英语博客： The First Transpacific Flight.

 Clyde Edward Pangborn, a stunt¹ pilot, and flight instructor² during the First World War, arrived in Wenatchee on October 5th, 1931, after 41 hours and 15 minutes of flighing. He and his partner, Hugh Herndon Jr., had just made a historic³ flight from Shabishiro, Japan, the first time the pacific had been flown across. What's exciting about that historical trip, is that they completed it in Wenatchee. They had been scheduled to land in Seattle, but couldn't do so because of bad weather. I had heard about this flight a long time ago when I first came here, but I didn't really think much about it until I went to the museum the other day. There was a free day for the public on Friday, so I took my children and another friend to explore. The children ran around like rats, going into all of the different rooms, the art display, the electric miniature⁴ railway room, and a real apple sorter from the last century. I followed them into the room that was dedicated⁵ to the transpacific flight, and read them a few of the details that were written on the walls. The plane that they used was called the Miss Veedol. There is a model of it hanging from the ceiling. There are also maps, signatures, and details about the lives of both pilots. I was amazed to find out that before leaving Shabishiro, they were both imprisoned⁶, and nearly lost their maps. Then, when they actually took off, the landing gear⁷ of the plane (the wheels) were supposed to fall off to decrease the weight that they would carry. Well, they didn't. So what did they do? Pangborn got out of the plane, and at 14,000 feet, got onto a wing, barefoot, and detatched the landing gear himself. What a brave man! Being a stunt pilot, he was used to taking risks, so he was the right man for the job. I can't even imagine climbing out onto one of the wings while the plane is in flight. That's crazy! But they did it, and they managed to land in Wenatchee safely almost two days later. An airport was built later on in Wenatchee at the place where they landed; it's called Pangborn airport. It's very much celebrated⁸ here in Wenatchee; there is even a sister-city connection in Japan. Most years during the Apple Blossom⁹ Festival, representatives from Japan ride in the parade. It's great to think that, even though Wenatchee seems far away from most places, there is a historic international connection that keeps this place on the map.

 

Grammar notes.

 

Related vocabulary: to detatch, celebrated (as an adjective), to be on the map.

 

1. You have to detatch the safety brake before the remote control car will work.

 

2. He is a very celebrated artist; his work is on display in the National Gallery.

 

3. That amusement park really put this town on the map.

 

1 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

2 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

3 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

4 miniature   

adj.小型的，微小的；n.微小的模型，微型画

参考例句：

• He's giving a party in miniature on his birthday.他生日那天将举行一个小型晚会。
• Games are real life in miniature.游戏是现实生活的缩影。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

7 gear   

n.齿轮，传动装置，设备，衣服；vt.使适应

参考例句：

• We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
• The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。

8 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

9 blossom   

n.花，开花；vi.开花，发展

参考例句：

• The blossom on the trees looks lovely in springtime.春天树上的花很漂亮。
• Let a hundred flowers blossom,let a hundred schools of thought contend.百花齐放，百家争鸣。