Unit 2 Parachuting Problem
第二单元 跳伞问题

As the helicopter hovered in mid air, Shannon strapped on her parachute. Her crew was sent to put out a fire that had spread over 200 miles. There were no roads to reach the fire, so the firefighters were arriving by helicopter. She waited for her turn and then jumped.
直升机盘旋在半空中时，香农绑好了她的降落伞。她那一队组员要被派往扑灭已绵延两百英里以上的火势。由于火灾地点没有道路可以抵达，消防队员便坐直升机前来。等轮到她跳伞时，她便一跃而下。

Because this was Shannon's eighth year and she had experience jumping out of helicopters, she was not particularly nervous. But when her chord jammed and her chute didn't open, Shannon panicked. To make matters worse, she was heading straight for the heart of the fire.
香农已经工作了八年，过去又有从直升机上跳伞的经验，所以并没有特别紧张。不过当她的伞带卡住，降落伞打不开时，香农慌了起来；更糟的是，她正往起火中心落下。

She was falling fast, if she did not get her chute open soon she was going to die. Just then, below her, she saw the man who had jumped out of the helicopter before her.
她往下坠的速度很快，如果降落伞不快点打开，她便要一命呜呼了。就在那时，她看到在她前面跳下直升机的那个人就在她正下方。

She knew if she wanted to live she was going to have to grab onto him and she could float down with him.
她知道如果自己想活命就得抓住他，然后和他一起用降落伞飘下去。

She was quickly getting closer and closer. She positioned herself and she grabbed onto his leg. The man was shocked, but pulled Shannon up and together they landed safely on the ground.
很快，她越靠越近，调整最适当的位置后一把抓住他的腿。那个人吓了一跳，接着拉起香农，和她一起平安着陆。

【美】 Meredith Walker 著 陈怡芬 译

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