Unit11TheStoryofanEyewitness課文翻譯綜合教程四

Unit11TheStoryofanEyewitnessJackLondonTheearthquakeshookdowninSanFranciscohundredsofthousandsofdollarsworthofwallsandchimneys.Buttheconflagrationthatfollowedburneduphundredsofmillionsofdollarsworthofproperty.Thereisnoestimatingwithinhundredsofmillionstheactualdamagewrought.Notinhistoryhasamodernimperialcitybeensocompletelydestroyed.SanFranciscoisgone.Nothingremainsofitbutmemoriesandfringeofdwellinghousesonitsoutskirts.Itsindustrialsectioniswipedout.Itsbusinesssectioniswipedout.Itssocialandresidentialsectioniswipedout.Thefactoriesandwarehouses,thegreatstoresandnewspaperbuildings,thehotelsandthepalacesofthenabobs,areallgone.RemainsonlythefringeofdwellinghousesontheoutskirtsofwhatwasonceSanFrancisco.Withinanhouraftertheearthquakeshock,thesmokeofSanFrancisco’sburningwasaluridtowervisibleahundredmilesaway.Andforthreedaysandnightsthisluridtowerswayedinthesky,reddeningthesun,darkeningtheday,andfillingthelandwithsmoke.OnWednesdaymorningatquarterpastfivecametheearthquake.Aminutelatertheflameswereleapingupward.InadozendifferentquarterssouthofMarketStreet,intheworkingclassghettoandinthefactories,firesstarted.Therewasnoopposingtheflames.Therewasnoorganization,nocommunication.Allthecunningadjustmentsofatwentieth-centurycityhadbeensmashedbytheearthquake.Thestreetswerehumpedintoridgesanddepressions,andpiledwiththedebrisoffallenwalls.Thesteelrailsweretwistedintoperpendicularandhorizontalangles.Thetelephoneandtelegraphsystemsweredisrupted.Andthegreatwatermainshadburst.Alltheshrewdcontrivancesandsafeguardsofmanhadbeenthrownoutofgearbythirtysecondstwitchingoftheearth-crust.ByWednesdayafternoon,insideoftwelvehours,halftheheartofthecitywasgone.AtthattimeIwatchedthevastconflagrationfromoutonthebay.Itwasdeadcalm.Notaflickerofwindstirred.Yetfromeverysidewindwaspouringinuponthecity.East,west,north,andsouth,strongwindswereblowinguponthedoomedcity.Theheatedairrisingmadeanenormoussuck.Thusdidthefireofitselfbuilditsowncolossalchimneythroughtheatmosphere.Dayandnightthisdeadcalmcontinued,andyet,neartotheflames,thewindwasoftenhalfagale,somightywasthesuck.Wednesdaynightsawthedestructionoftheveryheartofthecity.Dynamitewaslavishlyused,andmanyofSanFrancisco’sproudeststructureswerecrumbledbymanhimselfintoruins,buttherewasnowithstandingtheonrushoftheflames.Timeandagainsuccessfulstandsweremadebythefirefightersandeverytimetheflamesflankedaroundoneitherside,orcameupfromtherear,andturnedtodefeatthehardwonvictory.AnenumerationofthebuildingsdestroyedwouldbeadirectoryofSanFrancisco.Anenumerationofthebuildingsundestroyedwouldbealineandseveraladdresses.AnenumerationofthedeedsofheroismwouldstockalibraryandbankrupttheCarnegiemedalfund.Anenumerationofthedead―willneverbemade.Allvestigesofthemweredestroyedbytheflames.Thenumberofthevictimsoftheearthquakewillneverbeknown.SouthofMarketStreet,wherethelossoflifewasparticularlyheavy,wasthefirsttocatchfire.Remarkableasitmayseem,Wednesdaynight,whilethewholecitycrashedandroaredintoruin,wasaquietnight.Therewerenocrowds.Therewasnoshoutingandyelling.Therewasnohysteria,nodisorder.IpassedWednesdaynightinthepathoftheadvancingflames,andinallthoseterriblehoursIsawnotonewomanwhowept,notonemanwhowasexcited,notonepersonwhowasintheslightestdegreepanic-stricken.Beforetheflames,throughoutthenight,fledtensofthousandsofhomelessones.Somewerewrappedinblankets.Otherscarriedbundlesofbeddinganddearhouseholdtreasures.Sometimesawholefamilywasharnessedtoacarriageordeliverywagonthatwasweighteddownwiththeirpossessions.Babybuggies,toywagonsandgo-cartswereusedastrucks,whileeveryotherpersonwasdraggingatrunk.Yeteverybodywasgracious.Themostperfectcourtesyobtained.Never,inallSanFrancisco’shistory,wereherpeoplesokindandcourteousasonthisnightofterror.Allnightthesetensofthousandsfledbeforetheflames.Manyofthem,thepoorpeoplefromthelaborghetto,hadfledalldayaswell.Theyhadlefttheirhomesburdenedwithpossessions.Nowandagaintheylightenedup,flingingoutuponthestreetclothingandtreasurestheyhaddraggedformiles.Theyheldonlongesttotheirtrunks,andoverthesetrunksmanyastrongmanbrokehisheartthatnight.ThehillsofSanFranciscoaresteep,andupthesehills,mileaftermile,werethetrunksdragged.Everywhereweretrunks,withacrossthemlyingtheirexhaustedowners,menandwomen.Beforethemarchoftheflameswereflungpicketlinesofsoldiers.Andablockatatime,astheflamesadvanced,thesepicketsretreated.Oneoftheirtaskswastokeepthetrunk-pullersmoving.Theexhaustedcreatures,stirredonbythemenaceofbayonets,wouldariseandstruggleupthesteeppavements,pausingfromweaknesseveryfiveortenfeet.12Often,aftersurmountingaheart-breakinghill,theywouldfindanotherwallofflame12advancinguponthematrightanglesandbecompelledtochangeanewthelineoftheirretreat.Intheend,completelyplayedout,aftertoilingforadozenhourslikegiants,thousandsofthemwerecompelledtoabandontheirtrunks.Heretheshop-keepersandsoftmembersofthemiddleclasswereatadisadvantage.Buttheworking-mendugholesinvacantlotsandbackyardsandburiedtheirtrunks.Atnineo’clockWednesdayevening,Iwalkeddownthroughtheveryheartofthecity.Iwalkedthroughmilesandmilesofmagnificentbuildingsandtoweringskyscrapers.Therewasnofire.Allwasinperfectorder.Thepeoplepatrolledthestreets.Everybuildinghaditswatchmanatthedoor.Andyetitwasdoomed,allofit.Therewasnowater.Thedynamitewasgivingout.Andatrightanglestwodifferentconflagrationsweresweepingdownuponit.Atoneo’clockinthemorningIwalkeddownthesamesection.Everythingstillstoodintact.Therewasnofire.Andyettherewasachange.Arainofasheswasfalling.Thewatchmenatthedoorsweregone.Thepolicehadbeenwithdrawn.Therewerenofiremen,nofire-engines,nomenfightingwithdynamite.Thedistricthadbeenabsolutelyabandoned.IstoodatthecornerofKearneyandMarket,intheveryinnermostheartofSanFrancisco.KearneyStreetwasdeserted.Halfadozenblocksawayitwasburningonbothsides.Thestreetwasawallofflame.Andagainstthiswallofflame,silhouettedsharply,weretwoUnitedStatescavalrymensittingtheirhorses,calmlywatching.Thatwasall.Notanotherpersonwasinsight.Intheintactheartofthecitytwotrooperssattheirhorsesandwatched.Surrenderwascomplete.Therewasnowater.Thesewershadlongsincebeenpumpeddry.Therewasnodynamite.Anotherfirehadbrokenoutfartheruptown,andnowfromthethreesidesconflagrationsweresweepingdown.Thefourthsidehadbeenburnedearlierintheday.InthatdirectionstoodthetotteringwallsoftheExaminerBuilding,theburnedoutCallBuilding,thesmoulderingruinsofGrandHotel,andthegutted,devastated,dynamitedPalaceHotel.證人親歷杰克?倫敦舊金山的地震摧毀了很多墻壁和煙囪，價(jià)值成千上萬美元。而隨后的大火更是燒毀了價(jià)值上億的財(cái)產(chǎn)。實(shí)際損失縱使以億計(jì)仍難以估算。如此一座現(xiàn)代化的宏偉城市被摧毀殆盡，前所未有。舊金山消失了。啥也沒留下，只留下經(jīng)歷和城郊?xì)埲钡拿裾?。城市的工業(yè)區(qū)被夷為平地，商業(yè)區(qū)被夷為平地，社交區(qū)和居民區(qū)也被夷為平地。工廠、倉(cāng)庫(kù)、大商店、報(bào)社大樓、旅館，還有富豪名人的奢華宅邸通通不見了。剩下的只有殘缺的民宅留在曾經(jīng)叫做舊金山的城市的郊區(qū)。地震發(fā)生一小時(shí)之內(nèi)，舊金山燃燒的恐怖濃煙直上云霄，一百英里之外都能看見。足足三天三夜，這恐怖的煙塵巨柱在空中搖晃，使太陽(yáng)更紅，使白晝昏暗，使大地蒙塵。地震發(fā)生在周三凌晨五點(diǎn)一刻。一分鐘以后，烈焰騰空。在市場(chǎng)街以南十幾處不同區(qū)域內(nèi)，在工人階級(jí)的貧民窟中和工廠里，火災(zāi)發(fā)生了。大火肆虐，人群束手。沒有組織，沒有聯(lián)絡(luò)。一座20世紀(jì)城市里的一切精致的調(diào)劑構(gòu)造都被地震摧毀殆盡。街道拱起狀如山脊或峽谷，處處是堆滿殘?jiān)珨啾诘耐叩[場(chǎng)。鋼軌歪七扭八。電報(bào)系統(tǒng)中斷。龐大的輸水網(wǎng)絡(luò)爆裂。地殼30秒的震動(dòng)令人類一切巧奪天工的制造和防護(hù)設(shè)施通通失靈。到了周三下午，在地震發(fā)生12小時(shí)之內(nèi)，城市的中心區(qū)域已經(jīng)消失了一半。那時(shí)，我從海灣眺望烈焰火海。周圍是死一樣的寂靜。一絲風(fēng)都沒有?？墒菑乃拿姘朔酱箫L(fēng)都在向這座城市涌來。從東面、西面、北面和南面，強(qiáng)風(fēng)勁吹，涌向這座萬劫不復(fù)的城市。灼熱蒸騰的氣體形成壯大的吸力，于是大火在空中造就了自己龐大的煙囪。這死一樣的寂靜從白天持續(xù)到黑夜。可是，靠近烈火的地址，風(fēng)聲獵獵，吸力強(qiáng)勁。周三晚上，城市的中心區(qū)域被摧毀殆盡。人們利用大量火藥，舊金山許多最令人自豪的建筑被人們自己夷為廢墟，但火焰仍然四處蔓延，勢(shì)不可擋。救火員不時(shí)成功地臨時(shí)遏制了火勢(shì)，但每次四面的火焰又東山再起，或從后面猛撲上來，使來之不易的成功付之東流。要記錄被燒毀的建筑那將是整個(gè)舊金山的所有在冊(cè)衡宇，而要記錄沒有被燒毀的建筑可能只需要一行字加幾個(gè)地址。若是記下所有英勇的事跡，確信會(huì)塞滿整個(gè)圖書館，耗盡全數(shù)卡內(nèi)基獎(jiǎng)?wù)禄?。死亡人?shù)的記錄那么將永久無法取得。他們的一切都已灰飛煙滅。這場(chǎng)地震的受害者人數(shù)將永久無從得知。死亡最為慘重的市場(chǎng)街以南地域是第一著火的地址。那個(gè)周三晚上可能看起來非同凡響，因?yàn)殡m然整個(gè)城市天崩地裂、排山倒海般淪為一片廢墟，但卻是個(gè)安靜的夜晚。沒有聚集的人群。沒有大呼小叫。沒有歇斯底里，沒有混亂無序。周三晚上，我走在熊熊烈焰不斷推動(dòng)的路上，在那恐怖的時(shí)段里，我沒看見一個(gè)痛哭流涕的女人，沒看見一個(gè)情緒興奮的男人，沒看見任何人有一絲的惶恐失措。大火當(dāng)前，整個(gè)夜晚，數(shù)萬名無家可歸的群眾四散逃離。有些人裹著毯子。其他人攜帶著鋪蓋和值錢的家當(dāng)。有時(shí)整家人帶上行李坐上一輛載客或載貨馬車，把車子壓得沉甸甸的。童車、玩具車和手推車都派上了用途，一半的人都拖著一個(gè)箱子?？墒撬腥硕既匀槐虮蛴卸Y，風(fēng)度完美。在整個(gè)舊金山的歷史上，人們都沒有像在那個(gè)恐怖的夜晚