LessonNine譯文

1、 Pompeii(ByRobertSilverberg)NotveryfarfromNaples,astrangecitysleepsunderthehotItaliansun.ItisthecityofPompeii,andthereisnoothercityquitelikeitinalltheworld.NothinglivesinPompeiiexceptcricketsandbeetlesandlizards,yeteveryyearthousandsofpeopletravelfromdistantcountriestovisitit.在離那不勒斯不遠(yuǎn)的地方，一座奇特的小城寂靜的沉

2、睡在意大利炙熱的驕陽之下。那就是龐培城。全世界再?zèng)]有任何一個(gè)城市和龐培城相像。在龐培城中，除了蟋蟀、甲蟲和蜥蜴之外，別無其他生物，然而每年都有成千上萬的人從不同國(guó)度不遠(yuǎn)萬里前來參觀。Pompeiiisadeadcity.NoonehaslivedtherefornearlytwothousandyearsnotsincethesummeroftheyearA.D.79,tobeexact.龐培是一座死城。確切的說自從公元79年的那個(gè)夏天開始，兩千年來沒有人在這里生活過。UntilthatyearPompeiiwasaprosperouscityof25,000people.Nearbywast

3、heBayofNaples,anarmoftheblueMediterranean.RichmencamedownfromwealthyRometobuildseasidevillas.FarmlandssurroundedPompeii.Risingbehindthecitywasthe4000-footMountVesuvius,agrass-coveredslopewheretheshepherdsofPompeiitooktheirgoatstograze.Pompeiiwasabusycityandahappyone.直到那年夏天龐培成還是一座擁有25000人的繁榮城市，離那不遠(yuǎn)就是

4、藍(lán)色地中海之臂的那不勒斯灣。一些有錢人從富有的羅馬城來到這里建造海邊別墅龐培城的周圍有農(nóng)田環(huán)繞。在這座城市的背后矗立著4000英尺高的維蘇威火山。綠草覆蓋的山坡上，牧羊人趕著他們的羊群在吃草。龐培城是一座繁忙而又充滿幸福感的城市。Itdiedsuddenly,inaterriblerainoffireandash.Thetragedystruckonthe2t4hofAugust,A.D.79.MountVesuvius,whichhadsleptquietlyforcenturies,eruptedwithsavageviolence.TonsofhotashfellonPompeii,hi

5、dingitfromsight.Forthreedaysthesundidnotbreakthroughthecloudsofvolcanicashthatfilledthesky.Andwhentheeruptionended,Pompeiiwasburieddeep.Acityhadperished.可是，在一陣可怕的火與灰的襲擊中，這座城市滅亡了。這個(gè)悲劇發(fā)生在公元79年的8月24日。維蘇威火山。這座沉睡了幾世紀(jì)的山脈，突然劇烈的爆發(fā)了。數(shù)以噸計(jì)滾燙的火山灰落到了龐培城遮住了人們的視線。3天以來陽光都無法穿過被火山灰充斥的云層。當(dāng)噴發(fā)結(jié)束的時(shí)候，龐培城被深深的掩埋了。這座城市也就消失了。

6、Centuriespassed,Pompeiiwasforgotten.Then,seventeenhundredyearslater,itwasdiscoveredagain.Beneaththeprotectingshroudofash,thecitylayintact.EverythingwasasithadbeenthedayVesuviuserupted.Therewerestillloavesofbreadintheovensofthebakeries.Inthewineshops,thewinejarswereinplace,andononecountercouldbeseena

7、stainwhereacustomerhadthrowndownhisglassandfled.幾個(gè)世紀(jì)過去了，龐培城幾乎被遺忘了。不過，1700年后，人們又重新發(fā)現(xiàn)了它。在火山灰的保護(hù)下，這座城市完好無損的躺在那里。一切都是維蘇威火山噴發(fā)那天的樣子。面包店烤箱里依然有尚未出爐的面包，在賣紅酒的店里，酒壇子依然放在原處，在柜臺(tái)前，人們?nèi)酉戮票用暮圹E清晰可見。TogotoPompeiitodayistotakeatripbackwardintime.Theoldcitycomestolifeallaroundyou.Youcanalmostheartheclatterofhorseshoof

