名人轶事:Bessie Coleman was the first African American Fe

Bessie Coleman was the first African American Female¹ PilotWritten by Vivian Chakarian

(Theme)

VOICE ONE:

I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman pilot.

(Theme)

VOICE ONE:

Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, in the eighteen ninety-two. Her mother was African American. Her father was part African American and part American Indian. Her family was poor. Bessie had to walk more than six kilometers to go to school. When she was nine years old, her father left the family to search in Oklahoma for the territory of his Indian ancestors.   

In Texas then, as in most areas of the American South, black people were treated unfairly. They lived separately from white people and established their own religious, business and social traditions. Bessie was proud of her race. She learned² that from her hard-working and religious mother.

VOICE TWO:

Bessie had to pick cotton and wash clothes to help earn money for her family. She was able to save a little money and went to college in the state of Oklahoma. She was in college only one year. She had to leave because she did not have enough money to complete her studies.

But during that year, she learned about flying. She read about the first flight of the Wright Brothers and the first American female pilot, Harriet Quimby. Bessie often thought about what it would feel like to fly like a bird.

VOICE ONE:

When she was twenty-three, Bessie Coleman moved to Chicago, Illinois to live with two of her older brothers. There, she worked at several jobs. But she wanted to do something more important. She heard stories from pilots who were returning from World War One. 

She decided³ she was going to learn how to fly airplanes. She soon found this to be almost impossible. What flight school would admit a black woman?  She found that apparently⁴ there were none in the United States. Bessie learned that she would have a better chance in Europe.

She began to study French at a language school in Chicago. She also took a higher-paying job supervising⁵ a public eating place so she could save money.

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VOICE TWO:

Soon after the end of World War One, Bessie Coleman left for France. She attended the famous flight school, Ecole d'Aviation des Freres Caudron, in the town of Le Crotoy in northern France. She learned to fly in a plane that had two sets of wings, one over the other. She completed seven months of flight training.

Coleman earned her international permit to fly in nineteen twenty-one from the Federation⁶ Aeronautique Internationale in France. She became the first black woman ever to earn an international pilot's license⁷.

VOICE ONE:

Coleman returned to Chicago. She was the only black female pilot in the United States. So her story became popular in African American newspapers. She was asked by the Dallas Express newspaper in Texas why she wanted to fly. She said that women and blacks must have pilots if they are to keep up with the times. She added: "Do you know you have never lived until you have flown. "

Coleman soon learned that it was difficult for anyone to earn enough money as a pilot to live. She knew she would have to improve her flying skills and learn to do more tricks in the air if she wanted to succeed. There still was no one willing to teach her in Chicago.

So, she returned to Europe in nineteen twenty-two. She completed about four more months of flight training with French and German pilots.

VOICE TWO:

Coleman returned to New York where she gave her first public flying performance in the United States. A large crowd of people gathered to watch her. She rolled the plane. And she stopped the engine and then started it again just before the plane landed. The crowd loved her performance. So did other crowds as she performed in towns and cities across the country.

Bessie Coleman had proved she could fly. Yet she wanted to do more. She hoped to establish a school for black pilots in the United States. She knew she needed a plane of her own. She traveled to Los Angeles, California, where she sought the support of a company that sold tires. The company helped her buy a Curtiss JN-Four airplane, commonly called a Jenny. In return, she was to represent the company at public events.

VOICE ONE:

Bessie Coleman organized an air show in Los Angeles. But the Jenny's engine stopped soon after take-off, and the plane crashed to the ground. Coleman suffered a broken leg and other injuries. She regretted the accident and felt she had disappointed her supporters. She sent a message: "Tell them all that as soon as I can walk I'm going to fly!"

Coleman returned to Chicago where she continued her plan to open a flying school. She had very little money, no job and no plane, yet she opened an office in Chicago. She soon found it was impossible to keep the office open without more financial support. So she decided to return to flying.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen twenty-five, Bessie Coleman traveled to her home state of Texas. The ormer cotton picker and beauty technician⁸ now was the only licensed⁹ black woman pilot in the world. She could speak French. And she was an international traveler.

