在颶風即將來臨之前被派去撿椰子是一種怎樣的感覺？

This is how I learned about Calvin. I came out of my room this morning and found Mom and Dad standing in front of the TV. Standing meant they weren&apos；t watching for fun—something was happening. On the screen， Tony Verrazo pointed to an orange pinwheel1）. Calvin， he said， had turned west and was headed for land.

I didn&apos；t understand what was happening， but suddenly Mom and Dad were in a big hurry to do stuff.

"I&apos；m going to check on the generator2），" said Mom. "I&apos；m going to the grocery store，" Dad said. He turned to my brother， Mike. "You can start closing the shutters3） while I&apos；m gone." "You pick up coconuts， Jason，" Dad said， pointing at me.

"Coconuts？" I couldn&apos；t think of anything else to say， so he left.

I prepared my own cereal4） and went outside to look things over. We had a bunch of palm trees5） and plenty of coconuts， but we&apos；d never bothered with them before. Why pick them up now？

I found Mom and Mike in the utility room6）. "The barometer7） has gone down again，" Mom was saying. "That&apos；ll pull Calvin right in，" answered Mike.

"Have I ever been in a hurricane？" I asked before they could talk more Martian8）. "Yes，" Mom nodded. "Its name was Flora， but I bet you don&apos；t remember anything about it." "You were too little，" said Mike. "You had a babysitter while we got ready."

I wanted to ask about the coconuts， but Mom shook her head. "I&apos；m sorry， Jason， but I don&apos；t have time for more questions，" she said. "And you have a job to do."

I had been too little. No wonder I felt as if I&apos；d landed on Mars. I had no idea what was going on.

I kicked a few coconuts until my toes hurt and then opened the back gate and walked down to the beach. I wanted to be the first one to spot Calvin， but I wasn&apos；t really sure what to look for.

The beach was deserted except for two men in street clothes standing in the sand. One held a camera on his shoulder. The other， with his back to the ocean， was talking into a microphone. I&apos；d recognize Tony Verrazo anywhere. He was the same guy I&apos；d seen on TV this morning.

"Folks，" Tony Verrazo was saying， "we have a hurricane watch for Calvin， which means hurricane conditions are possible in the next thirty-six hours. Stay tuned9） for another update in thirty minutes."

"Hi， kid，" said Tony Verrazo， smiling. "What&apos； up？" "I&apos；m just hanging out，" I said. "You&apos；re not helping your folks？" "Oh， I am. I&apos；m taking a break from picking up coconuts，" I lied. I expected him to laugh； instead， he took a pen and small notebook out of his pocket. "Coconuts，" he said thoughtfully. "I forgot all about them."endprint

He started writing while walking away. Halfway up the beach， he turned around. "Hey， kid， you want to be on TV？ Stand over here and tell the camera who you are and what you&apos；re doing."

"Hi，" I said awkwardly， taking the microphone. "My name is Jason. I&apos；m picking up coconuts because Calvin is coming." "Thanks， kid，" Tony Verrazo said， taking back the microphone. "I have to get going. You better head home and finish your job！"

I think being mad gave me energy to pick up coconuts. Dad gave me this silly job， Mom didn&apos；t prepare breakfast， and Mike didn&apos；t come to help me. But mostly I was mad at Tony Verrazo for making me tell all of America what I was doing—or not doing. I was trapped10）.

After hours of working， I&apos；d filled every trash bag I could find. At last， Mike came to get me. "You better clean up while we still have running water，" he said.

I had been too busy to notice the blackening sky. The ocean， too， had gotten dark and angry. Large waves broke hard and fast on the beach， and globs11） of sea foam blew in my face. "Calvin？" I asked. "It&apos；s coming，" said Mike. When we got inside， history was repeating itself—Mom and Dad were standing in front of the TV， and Tony Verrazo was talking.

"Folks，" he was saying. "We&apos；re going to show you this footage12） again because if you haven&apos；t done so already， you need to go pick up coconuts."

"I saw this before，" Mike said， grabbing my arm and pulling me in front of the TV. "It&apos；s so cool. See， they take a coconut and put it inside a wind tunnel13）. At eighty miles an hour， the coconut busts through a board as if somebody shot it out of a cannon14）. You&apos；ve never seen anything like it."

I tried to understand. "Don&apos；t you get it？" asked Mike. "Hurricane-force winds15） can make flying coconuts really dangerous！"

Tony Verrazo&apos；s face came back on the screen. "Folks， we want to give credit to the person who gave us the idea for this story."

