现年80岁的肯·诺耶斯是英国威尔特郡玛尔米斯布里市人，2006年7月，诺耶斯80岁生日时，在后花园中捡到了一只金色的氦气球，在将这只气球重新放飞前，他在气球上系上一张纸片，并在上面写下自己的愿望：“我希望它能飞到中国。”诺耶斯接着在上面留下了自己的家庭住址和姓名。此后诺耶斯就忘掉了这只气球。然而令诺耶斯做梦也没想到的是，上个月，他竟然收到了一张寄自中国香港的明信片，一名叫做马丁·伯尼格的飞行员称，诺耶斯2006年放飞的氦气球已经如愿抵达了6000英里外的中国！ 3 E) H! n ]/ u+ r- A; X. R% C$ o5 V/ H) ]! Y2 O
就在诺耶斯感到万分困惑不解时，英国格洛斯特郡机场的女招待员安吉·霍尔摩斯邀请他来到机场，并向他揭开了谜底。 / ^. U* V7 f3 [. C3 m a/ s' g# L9 b 5 n% Y7 h, V: v+ \9 m8 ~ 原来，诺耶斯的氦气球压根就没有飞到中国，2006年7月它被诺耶斯放飞后就降落在了30英里外的格洛斯特郡机场中，并被人捡到送到了机场办公室。机场女招待员安吉被诺耶斯在气球上的留言打动，于是她决定帮助诺耶斯实现愿望，她在气球上系上了另一张纸片，恳求飞行员将它带往中国。安吉随后将气球交给了朋友卡尔芬·罗德里克机长。由于罗德里克只飞英国到瑞士苏黎世的航班，所以他又将这只气球交给了欧洲其他国际航班的飞行员，这只气球在好几个航班飞行员的手中不断传递，最后终于在上个月被最后一程的飞行员马丁·伯尼格带到了中国香港。伯尼格在寄给诺耶斯的明信片上写道：“亲爱的诺耶斯先生，你2006年7月放飞的气球已经抵达了中国，中间经过了中东、欧洲等地，但它最后终于抵达了亚洲。”诺耶斯得知真相后相当感动，他说：“如果没有这些人帮忙，它也许永远都不会抵达目的地。这真是一个令人惊异的故事。” ; q! S; m9 w, b" F' c. p( X9 x- k" d2 p5 Z
Pensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane / H% X/ F8 `0 [ " E/ G8 z* @. B% L$ }A pensioner who released a helium balloon on his 80th birthday with a note saying "I hope this gets to China" was elated to receive a postcard saying it had landed in Hong Kong. # E7 k/ c% X; K" _9 P & ` y! x# L3 @0 G1 s" b/ h' |But Ken Noyes was brought back down to earth when he was told it had been flown there by a pilot as a prank after landing at a local airport. " ~7 f& C( b( O( }" Z
8 x% p W: J% r# w/ p6 H. l; KMr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. , K" g, L# ^& f/ Q2 _& z) h& a* m% G G/ U$ ^% R6 _# h- x
Months later he was stunned to receive a postcard from 6,000 miles away saying his balloon had landed Hong Kong. : W5 k- \# r" \( L! j9 x" D& Z; W( H7 T% [9 [
It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. 8 Q6 w0 }6 W4 P6 B+ N1 `) x# O
+ u' h/ g) }, O( e) K
) R( [! \2 b8 E) R6 v( ` 4 E" v6 v3 i. E/ U" ~ 9 J5 @! a6 B3 z I2 }& w, \# q) m9 l# H4 \$ N K
Blown away ... Ken clutches balloon, which was found by Angie, centre inset, who sent it on to Hong Kong, right
图片附件: Balloon journey.jpg (2007-4-14 09:39, 29.11 KB) / 下载次数 25