英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunderdoc.docx

英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunderdoc.docx

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英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunderdoc

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.ButuntilwedoknowforcertainwhetherourmessingaroundinTimecanmakeabigroaroralittlerustleinhistory,we're