佚名/Anonymous
Except for the seals bobbing their black beads in and out of the green Pacifc waters, brothers Eric and Nick Larsen seemed to have the ocean to themselves.
Dressed in wet suits, gloves on their hands, they straddled their rocking surfboards under a brilliant blue sky. There was a southerly fow to the ocean this cool Monday morning, July 1，1991.Four-foot waves were sweeping into a narrow, deserted beach, one of the many coves on the coastline north of Californias Monterey Bay.
Sometime after 8 a. m.，50-year-old Nick pointed his board toward the shore about 150 yards away.“Im going to the truck to warm up.”he said.
“Ill stay a little longer.”Eric called after him.
Until ten weeks earlier, Eric had been a software engineer for a Silicon Valley company writing programs for a fiber-optic datanetwork for the proposed NASA space station. But he found the pace too slow and wanted to be outdoors.
So when the company began laying off employee, the 32-year-old told management hed take a leave of absence.
At six-foot-one and 175 pounds, Eric was always in shape. Now he brought himself to peak fitness, running, swimming, bicycling, surfng and canoeing.
Awaiting the break of a good wave, Eric gazed seaward. Then he noticed a swirling turbulence close by. Theres something really big down there, he thought.
In that instant, he felt a powerful clamp on his left leg. Gaping in horror, he saw two wide rows of white, triangular teeth, bared to the gums, biting through fesh. Thigh to shin, his leg was caught in the jaws of a great white shark at least 15 feet long.
Pry them loose！In lightning-fast refex, Eric shot his gloved left hand to the top of the monsters snout, his right to the bottom. He pushed mightily against the jaws, while the shark tugged.
At that moment, the jaws opened, and Eric jerked his leg free. He kicked away from the hulking attacker, arms still out stretched. Too late, he tried to pull them in.
Lunging, tail thrashing, the shark sank its teeth deep into Erics left arm from elbow to wrist and crunched down on the bone of the right forearm. His hands, untouched, groped inside the huge cavity of the mouth.
Eric was afraid, but not terrifed. His engineer‘s mind focused on the jaw. Pulling and tugging desperately, he felt his right arm move against the teeth. A fierce pull, and he tore it out. Attack！Hit him！Bunching his right fst, he smashed the shark’s gray-white belly in a hammer blow. The hide felt fat, muscular, but the pressure came offhis left arm and he yanked it clear.
He was under the shark, away from its jaws. Then his body was jerked violently. The shark had snagged the six-foot nylon leash attaching Eric‘s right ankle to the surfboard. I’m all chewed up, he thought wildly, and now this.
For several seconds, he was towed through the water feet first at dizzying speed. Then, abruptly, he was foundering. The leash was broken, the shark nowhere in sight.
He kicked to the surface and gulped air. His surfboard was floating only a few feet away, and he swung himself aboard, belly down.
Over the wave crests Eric caught a glimpse of the shoreline and paddled for it. Relax, he coached himself. Its not over yet. Conserve your energy.
He settled into a rhythmic pace, but each stroke of his arms left a scarlet trail. Anxiously, he scanned the ocean for a dorsal fn. The shark was out there somewhere. To fnd him, it had only to follow the blood.
Eric wanted to go faster, but dared not. The harder he paddled, the faster his heart pounded and the more his blood lost. Halfway to shore, he looked behind, and his eyes fxed on a wave rushing at him. Head up, hands guiding, he caught its crest and rode it to shore. At least he cant get me here.
A woozy feeling came over him as he sat there and inspected the raw pulp of tissue under the shreds of his wet suit. Down his left leg and along his arms were wounds that gaped to the bone. From the deep laceration above the knee, he judged that the shark had mangled the muscle. Blood spurted from a cut in the crook of his left arm. The shark had severed an artery. He had escaped its jaws, but now he couldbleed to death in minutes.
