A defining characteristic of the American hero, right up there with frontier spirit in the list of traits that make the type unique, is grit: a combination of stamina and boldness, usually portrayed in Westerns. But cowboys aren't the only ones with grit. The inspiration for this collection of stories is a blue-blooded easterner, the first to fly across the United States. Calbraith Perry Rodgers inherited his nerve from his grandfather and great-grandfathers, all celebrated U.S. Navy officers, along with a resolve that some might call stubbornness. The legacy sustained him on his famous flight—completed in 49 days, after 15 crashes, in a flimsy biplane 100 years ago this November.
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机译：美国英雄的一个鲜明特征是勇气：坚毅与勇气的结合，通常在西方人眼中表现出来，坚韧不拔，勇于进取。但是牛仔并不是唯一有毅力的人。收集这些故事的灵感是一名蓝血的东方人，他是第一个飞越美国的人。卡尔布雷思·佩里·罗杰斯（Calbraith Perry Rodgers）继承了他的祖父和曾祖父的神经，这些祖父都是著名的美国海军军官，还有一种可能被称为固执的决心。这一遗产使他得以继续他著名的飞行-经历了15次空难后，在49天之内完成了飞行，这是100年前的这架双翼飞机。
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