8、sonthenarrowstreets,thecriesofchildrenandthelaughteroftheshopkeepers.Theskyiscloudlesslyblue,withthesummersunhighinthesky.ThegrassyslopesofgreatVesuviusrisetotheheavensbehindthecity,andsunlightshimmersonthewatersofthebayathousandyardsfromthecitywalls.Shipsfromeverynationareinportandstrangelanguagesc

9、anbeheardinthestreets.今天，去龐培可以稱得上是一次體驗(yàn)時(shí)光倒流的旅行，古老的城市在你的周圍仿佛又重新充滿了活力。你幾乎能聽到狹窄街道上的馬蹄聲，孩子們的哭鬧聲和店主們的笑聲。蔚藍(lán)的天空萬里無云，盛夏的烈日在空中高懸。城市的背后維蘇威火山長(zhǎng)滿青草的山坡伸向天空，陽光在城墻外1000多碼的海灣水面上閃爍發(fā)光。從世界各國(guó)駛來的船只停在港內(nèi)，大街上還能聽到各種不同的語言。SuchwasPompeiionitslastday.Andsoitistoday,nowthatthevolcanicashhasbeenclearedaway.Agoodimaginationisallyou

10、needtorestoreittoactivity.這就是龐培的最后一天。也就是今天，火山灰已經(jīng)清理完畢，你需要一個(gè)很豐富的想象力來把它恢復(fù)到現(xiàn)實(shí)當(dāng)中。AtdawnonAugust24,intheyearA.D.79,Pompeiis25,000peopleawakenedtoanotherhotdayinthathotsummer.Therewasgoingtobeacontestinthearenathatnightandthewholetownwaslookingforwardtothebloodyfightsofthegladiators.Thechildrenheadedtoward

11、school,carryingslatesandfollowedbytheirdogs.Intheforumthetownsimportantmenhadgatheredafterbreakfasttoreadthepoliticalsignsthathadbeenpostedduringthenight.Elsewhereintheforumthewoolmerchantstalkedbusiness.Thebankerwasgoingoverhisaccountbooks.Attheinnlater-risingtravellersfromtheEastawakenedandyawneda

12、ndcalledforbreakfast.在公元79年8月24日黎明，龐培城的人們?cè)谘谉岬南奶熘杏瓉砹诵碌囊惶?，原本在那天晚上?jìng)技場(chǎng)有一場(chǎng)競(jìng)賽，全城百姓都期待著角斗士們的血腥搏斗，孩子們提著石板跟在狗的后面去上學(xué)，在城鎮(zhèn)廣場(chǎng)上全城的重要人士在早飯后都聚集起來看張貼好的政治公告。在廣場(chǎng)的其他地方，羊毛商正在談生意；旅館里剛剛起床的游客還在打著哈欠叫早餐。Thequietmorningmovedslowlyalong.TherewasnothingveryunusualaboutPompeii.Buttragedywasonitsway.BeneathVesuviusvine-coveredslo

13、pesamightyforcewasabouttobreakloose.Atoneoclockintheafternoonthecriticalpointwasreached.Themountainblewup,rainingdeathonthousands.DowninPompeii,fourmilesfromthesummit,atremendousexplosionwasheard.安靜的早上，時(shí)間慢慢過去。龐培城沒有什么異常。但是一場(chǎng)悲劇正在逼近，在維蘇威火山藤蔓覆蓋的山坡下一股巨大的力量即將爆發(fā)。在下午一點(diǎn)鐘，這股力量到達(dá)了臨界點(diǎn)?；鹕奖l(fā)了，死亡向成千上萬的人們降臨。山下的龐貝城，

