英语名人堂：艾伦·麦克阿瑟

 艾伦·麦克阿瑟，出生于英国北部的德比什尔（Derbyshire），18岁就荣获英国年度优秀青年航海家的称号，28岁创造了单人环球航海的世界纪录，是目前世界上速度最快的单人航海家。

 

Dame¹ Ellen MacArthur (born in 1976) is a very brave and talented English yachtswoman. Her first name is Ellen; ‘Dame’ is a special title she received for her outstanding achievements from the British Queen. On 7 February 2005, she broke the world record for being the fastest person to sail around the world. Ellen now heads the crews of Britain’s top sailing teams.

 

She became interested in sailing after she read the ‘Swallows and Amazons’ books by Arthur Ransome. Her first experience of yachting was on her aunt’s boat on the east coast of England. She instantly fell in love with sailing and the sea. She decided² to become a sailor and saved her school dinner money to buy her first boat.

 

In 1998, aged³ 22, she was named the Royal Yachting Association "Yachtsman of The Year" in the UK. This encouraged her to go for the big time. In 2001, she came second in the Vendée Globe solo⁴ round-the-world race. For this, she got her first honour from Britain’s Queen. She got her second award for breaking the solo circumnavigation of the world.

 

She has used her fame to start her own charity to help young people with cancer and other serious illnesses. Ellen has also made it to the heavens, as well as the seas; there is an asteroid⁵ named 20043 EllenMacarthur. In 2008, she was further honoured; French President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded her the French Legion of Honour.

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

4 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• 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。

5 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。