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.10Allnightthesetensofthousandsfledbeforetheflames.Manyofthem,thepoorpeoplefromthelaborghetto,hadfledalldayaswell.Theyhadlefttheirhomesburdenedwithpossessions.Nowandagaintheylightenedup,flingingoutuponthestreetclothingandtreasurestheyhaddraggedformiles.11Theyheldonlongesttotheirtrunks,andoverthesetrunksmanyastrongmanbrokehisheartthatnight.ThehillsofSanFranciscoaresteep,andupthesehills,mileaftermile,werethetrunksdragged.Everywhereweretrunks,withacrossthemlyingtheirexhaustedowners,menandwomen.Beforethemarchoftheflameswereflungpicketlinesofsoldiers.Andablockatatime,astheflamesadvanced,thesepicketsretreated.Oneoftheirtaskswastokeepthetrunk-pullersmoving.Theexhaustedcreatures,stirredonbythemenaceofbayonets,wouldariseandstruggleupthesteeppavements,pausingfromweaknesseveryfiveortenfeet.12Often,aftersurmountingaheart-breakinghill,theywouldfindanotherwallofflameadvancinguponthematrightanglesandbecompelledtochangeanewthelineoftheirretreat.Intheend,completelyplayedout,aftertoilingforadozenhourslikegiants,thousandsofthemwerecompelledtoabandontheirtrunks.Heretheshop-keepersandsoftmembersofthemiddleclasswereatadisadvantage.Buttheworking-mendugholesinvacantlotsandbackyardsandburiedtheirtrunks.13Atnineo’clockWednesdayevening,Iwalkeddownthroughtheveryheartofthecity.Iwalkedthroughmilesandmilesofmagnificentbuildin