我是一名退役的战士，有一次在银行里成功地制止了一次抢劫和劫持人质案。在那个生死时刻……
ThiswasacommonplaceformebuttodayIdiscernedtherewassomethingwrongwhenIturnedaround.Wrongmeansnotright.Thereweretwomeninthebanknow,abigguyjustinsidethedoorandasmalleronemorelikeaskeletoninthemiddleofthefloor.
Bigguywasleafingthroughtheleafletsonthecounter,buthiseyeswereonthedoorandtheeyesofthesmallguyneverstoppedmovingandwerescoutingthescopeandlayoutoftheroom,hisheadmovedlikethatofatennisfansittingatthenet.
Smallguywasmakingathingofdecidingwhichqueuetojoin,butitwasthewayhestoodthatheldmyattention.Hisleftarmwastightagainsthisbodyandhewaswearingalongcoat.Nothingwrongwiththat,itwaswinter.
Stillwrong.It’stransparenttomethathewascarryingaweapon.Oncloserobservation,bigguywaslikewisesortofleaningagainstthecounterandinaninstantIknewthathewasusinghisweighttojamhisgunbetweenhimandthecounter.Arobberywasabouttohappen.
IfIattackedthesmallguy,I’dbeeasilypickedoffbythebigguyasIstruggledtogetsmallguy’sgun.IfIwalkedcasuallyby,andseizedthebigguy,thesmallguywouldshootthecustomersaroundhimandtakesomenice-lookingteller(银行出纳)asahostage.
Thesituationwasurgent.Itwasbettertoleaveandcallforimmediateassistance.Assistance?Iwasn’tasoldieranymore.Ihadbeenretired.Bettertocallthepolice,asnormalpeopledo.Icouldbeanonymousthen.
AsIwalkedby,thesmallguystartedtomove.Heswungbackhiscoatandrevealedapistolandstartedtoyell,"Attention,everyb--!"Thesmallguywastoobusytofinishthesecondword.Intheinstantanideaflashedintomymind,"whythebigcoatforsuchasmallgun",thenthought"winter"again.
Fortunatelyforme,itwasnotIthatstoppedhimbutakeensecurityguardwho’dobviouslyseenthesamesignsIhad.Fortunateforme,butunfortunateforthesecurity-man.Hehadn’tnotedthatthebigguywasanaccomplice(同伙).Afteranintervalofafewseconds,hefiredapistolatthebackoftheguard’sheadashewalkedovertocheckonthedeadsmallguy.Hefellonthebodyofthesmallguy,bloodstreameddownfromhiswound.
Bigguystoodthere,momentarilyasifdecidingwhattodo.Hiseyeswerealittlewildbutnotscared.Ithoughtagainaboutrushingathim,butthedistancewastoogreat.Bettertowait.Allaroundme,peoplewerescreamingandmoaninginshockandsomepeoplewerealreadylyingontheground,anticipatingthebigguy’snextinstruction.Thescreamingdidnotbotherhim,whichwasbothgoodandbad.Itwasgoodbecausethecoolgunmanwasunlikelytoshootunnecessarilyandbadbecausehewouldshootwithoutpausingifthesituationrequiredit.
Itseemedtherewaschaosintheplace.Theonlyonesstandingsilentwerehimandme.Foramoment,oureyesmetandgazedateachother.Didheknowme?Howcouldhe?Thesoundoftheapproachingalarmsbrokeourgazeandthebigguycalmlyandloudlyinstructedeverybodytolieonthefloor.Ididashebade,buttakingasmanystepsforwardasIdaredbeforelyingdown.Iwasnomorethanfiveyardsfromhim.
Hegaveanimperativeorder,"IfeverybodydoeswhatIsay,noonewillgethurt.ThisisjustarobberygonewrongandIwanttouseyougoodpeopleashostagessothatIcangetaway!"Hedidn’thavetosayanymorethanthat.We’dallseeninperspectivewhathadhappenedandknewhecouldkillsomeofus.The"hostage"inhisshortspeechmadeitclearthathewassayinghewouldthreatentokillhostagesifhisdemandswerenotmet.
Thepolicearrivedandcontactwasmadestraightaway.Hesaidthathewouldkillahostageeverytenminutesuntilhewasgivenaclearpassagetotheprivateairwaysstrip,whereahelicopterwastotakehimtoCuba(古巴).Hewouldbringhostagesalongwithhimasinsuranceagainstanyunpredictable(不可预测的)trouble.
