Last-Night-of-the-World(世界的最后一晚)

LastNightoftheWorldBy:RayBradburyOriginallypublishedintheFebruary1951issueofEsquire"Whatwouldyoudo

ifyouknewthiswasthelastnightoftheworld?""WhatwouldIdo;youmean,seriously?""Yes,seriously.""Idon'tknow—Ihadn'tthought.Sheturnedthehandleofthesilvercoffeepottowardhimandplacedthetwocupsintheirsaucers.Hepouredsomecoffee.Inthebackground,thetwosmallgirlswereplayingblocksontheparlorruginthelightofthegreenhurricanelamps.Therewasaneasy,cleanaromaofbrewedcoffeeintheeveningair."Well,betterstartthinkingaboutit,"hesaid."Youdon'tmeanit?"saidhiswife.Henodded."Awar?"Heshookhishead."Notthehydrogenoratombomb?""No.""Orgermwarfare?""Noneofthoseatall,"hesaid,stirringhiscoffeeslowlyandstaringintoitsblackdepths."Butjusttheclosingofabook,let'ssay.""Idon'tthinkIunderstand.""No,nordoIreally.It'sjutafeeling;sometimesitfrightensme,sometimesI'mnotfrightenedatall—butpeaceful."Heglancedinatthegirlsandtheiryellowhairshininginthebrightlamplight,andloweredhisvoice."Ididn'tsayanythingtoyou.Itfirsthappenedaboutfournightsago.""What?""AdreamIhad.Idreamtthatitwasallgoingtobeoverandavoicesaiditwas;notanykindofvoiceIcanremember,butavoiceanyway,anditsaidthingswouldstophereonEarth.Ididn'tthinktoomuchaboutitwhenIawokethenextmorning,butthenIwenttoworkandthefeelingaswithmeallday.IcaughtStanWillislookingoutthewindowinthemiddleoftheafternoonandIsaid,'Pennyforyourthoughts,Stan,'andhesaid,'Ihadadreamlastnight,'andbeforeheeventoldmethedream,Iknewwhatitwas.Icouldhavetoldhim,buthetoldmeandIlistenedtohim.""Itwasthesamedream?""Yes.ItoldStanIhaddreamedit,too.Hedidn'tseemsurprised.Herelaxed,infact.Thenwestartedwalkingthroughoffices,forthehellofit.Itwasn'tplanned.Wedidn'tsay,let'swalkaround.Wejustwalkedonourown,andeverywherewesawpeoplelookingattheirdesksortheirhandsoroutthewindowsandnotseeingwhatwasinfrontoftheireyes.Italkedtoafewofthem;sodidStan.""Andallofthemhaddreamed?""Allofthem.Thesamedream,withnodifference.""Doyoubelieveinthedream?""Yes.I'veneverbeenmorecertain.""Andwhenwillitstop?Theworld,Imean.""Sometimeduringthenightforus,andthen,asthenightgoesonaroundtheworld,thoseadvancingportionswillgo,too.It'lltaketwenty-fourhoursforitalltogo."Theysatawhilenottouchingtheircoffee.Thentheylifteditslowlyanddrank,lookingateachother."Dowedeservethis?"shesaid."It'snotamatterofdeserving,it'sjustthatthingsdidn'tworkout.Inoticeyoudidn'tevenargueaboutthis.Whynot?""IguessIhaveareason,"shesaid."Thesamereasoneveryoneattheofficehad?"Shenodded."Ididn'twanttosayanything.Ithappenedlastnight.Andthewomenontheblockaretalkingaboutit,justamongthemselves."Shepickeduptheeveningpaperandheldittowardhim."There'snothinginthenewsaboutit.""No,everyoneknows,sowhat'stheneed?"Hetookthepaperandsatbackinhischair,lookingatthegirlsandthenather."Areyouafraid?""No.Notevenforthechildren.IalwaysthoughtIwouldbefrightenedtodeath,butI'mnot.""Where'sthatspiritofself-preservationthescientiststalkaboutsomuch?""Idon'tknow.Youdon'tgettooexcitedwhenyoufeelthingsarelogical.Thisislogical.Nothingelsebutthiscouldhavehappenedfromthewaywe'velived.""Wehaven'tbeentoobad,havewe?""No,norenormouslygood.Isupposethat'sthetrouble.Wehaven'tbeenverymuchofanythingexceptus,whileabigpartoftheworldwasbusybeinglotsofquiteawfulthings."Thegirlswerelaughingintheparlorastheywavedtheirhandsandtumbleddowntheirhouseofblocks."Ialwaysimaginedpeoplewouldbescreaminginthestreetsatatimelikethis.""Iguessnot.Youdon'tscreamabouttherealthing.""Doyouknow,Iwon'tmissanythingbutyouandthegirls.Ineverlikedcitiesorautosorfactoriesormyworkoranythingexceptyouthree.Iwon'tmissathingexceptmyfamilyandperhapsthechangeintheweatherandaglassofcoolwaterwhentheweather'shot,ortheluxuryofsleeping.Justlittlethings,really.Howcanwesithereandtalkthisway?""Becausethere'snothingelsetodo.""That'sit,ofcourse,foriftherewere,we'dbedoingit.Isupposethisisthefirsttimeinthehistoryoftheworldthateveryonehasreallyknownjustwhattheyweregoingtobedoingduringthelastnight.""Iwonderwhateveryoneelsewilldonow,thisevening,forthenextfewhours.""Gotoashow,listentotheradio,watchtheTV,playcards,putthechildrentobed,gettobedthemselves,likealways.""Inawaythat'ssomethingtobeproudof—likealways.""We'renotallbad."Theysatamomentandthenhepouredmorecoffee."Whydoyousupposeit'stonight?""Because.""Whynotsomenightinthepasttenyearsofinthelastcentury,orfivecenturiesagoorten?""Maybeit'sbecauseitwasneverFebruary30,1951,everbeforeinhistory,andnowitisandthat'sit,becausethisdatemeansmorethananyotherdateevermeantandbecauseit'stheyearwhenthingsareastheyareallovertheworldandthat'swhyit'stheend.""Therearebombersontheircoursebothwaysacrosstheoceantonightthat'llneverseelandagain.""That'spartofthereasonwhy.""Well,"hesaid."Whatshallitbe?Washthedishes?"Theywashedthedishescarefullyandstackedthemawaywithespecialneatness.Ateight-thirtythegirlswereputtobedandkissedgoodnightandthelittlelightsbytheirbedsturnedonandthedoorleftatrifleopen."Iwonder,"saidthehusband,comingoutandlookingback,standingtherewithhispipeforamoment.""What?""Ifthedoorshouldbeshutallthewayorifitshouldbeleftjustalittleajarsowecanhearthemiftheycall.""Iwonderifthechildrenknow—ifanyonementionedanythingtothem?""No,ofcoursenot.They'dhaveaskedusaboutit."Theysatandreadthepapersandtalkedandlistenedtosomeradiomusicandthensattogetherbythefireplacelookingatthecharcoalembersastheclockstruckten-thirtyandelevenandeleven-thirty.Theythoughtofalltheotherpeopleintheworldwhohadspenttheirevening,eachintheirownspecialway."Well,"hesaidatlast.Hekissedhiswifeforalongtime."We'vebeengoodforeachother,anyway.""Doyouwanttocry?"heasked."Idon'tthinkso."Theywentthroughthehouseandturnedoutthelightsandlockedthedoors,andwentintothebedroomandstoodinthenightcooldarknessundressing.Shetookthespreadfromthebedandfold