云端上的夢

Track 2

by Jesse Hunter

Weiji 譯

Prologue 卷首語

云端上的夢

Track 2

by Jesse Hunter

Weiji 譯

Taking Flight

R. Kelly was far from a role model for my generation, but his anthem “I Believe I Can Fly” captured the ears, hearts and imaginations of people from every corner over the world and from all walks of life. The song’s popularity may stem from the symbolism of fying higher to reach your ultimate goal, but it could just as likely be that the idea of literally flying through the air, arms outstretched, looking down at the seemingly tiny world below is enough to empower billions of people.

Ah, the wonder of flight. From predators to scavengers to commuter airbuses, the gift of flight is one often envied by land-locked creatures such as myself, but it’s also feared by those who feel mankind wasn’t meant to defy the laws of nature. Some, however, are drawn to it like a moth to a flame. And that’s what this month’s features are all about.

In our frst feature, At 43, I Learned How to Fly, Heather McDonald escapes the doldrums of middle age by going to fight school. Next, Leung Hai Ying shows us What Really Happens at Flight Attendant Recruitment Days, as we get a behind-the-scenes look at what airline companies covet most, when it comes to the perfect employee. And lastly, pilot Rick Drury takes on a trip to Japan, where Nights in a Noodle Shop led to a fateful meeting with the ultimate fight afcionado.

So, how about you? Do you dream of fying all over the world in a giant metal bird? I enjoy travel as much as the next guy, but I always hold my armrest during takeoff like my life depends on it. Maybe I just prefer having my feet on the ground…

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.

—Leonardo da Vinci

R·凱利遠(yuǎn)不是我這個年代的偶像，但他唱出的贊歌《我相信我能高飛》俘獲了全世界每個角落、各行各業(yè)人們的耳朵、心靈以及想象。歌曲大受歡迎也許源自其飛得更高以達(dá)成最終目標(biāo)的象征意義，但也很可能是翱翔高空、展開雙臂、俯瞰下方看似渺小的世界，就這字面意義足以振奮數(shù)十億人。

啊，飛翔的神奇。從猛禽到食腐鳥再到通勤空中巴士，飛行的天賦一直招那些困鎖陸地的生物羨妒—例如我，但也讓那些認(rèn)為人類不應(yīng)對抗自然定律的人恐懼。然而有些人卻如飛蛾撲火般深受其吸引。那就是這個月主題故事的內(nèi)容。

在第一篇主題故事《不惑之年，沖上云霄》中，希瑟·麥克唐納逃離中年的“無風(fēng)帶”，入讀飛行學(xué)校。第二篇主題故事中，梁海英向我們展示了《求職空姐實(shí)錄記》中發(fā)生的事，讓我們從幕后得以一窺航空公司在選擇完美雇員時(shí)最看重的條件。最后，飛機(jī)師里克·特魯里往日本飛了一程，在那里，《一“面”之緣》引出了與一位終極飛行發(fā)燒友之間的一次命定會面。

那么，你又怎樣呢？你夢想著在一只龐然大鐵鳥里面飛遍全世界嗎？我跟其他人一樣喜愛旅行，但每次起飛我都抓穩(wěn)扶手，就像我的生命依仗著它一般。或許我更喜歡的是腳踏“實(shí)地”……