諾亞方舟的故事大概很多人都聽過。它講的是4000多年前，上帝為了懲罰人類發了場大洪水，唯一受到上帝眷顧的諾亞在洪水到來前受到上帝指引建造了一艘大船，帶著自己的家人和各種動物躲過了那場劫難。如今，現實版的諾亞方舟正在修建中，并有望在2012年駛往倫敦。據介紹，建造方舟的男子為荷蘭人，現年60歲，是名虔誠的基督徒。他在多年前曾經夢見荷蘭被洪水淹沒，并一直認為這是上帝給他的啟示。于是在三年前不顧妻子的反對開始建造諾亞方舟，至今已耗資近100萬英鎊。這艘方舟長450英尺，寬75英尺，上有兩個會議室能容納1500人，竣工后將在方舟中裝滿各種動物和飛禽。據悉，方舟的主人已給倫敦市長寫信，表示希望能在2012年帶著方舟出現在奧運會的現場。

The vessel is 450ft long and 75ft wide and will be stuffed with pairs of model animals, while an aviary with free-flying live birds will take up most of the enormous deck house.

A giant recreation of Noah's Ark could be moored in the River Thames during the London 2012 Olympics.

Johan Huibers, an eccentric Dutch Christian, has spent around ￡1 million building the "Ark" after dreaming about a great flood sweeping Holland. He saw the dream as a signal to spread God's message.

The vessel is 450ft long and 75ft wide and will be stuffed with pairs of model animals, while an aviary with free-flying live birds will take up most of the enormous deck house.

Mr Huibers, 60, who is married, found the inspiration for the project 20 years ago but only started construction on the river at Dordrecht, near Rotterdam, three years ago, against the advice of his wife.

Twenty-five barges held together by a steel frame form the base of the ship, which also holds two conference rooms capable of hosting 1,500 people.

The timbers are Swedish pine, a choice Mr Huibers made because Noah, the Biblical Ark's captain, was told by God to use "resin wood".

Mr Huibers recently wrote to Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to ask for permission to bring his Ark to London for the Olympic Games next summer and moor it in the capital.

The Dutchman said he hoped to use it to inspire children with the Biblical story of Noah and how he, his crew and the animals survived the flood which inundated everything else in the world and washed it clean of sin.

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）