VOA慢速英语2021--癌症幸存者期待加入私人太空飞行

After beating bone cancer, Hayley Arceneaux thinks rocketing into orbit on SpaceX's first private flight should be no problem at all.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital announced the 29-year-old doctor's assistant will rocket into space later this year.

Arceneaux — a former patient at St. Jude — will become the youngest American in space, beating NASA record-holder Sally Ride by over two years.

She will travel with businessman Jared Isaacman, who is using the spaceflight he bought to raise money for charity. Two other yet-to-be-chosen space flyers will join them.

Arceneaux will be the first person to launch with a prosthesis - an artificial device that replaces a missing or injured part of the body.

When she was 10, Arceneaux had an operation at St. Jude to replace her knee and a piece of metal was put in her left leg. She still limps² and has occasional leg pain. Limp¹ is a term that means to walk slowly because of an injury.

Arceneaux has been cleared to fly by SpaceX and will serve as the crew's medical officer.

"My battle with cancer really prepared me for space travel," she recently told The Associated Press. "It made me tough, and then also I think it really taught me to expect the unexpected and go along for the ride."

Arceneaux wants to show her young patients and other cancer survivors³ that "the sky is not even the limit anymore."

"It's going to mean so much to these kids to see a survivor⁴ in space" she said.

Isaacman announced his space flight February 1, promising⁵ to raise $200 million for St. Jude. He will provide half of the amount himself. As the flight's self-appointed commander, he offered one of the four seats aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to St. Jude.

The hospital chose Arceneaux from among its many workers who had once been patients. The idea was that one of them could represent the new generation, noted⁶ Rick Shadyac, president of St. Jude's financing⁷ organization.

Arceneaux was at home in Memphis, Tennessee, when she got a surprising call in January. She was asked if she would represent St. Jude in space.

A lifelong space fan who loves adventures, Arceneaux has traveled widely and loves roller coasters.

Isaacman, who flies fighter airplanes for fun, considers her a perfect fit.

"It's not all supposed to be about getting people excited to be astronauts someday, which is certainly cool," Isaacman, 38, said last week. "It's also supposed to be about an inspiring message of what we can accomplish here on Earth."

Isaacman has two more people to choose, and he plans to announce them in March.

One will be a contest winner who donates to St. Jude. So far, more than $9 million has been raised for the hospital, Shadyac said. The other seat will go to a business owner who uses Isaacman's credit card-processing company.

The launch is planned for this fall at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with the spacecraft orbiting Earth for two to four days.

Words in This Story

charity – n. an official organization that gives money, food or help to people in need

artificial – adj. not natural, but made by people

adventure – n. an exciting and sometimes dangerous experience

roller coaster – n. a ride at an amusement park which is like a small, open train with tracks that are high off the ground and that have sharp curves and steep hills

cool – adj. very fashionable, stylish⁸, or appealing in a way that is generally approved of

inspiring – adj. causing people to want to do or create something or to lead better lives

accomplish – v. to succeed in doing (something)

1 limp   

adj.软弱的，无精神的，松沓的；vi.蹒跚；n.跛行

参考例句：

• His limp is result of a car accident last year.他的跛足是去年一次车祸所致的结果。
• He gave her a limp,cold handshake.他有气无力且冷淡地与她握了一下手。

2 limps   

一瘸一拐地走( limp的第三人称单数 )； 困难地航行

参考例句：

• The wolf limps on one of its front legs. 它的一条前腿有些颠踬，像被狼夹子打过。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
• He hardly limps at all. 他几乎一点也不瘸。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

4 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

8 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。