A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said that someone might be spying on the station and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object.

飛行員注意到一個正飛往附近皇家空軍基地的氣球。他立馬通知了基地，但是在場的人沒人能解釋這個事兒。控制塔的官員聽到這個消息時非常生氣，因為氣球可能給飛機造成很大的危險。他說可能有人在偵查基地，于是指令飛行員跟蹤這個奇怪的目標。

The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time. He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars. When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs. Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield.

飛行員繞著氣球飛了幾圈。他發(fā)現(xiàn)氣球下方的籃子里有3個人，其中一個拿著一支望遠鏡。當氣球飛過基站時，飛行員看到其中一個人開始拍照。馬上，氣球開始降落，然后它降落在了一個停機坪附近。

The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of the station! As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!

于是警察來了，但他們沒有逮捕任何人，因為籃子里有兩位國會議員和基站的司令官！正如司令官之后的解釋那樣，一半的基地人員不知道另一半人員在干什么！