奇聞趣事

Toy Hall of Fame Points to New Addition: the Stick

From AP

The lowly stick could be a magic wand(魔術(shù)棒)， a knight’s sword or a fishing rod. Now the universal plaything(玩具) has landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame， along with Baby Doll and the skateboard.

The three were chosen Thursday to join the lineup at the Strong National Museum in Rochester， N.Y. Previous inductees(入選者) include the bicycle， Mr. Potato Head(土豆先生，一款流行的美國玩具)， Crayola crayons(繪兒樂牌蠟筆，美國一知名品牌) and the cardboard box.

Curators say the stick is a special addition. They praised its all-purpose， all-natural， no-cost qualities. They also noted its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage(附加物) transformed by a child’s imagination.

Peru Hopes for Record with 7.5 Tonne Pair of Jeans

From Reuters

Peruvian seamstresses(女裁縫師) hoping to snag(打破) a Guinness World Record for sewing the largest pair of blue jeans， celebrated on Friday， one day after cranes buckled(扣住) while trying to lift the giant 7.5-tonne pants.

Workers laid the pair on the ground and put big balloons inside the legs to show off the size of the jeans， which are 141 feet (43 m) tall and 98 feet (30 m) wide. They have pockets， red buttons and a brown belt.

The Colombian city of Medellin currently holds the record for the world’s largest pair of jeans， which is measured by size， according to the clothing company that organized the event in San Juan de Lurigancho， a district full of textile plants(纖維植物) east ofPeru’s capital， Lima.

The Colombian pair were 114 feet (35 m) tall by 82 feet (25 m) wide. Representatives from Guinness were not present to see the Peruvian-made jeans， but a notary(公證人)， who can send documentation to the group， was.

The company’s chief executive said material from the pants will be cut to make backpacks for school children in the area.