝剑，把爵位赐予完成首次环球航行的弗朗西斯德雷克爵士。从英国出发，又回到英国，整个航程长达28，500英里。奇切斯特一共花了九个月的时间，其中实际航行时间为226天。他终于完成了他想完成的伟业。像许多别的冒险家一样，奇切斯特产生过恐惧而又战胜了恐惧。在这一过程中，他无疑对自身有了一些了解。此外，在当今这个人类如此依赖机器的时代，他将新的自豪感赋予了全世界的人们At sixty-five Francis Chichester set out to sail single-handed round the world. This is the story of that adventure.Sailing Round the WorldBefore 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 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 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.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 device had been damaged by gales. Chichester covered 14, 100 miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously 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 of his friends attempts to dissuade him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape 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. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again.Juat before 9 oclock 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 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 WORDSsingle-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 ones mind firmly made up 下定了决心的 determine v.determination n.retire vi. stop working at ones 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 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 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dissuadevt. prevent (sb.) from doing sth. by reasoning 劝阻treacherousa. more dangerous than it seems 暗藏危险的；奸诈的cape n. 海角rougha. (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fortunatea.contact vt. get in touch with 联系，接触nearbyad. 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sinistera. 凶恶的，邪恶的knight 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