In the past, the postal service system was a great way of ensuring packages were delivered at affordable prices and relatively quickly. However, at some point, people began sending the most unusual items like animals, coffins, eggs, and even people.

　　在过去，邮政服务系统是确保包裹以可接受的价格和相对较快的速度送达目的地的重要途径。然而，有时候，人们邮寄很不可思议的物品，如动物、棺材、鸡蛋，甚至是人。

　　Today at Bright Side, we’d like to share the strange things people managed to send through the postal system. Make sure you don’t miss the bonus at the end.

　　今天在Bright Side上，让我们来分享一下人们通过邮政邮寄的奇怪的东西。确保你不会错过最后的惊喜。

　　1. Mary Pierstoff, the child mailed to visit her grandmother

　　玛丽·皮尔斯朵夫，这个孩子被邮寄去看望她的祖母

　　The most surprising use of the postal service occurred in 1914, when a 4-year-old girl named Mary was mailed to her grandmother from Grangeville to Lewiston in Idaho. The girls’ parents claimed that the postage was much cheaper than a train ticket.

　　邮政服务最惊人的用途发生在1914年，一个名叫玛丽的4岁女孩被邮寄给了她的祖母，从格兰维尔到爱达荷州的路易斯顿。女孩的父母称邮费比火车票便宜得多。

　　Mary weighed around 48.5 lbs which was below the 50 lb weight limit, and since there were no restrictions about mailing people, they stamped and mailed her. A couple of years later, other stories came up of parents who occasionally sent their children via mail, thanks to the postal workers who let it slide.

　　玛丽的体重约为48.5磅，低于50磅的限制，由于没有不能邮寄人的限制，他们就给她盖了章，然后邮寄了她。几年后，又出现了一些父母偶尔通过邮件给孩子寄信的故事，这多亏了邮局的工作人员。

　　2. The mailed Hope diamond that was worth $1 million.

　　邮寄的钻石价值100万美元。

　　The famous million-dollar Hope Diamond that was estimated to have 45.52 carats was sent via mail in a plain brown box when its owner and gem dealer, Harry Winston, passed away. He trusted the postal system enough to send it from New York City to the Museum of NaturalHistory.

　　据估计，这颗价值百万美元的钻石重达45.52克拉。它的主人是珠宝商Harry Winston，当Harry去世时，这颗钻石被装在一个普通的棕色盒子里邮寄出去。他非常信任邮政系统，由此它从纽约市被送往自然历史博物馆。

　　The post cost him only $2.44, plus an added insurance cost of $142.85 for the million-dollar necklace. Luckily, the letter carrier who was responsible picked up the package, drove it themselves, and ensured that it got delivered to Leonard, who was the secretary at the Smithsonian Institution.

　　这条价值百万美元的项链只花了他2.44美元，外加142.85美元的额外保险费。幸运的是，负责此事的邮递员拿起了包裹，自己开车送去，并确保它被送到了Leonard手中，Leonard是史密森学会的秘书。

　　3. People would sneak fish through the post office.

　　人们会偷偷地把鱼放进包裹寄出去。

　　A few other strange things that have been mailed are fish. Both living and dead fish have been sent via mail in the past.

　　其他一些被邮寄的奇怪东西是鱼。在过去，活鱼和死鱼都邮寄过。

　　4. A pet chameleon was sent to live elsewhere since the owner’s home was too cold.

　　一只变色龙宠物因为主人的家太冷而被送到别处居住。

　　In December of 1954, David, a man from Fostoria, Ohio, sent a letter to a post master in Orlando, Florida. In the letter, he stated that he was sending his chameleon from Ohio since it was too cold for him and when it would arrive in Orlando it should be set free. He also asked that they let him know if the animal arrived safely and when it did, the post master sent him his best Christmas wishes.

　　1954年12月，来自俄亥俄州福斯托里亚的戴维给佛罗里达州的奥兰多的一位邮政局长写了一封信。在信中，他说他要把他的变色龙宠物从俄亥俄州寄过去，因为对变色龙来说这太冷了，当变色龙到达奥兰多时，可以放生出去。戴维还要求他们，当这只动物安全抵达时，应及时通知他。最后，当这只变色龙安全抵达时，邮政局长给他送上了最好的圣诞祝福。