And suddenly there I was， holding the microphone and saying， "Hi， my name is Jason. I&apos；m picking up coconuts because Calvin is coming." "Great， Jason！" said Tony Verrazo after I faded out16）.

"Wow！" Mike grinned and nudged17） me with his elbow. I finally found my voice again. "All day， I thought I had to pick up coconuts just because I was little and had to stay out of everybody&apos；s way." "And yet you did it anyway？" asked Mom. "I picked up every single one，" I told her. "Tony Verrazo made me." "Tony Verrazo？ I can&apos；t wait to hear that story，" said Mom. "But first， let&apos；s go over the checklist."endprint

She nodded at the rest of us. "The generator is ready to run if the power goes out." "The windows are OK， and the shutters are locked tight，" said Mike. "We have plenty of food and drinking water，" Dad said. "There&apos；s gas in the car in case the water gets too high and we have to leave."

They turned to me. "There are no coconuts on the ground，" I said proudly. "Then we&apos；re agreed，" Dad said. "This family is ready！"

After hearing about Calvin all day， I was more than ready.

以下就是我如何了解卡爾文的。今天早上我從自己的房間出來，發(fā)現爸爸媽媽正站在電視機前。站著看電視意味著他們并不是為了消遣，而是有事情發(fā)生了。屏幕上，托尼·維拉佐指著一個橙色的玩具風車。他說卡爾文已經轉而向西并朝陸地進發(fā)了。

我不明白發(fā)生了什么，但爸爸媽媽趕緊忙活了起來。

“我去檢查發(fā)電機?！眿寢屨f?！拔胰ルs貨店?！卑职终f。他轉向我的哥哥邁克，“我離開以后，你就可以開始關百葉窗了?！薄澳闳煲?，賈森?！卑职种钢艺f。

“椰子？”我想不出來還能說點什么，于是他就走了。

我自己做好了麥片，然后就走到外面去查看情況。我們有一片椰子樹和好多椰子，但以前我們從未為它們操過心。為什么現在要把它們撿起來呢？

我發(fā)現媽媽和邁克在儲物間里。“氣壓又下降了?！眿寢屨f。“這很快就會把卡爾文給招來的?！边~克回答。

“我之前經歷過颶風嗎？”在他們可能會說更多的火星文之前我問道?！敖洑v過?！眿寢岦c點頭，“那次颶風名為弗洛拉，但我敢打賭你什么都不記得了?！薄澳隳菚r候太小了，”邁克說，“我們在做準備時你還被保姆照看著?！?/p>

我想問一下有關椰子的事，但媽媽搖了搖頭?！氨?，賈森，可我沒時間回答更多的問題了，”她說，“況且你還有活兒要干呢?！?/p>

當時我太小了。難怪我覺得自己現在就跟降落在了火星上似的，不知道發(fā)生了什么。

我踢開了幾個椰子，直到腳趾都踢疼了，然后我打開后門朝海灘走去。我想成為第一個發(fā)現卡爾文的人，可我真的不確定要找的是什么。

海灘上空無一人，除了沙灘上站著的兩個身著便服的男人。他們一個肩上扛著一臺攝像機，另一個背朝大海，正對著麥克風講話。在哪兒我都能認出托尼·維拉佐，他跟我今早在電視上看到的一模一樣。

“各位，”托尼·維拉佐在說，“我們啟動了對颶風卡爾文的監(jiān)測，這就意味著在未來36小時內颶風可能會出現。請繼續(xù)關注30分鐘后的最新報道?！?/p>

“嗨，孩子，”托尼·維拉佐微笑著跟我打招呼，“有什么事嗎？”“我就是在閑逛而已?！蔽一卮??！澳銢]有去給家里人幫忙嗎？”“噢，我在幫忙呢。我在撿椰子，現在要休息一下。”我撒了謊。我以為他會笑的；相反，他從口袋里拿出一支筆和一個小筆記本?！耙?，”他若有所思地說，“我完全把這一茬給忘了?！?/p>

他一邊走開一邊開始記錄。剛朝海灘走了一半，他又轉過身來?！昂伲⒆?，你想上電視嗎？站在這兒，對著攝像機說你是誰，你在干嗎?！?/p>

“嗨，”我接過麥克風局促不安地說，“我叫賈森，我在撿椰子，因為卡爾文就要來了?！薄爸x謝你，孩子?！蓖心帷ぞS拉佐邊說邊拿回了麥克風?！拔业米吡?。你最好回家去，把你的活兒給干完！”

