The Titanic
On April 14, 1912, the Titanic was the fourth day of its Maiden1 voyage2. The sea was glassy3 calm and the air was biting4 cold as the great British steamship plowed 5 through the North Atlantic6 on its journey from Southampton7 , England, to New York.
So far8 the trip seemed smooth and uneventful 9 . Yet a spirit of excitement hovered10 around the ship. This was a special voyage, a triumph of man’s ingenuity11 over the forces of nature.
Never before in the history of seafaring12 had so large and splendid a vessel13 been launched. Newspapers called the titanic “The Wonder Ship” and “The Floating Palace.” The Titanic measured14 882 feet from bow15 to stern16 �nearly as long as three football fields. From its keel17 to the top of its four enormous funnels18, it was as tall as an eleven-story building. And for its first-class passengers, it was equipped with every possible luxury, including an elegant19 first-class dining saloon20 , a Turkish bath21, a swimming pool and a gymnasium22.
The Titanis’s second-class quarters23 were not as luxury as those for first-class passengers, but they still permitted travelers to sail in comfort24 . Even the third-class accommodations25 , far below decks near the bottom of the ship. were spacious26 compared to those on other British vessels. Each cabin27 had four beds and a washbasin.
The White Star Line28 which owned and operated the Titanic, was especially proud of the ship’s safety featured. A double bottom provided extra protection if the hull29 were damaged. The lowest part of the Titanic was divided into sixteen compartments30 . In an emergency, they could be closed off with the flick31 of a switch. Furthermore, the Titanic exceeded32 the British Trade Commission’s lifeboat requirements, providing enough space for 1,200 people. Although the Titanic actually carried some 2,200 passengers and crew33 members, no one worried. Most people believed the Titanic was unsinkable34
Even the Titanic’s captain, Edward J. Smith, may have thought he commanded an unsinkable ship. He did not seem especially concerned when, at 11:20 A.M., the Titanic’s radio operators picked up35 a message from a German ship warning of drifting36 icebergs37. As the day passed, Smith received several more38 radio messages about ice along his route. Yet the Titanic rushed forward at full speed39. At that time, it was common practice40 for ships to travel at full speed through areas where ice had been spotted, trusting the ability of the ship’s lookouts41 to spot icebergs in time42 to avoid a collision43.
Every year, about a thousand icebergs drift through the shipping lanes44 off Newfoundland’s45 Grand Banks. They are vast islands of ice, some towering46 two hundred feet into the air. Icebergs are especially dangerous for ships because most of their bulk47 lies hidden48 beneath the ocean’s surface. They are very solid, immovable, and indestructible.
Late in the evening, Radio operator Jack Phillips was busy with passenger messages49 . At about 11:00 P.M., the British ship Californian, about ten miles away, sent another warning about icebergs. “Shut up50, shut up. I’m busy.” The overworked Phillips tapped51 back impatiently in Morse code. The ice message went52 undelivered53 to the ship’s bridge54.
In the crow’s nest,55 watchman Frederick Fleet scanned56 the horizon. The night was clear and bright with stars, but unfortunately. Fleet did not have a pair of binoculars57.
Suddenly, at 11:40 P.M., Fleet sighted a black mass looming58 in the Titanic’s path. He seized the telephone that connected the crow’s nest with the bridge and shouted to First Officer William Murdoch, “Iceberg right ahead!”
Instantly59 Murdoch went into action60 . He pulled the switch to close the watertight61 compartments below decks and ordered the ship to put its engines in reverse62.
As soon as Murdoch reported what had happened, Captain Smith went below to survey the damage. He was accompanied by Thomas Andrews, who had helped design the Titanic for the shipbuilding firm63 Harland and Wolff.
Harland and Worlff had built the Titanic to stay afloat64 if any two of its watertight compartments should be flooded65. It could survive even if the first four were damaged. Now, to their horror66, smith and Andrews saw that the ship’s design had not gone67 far enough. The iceberg had caused a two-hundred-foot rupture68 along the great ship’s right-hand side, and the sea invaded six of the watertight compartments.
