英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunder.docx

英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunder.docx

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英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunder

英语阅读-科幻A-Sound-of-Thunder

LT

TheMachinehowled.Timeflewpast.Sunsfledandtenmillionmoonsfledafterthem."Think,"saidEckels."Everyhunterthateverlivedwouldenvyustoday."TheMachineslowed;itsscreamfelltoamurmur.TheMachinestopped.Thesunstoppedinthesky.

ThefogthathadenvelopedtheMachineblewawayandtheywereinanoldtime,averyoldtimeindeed,threehuntersandtwoSafariHeadswiththeirbluemetalgunsacrosstheirknees.

"Christisn'tbornyet,"saidTravis,"MoseshasnotgonetothemountainstotalkwithGod.ThePyramidsarestillintheearth,waitingtobecutoutandputup.Rememberthat.Alexander,Caesar,Napoleon,Hitler-noneofthemexists."Themannodded.

"That"-Mr.Travispointed-"isthejungleofsixtymilliontwothousandandfifty-fiveyearsbeforePresidentKeith."

Heindicatedametalpaththatstruckoffintogreenwilderness,overstreamingswamp,amonggiantfernsandpalms.

"Andthat,"hesaid,"isthePath,laidbyTimeSafariCompanyforyouruse.Itfloatssixinchesabovetheearth.Doesn'ttouchsomuchasonegrassblade,flower,ortree.It'sananti-gravitymetal.Itspurposeistokeepyoufromtouchingthisworldofthepastinanyway.StayonthePath.Don'tgooffit.Irepeat.Don'tgooff.Foranyreason!

Ifyoufalloff,there'sapenalty.Anddon'tshootanyanimalwedon'tokay."

"Why?

"askedEckels.

Theysatintheancientwilderness.Farbirds'criesblewonawind,andthesmelloftarandanoldsaltsea,moistgrasses,andflowersthecolorofblood.

"Wedon'twanttochangetheFuture.Notknowingit,wemightkillanimportantanimal,asmallbird,aroach,aflowereven,thusdestroyinganimportantlinkinagrowingspecies."

"Thatdoesn’tmakesense,"saidEckels.

"Allright,"Traviscontinued,"sayweaccidentallykillonemousehere.Thatmeansallthefuturefamiliesofthisoneparticularmousearedestroyed,right?

"

"Right"

"Andallthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthatonemouse!

Withastampofyourfoot,youannihilatefirstone,thenadozen,thenathousand,amillion,abillionpossiblemice!

"

"Sothey'redead,"saidEckels."Sowhat?

"

"Sowhat?

"Travissnortedquietly."Well,whataboutthefoxesthat'llneedthosemicetosurvive?

Forwantoftenmice,afoxdies.Forwantoftenfoxesalionstarves.Forwantofalion,allmannerofinsects,vultures,infinitebillionsoflifeformsarethrownintochaosanddestruction.Eventuallyitallboilsdowntothis:

fifty-ninemillionyearslater,acaveman,oneofadozenontheentireworld,goeshuntingwildboarortigerforfood.Butyou,friend,havesteppedonallthetigersinthatregionbysteppingononesinglemouse.Sothecavemanstarves.Andthecaveman,pleasenote,isnotjustanyman,no!

Heisanentirefuturenation.Fromhimwouldhavesprungtensons.Fromthem,onehundredsons,andthusancivilization.Destroythisoneman,andyoudestroyarace,apeople,anentirehistoryoflife.ItiscomparabletoslayingsomeofAdam'sgrandchildren.Withthedeathofthatonecaveman,abillionothersyetunbornarethrottledinthewomb.PerhapsRomeneverrises.PerhapsEuropeisforeveradarkforest,andonlyAsiawaxeshealthyandteeming.SteponamouseandyoucrushthePyramids.Steponamouseandyouleaveyourprint,likeaGrandCanyon,acrossEternity.QueenElizabethmightneverbeborn,WashingtonmightnotcrosstheDelaware,theremightneverbeaUnitedStatesatall.Sobecareful.StayonthePath.Neverstepoff!

"

"Isee,"saidEckels."ThenIcan’teventouchthegrass?

"

"Correct.Crushingcertainplantscouldaddupinfinitely.Alittleerrorherewouldmultiplyinsixtymillionyears.Ofcoursemaybeourtheoryiswrong.MaybeTimecan'tbechangedbyus.Ormaybeitcanbechangedonlyinlittlesubtleways.Adeadmouseheremakesaninsectimbalancethere,apopulationdisproportionlater,abadharvestfurtheron,adepression,massstarvation,andfinally,achangeinsocialtemperamentinfar-flungcountries.Somethingmuchmoresubtle,likethat.Whoknows?

Whoreallycansayheknows?

Wedon'tknow.We'reguessing.ButuntilwedoknowforcertainwhetherourmessingaroundinTimecanmakeabigroaroralittlerustleinhistory,we'rebeingcareful.ThisMachine,thisPath,yourclothingandbodies,weresterilizedbeforethejourney.Weweartheseoxygenhelmetssowecan'tintroduceourbacteriaintoanancientatmosphere."

"Howdoweknowwhichanimalstoshoot?

"

"They'remarkedwithredpaint,"saidTravis."Today,beforeourjourney,wesentLesperanceherebackwiththeMachine.Hecametothisparticulareraandfollowedcertainanimals."

"Studyingthem?

