VOA新闻杂志--83岁日本老人成单人横渡太平洋最年长者

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Japanese Man Becomes Oldest Person to Sail Solo¹ Across Pacific

A Japanese man has become the oldest person to complete a solo, non-stop sailing trip across the Pacific Ocean.

Eighty-three-year-old Kenichi Horie returned to his home port off Japan's western coast on Saturday. His trans-Pacific trip began in San Francisco in late March. It took 69 days to complete.

Horie spent the night aboard his 6-meter-long sailboat before he was welcomed back Sunday by community members and supporters at the port of Shin Nishinomiya.

Upon arrival, Horie took off his hat and waved to the crowd from his boat. Later, he met with supporters and was presented with flowers. "Thank you for waiting!" Horie said.

He had carried a supply of medicine in case he got sick. But he said the only things he used during his more than two months at sea were eye drops and Band-Aids.

"That shows how healthy I am," Horie said. "I'm still in the middle of my youth."

Horie added that it felt like the trip had "burned all my body and soul." But he said he is still ready for more exciting experiences. "I will keep up my work to be a late bloomer."

Horie told reporters that setting² the record for the oldest person to complete the trip was a dream come true. He said it brought happiness "to have been able to make a challenge as a real goal and safely achieve it, instead of just holding onto it as a dream."

"I want to be a challenger as long as I live," Horie added.

It 1962, he became the first person in the world to sail a solo non-stop trip across the Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. Sixty years later, he traveled the opposite path.

Soon after leaving San Francisco, Horie faced stormy weather. But conditions improved after that and he was able to reach Hawaii sooner than expected in mid-April.

Horie said he had struggled toward³ the end of his trip with pushback from some strong waves. In an internet report Friday, he said he felt close to success, but was exhausted⁴.

Horie has completed several long-distance solo trips. In 1974, he sailed solo around the world. His latest success was the first trip since 2008, when he traveled solo on a wave-powered boat from Hawaii to Japan's Kii Strait.

Despite sailing on his own, technology helped him keep in touch with family members and others throughout the trip. "I imagine my next voyage would be even more fun," he said.

Words in This Story

solo – adj. done alone by one person

Band-Aid – n. a brand name for a small piece of cloth or plastic that sticks to the skin to cover and protect small wounds

soul – n. the part of a person that is not their body and which some people believe continues to exist after death

late bloomer – n. someone who becomes good at something at an older age in life

challenge – adj. a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do

achieve – v. to get by means of hard work

exhausted – adj. extremely tired

voyage – n. a long trip, especially by ship

1 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。

2 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

3 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

4 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。