He clamped the gash firmly with his right hand, and thrust the arm above his head. Blood must have been spouting out of the arm since the attack. Already the loss was making him faint.
If he passed out with his hand no longer sealing the wound, life would bleed out of him. Erics mind raced, ls this the end?
He had been in tight spots many times. Always he had pulled through. The key was emotional control, never to be so frightened that he could not think and act. Life‘s too good.l’m too young to die on this death.
He had to get around the headland where he could been seen. Clambering to his feet, arm still clenched, he staggered up the beach.“Suck it up, Eric，”he told himself aloud.“Hike！”
Eric understood what was happening to his body. While in graduate school in Montana he had spent two years as a ski-patrol volunteer and had earned a certificate in advanced frst aid. The skill had served him through nearly a dozen rescues.
After 50 yards, he slumped on his backside. He needed to put his legs up, get more blood to his vital organs, but there was no time. He rested 30 seconds and stumbled on.
Twice more he dropped to the sand in a half-faint, He felt the blood pulsing under his hand, ready to spout.“Get tough！”he commanded, tightening his grip.
Ahead，300 feet away, was a cluster of four beach houses. He stumbled toward them. Then he could go no further he had to sit down. Blood pooled in the sand around him.“Help me！”he cried.
In a small cottage at the edge of the beach，16-year-old Ben Burdette heard someone yelling. Stepping outside, he saw a man lying on the sand.“Help！”came a shout.“Ive been attacked by a shark. Call 911.”
Ben saw the mans upraised arms were covered in blood. Turning on his heeds, he sprinted for the house.
Inside, Bens mother, Michele, heard her son at the phone.“on the beach, bitten by a shark, looks pretty bad……”
She ran to the beach. The fgure sprawled there was still crying out. She gasped at the gore of his legs and arms. Kneeling at his side, she saw his lips were gray.“Im loosing it，”he said.“You have to stop the bleeding. My left arm. Theres a pressure point underneath, up near the armpit. Hold on tight.”
Michele sank her fngers into the main brachial artery of the arm.
Seconds later, Ben was on the scene with towels. Following Eric‘s instruction, he used them to elevate the wounded man’s feet. Then he raced off to flag down the rescue units. Michele avoided looking at Erics wounds and kept asking him questions to keep him awake.
In ten minutes or so, they were joined by a registered nurse, who was also captain of the volunteer rescue squad in nearby Davenport, a rescue team from the California Department of Forestry and Nick Larsen. He had been leaning against the truck, just a few hundred yards away, suspecting nothing.
“Its good to have you here.”said Eric as Nick gripped his hand.
The rescuers, soon reinforced by an ambulance crew, labored over Eric for nearly an hour. They gave him pure oxygen and began running fuid into his veins. Cutting away his wet suit, they bandaged his wounds and pulled rubberized, inflatable trousers on his legs to force blood to his upper body.
Rescuers were astonished he was still lucid after such massive blood loss. The first reading of his systolic blood pressure was a perilously low 50.But by the time an evacuation helicopter got to thebeach for the six-minute flight to Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital, Erics blood pressure was close to normal.
It plummeted again with the removal of the pressure pants in the emergency room at Dominican, then began to rise after infusions of red blood and more fuids. Doctors judged that he had lost nearly half the blood in his body.
In the operating room, one surgeon worked on Erics leg, another on his arms. The quadriceps leg muscle was severed, a piece of an arm muscle bitten out altogether. Both arms were laid open to the bone. The bone itself was scratched by the sharks serrated teeth.“Its like the bone was sawed with a bread knife，”commented one doctor.
A week later, he was home with splint on his leg and casts on both arms. Three weeks after that he was limping along the beach and reliving his adventure.“I think the shark was tasting me, hoping I was a seal.”he said.“Maybe he didn‘t like the taste of the rubbery wet suit and that’s why he let me go.”