"

"Right,"saidLesperance."Itrackthemthroughtheirentireexistence.WhenIfindonethat'sgoingtodie,whenatreefallsonhim,oronethatdrownsinatarpit,Inotetheexacthour,minute,andsecond.Ishootapaintbombathim.Itleavesaredpatchonhisside.Wecan'tmissit.ThenIcorrelateourarrivalinthePastsothatwemeettheMonsternotmorethantwominutesbeforehewouldhavediedanyway.Thisway,wekillonlyanimalswithnofuture,thatarenevergoingtomateagain.Youseehowcarefulweare?

"

"ButifyoucomebackthismorninginTime,"saidEckelseagerly,youmust'vebumpedintous,ourSafari!

Howdiditturnout?

Wasitsuccessful?

Didallofusgetthrough-alive?

"

TravisandLesperancegaveeachotheralook.

"Timedoesn'tpermitthatsortofthing.Whensuchthingshappen,Timestepsaside.YoufelttheMachinejumpjustbeforewestopped?

ThatwasuspassingourselvesonthewaybacktotheFuture.Wesawnothing.There'snowayoftellingifthisexpeditionwasasuccess,ifwegotourmonster,orwhetherallofus-meaningyou,Mr.Eckels-gotoutalive."

Eckelssmiledpalely.

"Cutthat,"saidTravissharply."Everyoneonhisfeet!

"

TheywerereadytoleavetheMachine.

Thejunglewasmassive,anditwastheentireworldforeverandforever.Soundslikemusicandsoundslikeflappingtentsfilledthesky,andthosewerethesoundsofpterodactylssoaringabovethemwithcavernousgraywings,giganticbatsofdeliriumandnightfever.

Eckels,balancedonthenarrowPath,aimedhisrifleplayfully.

"Stopthat!

"saidTravis."Don'tevenaimforfun,blastyou!

Ifyourgunsshouldgooff--"

Eckelsflushed."Where'sourTyrannosaurus?

"

Lesperancecheckedhiswristwatch."Upahead,We'llintersecthistrailinsixtyseconds.Lookfortheredpaint!

Don'tshoottillwegivetheword.StayonthePath.StayonthePath!

"

Theymovedforwardinthewindofmorning.

"Strange,"murmuredEckels."Upahead,sixtymillionyears,ElectionDayover.KeithmadePresident.Everyonecelebrating.Andhereweare,amillionyearslost,andtheydon'texist.Thethingsweworriedaboutformonths,alifetime,notevenbornorthoughtofyet."

"Safetycatchesoff,everyone!

"orderedTravis."You,firstshot,Eckels.Second,Billings,Third,Kramer."

"I'vehuntedtiger,wildboar,buffalo,elephant,butnow,thisisit,"saidEckels."I'mshakinglikeakid."

"Ah,"saidTravis.

Everyonestopped.

Travisraisedhishand."Ahead,"hewhispered."Inthemist.Thereheis.There'sHisRoyalMajestynow."

Thejunglewaswideandfulloftwitterings,rustlings,murmurs,andsighs.

Suddenlyitallceased,asifsomeonehadshutadoor.

Silence.

Asoundofthunder.

Outofthemist,onehundredyardsaway,cameTyrannosaurusRex.

"It,"whisperedEckels."It......

"Sh!

"

Itcameongreatoiled,resilient,stridinglegs.Ittoweredthirtyfeetabovehalfofthetrees,agreatevilgod,foldingitsdelicateclawsclosetoitsoilyreptilianchest.Eachlowerlegwasapiston,athousandpoundsofwhitebone,sunkinthickropesofmuscle,sheathedoverinagleamofpebbledskinlikethemailofaterriblewarrior.Eachthighwasatonofmeat,ivory,andsteelmesh.Andfromthegreatbreathingcageoftheupperbodythosetwodelicatearmsdangledoutfront,armswithhandswhichmightpickupandexaminemenliketoys,whilethesnakeneckcoiled.Andtheheaditself,atonofsculpturedstone.Itsmouthgaped,exposingafenceofteeth-likedaggers.Itseyesrolled,emptyofallexpressionsavehunger.Itcloseditsmouthinadeathgrin.Itran,itspelvicbonescrushingasidetreesandbushes,itstalonedfeetclawingdampearth,leavingprintssixinchesdeepwhereveritsettleditsweight.

Itranwithaglidingballetstep,fartoopoisedandbalancedforitstentons.Itmovedintoasunlitareawarily,itsbeautifullyreptilianhandsfeelingtheair.

"Why,why,"Eckelstwitchedhismouth."Itcouldreachupandgrabthemoon."

"Sh!

"Travisjerkedangrily."Hehasn'tseenusyet."

"Itcan'tbekilled,"Eckelspronouncedthisverdictquietly,asiftherecouldbenoargument.Hehadweighedtheevidenceandthiswashisconsideredopinion.Therifleinhishandsseemedacapgun."Wewerefoolstocome.Thisisimpossible."

"Shutup!

"hissedTravis.

"Nightmare."

"Turnaround,"commandedTravis."WalkquietlytotheMachine.We'llreturntoyouhalfyourfee."

"Ididn'trealizeitwouldbethisbig,"saidEckels."Imiscalculated,that'sall.AndnowIwantout."

"Itseesus!

"

"There'stheredpaintonitschest!

"

TheTyrantLizardraiseditself.Itsarmoredfleshglitteredlikeathousandgreencoins.Thecoins,crustedwithslime,steamed.Intheslime,tinyinsectswriggled,sothattheentirebodyseemedtotwitchandundulate,evenwhilethemonsteritselfdidnotmove.Itexhaled.Thestinkofrawfleshblewdownthewilderness.

"Getmeoutofhere,"saidEckels."Itwasneverlikethisbefore.IwasalwayssureI'dcomethroughalive.Ihadgoodguides,goodsafaris,andsafety.Thistime,Ifiguredwrong.I'vemetmy