I sat down upon the step of the door, and watched the awful scene in silence. 坐在门前的台阶上，我无声地观察着这可怕的情景。

　　The fire was raging in the cedar swamp immediately below the ridge on which the house stood, and it presented a spectacle truly appalling. 我们的房子坐落在山脊上，山脊下方的雪松沼泽里大火在迅速蔓延，情形确实令人震惊。

　　From out of the dense folds of a canopy of black smoke—the blackest I ever saw—leaped up red forks of lurid flame as high as the tree tops,  天空被浓烟遮挡住——浓密的黑烟中火红的火舌跃起到树梢那么高，

　　igniting the branches of a group of tall pines that had been left for saw logs. 点燃了被留作锯材用的原木的枝干。

　　A deep gloom blotted out the heavens from our sight. 昏暗的天遮住了我们的视线

　　The air was filled with fiery particles, which floated even to the doorstep, 空气中充满了炽热的颗粒，有些颗粒甚至漂到了门前的台阶上，

　　while the crackling and roaring of the flames might have been heard at a great distance. 而火焰的噼噼啪啪声和呼啸声从很远的地方也一定能听到。

　　To reach the shore of the lake, we must pass through the burning swamp, and not a bird could pass over it with unscorched wings. 要到达湖边，必须经过燃烧着的沼泽地，即使鸟儿飞过去也会烧焦翅膀。

　　The fierce wind drove the flames at the sides and back of the house up the clearing;  狂风吹动着火焰正越过门前空地，就要达到房子侧墙和后墙了；

　　and our passage to the road or to the forest, on the right and left, was entirely obstructed by a sea of flames. 通向左侧的山路或右侧森林的路完全被火焰阻挡了。

　　Our only ark of safety was the house, so long as it remained untouched by the fire. 如果火焰没烧到房子，它就是我们唯一安全的方舟。

　　I turned to young Thomas, and asked him how long he thought that would he. 我转向小托马斯，问他需要多久会烧到房子。

　　When the fire clears this little ridge in front, ma'am. The Lord have mercy on us then, or we must all go. 当火烧光前面的小山脊，太太。到时候上帝保佑我们，我们都得走。

　　I threw myself down on the floor beside my children, and pressed them to my heart,  我扑倒在地板上的孩子们身边，把他们紧紧抱在胸前，

　　while inwardly I thanked God that they were asleep, unconscious of danger, 心里感谢上帝，他们还都熟睡着，不知道发生的危险，

　　and unable by their cries to distract our attention from adopting any plan which might offer to effect their escape. 不会因为哭叫干扰我们，而我们计划着如何使他们躲过这一场浩劫。