Within twenty minutes of the collision, Andrews and Smith knew the worst. They faced an unbelievable disaster. They biggest ship in the world, the unsinkable Titanic, was doomed69. It seemed impossible. But it was true, The Titanic was going to sink.
Meanwhile, Captain Smith gathered the ship’s officers. They listened in disbelief as he explained that the Titanic was going down. At best70 , she would stay afloat for another two hours. In filling the lifeboats, the captain commanded the officers to follow the time-honored71 custom of the sea-women and children first.
In the radio room, the captain informed Jack Phillips that the Titanic was in terrible trouble. He must try to contact any ship within range72 and signal for aid.
Up on deck, the crew began loading73 women and children into the lifeboats. Many passengers were far from the lifeboats. They were the poor ones. Their rooms were down below. They knew there was trouble too. But they did not know where to go.
Many people did not want to enter the lifeboats, finding it hard to understand that the Titanic was in real trouble. Some passengers saw lights ahead, and assured74 each other that help was near. Many experts believe that the lights came from the Californian, which may have been only ten miles from the Titanic. But by the time Phillips began calling for help, the Californian’s radio had shut down75 for the night. The Titanic tried to signal the Californian. It set off rockets that looked like fireworks76. Sailors on the Californian saw the rockets. But they did not understand that Titanic was in trouble . And so they did not come. The closest vessel to respond was the Carpathia, fifty-eight miles away. Immediately, the Carpathia’s captain changed his course and steamed77 toward the Titanic at top speed.
Many people did not attempt to save themselves, but faced death with courage and dignity. When Ida Straus, wife of millionaire78 Isidor Straus, was offered the chance to enter a boat, she refused to leave her husband. “We have been living together for many years,” she told him. “Where you go , I go .’ Isidor, too, refused to get into a boat, though crewmen argued79 that he was elderly and no one would refuse80 him a place. The Strauses settled81 side by side on deck chairs, quietly awaiting the end together.
The longer the Titanic stayed afloat, the more lives might be spared82. Engine-room workers fought to keep the pumps running at full speed. Knee deep in icy water, engineers labored over the generators to keep the ship’s lights burning. In the radio room, Jack Phillips worked on , even after the captain gave him permission to abandon83 his post.
As the deck tilted84 more and more steeply, the ship’s band85 leader gathered his eight musicians. While the lifeboats disappeared one by one, the band played a series of cheerful tunes. The music floated across the water, a last message of hope.
At 2:05 A.M. , Captain Smith released86 the crew, saying they had done their full duty and could do no more. “It’s every man for himself now, ” he told hem. Smith made no effort to save himself. He waited on the bridge to go down with his ship.
The last lifeboat was put into the water, leaving more than 1,500 people on the doomed ship. Most of them were men, but more than 150 women and children had not found places in the boats.
The and was very near when the band began its final tune. It was a hymn called “ Autumn, ” a haunting87 farewell to the world of the living.
At 2:18 A.M., the Titanic’s bow plunged88 under the water. A horrible roar89 could be heard as all movable objects inside the ship-from tables, chairs, beds, luggage, and countless pieces of silver and china90, to five big pianos�crashed toward the sinking bow. The ship’s lights blinked91 once, and went out92 forever. As the people in lifeboats watched in horror, the Titanic broke in two between its third and fourth funnels. The front half of the ship disappeared into the water.
It was 2:20 A.M., less than three hours after Frederick Fleet sighted the deadly iceberg.
At about 4:00 A.M., the Carpathia reached the site93 of the tragedy and took the survivors aboard. Some of the people in the lifeboats had died of cold.
The world was shocked at news of the Titanic disaster. In all94, more than fifteen hundred people had gone down with the ship. Only 705 were rescued.
