我至今怀念与同事大个子汤姆一起的时光，他身体强壮却从不盛气凌人，有时候冒出的奇特想法让人莫名其妙却又无法拒绝。然而，一次随意的决定使他遭受了生命危险……
Ofallthemalesinourcompany’sdormitory,IfeltthemostaffectionforTom.Hewasagenius,Ithought,buttheotherguystookhimforanut.Hecamefromfaraway,andatfirsthadastrongSpanishaccent.Now,afterayearwiththecompany,hespokeEnglishverywell.ButhisEnglishaccenthadanexaggeratedprecisionthattheotherguysdidn’tlike.Inthecrudeenvironmentofthedormitory,Tom’saccentseemedartificial.Buthewasabigman,agiant,andstrongasanox,andtheothersfearedhimandlefthimalone.
Iontheotherhandhadaweakconstitution.Icouldn’tdigestanyrealfoodandlivedonlittlemorethancoffee.Myarmsandlegswereasthinasstems.AndwhatworkdidIdothere,youmaywellask.Iwaschiefgarbagemanforthedormitory.
Ourcompanyhadabigprojecttobuildareinforcedconcretereservoiroutinasuburbsurroundedbyhills.Atnightaportionoftheprojectwasclosedtousbymeansofabigsquaregatemadeofbrass.OnecoldeveningIwasdepositingthegarbagefromsupperbehindourdormitorywhenIsawatorchandtheshapeofamanpassingthroughthegrassgate.Iwalkedover.
“Iknewitwasyou,”IsaidtoTom.
“It’sopen,”hesaid.“Shallwegoin?”
“Don’tyouknowweshouldn’t?”Isaid.“Youstillhaven’tadjustedtothecompany.”
“Adjust?”hesaid.“I’dratherquit.Come.Whatareyouafraidof?Don’tyouwanttoinvestigatethisportion?”HeknewIdid.AlreadyitseemedinevitablethatIwouldtowithhim.IonlyfearedthatthetorchwouldbenoticeableontheTVmonitorofthechiefwatchman.
“Turnoffthetorch,”Isaid,andwewalkedthroughthebrasssquaregate.TomandIpenetratedallthewaytothecrane,andnowatchmanhadyetpursuedus.Thisgiantcranewasusedformovingandplacingthereinforcedconcreteblocks.Inthedarkwerecognizeditbyitsshape—animmensepillarofzigzagrods.Atthetopofit,weknew,atthepeak,wouldbetheflag.Andfaroverourheads,upinthedarksky,wouldbethecrane’sgiantarm.Onthearmwasthebannerthatwesaweveryday,withthelettersABC,theinitiallettersofourcompany’sname.WehadABCwrittenonourshirts,too,andonthechairsandbedswithwhichourdormitorywasfurnished.
“Let’sgoup!”saidTom.Ilaughed—butTomehadspokeninearnest.Strongashewas,hereallyhadnoconceptofauthority.
“Tom,youareanut!”Isaid,wantingtoshowhimthatIwasreluctant.Butintheendheconvincedme,andwemountedtheladdertothelift.Thereweretwobuttons,aredoneandagreenone.Ipressedthelatter,justtoseeiftheliftmightbeoperational.Itwas.Ipressedtheredbuttonandstoppedit.Tomegotin.Ipressedthegreenoneagainandweroseandroseandfinallyreachedthetop.Wewereatthepeakofthepillar,justunderneaththeflag.Eveninthedarkwewerecloseenoughtoseeit.Beforeusthecrane’sgiantarmledoflikearoadintothenight.Itsrodsandallzigzag,mademefeelthatovertherewouldbe,Isaw,asquaregate,somegarbageandadormitory.Butno.Offtheendofthatzigzagroadreallywouldbenothingbutdarknight.Thegeometryofthecranescaredme.
“Let’swalkouttothebanner!”
Tothebanner?Oh,no.Thiswastoomuch.
“IwanttoseetheABC!”saidTome.“Comeon!”whywashisvoicesourgent?WhatdidthewantthatABCbannerfor?
