举办热气球节庆祝它是人类用来飞行的第一种方法

The path of human aviation¹ is uneven² and dangerous. But, from the ancient story of an English king killed in his attempt to fly with handmade wings to the launchings of rockets to the International Space Station, the desire for flight continues.

Some people think of the American brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright as the first pilots of the sky. In 1903, the two men made four brief flights in a powered plane in North Carolina.

But more than 100 years earlier, two Frenchmen were actually the first to float through the sky.

On November 21, 1783, Jean Fran?ois Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes got into a small open airboat. Above their heads, long ropes attached the craft³ to a huge hot air balloon. The balloon rose slowly, carrying its pilots over a public park in Paris.

In 1785, two other pilots flew a similar airship across the English Channel.

Although it never became a main form of transportation, balloon flight has stuck.

Today, hot air balloon fans celebrate the aircraft in festivals around the world. Hundreds of thousands recently attended the largest such event, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The León International Balloon Festival just closed in Mexico. Similar celebrations take place in Canada, France and Japan, to name a few. Today, we explore a few of these events.

Saga⁴ International Balloon Festival

In Saga, Japan, more than 100 balloons from about 20 countries take part in a five-day competition and celebration. Competitors are tested on flight control and other skills.

Balloons rise into the air from along the Kase River each day. Others are launched⁵ elsewhere⁶, and can be seen in the air over homes and other buildings.

However, one of the most beautiful sights at the Saga International Balloon Festival happens after dark, during La Montgolfier Nocturne. Known as the Night Mooring⁷ in English, the event involves balloons lining⁸ up on the riverside. The balloons all light up at once from the firing of their burners. The result is an extensive⁹, extraordinary glow¹⁰, which is reflected in the river.

The balloon fiesta in Saga takes place yearly¹¹ in early November.

The León International Balloon Festival

Next we travel to the central Mexican city of León. The yearly balloon celebration there is known as FIG¹², for Festival Internacional del Globo. The 2019 event took place from November 15-18.

The FIG is the biggest balloon festival in Latin¹³ America. About 200 hot air balloons and pilots from 15 different countries are involved. Hundreds of thousands of visitors attend.

The first FIG took place in 2002 with just 25 balloons. Its website says that year, the event "began the magic and the first experience of seeing this dream fly by painting the sky of León..."

At the 2014 FIG, American aviator¹⁴ Jonathan Trappe made history and paid respects to the beloved¹⁵ American film Up. The pilot attached dozens of balloons to an airboat that looked much like the house in the 2009 film. Then, just like the character Carl in the movie, Trappe floated the house up into the air. He traveled over Mexico that way for several days.

Like at other festivals, the balloons come in different colors and shapes. Visitors might look up and see the Disney character Mickey Mouse. Or they might see a yellow smiley face, a giant heart, a space creature or a clown and zebra flying side by side.

Biggest in the World

The biggest hot air balloon festival in the world takes place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is called the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Organizers of the event say more than 850,000 people attended the nine-day event this year. There were almost 600 balloons and 671 pilots from around the world.

The fiesta also appeals to photographers, both professional and amateur¹⁶. It has long included a competition for best pictures of the celebration. That contest is named in honor¹⁷ of Cindy Petrehn, the official photographer of the Albuquerque festival until her death in 2013. Petrehn was also a balloon pilot herself. She captured¹⁸ images from and of hot air balloons all over the world.

In this year's photography contest, Jeff Wamer won first prize for a picture that gives a look up and across the balloon field. In the image, a balloon in the shape of artist Vincent Van Gogh is seen floating. Just beyond is a balloon of Darth Vader from Star Wars and a balloon in the shape of a cow. They are among the many more traditional balloons in the sea-blue sky over the extraordinary Rio Grande Valley.

Balloon pilot Gary Michalek has been flying hot air balloons for 32 years and has been coming to the festival in Albuquerque for 20 years.

"Flying above the surface of the earth, like really close to the ground or high up, I mean, it's unique. You have few types of aviation where you can just float above the ground...."

Fiesta operations director Sam Parks is proud of his work. "One of the things that I heard yesterday, which really touched my heart, was a young boy telling his mother, ‘This is the best day ever!'

That, he added, "makes you feel like you're doing a good thing."

Words in This Story

aviation - n. the business or practice of flying airplanes, helicopters, etc.

festival - n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something

reflect - v. to show the image of (something) on a surface

dozen - n. a group of 12 people or things

amateur - n. a person who does something (such as a sport or hobby) for pleasure and not as a job

unique - adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

1 aviation   

n.航空，航空学，飞机制造业

参考例句：

• Ten years ago,they began to develop the aviation. 十年前，他们开始发展航空工业。
• Pilots of large aircraft are masters of aviation.大型飞行器的驾驶员是航空学方面的专家。

2 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

3 craft   

n.工艺，手艺；小船，飞机；行业；诡计

参考例句：

• The harbour was full of pleasure craft.港口满是游艇。
• He's a master of his craft.他有一手好手艺。

4 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

5 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

6 elsewhere   

adv.在别处，到别处

参考例句：

• Our favourite restaurant was full so we had to go elsewhere.我们最喜欢去的那家饭店客满了，因此不得不改去别处。
• I have half a mind to move elsewhere.我有点想搬到别处去。

7 mooring   

n.停泊处；系泊用具，系船具；下锚v.停泊，系泊（船只）(moor的现在分词)

参考例句：

• However, all the best mooring were occupied by local fishing boats. 凡是可以泊船的地方早已被当地渔船占去了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• Her mind was shaken loose from the little mooring of logic that it had. 就像小船失去了锚，她的思绪毫无逻辑地四处漂浮，一会为这个想法难受，一会为那个念头生气。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

8 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

9 extensive   

adj.广泛的，广阔的，广大的

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• The museum offers extensive facilities for study.这个博物馆提供了许多供研究的设备。

10 glow   

n.白热光；激情；vi.发白热光，(身体)发热

参考例句：

• The sunset glow is just like a picture.晚霞恰如一幅图画。
• There was a dull red glow in the night sky above the steelworks.夜晚炼钢厂的上空闪着暗红色的光。

11 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

12 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

13 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

14 aviator   

n.飞行家，飞行员

参考例句：

• The young aviator bragged of his exploits in the sky.那名年轻的飞行员吹嘘他在空中飞行的英勇事迹。
• Hundreds of admirers besieged the famous aviator.数百名爱慕者围困那个著名飞行员。

15 beloved   

adj./n.受爱戴的，敬爱的；爱人，被心爱的人

参考例句：

• She longs for the early return of her beloved.她盼着心上人早日归来。
• She is Tom's beloved wife.她是汤姆的爱妻。

16 amateur   

adj.业余的，非专业的；n.业余爱好者

参考例句：

• He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
• Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者，但却是一流的高手。

17 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

18 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。