Asthefirstten-minutedeadlineapproached,thebigguyscannedthehostagesinfrontofhim.Hiseyestouchedmine,buthemovedon,lookingforsomething."You!Kid!"Everybodylookedbackandsawaboy,abouttenyearsold,coweringbehindhismother."Getoverhere!Getoverhere,NOOOW!"shoutedthebigguy,astheboycoweredfurther.
Icouldseehewouldactfortheultimateaim--tokillakidandtomakethemknowhewasserious.Icouldn’tletthetragedy(悲剧)happen.CouldIhideandwaitandletallthishappenandwalkaway?AllmytrainingsaidIcould."Badthingswillhappenaroundyou",saidtheController.
"Terriblethings.Butifitdoesn’thappentoyou,it’snotyourliabilitytostopthem."Ihadseenterriblethingsandwalkedaway.Butnottoday.
"Takeme",Isaid,standingupandmakinganothervitalstepforward."Leavethekidandtakeme".Everybodylookedatme,someofthemtakingmeforasuicidal(自杀的)personandthoughtitwasamovie.Thisisreallyhappening,theireyessaidtome,forGod’ssake,tositdownbeforehewouldkillyou.
Itwastoolate.“OK,comeherebythedoorandkneelinfrontofit”.Hesaidthisasifhewasasurgeoninvitingapatientintohissurgery."Wereyouinthearmy?"HeaskedcasuallyasIwalkedtowardshim."No",Ireplied.Thishadtobequick.IwouldhavenochancetoseizehimwhenIwaskneelingatthefrontdoor.
"You’resavingmefromthetrouble",Isaid,casuallysettinghismindateasesothatheneedn’tworryaboutmylast-minuteeffortsforfreedom.Ifhewerewary(警惕的)ofme,hewouldnottakehiseyesoffme.Intheinstantheturnedtowalkwithmetowardsthedoor,Ihadmyarmaroundhisneck.Itbrokelikeatoothpick(牙签)andhediedinstantly.
Hedidn’tevengetashotoff.Itwasdoneatonestrokewithoutnoiseandheslumpedintothefloor.Iturnedaroundtoseepeoplelookingatmehorrified.IknewthenthatIhadkilledhimtooeasily,tooquickly.
Oneofthetellerspickedupthephoneandspoketothepolice.Suddenlytheplacewasoverrun(占据)withuniforms.Eventually,wewereallshepherdedtowaitingpolicecarsandmoveddown-towntothestationhouse.
Iwasushered(引导)intoaninterviewroom.TheyshowedmetheclosecircuitTVcoverage(闭路电视录像)oftheincidentinthebankandImadeastatementcorroborating(证实)whathadhappened."Youarebeingchargedwithmurder,"saidthedetectivewhosenameIcouldnotremember,"butthisevidenceshouldshowthatitwasself-defense(自卫)".Well,anyway,Iwasfightingagainstalmostcertaindeath,andtheywerethesamething.Ididn’targue.
"Youservedinthemilitary?"Heasked.Hewaslookingatmecarefully.Igottheimpressionthattheboys(此处引申为警察)intheroomhadseenthetapeandwereguessinghowIcouldhaveoverpowered(制服)thebigguysocompletely."No",Ireplied,notknowingwhattosaynext.Iwasgoodatkilling.CouldIsaythat?
"Chickens,"Isaid.
"Whatdidyousay?"
"Chickens.I’vekilledlotsofchickensonmyfarm.Whenthey’redying.Yougettoknowwheretheirweakpointsare.AndI’vestronghands."Thesehandshaverippedopenribcagesandpulledoutbeatinghearts,Iwantedtosay.
Imadebail(保释金)of10000andmyhusbandcameandcollectedme."Nexttimeyougototown,I’mgoingwithyou",hesaid,"it’stoodangerousforyoutotravelalone."Yes,itisreallytoodangerous.
注释:
discern
leaflet
counter
skeleton
scout
scopetelescope
layout
transparent
likewise
sortofsort
jam
robberyrob
hostage
retiretire
anonymous
pistol
flash
keen
obviously
interval
momentarily
moan
anticipate
unlikelylike
chaos
alarm
instruct
bid
imperative
perspective
threaten
private
helicopter
insurance
deadlinedie
ultimate
tragedy
liabilityleague
vital
movie
sake
kneelknee/lap
surgeon
surgery
atease
strokestrike
slump
horrify
phone
shepherd
interview
circuitexit
incident
statement
detective
evidencevisit
argueargue
military
dying
ripripe