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
Thisweek,wewillbereadingtwosciencefictiontextsbyRayBradbury,“ASoundofThunder”and“AllSummerinaDay.”Thisisagenrethatwehavenotreadyetthissemester.Sciencefictionstoriesusuallyhappeninthefuture,involvefuturistictechnology,oroccurinouterspaceorotherplanets.Sciencefictionmainlydealswiththeimpactofscienceandtechnologyontheworld.Thesestoriesareusuallywarningsagainsthavingtoomuchfaithinscience.
RayBradbury(1920-2012)wasanAmericanwriterwhoismostknowforhisscience-fictionstories.Heisconsideredoneofthebest,ifnotthebest,sciencefictionwritersofalltime.ThefollowingisoneofBradbury’smostfamousshortstories.Inthisstory,itistheyear2055andamandecidestotravelbackintimetokillaTyrannosaurusRex,whichisthebiggest,mostdangerousdinosaur.
Herearesomequestionstothinkaboutafterreading“ASoundofThunder:
”
1.Pleasesummarizethestoryinoneortwosentences.
2.WhatisBradburytryingtosaythroughthisstory?
Whydoyouthinkhewrotethisstory?
3.Doyouthinkalloflifeandtimearereallyconnected?
Doyoubelieveyourlifewillaffectsomeonelivingonehundredyearsinthefuture?
How?
4.Whatdoyouthinkthetitle“ASoundofThunder”means?
Wheredoyouseethewords“asoundofthunder”inthetext?
5.Foreshadowingiswhenanauthorhintsataneventthathappenslateronthestory,tryingtopreparetheaudiencefortheeventandtocreatesuspenseintheaudience.Wheredoyouseeforeshadowinginthisstory?
ASoundofThunderbyRayBradbury
Thesignonthewallseemedtoquaverunderafilmofslidingwarmwater.Eckelsfelthiseyelidsblinkoverhisstare,andthesignburnedinthismomentarydarkness:
TIMESAFARI,INC.
SAFARISTOANYYEARINTHEPAST.
YOUNAMETHEANIMAL.
WETAKEYOUTHERE.
YOUSHOOTIT.
WarmphlegmgatheredinEckels'throat;heswallowedandpusheditdown.Themusclesaroundhismouthformedasmileasheputhishandslowlyoutupontheair,andinthathandwavedacheckfortenthousanddollarstothemanbehindthedesk.
"DoesthissafariguaranteeIcomebackalive?
"
"Weguaranteenothing,"saidtheofficial,"exceptthedinosaurs."Heturned."ThisisMr.Travis,yourSafariGuideinthePast.He'lltellyouwhatandwheretoshoot.Ifhesaysnoshooting,noshooting.Ifyoudisobeyinstructions,there'sastiffpenaltyofanothertenthousanddollars,pluspossiblegovernmentaction,onyourreturn."
EckelsglancedacrossthevastofficeattheMachine,amassandtangleofhummingwiresandsteelboxes,anaurorathatflickerednoworange,nowsilver,nowblue.Herememberedthewordingintheadvertisementstotheletter.Outofcharsandashes,outofdustandcoals,likegoldensalamanders,theoldyears,thegreenyears,mightleap;rosessweetentheair,whitehairturnblack,wrinklesvanish;everythingflybacktoseed,fleedeath,rushdowntotheirbeginnings.
"Unbelievable."Eckelsbreathed,thelightoftheMachineonhisthinface."ArealTimeMachine."Heshookhishead."Makesyouthink,Iftheelectionhadgonebadlyyesterday,Imightbeherenowrunningawayfromtheresults.ThankGodKeithwon.He'llmakeafinePresidentoftheUnitedStates."
"Yes,"saidthemanbehindthedesk."We'relucky.IfDeutscherhadgottenin,we'dhavetheworstkindofdictatorship.There'sanantieverythingmanforyou,amilitarist,anti-Christ,anti-human,anti-intellectual.Peoplecalledusup,youknow,jokingbutnotjoking.SaidifDeutscherbecamePresidenttheywantedtogolivein1492.Ofcourseit'snotourbusinesstoconductEscapes,buttoformSafaris.Anyway,Keith'sPresidentnow.Allyougottoworryaboutis-"
"Shootingmydinosaur,"Eckelsfinisheditforhim.
"ATyrannosaurusRex.TheTyrantLizard,themostincrediblemonsterinhistory.Signthisrelease.Anythinghappenstoyou,we'renotresponsible.Thosedinosaursarehungry."
Eckelsflushedangrily."Tryingtoscareme!
"
"Frankly,yes.Wedon'twantanyonegoingwho'llpanicatthefirstshot.SixSafarileaderswerekilledlastyear,andadozenhunters.We'reheretogiveyoutheseverestthrillarealhuntereveraskedfor.TravelingyoubacksixtymillionyearstobagthebiggestgameinallofTime.Yourpersonalcheck'sstillthere.Tearitup."Mr.Eckelslookedatthecheck.Hisfingerstwitched.
"Goodluck,"saidthemanbehindthedesk."Mr.Travis,he'sallyours."
Theymovedsilentlyacrosstheroom,takingtheirgunswiththem,towardtheMachine,towardthesilvermetalandtheroaringlight.
Firstadayandthenanightandthenadayandthenanight,thenitwasday-night-day-night.Aweek,amonth,ayear,adecade!
A.D.2055.A.D.2019.1999!
1957!
Gone!
TheMachineroared.
Theyputontheiroxygenhelmetsandtestedtheintercoms.
Eckelsswayedonthepaddedseat,hisfacepale,hisjawstiff.Hefeltthetremblinginhisarmsandhelookeddownandfoundhishandstightonthenewrifle.TherewerefourothermenintheMachine.Travis,theSafariLeader,hisassistant,Lesperance,andtwootherhunters,BillingsandKramer.Theysatlookingateachother,andtheyearsblazedaroundthem.
"Canthesegunsgetadinosaurcold?
"Eckelsfelthismouthsaying.
"Ifyouhitthemright,"saidTravisonthehelmetradio."Somedinosaurshavetwobrains,oneinthehead,anotherfardownthespinalcolumn.Westayawayfromthose.That'sstretchingluck.Putyourfirsttwoshotsintotheeyes,ifyoucan,blindthem,andgobackintothebrain."
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.ButuntilwedoknowforcertainwhetherourmessingaroundinTimecanmakeabigroaroralittle