课文高英课文.docx
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课文高英课文.docx
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课文高英课文
FacetoFacewithHurricaneCamille
JohnKoshak,Jr.,knewthatHurricaneCamillewouldbebad.RadioandtelevisionwarningshadsoundedthroughoutthatSunday,lastAugust17,asCamillelashednorthwestwardacrosstheGulfofMexico.ItwascertaintopummelGulfport,Miss.,wheretheKosherslived.AlongthecoastsofLouisiana,MississippiandAlabama,nearly150,000peoplefledinlandtosaferground.But,likethousandsofothersinthecoastalcommunities,johnwasreluctanttoabandonhishomeunlessthefamily--hiswife,Janis,andtheirsevenchildren,abed3to11--wasclearlyendangered.
Tryingtoreasonoutthebestcourseofaction,hetalkedwithhisfatherandmother,whohadmovedintotheten-roomhousewiththeKoshaksamonthearlierfromCalifornia.HealsoconsultedCharlesHill,alongtimefriend,whohaddrivenfromLasVegasforavisit.
John,37--whosebusinesswasrightthereinhishome(hedesignedanddevelopededucationaltoysandsupplies,andallofMagnaProducts'correspondence,engineeringdrawingsandartworkwerethereonthefirstfloor)--wasfamiliarwiththepowerofahurricane.Fouryearsearlier,HurricaneBetsyhaddemolishedundefinedhisformerhomeafewmileswestofGulfport(Koshakhadmovedhisfamilytoamotelforthenight).Butthathousehadstoodonlyafewfeetabovesealevel."We'reelevated23feet,"hetoldhisfather,"andwe'reagood250yardsfromthesea.Theplacehasbeenheresince1915,andnohurricanehaseverbotheredit.We'IIprobablybeassafehereasanyplaceelse."
TheelderKoshak,agruff,warmheartedexpertmachinistof67,agreed."Wecanbattendownandrideitout,"hesaid."Ifweseesignsofdanger,wecangetoutbeforedark."
Themenmethodicallypreparedforthehurricane.Sincewatermainsmightbedamaged,theyfilledbathtubsandpails.Apowerfailurewaslikely,sotheycheckedoutbatteriesfortheportableradioandflashlights,andfuelforthelantern.John'sfathermovedasmallgeneratorintothedownstairshallway,wiredseverallightbulbstoitandpreparedaconnectiontotherefrigerator.
Rainfellsteadilythatafternoon;graycloudsscuddedinfromtheGulfontherisingwind.Thefamilyhadanearlysupper.Aneighbor,whosehusbandwasinVietnam,askedifsheandhertwochildrencouldsitoutthestormwiththeKoshaks.Anotherneighborcamebyonhiswayin-land—wouldtheKoshaksmindtakingcareofhisdog?
Itgrewdarkbeforeseveno'clock.Windandrainnowwhippedthehouse.Johnsenthisoldestsonanddaughterupstairstobringdownmattressesandpillowsfortheyoungerchildren.Hewantedtokeepthegrouptogetherononefloor."Stayawayfromthewindows,"hewarned,concernedaboutglassflyingfromstorm-shatteredpanes.Asthewindmountedtoaroar,thehousebeganleaking-therainseeminglydrivenrightthroughthewalls.Withmops,towels,potsandbucketstheKoshaksbeganastruggleagainsttherapidlyspreadingwater.At8:
30,powerfailed,andPopKoshakturnedonthegenerator.
Theroarofthehurricanenowwasoverwhelming.Thehouseshook,andtheceilinginthelivingroomwasfallingpiecebypiece.TheFrenchdoorsinanupstairsroomblewinwithanexplosivesound,andthegroupheardgun-likereportsasotherupstairswindowsdisintegrated.Waterroseabovetheirankles.
Thenthefrontdoorstartedtobreakawayfromitsframe.JohnandCharlieputtheirshouldersagainstit,butablastofwaterhitthehouse,flingingopenthedoorandshovingthemdownthehall.Thegeneratorwasdoused,andthelightswentout.CharlielickedhislipsandshoutedtoJohn."Ithinkwe'reinrealtrouble.Thatwatertastedsalty."Theseahadreachedthehouse,andthewaterwasrisingbytheminute!
"Everybodyoutthebackdoortothecars!
"Johnyelled."We'IIpassthechildrenalongbetweenus.Countthem!
Nine!
"
Thechildrenwentfromadulttoadultlikebucketsinafirebrigade.Butthecarswouldn'tstart;theelectricalsystemshadbeenkilledbywater.ThewindwastooStrongandthewatertoodeeptofleeonfoot."Backtothehouse!
"johnyelled."Countthechildren!
Countnine!
"
Astheyscrambledback,johnordered,"Every-bodyonthestairs!
"Frightened,breathlessandwet,thegroupsettledonthestairs,whichwereprotectedbytwointeriorwalls.Thechildrenputthecat,Spooky,andaboxwithherfourkittensonthelanding.Shepeerednervouslyatherlitter.Theneighbor'sdogcurledupandwenttosleep.
Thewindsoundedliketheroarofatrainpassingafewyardsaway.Thehouseshudderedandshiftedonitsfoundations.Waterincheditswayupthestepsasfirst-flooroutsidewallscollapsed.Noonespoke.Everyoneknewtherewasnoescape;theywouldliveordieinthehouse.
