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! 4 H- r! X- I3 X! M4 M: i. b' W
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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。 - X0 `' d4 c+ N( J0 A" i5 }3 K3 M% ^: o5 X
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。”8 }/ ]7 X. y' y' a
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Pensioner's birthday balloon reaches China - in a plane * x# i! n3 ?. G3 J - O3 H+ [' t# |' FA 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. & V$ n( T! v% T; T " M: `8 i* B6 o/ m7 p" [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. # S5 ]& i$ Q+ n . F: s7 p/ \% ~) H( Y7 O( b9 q) ^9 T3 cMr Noyes had attached his name and address to the balloon and released it from his back garden to mark his 80th birthday. # i3 d7 T7 {# j5 L
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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. 5 ]2 v2 N9 ^* M1 t7 D4 n( b6 n# F9 \) W) J& b3 d' ~9 w1 v# t8 A
It had really only made it 30 miles to a nearby airport where it was picked up by receptionist Angie Holmes. & n# D/ D6 m/ Q7 R; H! ]( H+ u ]5 i% } l0 c' o0 H0 T$ G
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Blown away ... Ken clutches balloon, which was found by Angie, centre inset, who sent it on to Hong Kong, right