Unit-11-The-Story-of-an-Eyewitness课文翻译综合教程四

Unit11TheStoryofanEyewitnessJackLondon1TheearthquakeshookdowninSanFranciscohundredsofthousandsofdollarsworthofwallsandchimneys.Buttheconflagrationthatfollowedburneduphundredsofmillionsofdollarsworthofproperty.Thereisnoestimatingwithinhundredsofmillionstheactualdamagewrought.2Notinhistoryhasamodernimperialcitybeensocompletelydestroyed.SanFranciscoisgone.Nothingremainsofitbutmemoriesandfringeofdwellinghousesonitsoutskirts.Itsindustrialsectioniswipedout.Itsbusinesssectioniswipedout.Itssocialandresidentialsectioniswipedout.Thefactoriesandwarehouses,thegreatstoresandnewspaperbuildings,thehotelsandthepalacesofthenabobs,areallgone.RemainsonlythefringeofdwellinghousesontheoutskirtsofwhatwasonceSanFrancisco.3Withinanhouraftertheearthquakeshock,thesmokeofSanFrancisco’sburningwasaluridtowervisibleahundredmilesaway.Andforthreedaysandnightsthisluridtowerswayedinthesky,reddeningthesun,darkeningtheday,andfillingthelandwithsmoke.4OnWednesdaymorningatquarterpastfivecametheearthquake.Aminutelatertheflameswereleapingupward.InadozendifferentquarterssouthofMarketStreet,intheworkingclassghettoandinthefactories,firesstarted.Therewasnoopposingtheflames.Therewasnoorganization,nocommunication.Allthecunningadjustmentsofatwentieth-centurycityhadbeensmashedbytheearthquake.Thestreetswerehumpedintoridgesanddepressions,andpiledwiththedebrisoffallenwalls.Thesteelrailsweretwistedintoperpendicularandhorizontalangles.Thetelephoneandtelegraphsystemsweredisrupted.Andthegreatwatermainshadburst.Alltheshrewdcontrivancesandsafeguardsofmanhadbeenthrownoutofgearbythirtyseconds’twitchingoftheearth-crust.5ByWednesdayafternoon,insideoftwelvehours,halftheheartofthecitywasgone.AtthattimeIwatchedthevastconflagrationfromoutonthebay.Itwasdeadcalm.Notaflickerofwindstirred.Yetfromeverysidewindwaspouringinuponthecity.East,west,north,andsouth,strongwindswereblowinguponthedoomedcity.Theheatedairrisingmadeanenormoussuck.Thusdidthefireofitselfbuilditsowncolossalchimneythroughtheatmosphere.Dayandnightthisdeadcalmcontinued,andyet,neartotheflames,thewindwasoftenhalfagale,somightywasthesuck.6Wednesdaynightsawthedestructionoftheveryheartofthecity.Dynamitewaslavishlyused,andmanyofSanFrancisco’sproudeststructureswerecrumbledbymanhimselfintoruins,buttherewasnowithstandingtheonrushoftheflames.Timeandagainsuccessfulstandsweremadebythefirefightersandeverytimetheflamesflankedaroundoneitherside,orcameupfromtherear,andturnedtodefeatthehardwonvictory.7AnenumerationofthebuildingsdestroyedwouldbeadirectoryofSanFrancisco.Anenumerationofthebuildingsundestroyedwouldbealineandseveraladdresses.AnenumerationofthedeedsofheroismwouldstockalibraryandbankrupttheCarnegiemedalfund.Anenumerationofthedead―willneverbemade.Allvestigesofthemweredestroyedbytheflames.Thenumberofthevictimsoftheearthquakewillneverbeknown.SouthofMarketStreet,wherethelossoflifewasparticularlyheavy,wasthefirsttocatchfire.8Remarkableasitmayseem,Wednesdaynight,whilethewholecitycrashedandroaredintoruin,wasaquietnight.Therewerenocrowds.Therewasnoshoutingandyelling.Therewasnohysteria,nodisorder.IpassedWednesdaynightinthepathoftheadvancingflames,andinallthoseterriblehoursIsawnotonewomanwhowept,notonemanwhowasexcited,notonepersonwhowasintheslightestdegreepanic-stricken.9Beforetheflames,throughoutthenight,fledtensofthousandsofhomelessones.Somewerewrappedinblankets.Otherscarriedbundlesofbeddinganddearhouseholdtreasures.Sometimesawholefamilywasharnessedtoacarriageordeliverywagonthatwasweighteddownwiththeirpossessions.Babybuggies,toywagonsandgo-cartswereusedastrucks,whileeveryotherpersonwasdraggingatrunk.Yeteverybodywasgracious.Themostperfectcourtesyobtained.Never,inallSanFrancisco’shistory,wereherpeoplesokindandcourteousasonthisnightofterror.bothsides.Thestreetwasawallofflame.Andagainstthiswallofflame,silhouettedsharply,weretwoUnitedStatescavalrymensittingtheirhorses,calmlywatching.Thatwasall.Notanotherpersonwasinsight.Intheintactheartofthecitytwotrooperssattheirhorsesandwatched.16Surrenderwascomplete.Therewasnowater.Thesewershadlongsincebeenpumpeddry.Therewasnodynamite.Anotherfirehadbrokenoutfartheruptown,andnowfromthethreesidesconflagrationsweresweepingdown.Thefourthsidehadbeenburnedearlierintheday.InthatdirectionstoodthetotteringwallsoftheExaminerBuilding,theburnedoutCallBuilding,thesmoulderingruinsofGrandHotel,andthegutted,devastated,dynamitedPalaceHotel.证人亲历杰克·伦敦1旧金山的地震摧毁了不少墙壁和烟囱，价值成千上万美元。而随后的大火更是烧毁了价值上亿的财产。实际损失纵使以亿计仍难以估算。2这样一座现代化的宏伟城市被摧毁殆尽，史无前例。旧金山消失了。啥也没留下，只留下记忆和城郊残破的民宅。城市的工业区被夷为平地，商业区被夷为平地，社交区和居民区也被夷为平地。工厂、仓库、大商店、报社大楼、旅馆，还有富豪名流的豪华宅邸统统不见了。剩下的只有残破的民宅留在曾经叫做旧金山的城市的郊区。3地震发生一小时之内，旧金山燃烧的可怕浓烟直上云霄，一百英里以外都能看见。足足三天三夜，这可怕的烟尘巨柱在空中摇晃，使太阳更红，使白昼昏暗，使大地蒙尘。4地震发生在周三凌晨五点一刻。一分钟之后，烈焰腾空。在市场街以南十几处不同区域内，在工人阶级的贫民窟中和工厂里，火灾发生了。大火肆虐，人群束手。没有组织，没有联络。一座20世纪城市里的一切精巧的调节构造都被地震摧毁殆尽。街道拱起状如山脊或峡谷，到处是堆满残垣断壁的瓦砾场。钢轨歪七扭八。电话电报系统中断。巨大的输水网络爆裂。地壳30秒的震动使人类一切巧夺天工的创造和防护设施统统失灵。5到了周三下午，在地震发生12小时之内，城市的中心区域已经消失了一半。那时，我从海湾眺望烈焰火海。周围是死一般的寂静。一丝风都没有。然而从四面八方大风都在向这座城市涌来。从东面、西面、北面和南面，强风劲吹，涌向这座万劫不复的城市。炽热蒸腾的气体形成强大的吸力，于是大火在空中造就了自己巨大的烟囱。这死一般的沉寂从白天持续到黑夜。然而，靠近烈火的地方，风声猎猎，吸力强劲。6周三晚上，城市的中心区域被摧毁殆尽。人们使用大量炸药，旧金山许多最令人自豪的建筑被人们自己夷为废墟，但火焰仍然四处蔓延，势不可挡。消防员不时成功地暂时遏制了火势，但每次四面的火焰又卷土重来，或从后面猛扑上来，使来之不易的胜利付之东流。7要记录被烧毁的建筑那将是整个旧金山的所有在册房屋，而要记录没有被烧毁的建筑可能只需要一行字加几个地址。如果记下所有英勇的事迹，肯定会塞满整个图书馆，耗尽全部卡内基奖章基金。死亡人数的记录则将永远无法获得。他们的一切都已灰飞烟灭。这场地震的受害者人数将永远无从得知。死亡最为惨重的市场街以南地区是首先着火的地方。8这个周三晚上可能看起来非同凡响，因为虽然整个城市天崩地裂、排山倒海般沦为一片废墟，但却是个平静的夜晚。没有聚集的人群。没有大呼小叫。没有歇斯底里，没有混乱无序。周三晚上，我走在熊熊烈焰不断推进的路上，在那恐怖的时段里，我没看见一个痛哭流涕的女人，没看见一个情绪激动的男人，没看见任何人有一丝的惊慌失措。9大火当前，整个夜晚，数万名无家可归的群众四散逃离。有些人裹着毯子。其他人携带着铺盖和值钱的家当。有时整家人带上行李坐上一辆载客或载货马车，把车子压得沉甸甸的。童车、玩具车和手推车都派上了用场，一半的人都拖着一个箱子。然而所有人都依然彬彬有礼，风度完美。在整个旧金山的历史上，人们都没有像在这个可怕的夜晚这样诚善礼让。10大火当前，整个夜晚，数万名群众四散逃离。他们当中的许多人是来自体力劳动者聚居的贫民窟的穷人，这些人之前已经跋涉了一整天。他们带着行李逃离家园。他们不时把一些已经拖了数英里的衣服和财物扔在街上，这样能使负担减轻一些。11他们是坚持拖运行李箱时间最长的人，然而那个晚上还是有很多身强力壮的男人因为这些箱子而伤心欲绝。旧金山的坡路陡峭，人们拖着这些箱子爬上坡路，走了一程又一程。到处都是箱子，上面横七竖八地躺着它们精疲力竭的主人。火焰前方拉起了由士兵组成的警戒线