Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18 THE NEXT MORNING, SUNRISE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1900 GALVESTON, TEXAS Sometime after midnight, the pounding rain had slowed to a drizzle. The wind's shrieking roar had dropped to a moan, and finally a whisper. With shocking speed, the water had drained away.

第十八章第二天早晨，日出，1900年9月9日，星期天，德克萨斯州加尔维斯顿，午夜过后的某个时候，大雨减弱成了细雨。 风的尖叫变成了呻吟，最后变成了耳语。 水以惊人的速度流干了。

When the sun started to rise, Charlie and Gordon climbed down from the tree. They stood together in the mud. Charlie stared at the shattered land around them. He turned in every direction, staring at the mountains of rubble, the heaps of wood that covered the ground as far as he could see. Gordon gripped Charlie's hand. Neither of them spoke. Impossible, Charlie told himself. None of this was real. Not the wrecked houses lying like smashed eggs. Not the people, dazed, bloodied, weeping. No. This wasn't real. Charlie saw it. But he wouldn't believe it. Because what he was seeing was impossible. He and Gordon started to walk. Each time Charlie saw something new, that word screamed through his mind. The woman sobbing as she clawed through what was left of a house.

当太阳开始升起时，查理和戈登从树上爬了下来。 他们一起站在泥里。 查理盯着他们周围破碎的土地。 他向四面八方张望，望着成堆的碎石，望着一望无际的木头堆。 戈登紧紧抓住查理的手。 他们俩谁也不说话。不可能，查理告诉自己。 这一切都不是真的。而不是像碎鸡蛋一样躺着的被毁坏的房子。 不是那些茫然、流血、哭泣的人。 不。这不是真的。查理看到了。 但他不相信。 因为他看到的是不可能的。 他和戈登开始走路。 每次查理看到新的东西，这个词就会在他的脑海里尖叫。 这个女人一边在房子的废墟中摸索，一边啜泣着。

Impossible. The pile of stones where a church had once stood. Impossible. A mountain of wreckage in the distance, taller than any building, stretching for blocks and blocks to the gulf. Impossible. The hand poking out from under a pile of wood. Impossible. This was all a trick. An evil, terrible trick. A trick on his eyes. His ears. His heart. He thought only of his family. It was their faces he kept in his mind as he and Gordon tried to make their way back to Broadway. It took a very long time. But finally, there was Gordon's house—still standing, though sagging, with parts of the roof and walls missing. Mr. Potts was on the steps. He let out a sob of joy when he saw Gordon.

不可能的。一堆石头，原来是一座教堂。 不可能的。远处的残骸堆积如山，比任何建筑物都高，一直延伸到海湾。 不可能的。那只手从一堆木头下面伸出来。 不可能的。这都是骗局。 一个邪恶的、可怕的把戏。他的眼睛被骗了。 他的耳朵。他的心。他只想到他的家庭。 当他和戈登试图回到百老汇时，他们的脸一直在他的脑海里。 花了很长时间。但最后，戈登的房子还在，虽然有些下垂，屋顶和墙壁的一部分不见了。 波茨先生站在台阶上。 当他看到戈登时，他高兴地哭了起来。

"Son!" Gordon staggered forward, and his father grabbed him and lifted him off the ground. Mrs. Potts appeared and rushed to join them. But Charlie just stood there. Where were Mama and Papa and Lulu? Charlie dropped his eyes. His mind started to spin. And then… "Chowie!" Charlie looked up. Papa was running toward him. Mama was right behind him, carrying Lulu. Charlie fell to his knees. It seemed he'd been floating through the air, twisting and turning in those dark clouds. But now somehow he'd made it back onto the ground. Arms came around him. They were all safe. It was impossible. It was true.

“儿子!”戈登摇摇晃晃地向前走，他父亲一把抓住他，把他从地上抱起来。 波茨夫人出现了，冲到他们中间。 但查理只是站在那里。 妈妈、爸爸和露露在哪里？ 查理垂下眼睛。他的脑子开始转了。 然后……“Chowie!”查理抬起头来。 爸爸向他跑去。 妈妈就在他后面，抱着露露。 查理跪倒在地。 他好像一直在空中飘浮，在乌云中旋转。 但现在他不知怎么地又回到了地面上。 双臂抱住了他。他们都很安全。 这是不可能的。这是真的。