英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunderWord文档格式.docx

英语阅读科幻ASoundofThunderWord文档格式.docx

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4.Whatdoyouthinkthetitle“ASoundofThunder”means?

Wheredoyouseethewords“asoundofthunder”inthetext?

5.Foreshadowingiswhenanauthorhintsataneventthathappenslateronthestory,tryingtopreparetheaudiencefortheeventandtocreatesuspenseintheaudience.Wheredoyouseeforeshadowinginthisstory?

ASoundofThunderbyRayBradbury 

Thesignonthewallseemedtoquaverunderafilmofslidingwarmwater.Eckelsfelthiseyelidsblinkoverhisstare,andthesignburnedinthismomentarydarkness:

TIMESAFARI,INC.

SAFARISTOANYYEARINTHEPAST.

YOUNAMETHEANIMAL.

WETAKEYOUTHERE.

YOUSHOOTIT.

WarmphlegmgatheredinEckels'

throat;

heswallowedandpusheditdown.Themusclesaroundhismouthformedasmileasheputhishandslowlyoutupontheair,andinthathandwavedacheckfortenthousanddollarstothemanbehindthedesk.

"

DoesthissafariguaranteeIcomebackalive?

Weguaranteenothing,"

saidtheofficial,"

exceptthedinosaurs."

Heturned."

ThisisMr.Travis,yourSafariGuideinthePast.He'

lltellyouwhatandwheretoshoot.Ifhesaysnoshooting,noshooting.Ifyoudisobeyinstructions,there'

sastiffpenaltyofanothertenthousanddollars,pluspossiblegovernmentaction,onyourreturn."

EckelsglancedacrossthevastofficeattheMachine,amassandtangleofhummingwiresandsteelboxes,anaurorathatflickerednoworange,nowsilver,nowblue.Herememberedthewordingintheadvertisementstotheletter.Outofcharsandashes,outofdustandcoals,likegoldensalamanders,theoldyears,thegreenyears,mightleap;

rosessweetentheair,whitehairturnblack,wrinklesvanish;

everythingflybacktoseed,fleedeath,rushdowntotheirbeginnings.

Unbelievable."

Eckelsbreathed,thelightoftheMachineonhisthinface."

ArealTimeMachine."

Heshookhishead."

Makesyouthink,Iftheelectionhadgonebadlyyesterday,Imightbeherenowrunningawayfromtheresults.ThankGodKeithwon.He'

llmakeafinePresidentoftheUnitedStates."

Yes,"

saidthemanbehindthedesk."

We'

relucky.IfDeutscherhadgottenin,we'

dhavetheworstkindofdictatorship.There'

sanantieverythingmanforyou,amilitarist,anti-Christ,anti-human,anti-intellectual.Peoplecalledusup,youknow,jokingbutnotjoking.SaidifDeutscherbecamePresidenttheywantedtogolivein1492.Ofcourseit'

snotourbusinesstoconductEscapes,buttoformSafaris.Anyway,Keith'

sPresidentnow.Allyougottoworryaboutis-"

Shootingmydinosaur,"

Eckelsfinisheditforhim.

ATyrannosaurusRex.TheTyrantLizard,themostincrediblemonsterinhistory.Signthisrelease.Anythinghappenstoyou,we'

renotresponsible.Thosedinosaursarehungry."

Eckelsflushedangrily."

Tryingtoscareme!

Frankly,yes.Wedon'

twantanyonegoingwho'

llpanicatthefirstshot.SixSafarileaderswerekilledlastyear,andadozenhunters.We'

reheretogiveyoutheseverestthrillarealhuntereveraskedfor.TravelingyoubacksixtymillionyearstobagthebiggestgameinallofTime.Yourpersonalcheck'

sstillthere.Tearitup."

Mr.Eckelslookedatthecheck.Hisfingerstwitched.

Goodluck,"

Mr.Travis,he'

sallyours."

Theymovedsilentlyacrosstheroom,takingtheirgunswiththem,towardtheMachine,towardthesilvermetalandtheroaringlight.

Firstadayandthenanightandthenadayandthenanight,thenitwasday-night-day-night.Aweek,amonth,ayear,adecade!

A.D.2055.A.D.2019.1999!

1957!

Gone!

TheMachineroared.

Theyputontheiroxygenhelmetsandtestedtheintercoms.

Eckelsswayedonthepaddedseat,hisfacepale,hisjawstiff.Hefeltthetremblinginhisarmsandhelookeddownandfoundhishandstightonthenewrifle.TherewerefourothermenintheMachine.Travis,theSafariLeader,hisassistant,Lesperance,andtwootherhunters,BillingsandKramer.Theysatlookingateachother,andtheyearsblazedaroundthem.

Canthesegunsgetadinosaurcold?

Eckelsfelthismouthsaying.

Ifyouhitthemright,"

saidTravisonthehelmetradio."

