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！ ! v S- P% m. x4 ~3 I3 C8 `4 V$ [7 K8 f3 s1 g$ ?
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。 / D5 E4 F1 r9 x7 x3 P \4 R1 L2 C3 j4 D4 L/ s- [
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。”! v- T: a4 n- J
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Pensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane ) R! h; k: d& x$ t. t( {( G% W1 I% `" \& G7 y& e
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. ; P! k" a( q) @: C7 n: {0 a7 z+ q+ K; x5 q$ 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. " k- w$ `4 O4 c7 O( i) q) [ - {8 _ V; S5 G) C3 w) HMr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. 0 U A# h7 x9 x5 R6 G" f
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Months later he was stunned to receive a postcard from 6,000 miles away saying his balloon had landed Hong Kong. 3 ]# M9 N! m# Q3 Z, h3 s e/ x& d( v( j" Y+ X+ B+ A* w. o
It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. & W! \: A, d3 B) c+ |% X 5 y6 F0 m1 O9 C; R6 u) }2 l3 `( g* o& @+ K) H
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; @% v- T/ Q9 J8 @( rBlown 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