Three men in a basket
原文
Where was the station's Commanding Officer?
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.
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.
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!
译文
空军基地的指挥官在哪里？
一名飞行员注意到一个气球，它似乎正朝附近的一个英国皇家空军基地飞去。
他立即通知了基地，但那里没有人能够解开这个谜团。
当控制塔里的官员听到这个消息时，他非常生气。
因为气球对飞机来说可能构成很大的危险。
他说可能有人在监视这个基地，因此飞行员被命令密切关注那个奇怪的物体。
飞行员设法绕着气球盘旋了一段时间。
他能看清气球下面的篮子里有三个人，其中一人正拿着一副双筒望远镜。
当气球飞到基地上空时，飞行员看到其中一个人正在拍照。
不久之后，气球开始下降，并降落在了一个机场附近。
警察被叫来了，但他们没能逮捕任何人。
因为篮子里装着两名国会议员和该基地的指挥官！
正如指挥官后来解释的那样，该基地的一半人员根本不知道另一半在做什么！