Somedinosaurshavetwobrains,oneinthehead,anotherfardownthespinalcolumn.Westayawayfromthose.That'

sstretchingluck.Putyourfirsttwoshotsintotheeyes,ifyoucan,blindthem,andgobackintothebrain."

TheMachinehowled.Timeflewpast.Sunsfledandtenmillionmoonsfledafterthem."

Think,"

saidEckels."

Everyhunterthateverlivedwouldenvyustoday."

TheMachineslowed;

itsscreamfelltoamurmur.TheMachinestopped.Thesunstoppedinthesky.

ThefogthathadenvelopedtheMachineblewawayandtheywereinanoldtime,averyoldtimeindeed,threehuntersandtwoSafariHeadswiththeirbluemetalgunsacrosstheirknees.

Christisn'

tbornyet,"

saidTravis,"

MoseshasnotgonetothemountainstotalkwithGod.ThePyramidsarestillintheearth,waitingtobecutoutandputup.Rememberthat.Alexander,Caesar,Napoleon,Hitler-noneofthemexists."

Themannodded.

That"

-Mr.Travispointed-"

isthejungleofsixtymilliontwothousandandfifty-fiveyearsbeforePresidentKeith."

Heindicatedametalpaththatstruckoffintogreenwilderness,overstreamingswamp,amonggiantfernsandpalms.

Andthat,"

hesaid,"

isthePath,laidbyTimeSafariCompanyforyouruse.Itfloatssixinchesabovetheearth.Doesn'

ttouchsomuchasonegrassblade,flower,ortree.It'

sananti-gravitymetal.Itspurposeistokeepyoufromtouchingthisworldofthepastinanyway.StayonthePath.Don'

tgooffit.Irepeat.Don'

tgooff.Foranyreason!

Ifyoufalloff,there'

sapenalty.Anddon'

tshootanyanimalwedon'

tokay."

Why?

askedEckels.

Theysatintheancientwilderness.Farbirds'

criesblewonawind,andthesmelloftarandanoldsaltsea,moistgrasses,andflowersthecolorofblood.

Wedon'

twanttochangetheFuture.Notknowingit,wemightkillanimportantanimal,asmallbird,aroach,aflowereven,thusdestroyinganimportantlinkinagrowingspecies."

Thatdoesn’tmakesense,"

saidEckels.

Allright,"

Traviscontinued,"

sayweaccidentallykillonemousehere.Thatmeansallthefuturefamiliesofthisoneparticularmousearedestroyed,right?

Right"

Andallthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthefamiliesofthatonemouse!

Withastampofyourfoot,youannihilatefirstone,thenadozen,thenathousand,amillion,abillionpossiblemice!

Sothey'

redead,"

Sowhat?

Travissnortedquietly."

Well,whataboutthefoxesthat'

llneedthosemicetosurvive?

Forwantoftenmice,afoxdies.Forwantoftenfoxesalionstarves.Forwantofalion,allmannerofinsects,vultures,infinitebillionsoflifeformsarethrownintochaosanddestruction.Eventuallyitallboilsdowntothis:

fifty-ninemillionyearslater,acaveman,oneofadozenontheentireworld,goeshuntingwildboarortigerforfood.Butyou,friend,havesteppedonallthetigersinthatregionbysteppingononesinglemouse.Sothecavemanstarves.Andthecaveman,pleasenote,isnotjustanyman,no!

Heisanentirefuturenation.Fromhimwouldhavesprungtensons.Fromthem,onehundredsons,andthusancivilization.Destroythisoneman,andyoudestroyarace,apeople,anentirehistoryoflife.ItiscomparabletoslayingsomeofAdam'

sgrandchildren.Withthedeathofthatonecaveman,abillionothersyetunbornarethrottledinthewomb.PerhapsRomeneverrises.PerhapsEuropeisforeveradarkforest,andonlyAsiawaxeshealthyandteeming.SteponamouseandyoucrushthePyramids.Steponamouseandyouleaveyourprint,likeaGrandCanyon,acrossEternity.QueenElizabethmightneverbeborn,WashingtonmightnotcrosstheDelaware,theremightneverbeaUnitedStatesatall.Sobecareful.StayonthePath.Neverstepoff!

Isee,"

ThenIcan’teventouchthegrass?

Correct.Crushingcertainplantscouldaddupinfinitely.Alittleerrorherewouldmultiplyinsixtymillionyears.Ofcoursemaybeourtheoryiswrong.MaybeTimecan'

tbechangedbyus.Ormaybeitcanbechangedonlyinlittlesubtleways.Adeadmouseheremakesaninsectimbalancethere,apopulationdisproportionlater,abadharvestfurtheron,adepression,massstarvation,andfinally,achangeinsocialtemperamentinfar-flungcountries.Somethingmuchmoresubtle,likethat.Whoknows?

Whoreallycansayheknows?

Wedon'

tknow.We'

reguessing.ButuntilwedoknowforcertainwhetherourmessingaroundinTimecanmakeabigroaroralittle