coupon-criterion Under a crescent moon

在新月下

When the moon was crescent shaped people began to disappear.

月亮开始呈月牙形的时 候人们就开始失踪.

First it was an old lady out late one night counting coupons.

首先是一位深夜外出 数赠货券的老太太.

Then it was a courier,

然后是一位导游,

crisscrossing town to make requested deadlines.

他在城里往返奔波, 制定要求的截止日期.

And finally it was a local craftsman,

最后是一个本地工匠,

whose remains were found next to a crack led to a mysterious crater.

他的遗体在通往一个神 秘大坑的裂缝附近被人 发现.

It seemed that there was no criterion by which this criminal attacked.

罪犯作案好像没有 任何标准,

But the clean up crew was beginning to think that it was not a person,

但清除小组全体成员开 始认为这个罪犯可能不 是人,

but a creature.

而是某种动物.

when the crisis became known throughout the small town,

整个小镇都知道这 一危机后,

all but the most courageous left to "visit relatives."

除了最勇敢的人以外, 所有的人都离开小镇 "走亲戚"去了.

News coverage was intense,the local economy was crippled

新闻报道铺天盖地, 地方经济严重受损,

and more than several young couples

有好几对年轻人

made a covenant to marry by the end of the week.

立约在周末成婚.

The credentials of local police were also no longer good enough;

当地警察的证件也不再 管用,

the FBI was called in.

人们叫来联邦调查 局的人,

That was when the murders stopped.

到这时凶杀才停止发生

As the weeks went on

几个星期过去了,

and reporters no longer cared about covering what was once a major story,

记者不再乐于报道这件 曾经轰动一时的大事,

people came crawling back to their homes.

人们也开始慢慢地打 道回府.

To the credit of many,nighttime activities began to become common again.

让大家引以为荣的是, 晚间活动又开始活跃 起来,

Life seemed to be returning to normal.

生活似乎正在恢复正常

After a month had passed since the last murder had occurred,however,

可是,上次谋杀发生之 后只过去了一个月、

and the moon became a Crescent again,

又是一轮新月的时候,

the creature came creeping out of his hole.

怪兽又爬出洞了.

When a man walking in a park bent down to fix a crease in his pants,

一个在公园散步的人弯 腰抚平裤子上的皱痕,

he had no idea that the deaths were about to start all over again,

他不知道这时死亡又 将降临,

starting with his.

而且从他开始.