新概念英语美音版第二册:Lesson 43 Over the South Pole

Lesson 43 Over the South Pole
飞越南极
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
In 1929, three years after his flight over the North Pole, the American explorer, R.E. Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.
美国探险家 R.E.伯德在飞越北极3年之后，于1929年第一次飞越了南极。
Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below,
虽然开始时伯德和他的助手们拍下了飞机下面连绵群山的大量照片，
they soon ran into serious trouble.
但他们很快就陷入了困境。
At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash.
在有个地方，飞机似乎肯定要坠毁了。
It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.
只有在飞至10,000英尺的高度时，它才能飞过这些山头。
Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks.
伯德马上命令他的助手们把两个沉重的食物袋扔掉，
The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.
于是飞机可以上升了，它在离山头400英尺的高度飞越了过去。
Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away,
伯德这时知道他能够顺利飞抵300英里以外的南极了，
for there were no more mountains in sight.
因为前面再没有山了。
The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.
飞机可以毫无困难地飞过这片茫茫无际的白色原野！