我想憤怒給了我撿椰子的勁頭兒。爸爸給我派了這個愚蠢的活兒，媽媽連早餐都沒準備，邁克也不來幫我。可最主要的是托尼·維拉佐讓我告訴所有美國人我正在干嗎或者沒有在干嗎，對此我很氣憤。我上了他的當。

經過幾個小時的工作，我把所有能找到的垃圾袋都裝滿了。終于，邁克來找我了?！俺梦覀冞€有自來水，你最好去梳洗干凈?！彼f。

我剛剛一直都在忙，都沒注意到天在變黑。大海也已變得陰沉洶涌，巨浪猛烈而迅速地拍打著海灘，一滴滴海水泡沫吹打在我的臉上?！翱栁?？”我問?！八鸵獊砹??！边~克說。當我們走進屋子里時，歷史又在重演——爸爸媽媽站在電視機前，托尼·維拉佐正在講話。

“各位，”他說，“我們要再把這段視頻給您播放一遍，如果您還沒有去撿椰子的話，那么您需要去做這件事了?！?/p>

“我以前看過這個視頻，”邁克邊說邊抓住我的胳膊把我拉到電視機前，“太酷了。瞧，他們拿起一個椰子然后把它放進風洞里面，椰子能以80英里（編注：約129公里）的時速擊穿一塊木板，就好像有人把它從大炮里射出來一樣。你可從來都沒有見過這種事兒?！?/p>

我試著去理解。“你沒弄明白嗎？”邁克問，“強颶風會使飛舞的椰子變得非常危險！”

托尼·維拉佐的臉龐又一次出現在屏幕上。“各位，我們想要對給我們這則報道提供靈感的人給予表揚?！?/p>

突然間我出現在了屏幕上，手里握著一只麥克風說，“嗨，我叫賈森，我在撿椰子，因為卡爾文就要來了。”當我從畫面中消失后，托尼·維拉佐說：“好樣的，賈森！”

“哇！”邁克咧嘴笑著，并用胳膊肘輕輕推了我一下。我終于又能開口說話了。“這一整天，我都覺得就因為我年齡小并且一定不能妨礙大家，我才得去撿椰子的?！薄凹词谷绱四氵€是去做這件事了？”媽媽問。“我把掉在地上的每一個椰子都撿起來了?！蔽腋嬖V她?！巴心帷ぞS拉佐讓我這么做的?！薄巴心帷ぞS拉佐？我迫不及待地要聽聽這個故事了，”媽媽說，“不過首先，我們得過下檢查事項?！?/p>

她向我們其他人點頭示意?！叭绻ｋ姷脑挵l(fā)電機是可以運轉的?！薄按皯粢矝]問題了，百葉窗都鎖緊了?！边~克說?！拔覀円呀泜浜昧顺渥愕氖澄锖惋嬘盟?，”爸爸說，“萬一水漲得太高我們必須要離開，車里也有油。”

他們轉頭望向我。“地上沒有椰子了?！蔽因湴恋卣f?！澳窃蹅兙鸵恢抡J為，”爸爸說，“咱家準備好啦！”

聽了一整天的卡爾文后，我已經準備充分了。

1. pinwheel [?p?nwi?l] n. 玩具風車

2. generator [?d?en?re?t?（r）] n. 發(fā)電機

3. shutter [???t?（r）] n. [常作復數]百葉窗

4. cereal [?s??ri?l] n. （常加牛奶作早餐用的）谷類食物

5. palm tree： 棕櫚樹，在這里指coconut palm，即椰子樹（椰子是棕櫚科植物）。

6. utility room： （放置洗衣機、冰箱等生活用品的）雜物室，儲物間

7. barometer [b??r?m?t?（r）] n. 氣壓計

8. Martian [?mɑ??n] adj. 火星的；火星人的

9. stay tuned： 繼續(xù)收聽（或收看）

10. trap [tr?p] vt. 使陷入圈套；使中計；使上當

11. glob [ɡl?b] n. （柔軟物的）一小團，（液體的）一滴

12. footage [?f?t?d?] n. （影片的）一組連續(xù)鏡頭；（描述某一事件的）一段影片

13. wind tunnel： （試驗飛機等用的）風洞，風道

14. cannon [?k?n?n] n. 大炮

15. hurricane-force wind： 【氣】（風力為12～17級的）強颶風

16. fade out： （畫面）淡出，漸隱

17. nudge [n?d?] vt. 把……輕輕地推動；（用肘）輕推，輕觸endprint