CharlieHillhadmoreorlesstakenresponsibilityfortheneighborandhertwochildren.Themotherwasonthevergeofpanic.Sheclutchedhisarmandkeptrepeating,"Ican'tswim,Ican'tswim."
"Youwon'thaveto,"hetoldher,withoutwardcalm."It'sboundtoendsoon."
GrandmotherKoshakreachedanarmaroundherhusband'sshoulderandputhermouthclosetohisear."Pop,"shesaid,"Iloveyou."Heturnedhisheadandanswered,"Iloveyou"--andhisvoicelackeditsusualgruffness.
Johnwatchedthewaterlapatthesteps,andfeltacrushingguilt.HehadunderestimatedtheferocityofCamille.Hehadassumedthatwhathadneverhappenedcouldnothappen.Heheldhisheadbetweenhishands,andsilentlyprayed:
"Getusthroughthismess,willYou?
"
Amomentlater,thehurricane,inonemightyswipe,liftedtheentireroofoffthehouseandskimmedit40feetthroughtheair.Thebottomstepsofthestaircasebrokeapart.Onewallbegancrumblingonthemaroonedgroup.
Dr.RobertH.Simpson,directoroftheNationalHurricaneCenterinMiami,Fla.,gradedHurricaneCamilleas"thegreatestrecordedstormevertohitapopulatedareaintheWesternHemisphere."initsconcentratedbreadthofsome70milesitshotoutwindsofnearly200m.p.h.andraisedtidesashighas30feet.AlongtheGulfCoastitdevastatedeverythinginitsswath:
19,467homesand709smallbusinessesweredemolishedorseverelydamaged.itseizeda600,000-gallonGulfportoiltankanddumpedit3.5milesaway.Ittorethreelargecargoshipsfromtheirmooringsandbeachedthem.Telephonepolesand20-inch-thickpinescrackedlikegunsasthewindssnappedthem.
TothewestofGulfport,thetownofPassChristianwasvirtuallywipedout.SeveralvacationersattheluxuriousRichelieuApartmentsthereheldahurricanepartytowatchthestormfromtheirspectacularvantagepoint.RichelieuApartmentsweresmashedapartasifbyagiganticfist,and26peopleperished.
SecondsaftertheroofblewofftheKoshakhouse,johnyelled,"Upthestairs--intoourbedroom!
Countthekids."Thechildrenhuddledintheslashingrainwithinthecircleofadults.GrandmotherKoshakimplored,"Children,let'ssing!
"Thechildrenweretoofrightenedtorespond.Shecarriedonaloneforafewbars;thenhervoicetrailedaway.
Debrisflewastheliving-roomfireplaceanditschimneycollapsed.Withtwowallsintheirbedroomsanctuarybeginningtodisintegrate,Johnordered,"Intothetelevisionroom!
"Thiswastheroomfarthestfromthedirectionofthestorm.
Foraninstant,Johnputhisarmaroundhiswife.Janisunderstood.Shiveringfromthewindandrainandfear,clutchingtwochildrentoher,shethought,DearLord,givemethestrengthtoendurewhatIhaveto.Shefeltangeragainstthehurricane.Wewon'tletitwin.
PopKoshakragedsilently,frustratedatnotbeingabletodoanythingtofightCamille.Withoutreason,hedraggedacedarchestandadoublemattressfromabed-roomintotheTVroom.Atthatmoment,thewindtoreoutonewallandextinguishedthelantern.Asecondwallmoved,wavered,CharlieHilltriedtosupportit,butittoppledonhim,injuringhisback.Thehouse,shudderingandrocking,hadmoved25feetfromitsfoundations.Theworldseemedtobebreakingapart.
"Let'sgetthatmattressup!
"Johnshoutedtohisfather."Makeitalean-toagainstthewind.Getthekidsunderit.Wecanpropitupwithourheadsandshoulders!
"
Thelargerchildrensprawledonthefloor,withthesmalleronesinalayerontopofthem,andtheadultsbentoverallnine.Thefloortilted.Theboxcontainingthelitterofkittensslidoffashelfandvanishedinthewind.Spookyflewoffthetopofaslidingbookcaseandalsodisappeared.Thedogcoweredwitheyesclosed.Athirdwallgaveway.Waterlappedacrosstheslantingfloor.Johngrabbedadoorwhichwasstillhingedtooneclosetwall."Ifthefloorgoes,"heyelledathisfather,"let'sgetthekidsonthis."
Inthatmoment,thewindslightlydiminished,andthewaterstoppedrising.Thenthewaterbeganreceding.ThemainthrustofCamillehadpassed.TheKoshaksandtheirfriendshadsurvived.
Withthedawn,Gulfportpeoplestartedcomingbacktotheirhomes.Theysawhumanbodies--morethan130men,womenandchildrendiedalongtheMississippicoast-andpartsofthebeachandhighwaywerestrewnwithdeaddogs,cats,cattle.Stripsofclothingfestoonedthestandingtrees,andblowndownpowerlinescoiledlikeblackspaghettiovertheroads.
Noneofthereturneesmovedquicklyorspokeloudly;theystoodshocked,tryingtoabsorbtheshatteringscenesbeforetheireyes."Whatdowedo?
"theyasked."Wheredowego?
"
Bythistime,organizationswithintheareaand,ineffect,theentirepopulationoftheUnitedStateshadcometotheaidofthedevastatedcoast.Beforedawn,theMississippiNationalGuardandcivil-defenseunitsweremovingintohandletraffic,guardproperty,setupcommunicationscenters,helpclearthedebri
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