A quick walk up Main Street is enough to learn who this US river town's most famous resident is: His name is on signs, and there's even a museum devoted to him.
And the sculpture in the middle of town shows his enormous wings and glowing red eyes.
More than 40 years after the first reported sighting of the mysterious creature later called "Mothman," residents in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, have embraced his legend. They've helped to turn this town into a destination for people in search of an offbeat tourism experience.
But while there's no local consensus on whether the stories are true, most agree that Mothman is good for business.
"It's helped the town," said Ruth Finley, who owns the 106-year-old Lowe Hotel on Main Street along with her husband. "People come because of Mothman and they stay at the hotel, they go to the restaurants."
Every September, Point Pleasant hosts the weekend-long Mothman Festival, which draws about 2,000 people a year to this town of about 4,500.
Walking along Main Street, conventioneers can have their picture taken near the statue, drink a "Mothman Frappachino" and drop into the Mothman Museum.
Inside, they can look over everything from accounts of Mothman sightings to props from the 2002 Richard Gere film The Mothman Prophecies, which helped boost interest in the creature.
The first sighting was reported on Nov. 15, 1966. Others later came forward to say they had seen a gray creature about 2.1m tall with bright red eyes and wings like a bird.
The sightings ended on Dec. 15, 1967, the day of the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which linked Point Pleasant to Ohio.
Forty-six people were killed, and ever since people have speculated on whether the sightings were connected to the tragedy. (AP)
沿著此河濱美國小鎮主要街道繞一圈就會發現誰是最有名的居民:他的名字被刻在牌誌上,甚至還為他成立了一間博物館。
鎮中心的雕像展示著他巨大的翅膀和發亮的紅眼睛。
距首次有人通報看見這個後來被稱做「天蛾人」的神秘生物已超過四十年了,維吉尼亞州「歡樂鎮」的居民已欣然接受這個傳說;他們協力將這個城鎮打造成追求另類旅遊經驗的遊客的目標。
儘管當地對於這些故事是否屬實沒有定論,但大多數人都同意「天蛾人」是個不錯的賣點。
「這有助於城鎮發展,」主要街道上已有一百零六年歷史的羅威飯店老闆娘茹絲.芬利說:「旅客為了天蛾人而來,他們投宿飯店,也到餐廳吃飯。」茹絲.芬利和先生一同經營飯店。
每年九月,歡樂鎮都會舉辦為期一個週末的「天蛾人節」,每年都吸引約兩千人到這個人口約四千五百人的小鎮參觀。
沿著主要大街走,參觀遊客可以和天蛾人雕像近距離拍照,來上一杯「天蛾人咖啡冰沙」,然後拜訪天蛾人博物館。
在博物館內,他們可以欣賞從天蛾人目擊報導到二OO二年李察:吉爾所主演的《天蛾人》電影道具等各種相關物品。《天蛾人》為天蛾人打響知名度。
一九六六年十一月十五日,首次有目擊者通報天蛾人出沒,後來其他目擊者也站出來說他們看到一個約兩百一十公分高,有著會發亮的紅色雙眼和像鳥一樣的翅膀的灰色生物。
最後一次有人目睹天蛾人是在一九六七年十二月十五日,這天也是連接歡樂鎮和俄亥俄州交通的「銀橋」倒塌的日子。
這場意外造成四十六人喪生,有人也猜測這場災難和天蛾人有關。(美聯社/翻譯:袁星塵)
Recently, the Iraq parliament’s preliminary approval of a controversial proposal to drastically lower the legal marriage age for girls from 18 to nine has sparked widespread concern. This move has drawn strong reactions both domestically and internationally, as many worry it will exacerbate child marriage issues and severely infringe upon women’s rights. At the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994, Iraq explicitly prohibited the legalization of child marriage. Currently, the legal marriage age for both men and women is 18, although women can marry at 15 with a guardian’s consent. The newly proposed amendment to the Personal
The chimney cake is a beloved treat with a rich history in Hungary and Romania. While written references to the cake appeared as early as the late 17th century, the earliest known recipe from 1784 is __1__ a noblewoman named Maria Mikes, who wrote about dough wrapped around a spit. Legend has it, however, that the existence of this delicacy actually goes much further back in time, to the Mongol invasion of the 13th century. The cake’s iconic hollow, cylindrical shape, which is reminiscent of a chimney, is achieved by wrapping yeast dough around a wooden spit and roasting
A: Any plans for Valentine’s Day tomorrow? B: I’ll go to karaoke with a group of fans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the late pop diva Whitney Houston’s debut. A: Sounds like fun. B: She released her eponymous album “Whitney Houston” on Feb. 14, 1985, launching a glorious career that spanned over four decades. A: Can I join you for karaoke? A: 明天情人節你要幹嘛? B: 我要和一群歌迷去KTV,慶祝流行天后惠妮休斯頓出道40週年! A: 哇好像很好玩。 B: 她在1985年2月14日發行同名專輯《惠妮休斯頓》,並開啟了輝煌的40年演藝生涯。 A: 我能跟你一起去KTV嗎? (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: I remember that the late pop diva Whitney Houston’s 1985 debut album “Whitney Houston” is a diamond album, meaning it sold over 10 million units in the US. B: Her 1987 album “Whitney” and 1992 soundtrack “The Bodyguard” have also reached diamond status, making her the only black singer with three diamond albums. A: Many people think that her songs are difficult to sing. B: I challenge you to sing her megahit “I Will Always Love You” at tonight’s karaoke party. A: OK, challenge accepted. A: 我記得流行天后惠妮休斯頓的1985年出道專輯《惠妮休斯頓》還是一張鑽石唱片呢,表示在美國狂賣超過1千萬張。 B: 她1987年的次張專輯《惠妮》、1992年的電影《終極保鑣》原聲帶也獲得鑽石唱片認證,使她成為唯一擁有3張鑽石唱片的黑人歌手! A: 而許多人覺得她的歌都很難唱。 B: 那我挑戰你在今晚的KTV派對唱她的名曲《我將永遠愛你》。 A: 好啊我接受你的挑戰。 (By Eddy