“Tom,youaretoobold,”Isaid.“Youreallyhavenoconcept…..”Buthehadsetoff.Iwasveryscared,butsomehowrosetothechallengeandwentwithhim.Itbecameacontest:whowouldbethefirstonetotouchthelongbanner?IwashalfwayalongthearmwhenIheardthewaterofthereservoir,farunderneathus.ItwasthenthatIrememberedthatthechiefcraneoperator,beforestoppinghisworkfortheday,wouldalwaysswingthegiantarmsothatitprojectedoutoverthewater.NowIwasreallyscared.Iheldontoarod.IcouldfeelthecoffeeIhaddrunkcouldandundigestedinsideme.IdidnothaveTom’sox-likeconstitution.
“Tom!”Isaid.Ididnotpossesshiboldness,andnothisurgency.
“Youcan’tquitnow!”SaidTom.ButIcouldnotmove.Iwastrapped.
Tomhadreachedthebanner.Hewasadarkshape,looseningtheknotsthatheldthebannertotherods.
“IpossesstheABC!”hesaid,inthatpreciseEnglishofhis.Thedarkshapeonthearmputathumbuptoshowmethathehadgotwhathewanted.Heputhisotherhandonwhathethoughtwasarod,butitwasthewirethatwouldshockhim.
Theysaidlaterthatthenutsontheboxthatsurroundedthewirewerelooseandhadcomeunscrewed(螺丝钉旋松的).Theboxhadfallenaway,andthewirewasexposed.
Tomeneverpanicked.HelookedatmeasifIwerefaraway.Buthislegswouldnotholdhimup.Wrappedinthebanner,hefell,likeababybirdfromanest.ItwasIwhopanicked,whenIheardhimhitandvanishunderneaththewaterofthereservoir.Maybehisfallhadnotbeenfatal,butwouldmybelovedTomnowdrown?Itwaspossible.
Ibegantocalforhelp.
Wespentananxiousfortnightinthedormitory.Whiletheotherswouldtalkabouthisvitality(生命力),Istaredatjeansandsocksofthevanishingnut.ThedormwasadifferentplacewithouthispreciseEnglish.AnX-rayscanhadrevealedthathewouldneedanoperation.Andofcoursethebigoxhadtorecoverfromtheexposuretothecoldwater.TherewasamentioninthemediaofTom’sshockandfall,andtheTVguysweregoingtocomeandseewhatweweredoingatthereservoirproject,untiltheirinvestigationwascanceled.Buttheauthoritiesdidinvestigateourcompany.Theirinvestigationrevealedthatthesquaregatehadbeenleftopen,andtheboxsurroundingthewirehadcomeoff.
Thecompanyreinforcedthesquaregatewithmorebrass,andputanewboxbackontothearm,screwingitsnutstightly.Theytighteneduptheknotsofthenewbanner,andevenputanewbanneralldownthecrane’spillar,thislatteronehavingnotonlytheinitialsABCbutallthelettersofthenameofthesuburb.Andtheyputabiggerflagonthecrane.
Thecompanyenhancedtheauthorityofthechiefwatchman.Nowwehadtosigninwhenwerecamebacktothedormitory,andsignout.EvenwhenItookoutthegarbageintheevening,Ihadtosigninandout!Besides,theyfurnishtheirchiefgarbagemanwithatorchincaseIshouldseeanyshapesofpeople.
注释:
malemale
dormitory
affection
genius
guy
Spanish
accent
exaggerate
precisiondecide
crude
environment
artificial
giant
fearfear
constitution
digest
stem
garbage
project
reinforceforce
concrete
reservoir
suburb
surround
portion
means
brass
deposit
torch
adjust
investigate
inevitable
noticeable
crane
pursue
use
recognize
immense
pillar
zigzag
rod
peak
banner
initial
furnish
earnest
concept
authority
reluctant
convince
mount
latter
might
operationaloperate
underneath
geometrygeography
urgenturge
bold
somehow
challenge
contesttest
operatoroperate
possess
trap
loosenlose
knot
precise
wire
loose
exposeposition/thesis
panic
nest
fatal
beloved
fortnight
X-ray
scan
reveal
recover
exposureposition/thesis
media
cancel
screw
enhance
besides