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