Thailand Hosts International Hot Air Balloon Festival
泰國主辦國際熱氣球節
Watan Chen, David Lee
【新聞關鍵字】
1. host (v)作…主人(或東道主);主辦
2. crew (n)一組(或一隊等)工作人員
3. flock (v)聚集;成群地去(或來)
4. gigantic (a)巨大的
5. highlight (n)最突出(或最精彩)的部分
6. turnout (n) (集會等的)出席者;聚集人數
7. blockade (n)封鎖;障礙物
8. fair (n)博覽會
20 hot air balloon pilots and their crews from Australia, Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Thailand are participating in the four-day event.
來自澳洲、日本、芬蘭、荷蘭、英國和泰國的20位熱氣球駕駛與他們的工作人員，正在參與這為期四天的活動。
This year the International Balloon Festival attracted champion pilot
Masahiko Fujita from Japan.
今年的國際氣球輕氣球節吸引來了日本冠軍駕駛員Masahiko Fujita。
[Masahiko Fujita, Japanese Balloon Pilot]:
“I do want to fly in Thailand, so this is my dream to fly in Thailand. So I
come here."
[Masahiko Fujita, 日本輕氣球駕駛員]:
「我真的好想在泰國飛行，因為在泰國飛行這是我的夢想，所以我來到了這裡。」
Hundreds of Thai and foreign visitors flocked to an ancient temple to watch the gigantic, colorful hot air balloons take to the skies.
數以百計的泰國人和外國遊客都湧進了一座古寺，來觀賞這些巨大的、多姿多采的熱氣球升上天際。
But the small number of balloons this year was a disappointment to some who
drove in from Bangkok.
然而，對一些從曼谷開車來的人，今年數目不多的輕氣球則令人感到失望。
[Suthinuch Petrung, Fairgoer]:
“I think there are fewer balloons this year from what I saw on the Internet
last year. There were more balloons and I wanted to see the rabbit shaped
balloon but it is not here. There are just these two big highlight balloons behind me."
[Suthinuch Petrung, 博覽會觀眾]:
「我認為今年的輕氣球比我在網路上看到去年的來得少，去年的輕氣球比較多，而且我想看的是兔子造型的輕氣球，但是這裡沒有。這裡只有我身後這兩個大的最受矚目的輕氣球」
Last year the festival had a huge turnout of some 300,000 visitors, despite a blockade at Bangkok airports.
雖然去年在曼谷機場曾一度封鎖，熱氣球節仍有大約30萬遊客的眾多參觀人數。
[Yut Wanichanond, Festival Organizer]:
“I’m delighted that people are interested in the fair so much. We would like the image of Thailand, which has less entertainment now, to have more
entertainment and people can come to see the balloon festival and be happy."
[Yut Wanichanond, 熱氣球節發起人]:
「我很高興人們對這個博覽會如此有興趣，我們想讓泰國目前較少娛樂的形象變得更多，而且人們可以前來參觀輕氣球節，同時得到快樂。」
The first International Balloon Festival was held in 2007.
第一屆國際輕氣球節於2007年舉辦。
