大学英语精读：第六册UNIT7

Itisoftensaidthatcatshaveninelives,thattheyareluckyenoughtoescapefromdangeragainandagain.Hereisasciencefictiontaleabouthowonesuchluckyescapebyacatledtoadiscoverythatwasabletochangethecourseofpeople'slives.Theproblemsstemmingfromthediscoveryalsomakeinterestingreading.ZERITSKY'SLAWAnnGriffithSomebodysomedaywillmakeastudyoftheinfluenceofanimalsonhistory.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,foundnowaytobreakdownthissystem,noranylawwhichtheycouldinterpretasmakingitillegaltoquick-freeze.Perhapsthetruthisthattheydidnotsearchtoodiligentlyforalawthatcouldbemadetoapply.AslongastheZeritskyskeptthingsquietanddidnotadvertiseorattractpublicattention,theycouldsafelycontinuetheirbizarrebusiness.CityofficialsofLosAngeles,andparticularlymembersofthepoliceforce,enjoyedaperiodofunparalleledprosperity.LawyersandotherexpertswhothoughttheywereonthetrackoflegalmeansbywhichtoliquidatetheZeritskyempirefoundthemselvessuddenlyabletobuyaranchorayachtorboth,andretireforeverfromthearduoustaskofearningaliving.EvenwithagoodlypartofthepopulationofLosAngelesaspermanentpensioners,theZeritskyfortunegrewtoincredibleproportions.BythetimetheZeritskyBrothersdiedandleftthebusinesstotheirsons,itwasagoldmine,andaninexhaustibleoneatthat.Nexttocriminals,themajorityofpeoplewhoappliedforquick-freezingseemtohavebeenhusbandsorwivescaughtininsupportablemaritalsituations.Theirexperiencesweresubsequentlywrittenupintheconfessionmagazines.ItwasusuallythehusbandwhofledtoLosAngelesandincarceratedhimselfforanappropriatenumberofyears,attheendofwhichtimehisunamiablespousewouldhavediedormadeotherarrangements.Ifwecanbelievethemagazines,thisschemeworkedoutverywellinmostcases.Thesinsofthefathersmaybevisitedonthesons,buthowoftenweseerepeatedtheoldfamiliarpatternofthesonsdestroyingthelifeworkofthefathers!TheZeritskyBrotherswerefanaticallymeticulous.Theysupervisedeverydetailoftheiroperations,andkepttheirrecordswithanelaboratesystemofchecksanddoublechecks.Theywereshrewdenoughtorealizethatcompletedependabilitywasessentialtotheirbusiness.AsatisfiedZeritskyclientwasasilentclient.Onedissatisfiedclientwouldbeenoughtoblowthebusinessapart.Thesons,intheirgreed,over-expandedtothepointwheretheycouldnot,evenamongthefourofthem,personallysuperviseeachandeverydetail.Afatalmistakewasboundtooccursoonerorlater.Whenitdid,thevictimbroadcasthisgrievancetotheworld.Thestoryappearedinanationalmagazine,everycopyofwhichwassoldanhourafteritappearedonthestands.UnderthetitleTheyPuttheFreezeonMe!JohnA.Monahantoldhistragictale.Attheageof37,hehadfallendesperatelyinlovewithagirlof16.Shewasimmatureandfrivolousandwantedto"playaround"alittlemorebeforeshesettleddown."Shetoldme,"hewrote,"tocomebackinfiveyears,andthatstaredmethinking.InfiveyearI'dbe42,andwhatwouldagirlof21wantwithamantwiceasoldasher?"JohnMonahanmovedincircleswheretheworkoftheZeritskyswaswellknown.Notonlydidheseeanopportunityofbeingstillonly37whenhisdarlingreached21,butheforesawapainlesswayofpassingtheyearswhichhemustendurewithouther.Accordingly,hepresentedhimselfforthedeep-freeze,paidhis$3000andthe$500storagechargeinadvance,andleft,heclaimed,"writteninstructionstoletmeoutinfiveyears,sothere'dhenomistakes."Nobodyknowshowthesliphappened,butsomehowJohnA.Monahan,orratherthenumberassignedtohim,wasenteredonthebooksfor25yearsinsteadoffiveyears.Uponbeingdefrosted,anddiscoveringthataquarterofacenturyhadelapsed,hisragewasawesome.Alongwitheverythingelse,hisloveforhissweethearthadbeenperfectlypreserved,butshehadgivenupwaitingforhimandwasahappymotheroftwoboysandsixgirls.Monahan'saccusationthattheZeritskyshad"ruinedhislife"maybetakenwithagrainofsalt.Hewasstillayoungman,andtherumorthathegotahundredthousandforthemagazinerightstohisstorywastrue.Asmostreadersareaware,whathascometobeknownas"Zeritsky'slaw"waspassedbyCongressandsignedbythePresidentthreedaysafterMonahan'sstorybroke.Seventy-fiveyearsafterMrs.Graham'scatfeelintothefreezer,itbecamehelawofthelandthatthemandatorypenaltyforanyoneapplyingquick-freezingmethodstoanylivingthing,humanoranimal,wasdeath.Also,allquick-frozenpeopleweretobedefrostedimmediately.LosAngelespapersreportedthatbeginningonthedayMonahan'sstoryappeared,menbythethousandspouredintothecity.Theycontinuedtocome,chokingeveryavailablemeansoftransport,forthenexttwodays——until,thatis,Zerisky'sLawwentthrough.Whenweconsiderthedate,andrememberthatduetothegravityoftheinternationalsituation,abillhadjustbeenpasseddraftingallmenfrom16to60,werealizewhyCongresshadtoact.TheZeritskys,ofcourse,wereamongthefirsttobetaken.Becauseoftheirexperience,theywereputinchargeofamilitarywarehousefordehydratedfoods,andwarnednottogetanyideasforanewbusiness.NewWordsconnectionn.thestateofbeingconnected;relationship-stricken（combiningform）overwhelmedorafflictedbydisease,misfortune,horror,grief,etc.ice-encaseda.placedorenclosedinorasifinanicecasehystericala.inastateofhysteria;emotionallydisturbed歇斯底⾥的lickvt.passthetongueover舔subsequentlyad.afterward,latehinda.back,rearfollow-upa.ofsth.donetocontinueorreinforceaninitialaction/p>pbdsfid="114">00dispatch/p>pbdsfid="115">00n.areportsenttoanewspaper,etc.byacorrespondent/p>pbdsfid="116">00disappearance/p>pbdsfid="117">00n.theactoranexampleofdisappearing/p>pbdsfid="118">00rescue/p>pbdsfid="119">00vt.savefromdanger/p>pbdsfid="120">00nap/p>pbdsfid="121">00n.ashortsleep,usu.atatimeotherthanone's