此刻，除了海豹的黑腦袋在綠色的太平洋上躍動，整個海域似乎就剩下埃瑞克·拉森和尼克·拉森兩兄弟了。
1991年7月1日，一個星期一的早晨，他們穿著潛水緊身衣，戴著手套，在湛藍的天空下踏著衝浪板衝浪。有一股來自南方的洋流來到此地，4英尺高的海浪衝擊著加利福尼亞蒙特雷海灣眾多海灣中一個狹窄、荒涼的小海灘。
早晨8點後，50歲的尼克將衝浪板指向150碼以外的海灘，說道：“我要到卡車裏暖和暖和。”
“我想再待一會兒。”埃瑞克在他的身後喊著。
10個星期以前，埃瑞克還在矽穀一家公司擔任軟件工程師，為美國國家航空航天局太空站的光纖數據網絡編寫程序。但他討厭那種慢條斯理的工作環境，所以決定出去走走。
於是，當公司準備裁員時，32歲的埃瑞克便向人事管理部門提出了休假請求。
埃瑞克身高6英尺1英寸，體重175磅，有著一副勻稱的身材。他經常做一些適當的健身活動，比如跑步、遊泳、騎車、衝浪、劃船，擁有非常健康的體魄。
埃瑞克凝視著前方，等待著下一撥大浪的到來。此時，他注意到附近有一個帶有旋渦的浪，他想，一定有什麽大東西在下麵。
就在這一刻，他感到有一股強大的力量拽住了他的左腿。他驚恐地看到，兩排露出牙床的三角形白色牙齒穿透了他從大腿到小腿的皮膚，刺進了肉裏。一條至少長達15英尺的大白鯊咬住了他！
埃瑞克的本能反應是把大白鯊的嘴撬開逃生。於是，他揮動著戴著手套的左手猛擊那隻惡魔的鼻子頂端，同時，右手伸向底部，去頂住鯊魚猛力推拽的下頜。
此時，大白鯊的下頜突然張開，於是埃瑞克迅速把自己的腿從它嘴裏抽出來。但是，他伸展的雙臂卻沒有及時收回，晚了一步。
大白鯊搖動著尾巴猛撲過來，牙齒深深地咬住了埃瑞克的左臂從手肘到手腕的那段部位，然後又啃著右前臂的骨骼，並發出嘎吱嘎吱的牙齒摩擦的聲音。不過，埃瑞克的手並沒有被咬到，此時，他的手正在大白鯊巨大的嘴裏摸索著。
埃瑞克雖然很害怕，但並未驚慌失措。作為一名工程師，冷靜的邏輯思維使他注意到大白鯊的下頜。於是，他拚命地掙脫，感覺自己的右臂已經掙脫了牙齒。他猛地一用力，把右臂從大白鯊的嘴裏拽了出來。他當時所有的念頭就是：反擊，打它。他掄起拳頭，用力擊打著大白鯊灰白色的下腹。大白鯊的皮摸著很平坦，肌肉發達。他感到左臂上的壓力消失了，於是又猛地一用力，將手拔了出來。
此時，埃瑞克處在大白鯊的下腹，脫離了大白鯊的血口，但他的身體突然被猛烈地拽了一下。原來大白鯊咬住了一條6英尺長的尼龍繩，而那條尼龍繩子正好是埃瑞克用來把腳踝固定在衝浪板上的。埃瑞克心想：“我就要被徹底吃掉了。”
大白鯊先以較快的速度沿著海平麵，在水中拖了埃瑞克幾秒鍾。隨後，在埃瑞克的掙紮中，尼龍繩突然斷了，而大白鯊也不見了蹤影。
埃瑞克奮力地遊上水麵，並大口地呼吸著空氣。他的衝浪板在幾英尺外的地方浮著，於是他爬了上去。
越過浪峰，埃瑞克看到了遠處的海岸線，他慢慢地向陸地劃去。他告誡自己危險並未結束，一定要節省體力。
他有節奏地用雙手劃著水，但每動一下，他的胳膊就會流出大量的鮮血，並在海中留下一道鮮紅的血跡，他仔細環顧著海中是否還有鯊魚的魚鰭。鯊魚可能會在其他地方，並會隨著他留下的血跡跟蹤過來。
埃瑞克想快速劃到陸地，但他不能這麽做。因為每一次劇烈運動都會使他的心跳加速，從而導致血液流失得更快。在劃向陸地的過程中，他發現有一股海浪向他湧來。於是，他抬起頭，雙手控製著方向，並劃到了浪峰上。接著，他順著海浪衝到了岸邊。他想：“此刻，它絕不會在這裏出現了。”
