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! ( O q: i. L; {8 Q L
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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。 3 X2 n5 P( j2 n; [1 t3 `1 d3 K % d( K3 L( X9 ~$ y/ I5 J9 p 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。” & W; f7 u+ p2 b \, H4 M) I0 R6 @/ c N7 TPensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane, Z* W5 G: J* k1 A" `9 [+ ~" A
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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. " C! b7 u# H9 q: U' C( y Y, T8 c% h% u* x/ _+ N n
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. 8 \9 b" g$ f6 R% s4 O* f9 D/ s' j- A& g6 `6 D" l
Mr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. # p5 q/ L" a: w! V- D0 t + B1 w w3 |: S- `, N, `Months later he was stunned to receive a postcard from 6,000 miles away saying his balloon had landed Hong Kong. / F: a r8 @, }2 u7 @! D7 X" J6 E) ]2 b# P* X9 D+ s! s6 u
It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. $ X9 w2 Q) q6 ~" L - `9 f& Q: k9 |, g6 H* | ' z* C( ^/ m; @6 R. Z2 r: p $ s" L4 K4 q; D# F; I+ e( I) m : v7 e: X& _5 R( y+ r$ f0 m4 R+ Q6 l, B5 o; R, I$ r2 v
Blown away ... Ken clutches balloon, which was found by Angie, centre inset, who sent it on to Hong Kong, right