新视野大学英语(第二版)第三册unit5_graceful_hands全文翻译与原文.pdf
unit5 Graceful Hands 优雅的双手我从未见过克拉克夫人，但看过她的医疗记录和上一位值班医生交给我的报告后，我知道她今晚会去世。她屋里唯一的光线来自一台医疗设备，它闪着红光,似乎在发出警告。我站在那里，一股怪味刺激着我的鼻子，我想起了过去闻到过的腐烂的气味，我闭上了眼睛。我嘴里有一股从胃里返上来的酸味。我伸手去开灯。灯静静地照亮了整个病房，我走回病床边，用无动于衷的、医生的目光观察着病人。克拉克夫人已奄奄一息了。她一动不动地躺着:骨瘦如柴的身体使她的头显得特别大；皮肤呈暗黄色，松松地裹在嶙峋的、连毛毯也遮掩不住的骨骼上;她的右臂平伸在床边,被无情地用胶带固定在一块板上，以便能固定针头使液体滴入;左臂横放在深陷的胸部，胸口随着不均匀的呼吸一起一伏。我伸手去触摸她放在胸口的细长手指。冰凉冰凉的。我忙将手移到她的手腕，去感觉那微弱的脉搏。克拉克夫人将头稍稍转向我，微微地睁开眼。我俯过身去，勉强听见她微弱的声音：“水。”我从桌上拿起一杯水，用手指封着吸管的一端，滴了几滴凉凉的水到她的嘴里，以缓解她的干渴。她没有用力去吞咽，因为力气不够。“还要，”那干涩的声音说。于是我们又重复了一次。这次她终于咽了一些，并轻轻说了声：“谢谢，你。”她虚弱得没法交谈，因此没等她要求，我就开始做她所需要的。我像抱孩子似的把她抱起来，给她翻了个身。除了一件浅色的病号服，她什么也没穿。她又小又轻,像遭受了严重饥荒一样。我打开护肤霜的瓶盖,揩了一些在手心。为了不伤着她,我小心翼翼地把护肤霜擦在她发黄的皮肤上。她的皮肤松松地在骨头上滑动，背上每块骨头的轮廓都能清楚地摸到。当我把枕头放在她两腿之间时，发现它们也是冰凉的，直到把手移到她膝盖以上的部位，我才感受到血液供给生命的热度。而后，我挪了把椅子面朝她坐在床边，握住她那只没被固定的手，此时我又一次注意到她细长的手指。很优雅。一时间，我突然想知道她是否有家庭，接着我发现病房里没有花，没有孩子们画的彩虹和蝴蝶，也没有卡片。房间中没有任何迹象表明她是一个被人爱着的人。她似乎读懂了我的心思，平静地回答我说：“今他,，者 回 家 不 想“天，我让,，家里人们“看 见，”她耗尽了最后的那点力气，再也说不下去了。但我已然明白她做了些什么。我不知道说什么好，所以什么也没说。她好像又看穿了我的心思:“你”留下,，”时间似乎停滞了。在一片寂静中，我感觉自己的脉搏加快了，我听到自己的呼吸开始伴随着她那不均匀的呼吸一起一落。我们互相对视，不知怎么的，我们都意识到,这是两个生命间的一个特殊时刻。她那细长的手指很轻易地就拢住了我的手，我微笑着慢慢点了点头。无需任何语言，我从她发黄的眼睛中感受到了她对我的谢意，她慢慢闭上了眼睛。不知过了多长时间，她又睁开了双眼，只是这一次目光里没有任何反应，只有空洞的凝视。没有一点先兆，她那细弱的呼吸停止了。很快,微弱的脉搏也消失了。一颗泪珠从她的左眼中流出，滑过脸颊，落在枕上。我开始轻声哭泣。对这位迅速走进又走出我生活的陌生人，我心间涌起了一股感情。她的痛苦结束了，可她的生命也结束了。我依然握着她的手,渐渐地，我意识到我并不害怕这种感情之战，意识到这实际是她赐予我的特殊荣幸，而且我还乐意再来一次。克拉克夫人没有让她的家人目睹这一幕他们或许无力面对的人生插曲，却与我分享了它。她不想让家人看着她死去，然而她也不愿孤独地离去。不应当有人孤独离去的，我很高兴能守候在她身边。两天后，我在报上读到了克拉克夫人的消息。原来她 是7个孩子的母亲、1个孩子的祖母、教会里的活跃分子、社区志愿者协会的领导人、音乐会钢琴演奏家、余年的钢琴教师。从 教30是啊,她的手指是那样细长而优雅。I have never seen Mrs.Clark before,but Iknow from her medicalchart and the report(that which)Ireceived from theprecedingshift that tonight she willdie.我从未见过克拉克夫人，但看过她的医疗记录和上一位值班医生交给我的报告后，我知道她今晚会去世。The only light in her roomis coming fromofmedicalequipment5whichisa piecelightas ifinwarning.AsflashingitsIredthestandsmellhitsmynose,andtherejeyescloseas IrememberofthesmellmydecayfrompastexperienceJnmymouthlasour5vinegarhavetastefromcomingthepit of my stomach.I reachfor the light switch,and as it silently lights thescene,I return totheobservethebedtopatientwithanunemotional,medicaleye.她屋里唯一的光线来自一台医疗设备，它闪着红光,似乎在发出警告。我站在那里，一股怪味刺激着我的鼻子，我想起了过去闻到过的腐烂的气味，我闭上了眼睛。我嘴里有一股从胃里返上来的酸味。我伸手去开灯。灯静静地照亮了整个病房，我走回病床边，用无动于衷的、医生的目光观察着病人。Mrs.Clark is dying.Shelies motionless:the head seems unusuallylarge on a skeletontheskinisbody;darkyellowand hangslooselyaroundexaggeratedbonesthatnothide;rightablanketarmcantheevenliesstraightoutside5atthetapedcruellyto ato secureneedlemaysothat fluidaboarddrip in;leftarmistheacrossthesunkenchest,which rises andfalls with the unevenbreaths.克拉克夫人已奄奄一息了。她一动不动地躺着:骨瘦如柴的身体使她的头显得特别大；皮肤呈暗黄色，松松地裹在嶙峋的、连毛毯也遮掩不住的骨骼上;她的右臂平伸在床边,被无情地用胶带固定在一块板上，以便能固定针头使液体滴入;左臂横放在深陷的胸部，胸口随着不均匀的呼吸一起一伏。I reach for the long,thinfingers that arelying on the chest.Theyare ice cold,and Iquicklymovetothewristand feelforthefaint pulse.Mrs.Clarkseyes open somewhatas her head turns towardme slightly.I bendtoherandscarcelyclosehearasshewhispers朗瑜防魔ofTakingwaterglassafrom the table,I put myfinger over the end ofthe straw and allow a fewdrops of the coolmoisture to slide into hermouth and ease herthirst.Shemakesnoattempttoswallow;there is just not enoughstrength.More,thedry voice says,and werepeat the procedure.This time she doesmanage to swallow some褐蜚摩愠擎眠愤济?