Every summer many people,girls and women as well as(还有) boys and men,try to swim from England to France or from France to England.The distance(距离) at the nearest points(点) is only about 20 miles but because of the strong tides(浪) the distance that must be swum is usually more than twice as far.
The first man who succeeded(成功) in swimming the English Channel(海峡) was Captain Wed,an Englishman.This was in August 1857.He landed in France 21 hours later after he jumped into the water at Dover.Since then there have been many successful swimmers and time has been shortened(缩短).In 1960 a Canadian crossed in 10 hours and 23 minutes.Because the sea is usually cold,swimmers cover their bodies with grease(油脂).This helps them to keep out the cold.They can also eat something,because some men go with them in small boats.