美国阿肯色州的一群大学生近日创造了一项新的吉尼斯世界纪录，他们编织出了迄今为止世界上最大的圣诞袜。经初步测量，这只袜子从脚后跟到足尖处的长度与宽度至少分别达到了16.4米和10.77米。

    据美联社12月5日报道，做为吉尼斯世界纪录方面的代表，英格兰人斯图尔特·克拉克斯顿于12月3日专程从纽约飞到阿肯色州，对这只袜子进行实地测量。

    来自阿肯色州中央大学的4年级学生布莉特妮·琼斯和其他学生一起完成了这一壮举，他们总共用去了164.59米羊毛呢，27轴线， 320.04米丝带， 27.43米棉线， 22.86米毛毡，103管热粘接剂以及半加仑纺织品专用颜料，总工作时间超过500小时。他们在袜子内放入了600只泰迪玩具熊，570件填充玩具，1000多辆玩具卡车，423个芭比娃娃，380个洋娃娃，682本书，200余套棋类游戏，163套乐高拼装玩具，75个足球，11辆自行车以及数千件其他种类的玩具。这些玩具将通过多个慈善组织分发给阿肯色州各地的小朋友们。根据规定，要想成为一只合格的圣诞袜，那么它必须是由多种传统材料制成的，同时还应该塞满各种礼物。

    在实地测量开始之前，工人们用婴儿车和手推车将这些玩具从远处运来，然后再骑自行车将它们送到袜子内。该活动的组织者同时表示，人们还为这只袜子捐赠了500余件外套、帽子及其他各类服装。当克拉克斯顿及一个助手用一件黄色卷尺和一个长的红色水平仪对这只袜子进行测量时，现场有一位猫王模仿者低声吟唱着圣诞歌曲，人们纷纷举起了手中的照相机，而圣诞老人则在细心倾听孩子们的各种愿望。

    报道说，这只红、白、绿、金4种颜色相间的袜子上还装有一个长达9.14米的拉链。它打破了由美国得克萨斯州一个名叫老镇之春的社区居民创造的前世界纪录。克拉克斯顿称，得克萨斯人编织的那只袜子的长度为12.34米，宽度为4.72米。克拉克斯顿同时还表示，这并不是阿肯色人创造出的首个吉尼斯世界纪录。他们拥有的其它纪录包括世界上体重最重的双胞胎，这两个孩子1924年2月20日出生时的体重总和为27.12磅（约为12.3公斤）；而该州舍伍德市一个名叫丹尼尔·威廉姆斯的男人则在2005年6月成为了世界上眼睫毛最长的人，其具体长度达到了5.08厘米。

    A group of Arkansas college students has set the world record for the world's largest Christmas stocking. 　

    As official representative of Guinness World Records, Stuart Claxton of England flew in from New York to measure the stocking Saturday. And it met, and surpassed, the mark at 53 feet, 10 inches long and 26 feet, 112 inches wide from heel to toe.

    The red, white, green and gold sock with the 30-foot zipper beat the previous record set in December 2004 by the community of Old Town Spring, Texas. The Texas stocking was 40 feet, 6 inches long and 15 feet 6 inches wide, Claxton said.

    But Claxton said the stocking isn't the first time Arkansans have set a Guinness World Record. Among the state's other accomplishments are the heaviest twins, who weighed a total of 27.12 pounds when they were born Feb. 20, 1924. And a Sherwood man, Daniel Williams, who recorded the longest eyelash, at 2 inches, in June 2005.

    Graduating senior Brittany Jones of the University of Central Arkansas and other students created the monstrous sock, using 180 yards of fleece, 27 spools of thread, 350 yards of ribbon, 30 yards of cotton, 25 yards of felt, 103 sticks of hot glue, a half-gallon of fabric paint and more than 500 hours of labor.

    They stuffed it with 600 teddy bears, 570 stuffed toys, more than 1,000 toy trucks, 423 Barbie dolls, 380 baby dolls, 682 books, some 200 board games, 163 sets of Legos, 75 footballs, 11 bicycles and thousands more toys. The toys will be distributed through charitable organizations to children around the state.

    Before the measuring, workers pushed wagons and dollies loaded with toys and rode bicycles into the stocking. Promoters also reported more than 500 coats, hats and assorted clothes were donated.

    While an Elvis impersonator crooned Christmas songs, cameras flashed, and Santa Claus listened to wishes from children, Claxton and a helper used a yellow tape measure and a long red level to size up the sock. For a stocking to qualify, it had to be made with traditional materials and be filled with presents.