14、距離山頂有四英里，巨大的爆炸聲清晰可聞?！癢hatwasthat?”peoplecriedfromoneendoftowntoanother.Theystaredateachother,puzzled,troubled.Werethegodsfightinginheaven?“那是什么？”人們哭喊著從一座城跑到應(yīng)一座城，他們互相瞪著眼睛看在猜測(cè)，在憂慮。難道是眾神在天堂里打架么？“Look!”somebodyshouted.“LookatVesuvius!”“看!”一些人喊道，“看維蘇威火山！”Thousandsofeyesturnedupward.Thousandsofarmspointed

15、.Ablackcloudwasrisingfromtheshatteredsummitofthemountain.Higherandhigheritrose.Likethetrunkofatree,itroseintheair,branchingoutasitclimbed.上萬雙眼睛齊刷刷的向上面望去，上萬只胳膊指向那里，一陣烏云從粉碎的山頂向上升起，烏云越升越高，像一棵大樹伸向填空，如枝條似的展開。Minutespassed.Thesoundoftheexplosiondiedaway,butitstillreverberatedineveryonesears.ThecloudoverVe

16、suviuscontinuedtorise,blackasnight,higherandhigher.AstrangerainbegantofallonPompeiiarainofstones.Thestoneswerelight.Theywerepumicestones,consistingmostlyofairbubbles.Thesepoureddownasthoughtherehadbeenasuddencloudburst.Thepumicestonesdidlittledamage.幾分鐘過去了，爆炸聲逐漸消失，但每個(gè)人仍然能聽到回音維蘇威火山的黑云繼續(xù)上升，暗如黑夜，越升越高。一

17、陣奇怪的雨開始飄落石塊雨。石塊是淺色的。這是浮石，大多數(shù)還夾雜著空氣中的氣泡。這些浮石傾瀉而下，如同瞬間的傾盆大雨一般。不過這些浮石幾乎沒有破壞?！癢hatishappening?”Pompeiiansaskedoneanother.TheyrushedtothetemplestheTempleofJupiter,theTempleofApollo,theTempleofIsis.Prieststriedtocalmthecitizens.Theskywasdark.Anhourwentbyanddarknessstillshroudedeverything.Allwasconfusion.T

18、hepeopleofPompeiinowknewthatdoomwasathand.Theirfearswereredoubledwhenatremendousrainofhotashbegantofall.Thewoodenroofsofsomeofthehousesbegantocatchfireastheheatoftheashreachedthem.Otherbuildingswerecollapsingundertheweightofthepumicestones.到底發(fā)生了什么？龐培城的百姓互相詢問著，他們涌向了神殿丘比特神殿、阿波羅神殿、宙斯神殿。牧師們?cè)O(shè)法去使居民們保持鎮(zhèn)靜，天

19、空陰沉了下來，一小時(shí)過后一切變得黑暗起來，一切都是那么混亂。龐培城的人們現(xiàn)在知道厄運(yùn)即將來臨。當(dāng)一場(chǎng)巨大的石灰雨從天而降的時(shí)候，他們更加恐慌了。一些房屋的木制屋頂在石灰的炙烤下開始著起火來。其他一些建筑也被浮石壓塌了。Inthesefirstfewhours,onlythequick-wittedmanagedtoescape.Awealthywoolmerchantcalledhisfamilytogetherandcrammedjewelryandmoneyintoasack.Lightingatorch,heledhislittlebandoutintothenightmareofthe

20、streets.ManyhundredsofPompeiiansfledinthosefirstfewdarkhours.Stumblinginthedarkness,theymadetheirwaytothecitygates,thenoutanddowntotheharbor.Theyboardedboatsandgotaway,livingtotellthetaleoftheircitysdestruction.Otherspreferredtoremainwithinthecity,huddlinginsidethetemples,orinthepublicbathsorinthece

