English Lesson Log 077
Holland’s king reveals secret life as polite
Next time you take a flight, you just never know who might be at the controls. It could be a king.
Holland’s King Willem-Alexander has just revealed he has been secretly flying planes for the Dutch carrier KLM for the past 21 years, completely unbeknown to his passengers. The 50-year-old king got his military pilot’s license as a member of the Royal Netherlands Air Force when he was in his twenties. He developed a love of flying and trained to become a commercial pilot. He revealed his secret life as a pilot in an interview with Dutch media. He flew for KLM twice a month. The king said he was now preparing to upgrade hos skills. He is back on the aircraft simulator to train to fly Boeing737s.
King Willem-Alexander told reporters that his passion for flying meant he could relieve all stress while up in the skies. He explained: “You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them. You can’t take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else. That, for me, is the most relaxing part of flying." He said it was easy to keep his anonymity while flying, and that very few passengers ever knew he was piloting their plane. He said: “I always say that I wish everyone a heartfelt welcome on behalf of the captain and the crew. I don’t have to say my own name, but most people don’t listen anyway."
go Dutch
割り勘をする
career
キャリア（発音に注意）
reveal
明らかにする
fly – flew – flown
飛ぶ
in one’s twenties
20代の時
while up in the skies
空の上にいる間
aircraft
航空機
disengage
離れる
anonymity
匿名、無名
heartfelt
心からの
on behalf of
～のために、～の代わりに、～を代表して
secretly
on the quiet
developed
evolved
進歩する、進化する、進展する
revealed
disclosed
公表する、発表する
upgrade
improve
train
learn
passion
love
concentrate
focus
heartfelt
sincere
心からの
welcome
greet
crew
team
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