最新 大学英语精读第六册 UNIT 7精品Word格式文档下载.docx

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　　Itisoftensaidthatcatshaveninelives,thattheyareluckyenoughtoescapefromdangeragainandagain.Hereisasciencefictiontaleabouthowonesuchluckyescapebyacatledtoadiscoverythatwasabletochangethecourseofpeople'

slives.Theproblemsstemmingfromthediscoveryalsomakeinterestingreading.

ZERITSKY'

SLAW

AnnGriffith

　　Somebodysomedaywillmakeastudyoftheinfluenceofanimalsonhistory.Amongthem,Mrs.Graham'

scatshouldcertainlybeincludedinanysuchstudy.Ithasnowbeendefinitelyestablishedthattheexperiencesofthiscatledtotheideaofquick-frozenpeople,which,inturn,ledtothepassageofZeritsky'

sLaw.

　　WemustgobacktothefilesoftheLosAngelesnewspapersfor1950tofindthestory.Inbrief,aMrs.FredC.Grahammissedherpetcatonthesamedaythatsheputagooddealoffooddowninherhomedeep-freezeunit.Shesuspectednoconnectionbetweenthetwoevents.Thecatwasnottobefounduntilsixdayslater,whenitsownerwenttofetchsomethingfromthedeepfreeze.Muchasshelovedherpet,wemayimaginethatshewasmorehorror-thangrief-strickenatherdiscovery.Sheliftedthelittleice-encasedbodyoutofthedeep——freezeandsetitonthefloor.Thenshemanagedtorunasfarasthenextdoorneighbor'

shousebeforefainting.

　　Mrs.Grahambecamehystericalaftershewasrevived,anditwasseveralhoursbeforeshecouldbequietedenoughtopersuadeanybodythatshehadn'

tmadeupthewholething.Sheprevaileduponherneighbortogobacktothehousewithher.Infrontofthedeep-freezetheyfoundasmallpoolofwater,andawetcat,busilylickingitself.Theneighborsubsequentlytoldreportersthatthecatwasconcentratingitslickingononeofitshindlegs,wheresomeicestillremained,sothatshe,forone,believedthestory.

　　Afollow-updispatch,publishedaweeklater,reportedthatthecatwasunharmedbytheadventure.Further,Mrs.Grahamwasquotedassayingthatthecathadhadalargemealjustbeforeitsdisappearance;

thatassoonafteritsrescueasithaddrieditselfoff,ittookalongnap,preciselyasitalwaysdidafterameal;

andthatitwasnothungryagainuntilevening.Itwasclearfromtheaccountsthatthelifeprocesseshadbeenstoppeddeadintheirtracks,andbad,afterdefrosting,resumedatexactlythepointwheretheyleftoff.

　　Perhapsitisunfairtopullalltheresponsibilityononelucklesscat.Hadsuchathinghappenedanywhereelseinthecountry,itwouldhavebeentalkedabout,believedbyafew,disbelievedbymost,andforgotten.ButithappenedinLosAngeles.There,andprobablyonlythere,theeventwasanythingbutforgotten;

theprinciplesitrevealedbecamethebasisofahugelysuccessfulbusiness.

　　HowshallweregardtheZeritskyBrothers?

Asarchvillainsorpioneers?

Insupportofthelatterview,itmustbeadmittedthatthespiritofinquiryandthewillingnesstorisktheunknownwereindisputablytheirs.However,theirpioneering——ifweagreetocallitthat——was,equallyindisputably,boundupwiththequestforafastbuck.

　　Someoftheirfirstclientspaidashighas$15,000fortheinitialfreezing,andtheexorbitantrateof$1,000peryearasastoragecharge.TheZeritskyBrothersownedandmanagedoneofthelargestquick-freezingplantsintheworld,anditwastheirclaimthatconvertingthefreezingequipmentandstoragefacilitiestoaccommodatehumanswasextremelyexpensive,hencethehighrates.

　　Whentheearlyclientswhopaidtheseratesweredefrostedyearslater,andfoundotherclientsreceivingthesameservicesforaslittleas$3,000,theythreatenedarowandtheZeritskysmadesubstantialrefunds.Bythattimetheycouldeasilyaffordit,andsinceanypublicityabouttheirenterprisewasunwelcometothem,allrefundsweremadewithoutawhimper.$3,000becamethestandardrate,with$100peryearthestoragecharge,andnochargefordefrosting.

　　TheZeritskyswerebusinessmen,firstandlast.Anyonewhohadthefeecouldputhimselfawayforwhateverperiodoftimehewished,andnoquestionsasked,Theironcladrulewasthatfullpaymenthadtobemadeinadvance.

　　Criminalswerethefirsttoapplyforquick-freezing,andformedthemainstayoftheZeritskys'

businessthroughtheyears.Whatmoreeasythantorob,hidetheloot（exceptforthatall-importantadvancepayment）,presentyourselftotheZeritskysandremainintheiradmirablechambersforfiveortenyears,emergetofindthehueandcrylongsincedieddownandthecrimeforgotten,recoveryourhaulandliveoutyourlifeinluxury?

　　Duetotheshadycharacterofmostoftheirpatrons,theZeritskyskeptallrecordsbyasystemofnumbers.Nameneverappearedonthebooks,andanonymitywasguaranteed.

　　Lawenforcementagents,lookingforfugitivesfromjustice,foundno