CNN News:阳光动力2号开启环球之旅 治疗性骑马为残疾儿童增加自信
AZUZ: Around the world, without a drop of gasoline. That's the goal of the experimental plane, Solar Impulse 2. It runs on solar power. It landed in California on Saturday night after taking off from Hawaii on Thursday. Though it's got the wing span of a 747, it only weighs as much as an SUV. But it also travels at about the same speed as a car, which is why it took so long to make California from Oahu.
The project whose cost is estimated at more than $100 million has had its setbacks. It took off last spring and was supposed to have circumnavigated the globe last summer, but a damaging storm, battery problems and the need for near perfect flying conditions have repeated delayed the journey.
Engineers are happy to have the project back up and running.
阿祖兹:环游世界,但是不用一滴油。这是实验型飞机阳光动力2号的目标。这架飞机由太阳能提供动力。它周四从夏威夷起飞,周六晚上降落在加利福尼亚。虽然它的翼展达到了波音747的水平,但是它的重量只有一辆SUV车那么重。当然,这架飞机的速度也和汽车的速度一样,所以它用了这么长时间才从瓦胡岛飞到加州。
这个耗资超过1亿美元的项目遭遇了挫折。这架飞机去年春天起飞,计划在去年夏天完成全球航行,但是由于遭遇严重风暴、电池出现问题以及对近乎完美飞行条件的需求,导致其行程不断拖延。
工程师对这个项目能恢复运作感到很高兴。
AZUZ: A little over 20 years ago, in the grocery store parking lot of North Carolina, an insurance worker named Harry Swimmer met a girl with a condition Cerebral Palsy. She was also deaf and unable to speak. And Swimmer had the idea that she might enjoy a pony ride at his farm.
Her positive reaction to the experience inspired Swimmer to become a certified instructor in therapeutic riding and he's today's "Character study".
HARRY SWIMMER, cnn HERO: Every community has children with disability. One of these children have very little to look forward to.
Our farm is a sanctuary for children with special needs.
Hi, riders up.
What do you say now?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Walk on.
SWIMMER: That's my girl.
Out here, they're part of a team. They ride together. They bonded with their horses. It is therapy for them.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I'm getting stronger and stronger.
SWIMMER: You are getting stronger and stronger.
These children come to me everyday.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: You're the best.
SWIMMER: And I love every one of them. This is their farm as much as it is mine.
Are you ready?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fact that we're able to do this free of charge is a big deal. It's really expanded her community.
There you go.
We could put her on a horse and she can be all over the place. And within a few minutes, we can watch her body settles down, and she's suddenly the biggest thing in her environment. That's a great confidence booster.
SWIMMER: I've been extremely lucky to be able to have this program, at 86 years old. This has become my life. I don't ever want to do anything else.
阿祖兹:20多年前,保险公司员工哈里·斯维默在北卡罗来纳州一家食杂店的停车场遇到了一个患有脑瘫的小女孩。而且她耳聋,也不能说话。斯维默突然有了个想法,这个小女孩可能会喜欢在他的农场里骑马。
她骑马时呈现出来的积极反应促使斯维默成为了一名治疗性骑马注册教练,他就是今天“人物研究”版块的主人公。
cnn英雄哈里·斯维默:每个社区都有残疾儿童。这些孩子几乎没有什么希望。
我们的农场是这些有特殊需求孩子的圣地。
嗨,骑手上马。
现在你要说什么?
身份不明的女孩:继续走。
斯维默:那是我的女孩。
在这里,他们是团队的一部分。他们一起骑马。他们和马建立了联系。这对他们来说是种治疗。
身份不明的孩子:我会越来越强大。
斯维默:你会越来越强。
这些孩子每天都过来找我。
身份不明的孩子:你是最棒的。
斯维默:我爱每一个孩子。这是我的农场,但也是他们的农场。
你准备好了吗?
身份不明的女性:我们能继续免费做这件事其实很了不起。这确实扩大了她的社交。
开始吧。
我们会把她放到马上,她可以去任何地方。几分钟以后,我们会看到她的身体平静下来,她会突然成为她所处环境中最重要的因素。这就是自信助推器。
斯维默:在86岁的时候能做这个项目,我真的非常幸运。这已经成为我生命中的一部分。我从来没想过做其他的事情。