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！ 9 q, ~0 n% {" ~3 q; Z3 I) U
: d# H Y" ~; F 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。 # ^! X2 Y, S0 ^4 X& q. O1 g: m$ ?. i* @: @0 {! z0 @% {5 Z
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。”0 j3 h5 D) Z9 W! x
/ S. v4 s8 V4 }) e7 B* P2 [Pensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane2 ]) X4 A7 j4 C- W
' s, Q/ r* B3 ~( |( o; ZA 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. $ }! M: x6 P( |' }! j6 q * t% w5 s: t7 f# J5 m5 |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. ) u. M: o3 ~- R* Q7 A+ V$ i/ J$ H$ ]% Z6 @0 W* l- T# u. K
Mr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. * C9 K& O. `; v" J. I, L; | 4 c" ~6 U+ Y2 Y4 f" A$ L mMonths later he was stunned to receive a postcard from 6,000 miles away saying his balloon had landed Hong Kong. . j, _" j& I4 Q- y4 G. d- h0 t& V! p: N
It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. , Q" T+ W! P& x! i8 i/ |* a5 @1 q! L% ^6 d* ]
* D0 ?8 E; m% u1 M* ]1 T% k a
- C" q$ c# |, D" o* W( g( p# i 4 d/ Z7 B& R" o8 C9 R( {* v6 x F) N! X& n+ a& ^& a
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 90