手捧你心 Holding a Heart

　　It came upon us suddenly. One day, we were living quiet, happy, ordinary lives. The next, my husband and I were facing 1)triple 2)bypass surgery.

　　事情突然降臨到我們身上。前一天，我們還過著安靜、快樂的普通生活。第二天，我和丈夫卻要面對情況極其危急的心臟搭橋手術(shù)。

　　He had not told me about the shortness of breath he’d experienced a few months earlier. Nor did he mention a visit to a hospital 3)ER while he was out of town on business. When he was sufficiently alarmed by the state of his health, he finally confessed and asked me to set up an appointment with the doctor—as soon as possible. I knew it was serious when that happened because men, delightful creatures though they may be, are not known for their eagerness to “have the 4)doc take a look.”

　　我丈夫沒有告訴過我?guī)讉�(gè)月前他曾經(jīng)出現(xiàn)呼吸短促的情況，更沒有提及他出差在外時(shí)曾經(jīng)去過醫(yī)院急診室。當(dāng)他的健康狀況真正敲起嚴(yán)重警鐘時(shí)，他才最終向我坦白，并叫我盡快與醫(yī)生預(yù)約。那時(shí)候，我才知道他的病情嚴(yán)重，因?yàn)槟腥穗m然可能天性好玩樂觀，但是從來不愛“給醫(yī)生檢查一下”。

　　Tests revealed a 90% 5)blockage in one 6)artery, and severe blockages in two others. The term “7)widow maker” was mentioned. Before we’d really 8)come to grips with what was happening, we found ourselves in Savannah very early one morning. He was being 9)prepped for surgery, and I was praying every prayer I’d ever learned, and making up my own as time passed. My best friend and one of my sons were by my side.

　　檢查顯示，我丈夫其中一條動(dòng)脈有90%被阻塞，而另外兩條動(dòng)脈也出現(xiàn)嚴(yán)重阻塞現(xiàn)象。醫(yī)生還提到了“寡婦制造 者”一詞。還沒開始真正應(yīng)對所發(fā)生的事情，我們便在一個(gè)早晨早早地來到了薩凡納醫(yī)院。他正在做手術(shù)前準(zhǔn)備，而我做著我學(xué)過的每一個(gè)禱告，慢慢地自己也想出一些新的禱告。我最好的朋友和我的一個(gè)兒子陪伴著我。

　　We were given a private room in which to wait through the 10)interminable hours. I suggested to the staff that, when a person is 11)anesthetized, his family should be, too, so they wouldn’t have to endure watching a clock that has surely stopped running, listening for a phone that does not ring, and imagining worst-case 12)scenarios.

　　醫(yī)院提供一個(gè)私人房間給我們度過漫長的等待。我向醫(yī)院的員工建議說，病人被麻醉時(shí)，他的家人也應(yīng)該被麻醉，這樣，他們便不用去忍受這一切：盯著一個(gè)就像停止了走動(dòng)的時(shí)鐘，守候著一個(gè)不會(huì)響起的電話，并且想象著最壞的情況。

　　In my darkest moment, I felt deep inside that he would not survive the surgery. How could a person survive a chest being cracked open, the heart exposed and 13)fiddled with, other organs shoved aside? I knew, rationally, that thousands of open heart surgeries are performed daily, with outstanding results. But that happens to other people, not MY husband.

　　在我感到最灰暗的時(shí)刻，我深感丈夫的手術(shù)不會(huì)成功。一個(gè)人的胸膛被敲開，心臟暴露在外被搗騰，其他器官被推擠到一邊，這樣一來他還怎么能夠存活呢?我知道，從理性角度看，每天都進(jìn)行著成千上萬例心臟手術(shù)，而且手術(shù)也很成功。但那發(fā)生在其他人身上，而不是我的丈夫。

　　I sank into the 14)pit of despair, believing I’d soon be receiving terrible news. I didn’t mention my fear to my companions. Just when I’d surrendered all hope of a good outcome, I was overwhelmed by a sense of warmth and peace. It was 15)astounding! I felt hugged and 16)consoled and surrounded by love as I remembered that many people were praying for us. And I instantly knew hope, just as surely and strongly as I’d earlier known hopelessness.