(Music)

VOICE ONE:

To earn money, Bessie Coleman gave speeches and showed films of her flights. She did this in churches, theaters and at local all-black public schools. She organized more air shows. She soon had enough money to pay for some of the cost of a plane of her own, another old Curtiss Jenny.

She continued her speeches and air shows in the state of Georgia, then in Florida. She hoped to earn enough money to open her school.

In Florida, Coleman met Edwin Beeman, whose father was the head of a huge chewing gum¹⁰ company. Mister¹¹ Beeman gave her the money to make the final payment¹² on her plane in Dallas. Coleman made plans to have it flown to her in Jacksonville, Florida. A young white pilot, William Wills, made the trip.

But the old Jenny had problems. Wills had to make two stops during the short flight to repair the plane. Local pilots who examined the plane were surprised he had been able to fly it so far.

VOICE TWO:

On April thirtieth, nineteen twenty-six, Coleman was preparing for an air show in which she would star. She agreed to make the flight with William Wills. He flew the plane so she could clearly see the field she would fly over.

She did not use any safety devices¹³, such as a seat belt or parachute. They would have prevented her from leaning over to see all of the field. During the flight, the plane's controls became stuck.

The plane turned over in the air. Nothing was holding Coleman in. She fell more than a kilometer to her death. Wills had worn a seat belt. But he also died when the plane crashed.

Officials later found the cause of the accident. A tool had slid into the controls of the plane. Experts said that the accident would not have happened if Wills and Coleman had been flying a newer and safer plane.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Throughout her life, Bessie Coleman had resisted society's restrictions¹⁴ against blacks and women. She believed that the air is the only place where everyone is free. She wanted to teach other black people about that special environment.

It took some time until her wish was fulfilled¹⁵. It was not until nineteen thirty-nine that black students were permitted to enter civilian¹⁶ flight schools in the United States.

It was not until the Second World War that black male pilots were sent into battle. And, it was not until nineteen eighty that the first black women completed military pilot training in the United States.

VOICE TWO:

Bessie Coleman did not live to establish her own flying school. But she had said that if she could create the minimum¹⁷ of her plans and desires, she would have no regrets. She had accepted the dangers of her job because she loved flying.

Her influence continues today. In nineteen ninety-two, the Chicago City Council¹⁸ passed a resolution praising her. It said: "Bessie Coleman continues to inspire untold¹⁹ thousands, even millions of young persons with her sense of adventure, her positive attitude and her determination to succeed. "

In nineteen thirty-four, Lieutenant²⁰ William Powell wrote a book called “Black Wings.”  He wrote:  "Because of Bessie Coleman, we have overcome that which was much worse than racial barriers. We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream. "

(Theme)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Vivian Chakarian. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I’m Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English
 

1 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

2 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 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。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 supervising   

v.监督，管理( supervise的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She had something to do in the house, supervising that native. 她待在家里，究竟还有点儿事情可以做做，可以监视那个土人。 来自辞典例句
• In addition, nuisance law fails to provide a systematic mechanism for supervising emissions. 另外，妨害法不能提供一个监督排放的系统性机制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

7 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

8 technician   

n.技术员，技师

参考例句：

• The technician is busy repairing the machine.技师正忙于修理那台机器。
• A skilled technician takes years to train.一个熟练的技师需要数年时间才能培训出来。

9 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

10 gum   

n.牙龈；口香糖；树胶

参考例句：

• We can stick these pictures into the book with gum.我们可用胶水把这几张画粘贴在书里。
• Americans like to chew gum.美国人喜欢嚼口香糖。

11 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

12 payment   

n.付款，支付，偿还，偿还，报应

参考例句：

• I gave ten pounds in payment for the goods I bought.我买那些东西付了10英镑。
• This last payment will wipe out your debt to me.这最后一笔付款将了结你欠我的债务。

13 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

14 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

15 fulfilled   

adj.满足的，个人志向得以实现的v.满足( fulfil的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；尽到；应验

参考例句：

• He doesn't feel fulfilled in his present job. 目前的工作未能让他感到满足。
• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

17 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

18 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

19 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

20 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。