當埃瑞克坐在岸邊檢查破碎的潛水衣下麵受傷的肌肉組織時，他突然感到一陣眩暈。他發現，他的左腿下麵，還有雙臂，全都受傷了，並且傷口深可見骨。從膝蓋以上傷口的受傷程度來看，他判斷大白鯊已經撕裂了他的肌肉組織，而且還撕裂了左胳膊上的一根主動脈，血液從胳膊的彎曲處噴湧而出。雖然已經脫離鯊口，但現在他仍然可能會因為失血過多而喪生。
左臂的持續失血，已經使他的身體出現虛脫狀況。為了減緩血液流失的速度，他用右手夾緊傷口，將左臂抬到頭部以上。那血肯定是鯊魚襲擊時就開始流的。
如果不馬上控製住不斷從傷口裏流出的血液，他的生命將因失血過多而結束。難道就這麽離開這個世界嗎？埃瑞克絕望地想著。
他曆經多次冒險，但總能化險為夷。關鍵是控製情緒，絕不能因恐懼而停止思考和行動。生命是如此的美好，而自己又這麽年輕，絕不能就這樣死去。
他必須繞過陸岬，以使別人能看到他。於是，他壓著傷口，努力地爬起來，並艱難地在海岸上行走。“堅持下去，埃瑞克，”他大聲對自己說，“走！”
埃瑞克很清楚自己現在的身體狀態。因為在蒙大拿讀研究生的時候，他曾經做了兩年的滑水巡邏誌願者，還獲得了一級急救證書，並參與了十幾次救援行動。
走了50碼後，他突然栽倒在地。他需要豎起雙腿以保證身體的重要器官能夠獲得充足的血液，但是，時間所剩無幾。他休息了30秒後，又站了起來。
在半路上，他曾幾次栽倒在沙灘上。他感覺血液順著手臂不停地向下流，並隨時可能噴出。於是，他握緊傷口並命令自己：“堅強些！”
前麵300英尺的地方，有四間海濱別墅，他步履蹣跚地走了過去。這時他再也走不動了，便坐了下來。他哭喊著“救命”，血液已經浸染了他的周圍。
16歲的本·布爾德特，住在海邊的一所小屋。當他聽到有人在呼救時，急忙跑出去，發現一個男人倒在沙灘上，並呼喊著：“救命，我遭遇了鯊魚的襲擊，快撥911！”
本發現，這個人抬舉著已經被鮮血浸染的雙臂。於是，他迅速跑向屋裏。
“在沙灘上……被鯊魚襲擊……看起來很糟……”在屋裏，本的媽媽米歇爾聽到兒子打電話。
於是，她跑到沙灘上，發現一個男人伸開四肢躺在那兒，並不停地哭喊。米歇爾看到他受傷的腿和手臂時，很驚訝。她馬上跑過去跪在他的旁邊，發現他的嘴唇已經灰白，“請幫我用力壓住我的左腋窩下，我需要止血，請用力壓住！”那個男人請求道。
米歇爾用手指掐住了他左臂的主動脈。
隨後，本按照埃瑞克的指導，拿來毛巾，用它們墊起埃瑞克受傷的腿，然後跑去迎接救援人員的到來。米歇爾不敢看埃瑞克的傷口，但她不停地和他說話，問他問題，讓他保持清醒。
大約過了10分鍾，一名來自附近達文波特市的注冊護士趕來了，她同時是誌願救援隊隊長。隨後，一支來自加利福尼亞林業部的專業救援隊和尼克也趕到了現場。
埃瑞克對緊握著他手的尼克說：“能見到你真是太好了。”
救援隊開著救護車趕來救援，針對埃瑞克的傷勢展開了將近一個小時的現場搶救工作。他們給他輸氧輸液，剪掉他的潛水服，給他的傷口進行簡單包紮。同時，為他穿上特製的橡膠壓力褲，以便壓迫血液流向全身。
救援人員驚訝地發現，埃瑞克在如此大量失血的狀態下，仍然能保持清醒。第一次測量時，他的血壓已經低於50毫米汞柱，生命危在旦夕，但是6分鍾後，當急救飛機抵達現場並把他送到聖·克魯茲多明教會醫院時，埃瑞克的血壓又奇跡般地恢複到了正常水平。
在多明教會醫院的急診室中，醫生把埃瑞克身上的壓力褲脫下時，他的血壓又開始下降。於是醫生立刻為他輸血，血壓才恢複了上來。醫生判斷，埃瑞克的失血量幾乎達到了人體血液總量的一半。
