1,188 people take part in an attempt for the largest simultaneous kiss in la Defense, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 9, 2006. Is the French kiss falling short of its reputation? Just 1,188 kissers showed up in Paris on last Thursday, the Guinness World Records day, to try to break the record for the most people kissing in one spot at one moment, Guinness World Records said. They failed to break Budapest's 2005 record for 11,570 people. The chosen spot this year was La Defense, a modernist business park on the west edge of Paris. Romantics were undeterred by the small turnout and sought to preserve Paris's reputation. "Paris is known for romance," said Celine Capet, a 24-year-old student. "It's not a record for, say, the United States to hold - they don't even give kisses on the cheek. And for us, that's what we do every day." Muriel Deshayen, 24, a French businesswoman who works nearby, met Belgian tourist Gregory Robert, 22, just outside the event and decided to kiss him. "It'll be a nice memory for him," she said. Robert agreed, adding, "After all, Paris is the city of love." The event in Paris was part of the a record-breaking effort organized by Guinness World Records, which staged events from the Americas to Asia, including the world's biggest chess game in Mexico, the largest underwater press conference in Canada, and a record for most underpants pulled on in a minute in Australia. 點擊查看更多雙語新聞 (AP)

法國香吻的聲望名不副實了嗎？據吉尼斯世界紀錄總部的有關官員介紹，在上周四的“吉尼斯世界紀錄日”這一天，只有1188人參加了在法國巴黎舉行的集體擁吻活動。巴黎因未能打破布達佩斯于去年創下的11570人的紀錄，因而無緣“同一地點同一時間接吻人數最多”的吉尼斯世界紀錄。 今年的活動在位于巴黎西端的拉德芳斯現代商業區舉行。 雖然參加活動的人不是很多，但大家仍然激情不減，力保巴黎“浪漫之都”的美名。 24歲的學生塞琳·卡皮特說：“巴黎以浪漫而聞名，所以這個紀錄不應該由別的國家來保持，比如，美國--他們甚至沒有吻面禮，而這在法國是每天都不可少的。” 在拉德芳斯商業區附近工作的24歲女商人穆里爾·德莎在商業區外邂逅了比利時游客格萊格里·羅伯特，并獻上了香吻。 她說：“對于他來說，這會是一個美好的回憶。” 羅伯特對她的話表示贊同，還說：“巴黎果然是一座浪漫之城。” 巴黎所舉行的此項集體擁吻活動是吉尼斯世界紀錄組織的“破紀錄”系列活動之一。此項系列活動遍及世界各地，其中包括在墨西哥舉行的世界上規模最大的象棋比賽，在加拿大舉行的規模最大的水下新聞發布會，以及在澳大利亞舉行的創下“一分鐘內穿最多內褲”新紀錄的比賽。 （英語點津姍姍編輯）