Chapter 1

I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC, 1912

1912年，泰坦尼克号沉没，我幸免于难

CHAPTER 1 MONDAY, APRIL 15, 1912 2:00 A.M. ON THE DECK OF RMS TITANIC The Titanic was sinking. The gigantic ship had hit an iceberg. Land was far, far away. Ten-year-old George Calder stood on the deck. He shivered because the night was freezing cold. And because he was scared. More scared than he'd ever been before. More scared than when Papa swore he'd send George to the army school, far from everything and everyone.

第一章1912年4月15日星期一凌晨两点 泰坦尼克号的甲板上，泰坦尼克号正在下沉。 那艘巨轮撞上了冰山。 陆地在很远很远的地方。10岁的乔治·考尔德站在甲板上。 他打了个寒颤，因为夜里很冷。 因为他很害怕。 他从来没有这么害怕过。 比爸爸发誓要送乔治去军校，远离一切，远离所有人的时候更害怕。

More scared, even, than the time the black panther chased him through the woods back home in Millerstown, New York. The deck of the Titanic was packed with people. Some were running and shouting. "Help us!" "Take my baby!" "Jump!" Some just plain screamed. Children cried. A gunshot exploded across the deck. But George didn't move. Just hold on, he told himself, gripping the rail. Like maybe he could hold up the ship. He couldn't look down at that black water. He kept his eyes on the sky. He had never seen so many stars. Papa said that Mama watched over him from heaven. Could Mama see him now? The ship lurched. "We're going down!" a man shouted. George closed his eyes, praying this was all a dream. Even more terrible sounds filled the air. Glass shattering. Furniture crashing. More screams and cries. A bellowing sound, like a giant beast was

甚至比他在纽约米勒斯敦老家的树林里被黑豹追赶时还要害怕。 泰坦尼克号的甲板上挤满了人。 有些人又跑又喊。 “帮助我们!”“带走我的孩子!”“跳!”有些人只是单纯地尖叫。 孩子哭了。甲板上传来一声枪响。 但是乔治没有动。坚持住，他告诉自己，抓住栏杆。 也许他能把船撑起来。 他不敢低头看那黑乎乎的水。 他的眼睛一直盯着天空。 他从未见过这么多星星。 爸爸说妈妈在天堂看着他。 妈妈现在能看到他吗?船颠簸了一下。 “我们要下去了!”一个男人喊道。 乔治闭上眼睛，祈祷这一切都是一场梦。 空气中充满了更可怕的声音。 玻璃破碎。家具崩溃。 更多的尖叫声和哭声。一声怒吼，就像一头巨兽

dying a terrible death. George tried to hold the rail. But he lost his grip. He tumbled, smashing his head on the deck. And then George couldn't see anything. Even the stars above him seemed to go black.

死得很惨。乔治试图抓住栏杆。 但他失去了控制。他摔了一跤，头撞在甲板上。 然后乔治什么也看不见了。 就连他头顶上的星星似乎也变黑了。