21、llarsoftheirhomes.Theystillhopedthatthenightmarewouldend.在最初的幾個(gè)小時(shí)里，只有一些機(jī)警的人們?cè)O(shè)法去逃脫。一位富有的羊毛商人招呼他們?nèi)胰艘黄鸢阎閷毢徒疱X統(tǒng)統(tǒng)塞進(jìn)布袋里。點(diǎn)燃了火把，他帶領(lǐng)他們一小隊(duì)人馬走上了噩夢(mèng)般的街道。在最初的幾小時(shí)內(nèi)成百上千的龐培人逃亡，他們?cè)诤诎抵械沧?，設(shè)法涌向城門。接著，出了城門直奔港口。他們有的人登上了船離開了那里后得以幸存下來給我們講述他們這座城市的毀滅。而其他人更喜歡留在城里面，在神廟里擠做一團(tuán)或者索性呆在公共浴室和家中的酒窖里避難。他們?nèi)栽谂瓮瑝?mèng)能早點(diǎn)結(jié)束。Itwaseveningnow.Anda

22、newtroublewasinstoreforPompeii.Theearthtrembledandquaked!Roofswentcrashinginruin,buryinghundredswhohadhopedtosurvivetheeruption.Intheforumthetallcolumnstoppled.Theentirecityseemedtoshakeinthegripofagiantfist.到了傍晚的時(shí)候，一場(chǎng)新的災(zāi)難正等待著龐培。不久大地開始劇烈的搖晃屋頂突然倒塌，瞬間掩埋了成百位尚有一線生機(jī)的人們。在城鎮(zhèn)廣場(chǎng)上高大的房柱轟然倒塌，整個(gè)古城仿佛被一只巨大的拳頭握住，任其

23、擺布。Threefeetofpumicestonesnowcoveredtheground.Ashfloatedintheair.Poisonousgascamedriftingfromthecrater,thoughpeoplecouldstillbreathe.Roofswerecollapsingeverywhere.Thecriesoftheinjuredanddyingfilledtheair.Rushingthrongs,blindedbythedarknessandthesmoke,rusheduponestreetanddownthenext,tramplingthefalle

24、ninacrazyfruitlessdashtowardsafety.Dozensofpeopleplungedintodead-endstreetsandfoundthemselvestrappedbycrashingbuildings.Theywaitedthere,toofrightenedtorunfurther,expectingtheend.三英尺大的浮石覆蓋了整個(gè)地面。塵埃漂浮在空氣中有毒的氣體從火山口飄了出來，盡管人們還有一絲呼吸。倒塌的屋頂隨處可見，空氣中充斥著傷亡者的哭喊聲。四處奔走的人群都被黑暗和濃煙熏得失明，他們從一條街?jǐn)D向另一條街踐踏著倒塌的（屋頂）瘋狂的沖向安全的地

25、方。很多人擠向了封死的街道最后發(fā)現(xiàn)他們被倒塌的建筑截在了那里。他們因?yàn)楹ε乱呀?jīng)不敢移動(dòng)了所以就在那里等著，期待厄運(yùn)早點(diǎn)結(jié)束。Thepoisongasthickenedastheterriblenightadvanced.ItwaspossibletoprotectoneselffromthepumicestonesbutnotfromthegasandPompeiiansdiedbythehundreds.Carbonmonoxidegaspreventsthebodyfromabsorbingoxygen.Victimsofcarbonmonoxidepoisoninggetsleepierandsleepieruntiltheyloseconsciousness,nevertoregainit.AlloverPompeii,peoplelaydownonbedsofpumicestones,overwhelmedbythegas,anddeathcamequietlytothem.可怕的夜晚越深，城里的毒氣越濃。人們可以保護(hù)自己不受浮石的攻擊但無法幸免毒氣的侵襲。又有數(shù)以百計(jì)的人死去了。一氧化碳阻礙了人體對(duì)氧氣的吸收。一氧化碳的中毒者變得越來越疲倦直至最后失去了知覺，再也不能醒來了。整個(gè)龐培城，人們?nèi)缤稍谟筛∈伜玫拇采?，被毒氣所熏倒，死神正靜靜地向他們走來。