[ti:French Nun Who Beat COVID-19 Celebrates 117th Birthday] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A French religious worker who survived COVID-19 [00:04.92]celebrated her 117th birthday on Thursday. [00:12.36]Sister Andre is a nun who lives in a retirement home [00:18.04]in the southern city of Toulon. [00:21.72]She also is believed to be the world’s second-oldest person. [00:28.20]A spokesman for the retirement home, David Tavella, [00:32.72]said Sister Andre tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of January. [00:41.16]She was separated from others at the home, [00:44.84]but experienced few signs of the disease. [00:49.80]Her survival story made news across the world. [00:55.12]Sister Andre, whose birth name is Lucile Randon, [01:00.20]was to take part in a celebration [01:03.32]with a small number of people at the home. [01:07.44]Tavella said plans called for a big meal [01:11.44]and a special religious observance in her honor. [01:17.04]Some of Sister Andre’s family members [01:20.76]were also expected to join a video call with her. [01:25.80]“It’s a big day,” Tavella said. [01:29.60]“She is in great shape. I went to see her this morning. She is really happy. [01:36.52]She wanted me to tell her the (plan) for the day again,” he added. [01:42.40]The meal was to include some of Sister Andre’s food favorites, [01:48.08]including a special chicken dish and Baked Alaska for dessert. [01:55.20]“All of it washed down with red wine, because she drinks red wine,” Tavella said. [02:02.68]“It’s one of her secrets of longevity.” [02:07.24]As for loading up the cake with candles, [02:10.76]Tavella said they had stopped trying that a long time ago. [02:16.28]“Because even if we made big cakes, [02:19.60]I’m not sure that she would have enough breath to blow them out. [02:23.72]You would need a fire extinguisher.” [02:27.68]Tavella added that when people around the world started talking [02:32.76]about Sister Andre’s story, he realized it was [02:37.40]“because we all need a bit of hope at the moment.” [02:42.24]Sister Andre was born on February 11, 1904. [02:48.28]She survived two World Wars. [02:51.96]The Gerontology Research Group [02:55.20]confirms details about people thought to be 110 or older. [03:02.12]The organization lists her as the world’s second-oldest living person. [03:09.04]The oldest person on the list is Japan’s Kane Tanaka, [03:14.04]who turned 118 on January 2. [03:19.88]When recently asked if she had been scared to have COVID-19, [03:25.60]Sister Andre told France’s BFM television, [03:30.20]“No I wasn’t scared, because I wasn’t scared to die.” [03:35.80]She added: “I’m happy to be with you, [03:39.56]but I would wish to be somewhere else [03:42.52]-- join my big brother and my grandfather and my grandmother.” [03:47.88]I’m Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM