英文短篇故事（紐約）309 A World of Silent Humans

It started in Greenwich, England. Hour by hour, it traveled west. It hit all the Americas. Then it hit Asia. Then it hit Russia, eastern Europe, and eastern Africa. In just 24 hours, nobody in the world was talking. People were still moving their mouths, hoping that sounds would come out. But no sounds came out. Not a word, not a syllable, not a grunt. Dogs were still barking. Cats were still meowing. And birds were still chirping. But humans were silent. Doctors worldwide were baffled. There was no sign of disease. People's mouths and throats were normal. Doctors scratched their heads. People reluctantly adjusted. They started carrying pens and small notepads with them. They learned sign language. Nostalgically, they watched recorded movies and TV. They listened to recorded books. But there were no more live conversations. Yet there was still hope. Every day, people sent silent prayers to heaven.