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！ , X; h k5 D' T& G6 q' O3 u( L7 N4 X5 ^& M& @* E( x) M
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。 - T+ ? @. Y* u, l7 A. g/ g' O7 C/ F 0 f: w4 Y5 o( G* { 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。”" R( S# Z! t6 x5 A& {
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Pensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane y" \# U4 P8 x0 p( w, F! U# W" N7 F" B; t7 \
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. * n1 A* _5 W# X% g
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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. , k% K# L# ?/ J" O+ S& T8 D, ?
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Mr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. n- h! o e5 M! g" O# f) U; u" r' ~1 R% v) z0 l( Z# p
Months later he was stunned to receive a postcard from 6,000 miles away saying his balloon had landed Hong Kong. : P+ B* x- J1 p0 \( V/ } W* p1 E
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It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. ; q1 L: w9 N& x - ]+ S1 x- e2 D" [& j& ? : G; _/ a# L2 X7 n. ?& x* v: S# ^8 R7 g: G2 D& l
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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 87