8 Chapter 7 Pushing the Limits

Chapter 7 Pushing the Limits By 1931, there were many changes in the world of flying. Slow, wood-framed airplanes had been replaced with faster all-metal models. The new planes had better instruments. Pilots could find their locations more easily and fly more safely. The newer planes were bigger and carried more passengers. Slowly, the public was won over to airplane travel. After all, it took four hours to go to Washington from New York by train. By plane the trip was only two and a half hours. In 1930, the first three flight attendants were hired by United Airlines. They were all nurses. They served meals and then took care of airsick passengers.

到1931年，飞行世界发生了许多变化。 缓慢的木结构飞机已经被更快的全金属模型所取代。 新飞机有更好的仪器。 飞行员可以更容易地找到他们的位置，飞行更安全。 较新的飞机更大，搭载的乘客也更多。 慢慢地，公众被飞机旅行所吸引。 毕竟，从纽约乘火车到华盛顿要花4个小时。 乘飞机只需要两个半小时。 1930年，美国联合航空公司雇佣了首批三名空乘人员。 他们都是护士。他们提供餐食，然后照顾晕机的乘客。

There were also more than 450 licensed female pilots in the United States. With more competition, it was getting harder to keep the public's interest. Amelia needed to do something different. She and George came up with a few ideas. Amelia started flying something called an autogyro. It was almost like a helicopter. Amelia became the first person to go across the country and back in an autogyro. But the autogyro was hard to fly. Many pilots thought it wasn't safe. Soon Amelia went back to a regular airplane. One January morning in 1932, Amelia was having breakfast with her husband. She put down the paper she was reading and asked, "Would you mind if I flew the Atlantic alone?"

美国也有450多名持有执照的女飞行员。 随着竞争的加剧，保持公众的兴趣变得越来越困难。 阿米莉亚需要做点不一样的事。 她和乔治想出了一些主意。 阿米莉亚开始驾驶一种叫自旋翼机的东西。 它几乎就像一架直升机。 阿米莉亚成为了第一个乘坐自旋翼机穿越全国并返回的人。 但是自动旋翼机很难飞行。 许多飞行员认为它不安全。 不久，阿米莉亚又坐上了普通飞机。 1932年1月的一个早晨，阿米莉亚正和丈夫一起吃早餐。 她放下正在看的报纸，问道:“你介意我一个人飞越大西洋吗?”

No! George didn't mind at all. He wanted Amelia to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. May 20, 1932, was the fifth anniversary of the Lindbergh flight. George Putnam thought that would be the perfect date for Amelia to take off. The press would love the connection.

不!乔治一点也不介意。 他希望阿米莉亚成为第一位独自飞越大西洋的女性。 1932年5月20日是林德伯格飞行五周年纪念日。 乔治·帕特南认为这是阿米莉亚起飞的最佳日期。 媒体会喜欢这种联系的。

Amelia had new instruments, including three compasses, put in her plane. The weather over the Atlantic could be bad. She would depend on the new technology to help her find her way. On the day of her flight, Amelia told reporters she was sure of her success. But before she climbed into her plane she quietly turned to a friend. "Do you think I can make it?" she asked. Even Amelia had her doubts. Amelia took off from Harbour Grace airport in Newfoundland, Canada. Amelia didn't think the

阿米莉亚在飞机上安装了新仪器，包括三个指南针。 大西洋上空的天气可能会很糟糕。 她将依靠这项新技术来帮助她找到出路。 在飞行当天，阿米莉亚告诉记者，她确信自己会成功。 但在她爬上飞机之前，她悄悄地转向一位朋友。 “你觉得我能做到吗?”她问。 就连阿米莉亚也心存疑虑。 阿米莉亚从加拿大纽芬兰的格雷斯港机场起飞。 阿米莉亚不这么认为

flight would be easy… and it wasn't. When she went too high, ice started to build on her wings. The ice made the plane heavy; it might crash. So she took the plane down low. But when she went too close to the water, her instruments didn't work. Without instruments, Amelia could get completely lost. The hours went by slowly. Amelia struggled to find just the right altitude. She sipped chicken soup. Gasoline dripped down the back of her neck from the extra fuel tank. She struggled all night.

飞行会很容易，但事实并非如此。 当她飞得太高时，她的翅膀上开始结冰。 冰使飞机很沉;它可能会崩溃。 于是她把飞机开到低空。 但当她离水太近时，她的仪器就坏了。 没有仪器，阿米莉亚可能会完全迷路。 时间过得很慢。阿米莉亚努力寻找合适的高度。 她呷了一口鸡汤。汽油从备用油箱里从她脖子后面滴下来。 她挣扎了一整夜。

But when the sun came up Amelia spotted land. She set her airplane down in a cow pasture, "frightening all the cows." She was in Ireland. She had done it! Amelia was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Congratulations poured in. Amelia was thirty-four years old. She was smart. She was brave… and she was a great-looking woman. The public loved her. When she returned to New York City, there was a parade down Broadway. Thousands of people lined the streets to cheer for Amelia. The next day, Amelia flew to Washington, D.C., where President Herbert Hoover presented her with a medal.

但当太阳升起时，阿米莉亚看到了陆地。 她把飞机降落在一个牧场上，“把所有的奶牛都吓坏了”。 她在爱尔兰。她做到了!阿米莉亚是第一位独自飞越大西洋的女性。 祝贺接踵而来。 阿米莉亚34岁。 她很聪明。她很勇敢，而且她是个漂亮的女人。 公众爱戴她。当她回到纽约时，百老汇大街上有一场游行。 成千上万的人站在街道两旁为阿米莉亚欢呼。 第二天，阿米莉亚飞往华盛顿特区，赫伯特·胡佛总统向她颁发了一枚奖章。