【11月20日】看軍聞學英語

■刀客

原文:

'Sally Ride made that much of an impression on me,' Van Ovost said in an interview Thursday, adding that she never had the chance to meet Ride in person. 'At the time, I was in Civil Air Patrol, and I couldn't stop talking about what the possibilities for any woman were at that point.'

Today, Van Ovost is the Pentagon's only female four-star general, and the fifth in the Air Force's 73-year history. She's been a test pilot; commander of a refueling squadron, a training wing and an airlift wing; and the head of the C-17 Globemaster III program at the Pentagon. She has served as the vice director to the Joint Staff, among many other postings following her graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1988.

中譯:

范·奧沃斯特於週四的訪談中表示,莎莉·萊德對她的影響很大,她當時是在美國民間航空巡邏隊服務,會忍不住見人就談,那時的女性究竟有多大的能耐;她並提到,之前苦無機會得以見到萊德本人。

范·奧沃斯特是美軍目前唯一的女性四星上將,在空軍73年歷史則是第5位;曾擔任試飛官,並歷練過空中加油機中隊、訓練聯隊、空中運輸聯隊指揮官,以及五角大廈C-17「全球霸王III」計畫主持人。1988年自從空軍官校畢業後,一路歷練到聯合參謀部副主任的職位。

-關鍵軍語-

※test pilot:

An aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly-produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers.

例句:

In the 1950s, test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week.

試飛官在1950年代的折損率約每週一員殉職。