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Mountaineers Moni Mulepati, right,
and Pem Dorjee Sherpa look on
during a function to congratulate them, on their return after an
expedition to Mt. Everest, in Katmandu, Nepal, Thursday, June 2, 2005. Mulepati
is the first non-Sherpa Nepalese woman to scale the world's
tallest mountain when she reached the summit on May
31. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi)
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Nepalese girl Moni Mulepati, 24, and her secret
beau Pem Dorje Sherpa, 23,
created a world record when they tied the knot on Mt Everest.
Though husband-wife couples have been making periodic assaults on the
8,848 m peak, this is the first time a pair ever said "I do" on the
highest peak in the world.
The couple pulled off the feat on Monday, when they submitted
the peak as part of the three-member Rotary Centennial Expedition 2005
marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the social service
organization. Their romance became public only on Thursday when the team
returned home to Kathmandu.
It is a three-in-one triumph for Moni, who is also the first non-Sherpa
Nepalese girl to summit Mt Everest.
At least three other Nepalese women have performed the feat before her
but they are all from the Sherpa community, the hardy mountainous people
of Tibetan origin known for their outstanding ability to withstand high-altitude conditions.
Moni belongs to the Newar community, the original residents of
Kathmandu characterised by their business acumen and excellence in
architecture and fine arts.
Though Moni called up her father from the top of the peak after her
ascent to give him the good news, she did not tell him about her marriage.
The newly weds had been secretly courting for about a year - the time they
were getting ready for the expedition.
Though they planned to get married at the top, they kept the plan a
secret in case they failed to scale the peak.
Besides the usual mountaineering equipment, they had also smuggled in
garlands and vermilion. After
reaching the top at 11 am, they exchanged vows at the spot closest to
heaven in a 10-minute ceremony.
The wedding has made ripples in conservative Nepalese society also due
to the fact that the couple is from different
castes. While the Newars are considered elites, the
Sherpas, despite their mountaineering prowess, belong to the lower rungs.
The couple continued to make news even after their descent to the base
camp. The helicopter flying there to pick them up had a mishap and a
second one had to be sent to bring them back.
On their return, the couple told the media they were not only happy
with the venue of their marriage but also the message it conveyed from the
top of the world: The mountains know no caste and neither does love.
(Agencies) |
24歲的尼泊爾女孩莫妮·穆勒帕蒂和她的神秘男友、23歲的夏爾巴青年番姆·多吉創造了一項世界紀錄——在珠穆朗瑪峰頂喜結良緣。
盡管不少夫妻登山愛好者曾定期向這座8,848米的高峰發動“進攻”,但這還是頭一次有新人在世界最高峰上向對方說“我愿意”。
這對新人是“2005循環百年珠峰探險隊”三人組的成員,上周一,他們完成了登頂珠峰的“壯舉”。探險隊此次登峰的目的之一是紀念“社會服務組織”成立一百周年。直到上周四登山隊返回尼泊爾首都加德滿都時,他們的浪漫情事才“公諸于世”。
對莫妮來說,這是“三合一”的盛大喜悅,因為她也是第一個登上珠峰的非夏爾巴族的尼泊爾女孩。
在她之前,至少有三名尼泊爾女性成功登頂珠峰,但她們都來自夏爾巴族——一個具有藏族血統的最吃苦耐寒的山地民族,他們對高海拔環境的超強承受力天下聞名。
莫妮是尼瓦人,尼瓦人是加德滿都的原住民,他們具有敏銳的商業頭腦,在建筑和藝術等方面也很有天賦。
盡管莫妮在珠峰頂上給她爸爸打了一個電話,告訴他成功登頂的好消息,但她并沒有透露自己結婚的事兒。此前,在為這次探險之旅做準備的一年時間中,他們一直在秘密交往。
盡管他們計劃在峰頂結婚,但他們一直對這個計劃保密,以免出現登頂失利等意外情況。
除了常用的登山設備外,他們還偷偷攜帶了花環和朱紅色的粉末。上午11時登頂后,他們在離天空最近的地方交換了誓言,整個儀式歷時10分鐘。
這場婚禮之所以在保守的尼泊爾社會激起漣漪,一方面也因為這對新人差異懸殊的社會背景。尼瓦人被視為精英階層,而夏爾巴人盡管登山本領非凡,社會地位卻并不高。
即使在下山回到營地后,這對新人仍然繼續制造著新聞。派去接他們的直升機出了事故,只好出動第二架飛機去接他們回來。
回到尼泊爾后,這對新人對媒體表示,他們很高興能夠在“世界之巔”舉行婚禮,而且這場婚禮所傳達的意義讓他們非常滿意——珠穆朗瑪峰不會在乎社會地位和階層的差異,愛情也不會。
(中國日報網站譯) |