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1、MessageinaBottleNicholasSparks************PROLOGUEThebottlewasdroppedoverboardonawarmsummerevening,afewhoursbeforetherainbegantofall.Likeallbottles,itwasfragileandwouldbreakifdroppedafewfeetfromtheground.Butwhensealedproperlyandsenttosea,asthisonewas,itbec
2、ameoneofthemostseaworthyobjectsknowntoman.Itcouldfloatsafelythroughhurricanesortropicalstorms,itcouldbobatopthemostdangerousofriptides.Itwas,inaway,theidealhomeforthemessageitcarriedinside,amessagethathadbeensenttofulfillapromise.Likethatofallbottlesleftto
3、thewhimoftheoceans,itscoursewasunpredictable.Windsandcurrentsplaylargerolesinanybottle'sdirection;stormsanddebrismayshiftitscourseaswell.Occasionallyafishingnetwillsnagabottleandcarryitadozenmilesintheoppositedirectioninwhichitwasheaded.Theresultisthattwob
4、ottlesdroppedsimultaneouslyintotheoceanmightendupacontinentapart,orevenonoppositesidesoftheglobe.Thereisnowaytopredictwhereabottlemighttravel,andthatispartofitsmystery.Thismysteryhasintriguedpeopleforaslongastherehavebeenbottles,andafewpeoplehavetriedtolea
5、rnmoreaboutit.In1929acrewofGermanscientistssetouttotrackthejourneyofoneparticularbottle.ItwassettoseaintheSouthIndianOceanwithanoteinsideaskingthefindertorecordthelocationwhereitwashedupandtothrowitbackintothesea.By1935ithadroundedtheworldandtraveledapprox
6、imatelysixteenthousandmiles,thelongestdistanceofficiallyrecorded.Messagesinbottleshavebeenchronicledforcenturiesandincludesomeofthemostfamousnamesinhistory.BenFranklin,forinstance,usedmessage-carryingbottlestocompileabasicknowledgeofEastCoastcurrentsinthem
7、id-1700s,informationthatisstillinusetothisday.EvennowtheU.S.Navyusesbottlestocompileinformationontidesandcurrents,andtheyarefrequentlyusedtotrackthedirectionofoilspills.Themostcelebratedmessageeversentconcernedayoungsailorin1784,ChunosukeMatsuyama,whowasst
8、randedonacoralreef,devoidoffoodandwaterafterhisboatwasshipwrecked.Beforehisdeath,hecarvedtheaccountofwhathadhappenedonapieceofwood,thensealedthemessageinabottle.In1935,150yearsafterithadbeensetafloat,itwashed
