The Great Wave of 2040
2040的巨浪
Calvin, a student at Success College, wrote a story set in 2040.
成功学院的一名学生凯文写了一篇以2040年为背景的故事。
I have always been frightened of water.
我一直就害怕水。
Last week in Geography, we learnt that if all the ice in Antarctica melted, a great wave, thirty metres high, would hit our city.
上周的地理课上，我们了解到，如果南极洲的冰川融化，将会有30米高的巨浪袭击我们的城市。
I started to worry. What would happen then?
我开始担忧了。那时会发生什么事情呢？
People would run to high ground... Perhaps my family and I would be lucky because we live in a high flat.
人们会向高地跑……也许我和家人会幸运一些，因为我们住在高层公寓里。
Last night, I had a dream about the Great Wave...
昨晚，我做了个关于巨浪的梦……
In my dream, water was pouring everywhere. It was pouring into Luck Valley.
梦里，到处都是发洪水。水也冲进了幸运谷。
I could see it from my window as it crossed the railway and covered the sports field at the nearby university.
我可以透过窗户看到水漫过了铁路和附近大学的操场。
At the end of the valley, the water went up the hills, and some of it even went into the tunnel.
在谷底的四周，水没过丘陵，有些甚至流进了隧道。
But I couldn't just stand here! I must do something! Yes, at course! I used my mobile phone to e-mail my dad at work.
但我不能只站在那里！我必须得做点什么！是的，当然得做！我用手机给在工作的爸爸发了一封电子邮件。
He worked at an import-export business.
他在一家进出口贸易公司上班。
I wrote, 'Dad, there's a flood, what can we do?'
我写到，“爸爸，发洪水了，我们该怎么办？”
I got an e-mail back from Dad. It said, I'm very busy now. I have just exported a lot of fish to the USA and made a big profit...'
我收到了爸爸的电子邮件回信。上面写着，我现在非常忙。我刚刚出口了一批鱼到美国，利润很大……”
I tried our school website. 'What are you doing about the flood?' I asked.
我试了试学校的网站。“发生洪水时，你正在做什么？”我问。
The reply came. 'Our school has more students than ever. Last year, ...' I stopped reading. I shouted, 'The WATER! Look at the WATER!'
回复说，“我们学校的学生比往年多。去年……”我停下不读了。我大喊道：“水！看水！”
But nobody looked. Everywhere, people just sat at their computers.
但是没有一个人看。无论是哪里，人人都只是坐在电脑前。
They sat at their computers in offices, in shops and in homes.
办公室里、商店里、家里，人们都是坐在电脑前。
They did not want to leave them.
他们不想离开电脑。
Computers were more important than the flood.
电脑比洪水更重要。
Very soon, the water came into people's rooms.
很快，水冲进了人们的家里。
It poured onto their desks. All the hi-tech machines got wet.
冲到了他们的桌子上。所有的高科技产品都湿了。
Finally, it covered the computers.
最后，水淹没了电脑。
Only then did people notice the flood. But it was too late.
只有那时，人们才注意到了洪水。但是太迟了。
Even with all the computers in our city, the flood couldn't be stopped.
即使是用上城里的全部电脑，洪水还是没有被制止。
And then I opened my eyes. There was no water.
那时，我醒了。没有水。
The year was not 2040, It was 2011.
时间也不是2040年，而是2011年。
I remembered that our city was protected by some sea walls 50 metres high and felt safe.
我想起我们的城市周围有一些50米高的海墙保护着，感觉很安全。
But would a flood really happen like this one day?
但是将来洪水会不会真的发生呢？
And would we be so busy with our computers that we would do nothing to save ourselves?
我们真的只忙于电脑，不采取什么措施来保护自己吗？
