有關熱氣球的有趣知識

A hot air balloon consists of a bag, called envelope, which contains hot air. Suspended beneath is a wicker basket to carry passengers and (usually) a source of heat, in most cases an open flame.

熱氣球由一個被稱作包袋的、含有熱空氣的球囊組成。熱氣球被掛在一個吊籃下面，通常通過熱氣攜帶乘客，大多數情況下使用的是明火。

Unlike gas balloons, the envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air near the bottom of the envelope is at the same pressure as the surrounding air.

與氣球不同，無需密封包袋的底部，因爲包袋底部的空氣氣壓與周遭空氣一樣。

Hot air balloons are usually pear-shaped. The envelope is made from thin airtight coated synthetic material, either nylon or polyester. The air is heated with a propane-fired burner. As the quantity of propane that can be carried on a hot-air balloon is limited, they stay in the air for substantially less time than their gas balloons. A typical flight in a hot-air balloon lasts between one and three hours.

通常，熱氣球呈梨狀。球囊由薄的氣密塗層合成材料製成，不是尼龍就是聚酯。空氣被丙烷燃燒的燃燒器加熱。由於熱氣球可攜帶的丙烷量有所限制，因此它們在空氣中的停留時間比氣球短得多。一般而言，熱氣球能飛行1至3小時。

The earliest hot air balloon was developed by French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-?tienne Montgolfier. On June 4, 1783, they flew this craft as their first public demonstration in Annonay, France, in front of a group of dignitaries. The first flight covered 1.2 miles (2 km), lasted 10 minutes, and had an estimated altitude of 5,200-6,600 feet (1,600-2,000 meters).

法國的一對兄弟約瑟夫-米歇爾和雅克-艾迪安·孟戈菲最早發明了熱氣球。1783年6月4日，在法國阿諾奈地區，他們首次在一羣達官貴人面前公開試飛熱氣球。首次飛行了1.2英里（2公里），持續時長10分鐘，據估計飛行高度爲5,200-6,600英尺（1,600-2,000米）。

Word of their success quickly reached Paris, and on Sept. 19, 1783, the first hot air balloon was set to fly over the heads of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the French court in Versailles. A sheep, duck and rooster were the first passengers. The balloon flew on a tether, rising to 1,500 feet and travelling two miles before being brought back to the ground after about 15 minutes. The animals survived, though the rooster suffered a broken wing.

他們成功的消息很快傳遍了巴黎。1783年9月19日，在凡賽爾，首個熱氣球準備在路易十六、絕代豔后Marie Antoinette和法國法庭上空飛行。第一批乘客就是一頭綿羊、一隻鴨和一隻公雞。熱氣球飛過一條繩索、上到1500英尺的高空、飛了2英里、15分鐘後降落地面。雖然公雞的翅膀斷了，但動物們都倖存了下來。

The first manned attempt came about on November 21, 1783, on a balloon made by Montgolfier brothers. The balloon flew six miles for 20-25 minutes. Jean-Fran?ois Pil?tre de Rozier, a chemistry and physics teacher, and Fran?ois Laurent le Vieux d'Arlandes, a military officer, were the first human passengers. The duo flew 3000 feet above ground, from the center of Paris to the suburbs.

首次載人熱氣球試飛於1783年9月21日開始，也是由孟戈菲兄弟製造。氣球飛行了6英里、持續時間長達20至25分鐘。化學和物理老師Jean-Fran?ois Pil?tre de Rozier和軍官Fran?ois Laurent le Vieux d'Arlandes是首批人類乘客。兩人飛離地面3000英尺，從巴黎的市中心飛到了郊區。

The same year, Jean-Fran?ois Pil?tre de Rozier and his co-pilot were killed in their attempt at crossing the English Channel. Their balloon exploded half an hour after takeoff due to the experimental design of using a hydrogen balloon and hot air balloon tied together.

同年，在嘗試飛越英吉利海峽時，Jean-Franois Piltre de Rozier和他的副駕駛遇難。由於實驗設計將氫氣球和熱氣球連在一起，因此起飛半小時後，熱氣球爆炸。