The tragedy seemed so preventable. If only the captain had heeded96 the iceberg warnings! If only the watchman had had binoculars! If only the Californian had answered the signals!
As a result of the disaster, new regulations97 were passed to make passenger liners98 safer. All ships were requited to have enough lifeboats to hold everyone on board. Ships carrying more than fifty people were required to have lifeboat drills99 and a twenty-four-hour radio watch. Never again would an ice message be allowed to go undelivered to a ship’s bridge. And, in 1913, the International Ice Patrol100 was formed to warn ships of icebergs in the North Atlantic sea lanes.
Over101 the decades, the story of the Titanic became a legend capturing102 the imagination of the Western world. Many books and two major movies explored the story in detail.
The Titanic lives on as a symbol of human pride and human failure, heroism and tragedy. Looking back at the tragedy many years later, it seems that the disaster woke the world with a start103. The Titanic was a terrible loss104. But the would learned from it. We might say the world of today awoke105 April 15,1912.
注释：
1. Maiden a. 首次的，初次的
2. voyage n. 航行，航海
3. glassy a. 像玻璃的，光滑的
4. biting a. 刺痛的
5. plow=plough vi 奋力前进
6. North Atlantic 北大西洋
7. southampton 南安普敦（英国英格兰南部城市）
8. So far 迄今为止
9. uneventful a. 无重大事件的，常规的
10. hover vi 盘旋，悬停
11. ingenuity n. 善于创造发明，心灵手巧
12. seafaring a. 航海的
13. vessel n. 船，本句为倒装句，助动词Had 提到主语前，因为句首有never
14. measure vi 有……长（或宽、高等）
15. bow n. 船首
16. stern n. 船尾
17. keel n. （船的）龙骨
18. funnel n. （轮船、机车等的）烟囱
19. elegant a. 讲究的
20. saloon n. （作特殊用途的）厅、室
21. Turkish bath 土耳其浴，蒸气浴
22. gymnasium n. 健身房
23. quarters n. [用复数]（舰船上的）住舱区，本句中those 代替 quarters 以避免
重复。
24. comfort n. 舒适 in comfort 舒服地
25. accommodations n. [用复数] 住处
26. spacious a. 宽敞的
27. cabin n. （船员住的）房舱
28. line n. 航运公司
29. hull n. 船体
30. compartmert n （船的）密封隔水舱.
31. flick n. 轻弹（声） a flick of a switch 开关的啪嗒的一响
32. exceed vt 超过
33. crew n. 全体船员
34. unsinkable a. 不会不沉的。
35. pick up 收到，听到
36. drifting a. 漂流的
37. iceberg n. 巨大冰块，冰山
38. more a. 另外的
39. at full speed 全速地
40. practice n. 惯常作法
41. lookout n. 瞭望台，守望员
42. in time 及时
43. collision n. 碰撞
44. lane n. 航道，航线
45. Newfoundland 纽芬兰（岛），加拿大东部
46. tower vi. 高耸
47. bulk n. （巨大的）物体，（大）块
48. hidden a. 隐蔽的
49. message n. 电报
50. shut up 关上
51. tap vi 轻拍
52. go vi 处于，成为，例：The questiion goes unanswered. 这问题没有得到回答。
53. undelivered a. 未送交的
54. bridge n. （船的）驾驶舱
55. crow’s nest 桅杆瞭望台
56. scan vt. 细看，瞭望
57. binocular n. [用复数] 双筒望远镜
58. loom vi 赫然耸现
59. instantly ad. 立刻
60. go into action 投入战斗，行动起来
61. watertight a. 防水的
62. in reverse 向相反方向的
63. firm n. 公司
64. afloat a. [一般作表语]（在水上）漂浮着
65. flood vt. 使灌满水，淹没
66. horror n. To sb’s horror 使某人恐惧的是，to 表示结果，意为，致使
67. go vi. 进行
68. rupture n. 口裂
69. doom vt. 使……的毁灭成为必然 例： The government is doomed. 那个政府
注定要垮台。
70. at best 至多，充其量
71. time-honored 确立已久的
72. trange n. （视觉、活动、影响等的）范围
73. load vt. 装（人或货）
74.assure vt. 使放心
75. shut down 使关闭
76. fireworks n. [用复数]烟火
77. steam vi. 靠蒸汽行进
78. millionaire n. 百万富翁
79. argue vt. 认为，说服
80. refuse vt. 拒绝给予
81. settle vi. （舒舒服服地）坐下
82. spare vt. 不伤害
83. abandon vt. 离开，抛弃
84. tilt vi. 倾斜
