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Everything else they would need had been stored in the shelter the past several months. He heard his wife approaching and turned as she entered the room.
过去几个月来，除了这些之外，他们所需要的所有东西都藏在避难所里。 他听到妻子正朝卧室走来，并在她进屋的时候转过身来。
"Ready, dear?" she asked.
“准备好了吗，亲爱的？”她问。
"Yes," he replied, "are the kids gone in?"
“是的，”他答道，“孩子们进去了吗？”
"They're all down," she answered, "I still can't believe it's real."
“他们都下去了，”她回答说，“我仍然无法相信这是真的。”
"We've got to believe it," he said, looking her steadily in the eye, "we can't afford not to."
“我们必须要相信它，”他望着她平静地说，“我们无法承担不相信的后果。”
Outside, the day was crisp and clear, typical of early fall. Just right for boating on the river, fishing or bird shooting. An excellent day, he thought, for fleeing underground to escape the hell of a nuclear strike. He looked at his watch again. Four minutes had elapsed since the first alarm. Twelve minutes, more or less, remained.
外边，秋高气爽，是典型的初秋天气，正适合在河上划船、垂钓或猎鸟。他想，多么好的天气，却要钻到地下来躲避该死的核弹轰炸。他再次看了看手表。从第一次警报后，已经过去了四分钟。或多或少，还剩12分钟。
Inside the shelter, he latched the door, and looked around to see that his family was squared away. His wife was checking the food supplies, assisted by her older son. The small children had already put their fright behind them, as is the nature of youngsters, and were drawing on the slate again in quiet, busy glee.
进入避难所，他锁上了门，环顾四周，看到他的家人都已安顿好了。他的妻子正在大儿子的帮助下检查食物储备。小儿子和女儿出于孩子的天性，已经把恐惧抛到脑后，重新在石板上安静地作起画来，忙得高兴极了。
Now it began. The waiting.
现在，等待开始了。
The man and his wife knew that others would come soon, begging and crying to be taken in now that the time was here. They had argued about this when the shelter was being built. It was in her mind to share their refuge.
男人和他的妻子知道其他人很快就会来，哭喊着乞求被收留，因为时间已经不多了。在修建避难所时他们就曾为此而争论过。她主张分享避难所。
