URS N6 : A Child in His Arms
怀抱中的孩子 (Sonic翻译)
A scene from Yunnan, many years ago. The cars bearing the medical team dashed through winding roads in the mountains, past “cowboys” on horse-drawn carts, terraced hills, and green forests.
那是多年前发生在云南的故事。载着医疗队的车沿着蜿蜒的山路疾驰,一路超过许多坐在马车上的“牛仔”。我们长途跋涉,翻山越岭。
We arrived at the mountain town at noon and, surprisingly, immediately after lunch, without the usual ceremony of tea, bananas, and official speeches, plunged right into work. The trust level was fantastic. Here we were, brand newcomers to the hospital, but the officials had advertised throughout the town that an American medical team was in town, and would be offering free medical service in the clinics!
Photo 1: Travel can be difficult, and hospitals can be far away
图1: 行路难,医路远
我们正午到达山里小镇,令人惊讶的是,刚吃完午饭,我们就立即投入工作,没有例行的茶、香蕉的招待和官员讲话等欢迎仪式。信任程度空前。在这里我们被冠以医院的“新来者”,但官员已在全镇广而告之:有一个美国医疗队正在镇上诊所义诊。
This was also the first day for the opening of the new (but sparse) pediatric clinic. Sparse meant there were 2 tables, 2 chairs for the doctors, and 2 stools for the patients. But it was white and clean, a far cry from many “clinic” facilities seen in many similar sized rural towns and villages.
这也是新的(简陋的)儿科诊所开业的第一天。诊所简陋得只有2张桌子,2把给医生坐的椅子,2个给病人坐的凳子。但它洁白干净,和其他许多大小相似的农村小镇和村庄上的的诊所大不一样。
No sooner had the pediatric, medicine, and dental teams sat down in their chairs, than the patients started streaming in, eager to see the foreign doctors. Some came for an acute problem, others came to confirm a diagnosis or treatment, and others came, we think, for the “excitement.” “Renau,” or community excitement, is very popular and important for everything in China!
儿科、内科、牙科医生刚入座,病人就蜂拥而至,急切的想看看外国医生。一些来看急诊,一些来明确诊治,而一部分人我们认为是为了凑热闹。“凑热闹”在中国的日常生活中显得既时兴又重要。
Everyone wanted to come in and join in the renau. When we saw a patient we were often accompanied by 20-30 onlookers, eager to learn, participate (add their opinions and advice), stare (great sport in the country), frown and laugh (especially when we stuck a “smile” sticker on a child!)
每个人都想凑热闹。我们看视一个病人,往往有20-30个围观者,他们迫切的想知道,想参与,他们在一旁指指点点,议论纷纷,非常专注地观察我们,时而蹙眉时而大笑,尤其是在我们给小孩贴上笑脸纸贴的时候。
Stickers were great friendship builders. Every sticker resulted in at least one smile, usually two (mother and child,) and often 3 or more (plus onlookers.) We should have brought 10,000 stickers, and would have had at least 20,000 smiles!!
贴纸真是一个彰显友好的好玩意儿。每一个贴纸带来至少一个微笑,通常是两个(母子俩),经常三个以上(加上旁观者)。我们实在应该带来一万个贴纸,就将获得至少两万个微笑。
In the midst of this renau (hot busy in Chinese), a village woman suddenly intruded, bearing her tired, and very sick, 12 year old daughter on her back. The mother had trudged for three days, catching a tractor (often used for farming and transport) here and there, before arriving in the town. The child had pain in her abdomen, and was feverish. Pat, our pediatrician from Memphis, USA, reached out gently to feel her belly, while Sheng, a nurse from New York, tried to get through the village dialect. “We have to admit her to the hospital,” Pat explained, “immediately.”
热闹中,一个农妇突然闯进来,背着她的奄奄一息的12岁女儿。这个母亲来到这个小镇之前已经搭乘乡下经常用于耕种和交通的拖拉机四处奔波了三天。小孩腹痛、发烧。来自美国Memphis 的儿科医生Pat 伸出手去轻轻的检查她的腹部,同时来自纽约的护士Sheng 试着去理解这个村子的方言。Pat说:“我们要收她住院,立即!”
Big Stan jumped in and carried the child in his strong arms. The mother demurred, but Stan insisted, and the child was too sick to protest. She was obviously from the village, dark from sun exposure, and black from dust and dirt. Her clothes were well worn and impressively dirty. But there Stan stood, with love written all over him, firmly holding the child in his embrace.