悭猥？呜慨旋?添？我伸手去触摸她放在胸口的细长手指。冰凉冰凉的。我忙将手移到她的手腕，去感觉那微弱的脉搏。克拉克夫人将头稍稍转向我，微微地睁开眼。我俯过身去，勉强听见她微弱的声音：“水 我 从 桌 上 拿 起 一 杯水，用手指封着吸管的一端，滴了几滴凉凉的水到她的嘴里，以缓解她的干渴。她没有用力去吞咽，因为力气不够。“还要，”那干涩的声音说。于是我们又重复了一次。这次她终于咽了一些，并轻轻说了声：“谢谢，你。”Sheistooweakforconversation5sowithoutasking Jgoaboutprovidingforherneeds.Picking her up inmy arms like a child,onherside.Naked5exceptl turnforaherlight hospital gown,she isso very small andsheseemslikelightathatvictimofsometerrible famine.I removethe lid from a jar ofskin cream and put someon the palm of myherjnjuringlrubhand.Carefully5to avoidcream into the yellow skin5which rolls freelyover the bones,feelingperfectly the outlineboneinofeachtheback.Placingapillowbetween her legs,I noticethat these too areice cold,and not until I runmy hand up overIfeelanyherkneesdoofthelife-givingwarmth of blood.她虚弱得没法交谈，因此没等她要求，我就开始做她所需要的。我像抱孩子似的把她抱起来，给她翻了个身。除了一件浅色的病号服，她什么也没穿。她又小又轻,像遭受了严重饥荒一样。我打开护肤霜的瓶盖,揩了一些在手心。为了不伤着她,我小心翼翼地把护肤霜擦在她发黄的皮肤上。她的皮肤松松地在骨头上滑动，背上每块骨头的轮廓都能清楚地摸到。当我把枕头放在她两腿之间时，发现它们也是冰凉的，直到把手移到她膝盖以上的部位，我才感受到血液供给生命的热度。Whenlamfinishedjpullachairupthebedtobesidefaceherherand5takingmine5againnoticethehandfreebetweenlong,thin fingers.Graceful,I wonder brieflyifshe has any family,andthen I see that thereare neither flowers,norpictures of rainbowsand butterflies drawn bychildren,nor cards,isnoTherehintintheroomanywherethatthis is a person who isloved.As though she isreader5Mrs.amindClarkanswersmythoughtsandquietlytellsmejsent.mytonight.didntfamily.home.want.them.toseespentlasther.Havingofstrengthcannotgosheon,butouncelhashaveshedone.whatunderstoodNotknowing what to say,I saynothing.Again she,stay,seems to sense mythoughts,YouTime seems to stand stilLIn the totalsilence,I feel my ownpulse quicken and hearmy breathing as it beginsto match hers,breath forunevenbreath.Our eyes meetandawarebecomesomehow5together5we that this is aspecial moment betweentwo human Her longfingers curl easilyaroundbeings.myhand and I nod my headslowly,smiling.words3throughyellowedWithoutleyes,receivemy thankyou andher eyesslowlyclose.Someunknownintervaloftimepasses before her eyesopen again,only thisisresponsenointhemjusttheretimeablankstare.Withoutwarning5hershallowbreathing stops,andwithin a few moments,the faint pulse is alsogone.One single tearflows from her left eye,across the cheek anddown onto the p川ow.Ibegin to cry quietly.There is a swell ofemotion within me for thisstranger who so quicklycame into and wentfrom my life.Her sufferingis done5 yet so islife.Slowly,thestillholdingherhandjbecomeldomindthatnotthisawareemotionalbattle5thatinfact5itwasaprivilege she has allowedme,and I would doit again,gladly.Mrs.Clarkspared her familyepisodethatperhapstheywerenotanequipped to handle andinstead shared it withme.She had not wantedto have her family see herdie,yet she did not want to diealone.No one should die alone,and I am glad Iwas there for her.aboutMrsJlater5daysTworeadClark in the newspaper.She was the motherof seven,grandmother ofeighteen,an activemember of her church,aleader of volunteerassociations in hercommunity,piano player,a concertand a piano teacherforoverthirty years.Yes5theywerelongandgracefulfingers.