85. band n. 管乐队，伴舞乐队
86. release vt. 解散
87. haunting a. 给人以强烈感受的，使人不安的，本句中Farewell 为曲子“Autumn”
的同位语
88. plunge vi. 一头进入
89. roar n. 轰鸣（声）
90. china n. 瓷器
91. blink vi. 闪亮，闪烁
92. go out （火，灯等）熄灭
93. site n. 地方，场所
94. in all 总共
95. if only 要是……多好 例：If only Dad could see me now! 要是爸爸现在能看到我
那该有多好！
96. heed vt. 注意
97. regulation n. 规定
98. liner n. 班轮，班机
99. drill n. 训练
100. patrol n. 巡逻
101. over prep. 在……期间
102. capture vt. 引起（注意等）
103. start n. 惊跳 Wake…with start 使……猛然觉醒
104. loss n. 损失
105. awoke vt. [awake的过去时] 觉醒
Searching for1 the Titanic
Titanic, the famous, luxurious2 and great ship was sunk on April 15,1912. It was a terrible loss. But the world learned from it.
In the years following the sinking, the name Titanic came to stand for3 any kind of major disaster , and the expression4 “ just the tip of the iceberg” suggested that something had hidden dangers.
Years went by. The Titanic bay many miles down in black, icy cold water. No divers5 could go down in such deep water. And no one could even find the ship. The map below shows you roughly6 where the Titanic sank.
Some people thought the Titanic had been crushed. They said it was probably in a million pieces.
Yet treasure hunters kept on dreaming of8 the wonderful ship. They were sure there was gold on board�and diamonds9 and pearls10.
As the sixties turned into the seventies, people had made great progress. Adventurers11 began to dream of raising the Titanic even though12 it was probably under 2.5 miles (4km) of water in the North Atlantic13, somewhere off the Grand Banks14 of Newfoundland15.
Some people dreamed of remarkable16 schemes17 to raise the ship, some of the ideas had possibilities and some were completely impossible. And even if18 the ideas were good ones, the cost would be unbelievable19. Very few people or organizations could find the money to raise the ship. And before the Titanic could be raised, the ship had to be found. Many people had given up20 hope that the great ship would ever be found.
A man named Robert was a scientist. He studied the oceans. Robert worked in a famous laboratory in Massachusetts21. He didn’t care about treasure. He just wanted to find the ship. He thought about it for years.
Robert had a special invention. It was a kind of underwater robot22. Its name was Argo. Argo could dive down very, very deep. It had lights and a video camera. It could skim23 along the ocean floor. It could take underwater video pictures. And it could send them to TV screens on a ship.
Robert read all about the Titanic. He looked at maps and photos. Finally he was ready. He thought he knew where the mystery ship was waiting.
In the summer of 1985, Robert sailed north to Newfoundland. He went with a team of scientists. He took Argo with them.
Robert sent Argo hunting. He didn’t even have to get his feet wet. But he had to do a lot of watching. For days it was the same. He saw sand and more sand. Then at last something different flashed on the screen. Was it a ship? Yes it was. A huge ship.
The other scientists began to cheer. They had done it. They had found the Titanic! It was shortly after 1:00 A.M. on September 1,1985.
