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1、Unit 4 Extraterrestrials 1947年7月8日，美国新墨西哥州新罗斯 维尔的每日新闻报刊出一条耸人听闻的 消息：“空军在罗斯维尔发现坠落的飞碟。” 这条新闻马上被纽约时报等各大报刊转 载，无线电波载讯传遍世界。这条消息像一 枚重磅炸弹，在美国公众中引起轩然大波。 人们从四面八方奔向美国南部的新墨西哥州 。在距罗斯威尔20公里外的一片牧场上， 蜂拥而至的人流受到一排 排铁棚栏和一队 队荷枪实弹的士兵们的阻拦 与罗斯维尔 外星飞碟坠毁事件相应的。另外，八日在距 满布金属碎片的布莱索农场西边五公里的荒 地上，住在梭克罗(Socorro)的一位土木工 程师葛拉第(Grady L.
2、)发现一架金属碟形物 的残骸，直径约九米；碟形物裂开，有好几 个尸体分散在碟形物里面及外面地上。这些 尸体体型非常瘦小，身长仅100到130公分 ，体重只有18公斤，无毛发、大头、大眼、 小嘴巴，穿整件的紧身灰色制服。当日军队 马上进驻发现残骸的两地，封锁现场。 解剖外星人的影片1995年出现了一部画面模糊的黑白影片，是由一个华盛顿老 摄影师提供的，宣称是 1947年受命前往罗斯韦尔空军基地负 责 解剖录像的拍摄。这增加了1947年“罗斯韦尔飞碟坠毁 事件”的可信度。这部绝密影片由军队拍摄，展示了解剖一个 外星人身体的全过程，成为一些“不明飞行物迷”一直以来声 称美国政府拥有外星人身体的证据。
3、然而影片引起轰动之后 没有多久，就引来了很多质疑。直到2006年4月，“解剖外星人”影片的真相才水落石出：英 国著名电视特技师哈姆菲雷斯首次向媒体承认，“解剖外星人 ”影片正是他和另外几名同行炮制的，这部轰动一时的黑白纪 录片，并非是1947年在美国新墨西哥州罗斯威尔附近的沙漠 上拍摄的，而是1995年在北伦敦卡姆登地区的一座公寓中拍 摄。Steven SpielbergText A The Watery PlaceBe not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares
4、. 别慢待有求于你的陌生人，因为你也许无意中招待了天使 。艾萨克阿西莫夫（Isaac Asimov，1920-1992）美国著名科幻作家.他一生高产，著述颇丰，作品竟达 到500部之多，早已远远超过了“著作等身”的地步。 是20世纪最顶尖的科幻小说家之一。曾获代表科幻界 最高荣誉的雨果奖和星云终身成就大师奖。以他 的名字为号召的阿西莫夫科幻杂志，是美国当今 数一数二的科幻文学重镇。在1939年3月，阿西莫夫发表了自己的第一篇作品 逃离灶神星。同一年，阿西莫夫获得了哥伦比亚学 士学位，1941年他又获得文学硕士。二战中阿西莫夫 曾入伍服役，战后于1948年获得博士学位，并进入大 学教书。 阿西莫
5、夫一生写有大量的科幻作品，其中最 主要的有两大系列：“基地”系列和“机器人”系列。在 “机器人”系列中阿西莫夫利用自己提出的“机器人学 三定律”，为机器人建立了一套行为规范和道德准则， 从而演绎出一系列推理性和逻辑性极强的漂亮故事机器人学三大法则 一.机器人不得伤害人，也不得 见人受到伤害而袖手旁观 。二.机器人应服从人的一切命令 ，但不得违反第一定律。三.机器人应保护自身的安全 ，但不得违反第一、第二定律 。1 Were never going to have visitors from space. No extraterrestrials will ever land on Earth
6、- at least, any more.2 Im not just being a pessimist. As a matter of fact, extraterrestrials have landed. I know that. Spaceships are crisscrossing space among a million worlds, probably, but they will never come here. I know that, too. All on account of a ridiculous error.3 Ill explain. 4 It was ac
7、tually Bart Camerons error and youll have to understand about Bart Cameron. Hes the sheriff at Twin Gulch, Idaho, and Im his deputy. Bart Cameron is an impatient man and he gets most impatient when he has to work up his income tax. You see, besides being sheriff, he also owns and runs the general st
8、ore, hes got some shares in a sheep ranch, hes got a kind of pension for being a disabled veteran (bad knee) and a few other things like that. Naturally, it makes his tax figures complicated.5 It wouldnt be so bad if hed let a taxman work on the forms with him, but he insists on doing it himself and
9、 it makes him a bitter man. By April 14, he isnt approachable.6 So its too bad the flying saucer landed on April 14, 1956.7 I saw it land. My chair was backed up against the wall in the sheriffs office, and I was looking at the stars through the windows and wondering if I ought to knock off and hit
10、the sack or keep on listening to Cameron curse real steady as he went over his columns of figures for the hundred twenty-seventh time.8 It looked like a shooting star at first, but then the track of light broadened into two things that looked like rocket exhausts and the thing came down without a so
11、und.9 Two men got out.10 I couldnt say anything or do anything. I couldnt choke or point; I couldnt even bug my eyes. I just sat there.11 Cameron? He never looked up.12 There was a knock on the door. It opened and the two men from the flying saucer stepped in. I would have thought they were city fel
12、lows if I hadnt seen the flying saucer land. They wore gray suits, with white shirts and dark red-brown ties. They had on black shoes and black hats. They had dark complexions, black wavy hair and brown eyes. They had very serious looks on their faces and were about five foot ten apiece. They looked
13、 very much alike.13 God, I was scared.14 But Cameron just looked up when the door opened and frowned. He said, “What can I do for you, folks?” and he tapped his hand on the forms so it was obvious he hadnt much time. 15 One of the two stepped forward. He said, “We have had your people under observat
14、ion a long time.” He pronounced each word carefully and all by itself.16 Cameron said, “My people? All I gots a wife. Whats she been doing?”17 The fellow in the suit said, “We have chosen this locality for our first contact because it is isolated and peaceful. We know that you are the leader here.”1
15、8 “Im the sheriff, if thats what you mean, so spit it out. Whats your trouble?”19 “We have been careful to adopt your mode of dress and even to assume your appearance. We have also learned your language.”20 You could see the light break in on Cameron. He said, “You guys foreigners?” Cameron didnt go
16、 much for foreigners, never having met many outside the army, but generally he tried to be fair.21 The man from the saucer said, “Foreigners? Indeed we are. We come from the watery place your people call Venus.”22 Cameron never blinked an eye. He said, “All right. This is the U.S.A. We all got equal rights regardless of race, color, or nationality. Im at your service. What can I