大个的Stan 大踏步过来把孩子抱在强壮手臂里。孩子母亲尚在迟疑,但是Stan很坚持,孩子太虚弱没有力气挣扎。可以明显看出她来自乡下,日光晒黑了她的皮肤,泥土和灰尘使她蓬头垢面,衣衫褴褛。但是Stan 站在那里,充满爱意,把孩子紧紧地抱着怀里。
A sad look came over the confused mother’s face. “She can’t be admitted to the hospital; I don’t have any money to pay.” The local pediatrician who was with us was torn; her new American friend had urged admission, but now the patient obviously couldn’t be admitted. I quietly took out 100 RMB (US $12.00) and placed it gently into the mother’s worried hands. Instantly she burst out in tears and sobs. “No, no, I can’t accept this,” she exclaimed. We continued to urge her, now with tears in our eyes, to accept the little gift. But her sobs and tears grew more intense.
沮丧的神色掠上焦虑的母亲的脸:“她住不了院,我没钱”。和我们在一起的当地的儿科大夫内心十分纠结:她的新的美国朋友催促着办理住院,但是很显然这个病人不能收治入院。我默默地掏出100元人民币(12美元)轻轻的放在忧心忡忡的母亲的手中。眼泪夺眶而出,她啜泣着说:“不、不,我不能收。”我们眼里噙着泪花劝她收下这小小的礼物。她泪如雨下,啜泣不已。
Into this melee, the director of the hospital stepped; he sized up the now chaotic situation, and offered to take the patient in, thus wisely calming down the situation. But we needed a blood test first, and there was no transport system. Stan gently carried the limp child in his arms to the laboratory, and the bloods were drawn. The results were instantly provided, which really impressed us! Now she needed an X-ray. As I went ahead to the X-ray department, the initial response was less than enthusiastic, probably because I was dressed like the local people and it didn’t quite “click.” However, in the next instant, the doctor looked up and saw big white Stan with the child. Realizing there was something wrong with this picture, he quickly set up the X-ray machine.
这时院长走进混乱的人群,他审视了当前纷扰的场面,指示让病人入院,英明地打破了僵局。我们首先需要验血,但没有运送工具。Stan温柔的抱着虚弱的孩子去化验室,血抽了。结果立即出来,这让我们大吃一惊。她还需要照X片。我领头去放射科,可能因为我衣着像当地人因而并不出众,那里的医生最初的反应并不热情,但当那个医生抬头看见大个子白人Stan抱着孩子的那一刻,意识到当前的场景有些异样,他迅速开启X光机。
As I stood at the hospital cashier’s line to pay the laboratory bill, the cashier looked up, recognized me (we had just met earlier), and gave me a very quizzical look, unsure of what was happening. I smiled just a bit, not wishing to make it an issue, and he smiled back, just a bit, in response. I can still visualize the odd look in his eyes.
我站在医院收银台为检验单付费,收银员抬头认出了我(我们刚认识不久),他惊讶的看了我一眼,很纳闷怎么了。我轻轻的微笑,不希望把它当回事,他也冲我微微笑。我仍能看出他眼里诧异的神色。
And finally were able to start down the muddy road to where the pediatric hospital was, five minutes away. The surprised look in the eyes of the doctors and nurses when Stan placed the child in the hospital bed was understandable; and more so when we delivered some steaming buns and a canteen bowl to the hospital for the exhausted mother!
终于能启程沿着泥泞的道路去五分钟路程以外的儿童医院。Stan把孩子安置在医院的病床上的时候,医生和护士惊讶的表情是可以理解的。当我们把冒着热气的馒头和食堂就餐用的大碗送到医院给筋疲力尽的母亲的时候,他们更是惊诧了。
Photo 2: Clinic facilities in mountain areas can be rather basic
图2: 山区医疗机构很是简陋
Actions speak louder than words; a picture is worth a thousand words; a brother is born in adversity; and the Son of Man came to serve, not to be served. Somehow, all these beautiful words we have been taught, made sense.
行胜于言;一画抵千言;兄弟生于逆境;人子要服事,而不是被服事。我们所学的美好的词汇就是这样表达这层意思。
The author was Executive Director of Medical Services International (MSI), which organized 5,000 professional visits, to serve in inland China in its first 10 years.
作者是国际医疗服务机构(MSI)执行理事,这个机构在最初10年里组织了5000人次的专业访问以服务中国内地。