Robert could not believe his eyes. It was like seeing a ghost24. There was the Titanic, sitting on the ocean floor. It had broken apart25. The rear26 section of the ship was about 2,600 feet(800m) away from the rest of the ship. It seems that the middle portion�covering a length of about 300 feet (90m)�is still unaccounted for27 .It may have broken up on the way down, and then disintegrated28. Even though it had broken apart. But Robert could see how beautiful it still was.
Over the days Robert saw more and of the ship. He saw the crow’s-nest29 where the lookout30 first spotted31 the iceberg. A beautiful glass window lay in the sand. The ship’s giant anchors were there. Bottles of wine were scattered about. And suitcases32.
It was amazing. And it was sad. So many people had set out on the voyage. So few had returned.
Finally Robert sailed home. Within a month of the discovery Robert appeared before congress to request that the Titanic be made an International Memorial. This idea would keep the wreck safe from treasure hunters, even though the expense of getting down to the ship would be very great for most people.
Robert wanted to go back to the Titanic. And a year later he did. He landed a small submarine33 right on the deck of the Titanic. He sent a robot inside the ship. It takes high-resolution34 color photos and video pictures.
As a result of the 1985 and 1986 dives, Robert and hid researchers hope to put together a “mosaic35” picture, joining together photographs of small sections of the Titanic to make a recognizable36 whole. In this way the liner can be studied more carefully and perhaps even more can be learned about exactly why and how she went down.
Robert did not take anything from the ship, he and his team placed a memorial plate on the sunken ship. The stern37 was the last part of the ship to remain afloat. It was also the place where the largest number of people died. So that is where they left it. The inscription38 on it reads,
In memory of those souls who
Perished39 with the Titanic.
April 14-15, 1912
The sentiment40 speaks for41 many people who believe that we have learned all that the Titanic can teach us.
All over the world people were thrilled42 by Robert’s work. To some, it was very special. They had sailed on the Titanic. They had been small children then. Now they were very old. But they had never forgotten the “unsinkable Titanic.” The world would never forget.
And there is a very real question whether or not anything more can even be done. The ship has been found. Even if the money were available43, could the Titanic be raised without everything falling to pieces? And if it could be raised, What would anybody want with44 a broken up luxury liner?
注释：
1. search(for) vi. 搜寻
2. Luxurious a. 豪华的
3. stand for 代表，象征
4. expression n. 表达，词语
5. diver n. 潜水员
6. roughly ad. 粗略地
7. crush vt. 压碎，捣碎
8. dream of 向往，梦想
9. diamond n. 钻石
10. pearl n. 珍珠
11. adventurer n. 冒险家
12. even though 虽然，尽管
13. Atlantic n. 大西洋
14. Grand Banks 大浅滩（指北美洲纽芬兰岛东南广阔的大西洋浅滩）
15. Newfoundland n. 纽芬兰（岛）（加拿大东部）
16. remarkable a. 非凡的
17. scheme n. 计划，方案
18. even if 即使，纵然
19. unbelievable a. 难以置信的
20. give up 放弃
21. Massachusetts 马萨诸塞（美国州名）
22. robot n. 机器人
23. skim vi. 飞速掠过
24. ghost n. 鬼，幽灵
25. break apart 破裂
26. rear a. 后部的，后面的
27. unaccounted for 未加以说明的，下落不明的
28. disintegrate vi. 碎裂，粉碎
29. crow’s-nest 桅杆瞭望台
30. lookout n. 瞭望员，守望员
31. spot vt. 看见，发现
32. suitcase n. 手提箱
33. submarine n. 潜水艇
34. high-resolution 高清晰度
35. mosaic n.&a. 镶嵌图案（的），马赛克
36. recognizable a. 可辩认的
37. stern n. 船尾
38. inscription n. 碑文，铭文
39. perish vi. 丧生
40. sentiment n. 思想感情，情绪
41. speak for 表明
42. thrill vt. 使非常兴奋，使非常激动
43. available a. 现成可利用的，可获得的
44. what does one want with 要……做什么，要把……怎么样