在手術室，一名外科醫生負責埃瑞克的腿，另一名負責他的胳膊。他的腿部肌肉被嚴重撕裂，胳膊上的肌肉也被撕掉了一塊，雙臂上的傷口全都深可見骨，而他的骨頭上還留有鯊魚牙齒的咬痕。一名醫生說：“骨頭好像是麵包被刀切過一樣。”
一個星期後，埃瑞克回到家中養傷，腿和胳膊上固定著厚厚的夾板。三個星期後，埃瑞克可以下地走路了。他又回到了那片海灘，腦海裏不停地閃現著那次驚心動魄的搏鬥場麵。“那條鯊魚可能以為我是海豹，想把我吃掉，但它不喜歡我的橡膠遊泳衣的味道，所以就把我給放了。”埃瑞克對自己調侃道。
知識點
科幻小說的分類：科幻小說分為軟科幻和硬科幻小說。軟科幻小說是情節和題材集中於哲學、心理學、政治學或社會學等傾向的科幻小說。相對於“硬科幻”，作品中科學技術和物理定律的重要性被降低了，所以它所涉及的題材往往被歸類為軟科學或人文學科。硬科幻小說是以物理學、化學、生物學、天文學等自然科學為基礎的，主要描寫新技術、新發明給人類社會帶來的影響。
W詞匯筆記
straddle[str?dl]v.跨坐；叉開腿
例 He straddled before me, with a cigar in his hand.
他叉著腿站在我的麵前，手裏夾著一支雪茄。
jerk[d??：k]v.猛拉；（使……）猝然一動
例 He jerked a big fish out of water.
他猛地將一條大魚拉出水麵。
certificate[s?tifkeit]n.證書；文憑，結業證書
例 She was granted an examination certificate.
她被授予考試合格證書。
lucid[lu：sid]adj.易懂的；清楚的；透明的；頭腦清晰的
例 The teacher asked me to give a lucid explanation of my being late for class.
老師要求我對上課遲到給出清晰的解釋。
S小試身手
埃瑞克凝視著前方，等待著下一撥大浪的到來。
譯________________________________________
越過浪峰，埃瑞克看到了遠處的海岸線，他慢慢地向陸地劃去。
譯________________________________________
三個星期後，艾瑞克可以下地走路了，他又回到了那片海灘，腦海裏不停地閃現著那次驚心動魄的搏鬥場麵。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
So when the company began laying off employee, the 32-year-old told management hed take a leave of absence.
take a leave of absence：休假
造________________________________________
In a small cottage at the edge of the beach，16-year-old Ben Burdette heard someone yelling.
at the edge of：在……的邊緣
造________________________________________