高级英语Lesson1-课文原文

Face to Face with Hurricane Camille

Joseph P. Blank

1

John

Koshak,

Jr.,

knew

that

Hurricane

Camille

would

be

bad.

Radio

and

television warnings had sounded throughout that Sunday, last August 17, as Camille

lashed northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico. It was certain to pummel Gulfport,

Miss.,

where

the

Koshers

lived.

Along

the

coasts

of

Louisiana,

Mississippi

and

Alabama, nearly 150,000 people fled inland to

safer 8round. But,

like thousands of

others in the coastal communities, john was reluctant to abandon his home unless the

family

--

his

wife,

Janis,

and

their

seven

children,

abed

3

to

11

--

was

clearly

endangered.

2

Trying

to

reason

out

the

best

course

of

action,

he

talked

with

his

father

and

mother, who had moved into the ten-room house with

the Koshaks a month

earlier

from California. He also consulted Charles Hill, a long time friend, who had driven

from Las Vegas for a visit.

3

John,

37

--

whose

business

was

right

there

in

his

home

(

he

designed

and

developed educational toys and supplies, and all of Magna Products' correspondence,

engineering drawings and art work were there on the first floor) -- was familiar with

the

power

of

a

hurricane.

Four

years

earlier,

Hurricane

Betsy

had

demolished

undefined

his

former

home

a

few

miles

west

of

Gulfport

(Koshak

had

moved

his

family to a motel for the night). But that house had stood only a few feet above sea

level.

the sea. The place has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever bothered it.

We' II probably be as safe here as anyplace else.

4 The elder Koshak, a gruff, warmhearted expert machinist of 67, agreed.

can batten down and ride it out,

before dark.

5 The men methodically prepared for the hurricane. Since water mains might be

damaged, they filled bathtubs and pails. A power failure was likely, so they checked

out

batteries

for

the

portable

radio

and

flashlights,

and

fuel

for

the

lantern.

John's

father moved a small generator into the downstairs hallway, wired several light bulbs

to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator.

6 Rain fell steadily that afternoon; gray clouds scudded in from the Gulf on the

rising

wind.

The

family

had

an

early

supper.

A

neighbor,

whose

husband

was

in

Vietnam, asked if she and her two children could sit out the storm with the Koshaks.

Another neighbor came by on his way in- land

—

would the Koshaks mind taking care

of his dog?

7

It

grew

dark

before

seven

o'

clock.

Wind

and

rain

now

whipped

the

house.

John sent his oldest son and daughter upstairs to bring down mattresses and pillows

for the

younger children. He wanted to keep the group together on one floor.

away

from

the

windows,

he

warned,

concerned

about

glass

flying

from

storm-shattered panes. As the wind mounted to a roar, the house began leaking- the

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rain seemingly driven right through the walls.

With mops, towels, pots and buckets

the

Koshaks

began

a

struggle

against

the

rapidly

spreading

water.

At

8:30,

power

failed, and Pop Koshak turned on the generator.

8 The roar of the hurricane now was overwhelming. The house shook, and the

ceiling in the living room was falling piece by piece. The French doors in an upstairs

room blew in with an explosive sound, and the group heard gun- like reports as other

upstairs windows disintegrated. Water rose above their ankles.

9 Then the front door started to break away from its frame. John and Charlie put

their shoulders against it, but a blast of water hit the house, flinging open the door and

shoving

them

down

the

hall.

The

generator

was

doused,

and

the

lights

went

out.

Charlie licked his lips and shouted to John.

tasted salty.

10

out

the

back

door

to

the

oars!

John

yelled.

II

pass

the

children along between us. Count them! Nine!

11 The children went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade. But the

cars wouldn't start; the electrical systems had been killed by water. The wind was too

Strong

and

the

water

too

deep

to

flee

on

foot.

to

the

house!

john

yelled.

12 As they scrambled back, john ordered,

breathless

and

wet,

the

group

settled

on

the

stairs,

which

were

protected

by

two

interior walls. The children put the oat, Spooky, and a box with her four kittens on the

landing. She peered nervously at her litter. The neighbor's dog curled up and went to

sleep.

13

The

wind

sounded

like

the

roar

of

a

train

passing

a

few

yards

away.

The

house shuddered and shifted on its foundations. Water inched its way up the steps as

first-

floor

outside

walls

collapsed.

No

one

spoke.

Everyone

knew

there

was

no

escape; they would live or die in the house.

14 Charlie Hill had more or less taken responsibility for the neighbor and her two

children.

The

mother

was

on

the

verge

of

panic.

She

clutched

his

arm

and

kept

repeating,

15

16 Grandmother Koshak reached an arm around her husband's shoulder and put

her

mouth

close

to

his

ear.

she

said,

love

you.

He

turned

his

head

and

answered,

17

John

watched

the

water

lap

at

the

steps,

and

felt

a

crushing

guilt.

He

had

underestimated

the

ferocity

of

Camille.

He

had

assumed

that

what

had

never

happened could not happen. He held his head between his hands, and silently prayed:

18 A moment later, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off

the house and skimmed it 40 feet through the air. The bottom steps of the staircase

broke apart. One wall began crumbling on the marooned group.

19 Dr. Robert H. Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami,

Fla., graded Hurricane Camille as

area in the Western Hemisphere.

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