Unit-8-The-Discus-Thrower课文翻译综合教程四

Unit8TheDiscusThrowerRichardSelzer1Ispyonmypatients.Oughtnotadoctortoobservehispatientsbyanymeansandfromanystancethathemighttakeforthemorefullyassembleevidence?SoIstandinthedoorwaysofhospitalroomsandgaze.Oh,itisnotallthatfurtiveanact.Thoseinbedneedonlylookuptodiscoverme.Buttheyneverdo.2FromthedoorwayofRoom542themaninthebedseemsdeeplytanned.Blueeyesandclose-croppedwhitehairgivehimtheappearanceofvigorandgoodhealth.ButIknowthathisskinisnotbrownfromthesun.Itisrusted,rather,inthelaststageofcontainingthevilereposewithin.Andtheblueeyesarefrosted,lookinginwardlikethewindowsofasnowboundcottage.Thismanisblind.Thismanisalsolegless―therightlegmissingfrommidthighdown,theleftfromjustbelowtheknee.Itgiveshimthelookofabonsai,rootsandbranchesprunedintothedwarfedfacsimileofagreattree.3Proppedonpillows,hecupshisrightthighinbothhands.Nowandthenheshakeshisheadasthoughacknowledgingtheintensityofhissuffering.Inallofthishemakesnosound.Ishemuteaswellasblind?4Theroominwhichhedwellsisemptyofallpossessions―noget-wellcards,small,privatecachesoffood,day-oldflowers,slippers,alltheusualkickshawsofthesickroom.Thereisonlythebed,achair,anightstand,andatrayonwheelsthatcanbeswungacrosshislapformeals.5“Whattimeisit?”heasks.“Threeo’clock.”“Morningorafternoon?”“Afternoon.”Heissilent.Thereisnothingelsehewantstoknow.“Howareyou?”Isay.“Whoareyou?”heasks.“It’sthedoctor.Howdoyoufeel?”Hedoesnotanswerrightaway.“Feel?”hesays.“Ihopeyoufeelbetter,”Isay.Ipressthebuttonatthesideofthebed.“Downyougo,”Isay.“Yes,down,”hesays.6Hefallsbackuponthebedawkwardly.Hisstumps,unweightedbylegsandfeet,riseintheair,presentingthemselves.Iunwrapthebandagesfromthestumps,andbegintocutawaytheblackscabsandthedead,glazedfatwithscissorsandforceps.Ashardofwhitebonecomesloose.Ipickitaway.Iwashthewoundswithdisinfectantandredressthestumps.Allthiswhile,hedoesnotspeak.Whatishethinkingbehindthoselidsthatdonotblink?Isherememberingatimewhenhewaswhole?Doeshedreamoffeet?Orwhenhisbodywasnotarottinglog?7Heliessolidandinert.Inspiteofeverything,heremainsimpressive,asthoughhewereasailorstandingathwartaslantingdeck.“AnythingmoreIcandoforyou?”Iask.Foralongmomentheissilent.“Yes,”hesaysatlastandwithouttheleastirony.“Youcanbringmeapairofshoes.”Inthecorridor,theheadnurseiswaitingforme.“Wehavetodosomethingabouthim,”shesays.“Everymorningheordersscrambledeggsforbreakfast,and,insteadofeatingthem,hepicksuptheplateandthrowsitagainstthewall.”“Throwshisplate?”“Nasty.That’swhatheis.Nowonderhisfamilydoesn’tcometovisit.Theyprobablycan’tstandhimanymorethanwecan.”Sheiswaitingformetodosomething.“Well?”“We’llsee,”Isay.8ThenextmorningIamwaitinginthecorridorwhenthekitchendelivershisbreakfast.Iwatchtheaideplacethetrayonthestandandswingitacrosshislap.Shepressesthebuttontoraisetheheadofthebed.Thensheleaves.9Intimethemanreachestofindtherimofthetray,thenontofindthedomeofthecovereddish.Heliftsoffthecoverandplacesitonthestand.Hefingersacrosstheplateuntilheprobestheeggs.Heliftstheplateinbothhands,setsitonthepalmofhisrighthand,centersit,balancesit.Heheftsitupanddownslightly,gettingthefeelonit.Abruptly,hedrawsbackhisrightarmasfarashecan.10Thereisthecrackoftheplatebreakingagainstthewallatthefootofhisbedandthesmallwetsoundofthescrambledeggsdroppingtothefloor.11Andthenhelaughs.Itisasoundyouhaveneverheard.Itissomethingnewunderthesun.Itcouldcurecancer.Outinthecorridor,theeyesoftheheadnursenarrow.“Laughed,didhe?”Shewritessomethingdownonherclipboard.12Asecondaidearrives,bringsasecondbreakfasttray,putsitonthenightstand,outofhisreach.Shelooksoveratmeshakingherheadandmakinghermouthgo.Iseethatwearetobeaccomplices.13“I’vegottofeedyou,”shesaystotheman.“Oh,no,youdon’t,”themansays.“Oh,yes,Ido,”theaidesays,“afterthewayyoujustdid.Nursesaysso.”“Getmemyshoes,”themansays.“Here’stheoatmeal,”theaidesays.“Open.”Andshetouchesthespoontohislowerlip.“Iorderedscrambledeggs,”saystheman.“That’sright,”theaidesays.Istepforward.“IsthereanythingIcando?”Isay.“Whoareyou?”themanasks.14IntheeveningIgooncemoretothatwardtomakemyrounds.TheheadnursereportstomethatRoom542isdeceased.Shehasdiscoveredthisbyaccident,shesays.No,therehadbeennosound.Nothing.It’sablessing,shesays.15Igointohisroom,aspylookingforsecrets.Heisstillthereinhisbed.Hisfaceisrelaxed,grave,dignified.Afterawhile,Iturntoleave.Mygazesweepsthewallatthefootofthebed,andIseetheplacewhereithasbeenrepeatedlywashed,wherethewalllooksverycleanandwhite.掷铁饼者理查德·塞尔泽1我窥探我的病人。为了更加全面地搜集例证，难道医生不应该用任何方法、从任何位置观察病人吗？于是我站在医院病房门口凝望。哦，这算不上太鬼鬼祟祟的勾当。那些躺在床上的人只需抬头就可以发现我。但他们从不抬头。2从542病房门口可以看到，躺在床上的男子肤色很深。蓝色的眼睛和剪得很短的白发给人富有活力、健康良好的印象。但我知道，他的褐色皮肤并不是晒太阳的缘故，而是机体生锈衰退、体内糜烂污物沉积、病入膏肓的表现。他的蓝眼睛雾蒙蒙的，看上去像被白雪覆盖的乡间小屋的窗户。他是个盲人。而且他失去了双腿——右腿是大腿中间以下缺失，左腿是膝盖以下。这让他看上去像一个盆景，仿佛树根和树枝都被修剪掉的微缩版的大树。3依靠枕头的支撑，他用双手环抱着右大腿。他不时晃动脑袋来诉说他承受的巨大痛苦。但他始终一声不吭。他看不见了，难道也哑了？4他住的房间空空荡荡——没有祝愿康复的卡片，没有私藏的食物，没有放了一些时日的鲜花，也没有拖鞋，没有病房里经常看到的东西。只有病床、椅子、床头柜和一个带轮子的可以转到面前用来吃饭的托板。5“现在几点了？”他问道。“3点。”“凌晨还是下午？”“下午。”他沉默不语。他想知道的只有这些。“您感觉怎样？”我问。“你是谁？”他问。“医生。您感觉怎样？”他没有马上回答。“感觉?”他说。“我希望您感觉好些了。”我说。我按了一下病床边上的按钮。“您躺下来。”我说。“是的，躺下来。”他说。6他笨拙地倒回到病床上。他的残肢失去了双腿与双脚的支撑，抬起在空中，暴露无遗。我把残肢上的绷带解开，开始用剪刀和镊子把黑色的硬皮和坏死凝滞的脂肪剪掉。