　　我陷入了絕望的深淵，并相信不久便會(huì)收到壞消息。我沒有向我的同伴提及我的恐懼。正當(dāng)我要放棄對一個(gè)好結(jié)果的所有希望時(shí)，我被一股溫暖及平和所包圍。那是一種相當(dāng)驚人的感覺!當(dāng)我回想起有許多人在為我們祈禱時(shí)，我感到自己被愛擁抱著、安慰著、環(huán)繞著。我立即充滿希望，就像之前的絕望一樣肯定而強(qiáng)烈。

　　Soon the surgeon was at the door, bringing good news—the surgery had been successful. He expected my husband to make a full and speedy recovery. He reached out to shake my hand and, as I felt his warm, firm grip, I became aware of what I was doing. I was holding his hand—a hand which, just a short while ago, had held my husband’s HEART!

　　不久，外科醫(yī)生出現(xiàn)在門前，帶來了好消息——手術(shù)很成功。他預(yù)期我丈夫會(huì)快 速恢復(fù)健康。他走上前與我握手，當(dāng)我感覺到他那溫暖而有力的一握時(shí)，我意識(shí)到自己正在做什么。我正握著他的手——那只手，就在不久之前，曾經(jīng)捧著我丈夫的心臟!

　　I looked into his eyes and, with tears streaming down my face, I 17)enfolded his hands in both of mine. In all the years my husband and I have known one another, through all of the physical closeness we’ve shared, I’ve never experienced with him the 18)intimacy that the man before me had when he held my husband’s beating heart.

　　我望著他的眼睛，眼淚順著臉頰流下來。我用自己的雙手握著他的雙手。在我與丈夫認(rèn)識(shí)的這些年里，我們共同擁有過各種親密的身體接觸，但都不同于眼前這一握，那是一只捧過我丈夫跳動(dòng)著的心臟的手啊。

　　After my husband was brought to 19)CCU, we began the long wait for him to awaken. Everything went according to plan and, when he eventually opened his eyes and asked what time it was. He said,“No way!” What had been the longest day of my life had sped by in a 20)nanosecond of deepest darkness for him.

　　當(dāng)我丈夫被送進(jìn)冠心病監(jiān)護(hù)病房后，我們開始了漫長的等待，等他醒過來。一切事情都在按著計(jì)劃進(jìn)行，最終他睜開了眼睛，并詢問當(dāng)時(shí)的時(shí)間。(聽到我們的回答)他說：“不可能!”我生命中最漫長的一天，對他而言，就像以納秒速度飛過的一縷深深黑暗。

　　As part of their recovery, open heart surgery patients are given pillows to grasp tightly to their chests when moving, coughing, or sneezing. This is to prevent any damage to the 21)incisions, and to lessen the pain of any of those activities. When my husband was presented with his bright red pillow and instructed to hug it tightly to his chest, he pointed to me as he asked the nurse, “Can I hug her instead?” From that moment on, I knew he was going to be just fine, and he was the 22)talk of the unit because news of his sweet question spread quickly as the nurses shared the story.

　　作為康復(fù)過程的一部分，做了心臟手術(shù)的病人都會(huì)有一個(gè)枕頭，在移動(dòng)、咳嗽或者打噴嚏時(shí)，要將它緊摟在胸前。這是為了避免對切口造成任何傷害，并且減輕那些動(dòng)作帶來的痛楚。當(dāng)我丈夫抱著他那亮紅色的枕頭，接受如何將枕頭緊緊捂在胸口的指導(dǎo)時(shí)，他指著我，問護(hù)士：“我可以改為抱她嗎?”從那一刻開始，我知道，他會(huì)好起來的。他也因此成了整個(gè)病房談?wù)摰脑掝}，因?yàn)樽o(hù)士們很快就把他那甜蜜的發(fā)問傳開了。

　　The bright red pillow made numerous trips up and down the hallway. At first, the walks were brief and slow. Soon the walks were longer and at a quicker pace. Five days after the surgery, we returned home. The bright red pillow accompanied us on walks around our neighborhood as my husband gained strength, 23)stamina and confidence. His recovery was 24)uneventful and complete.

　　那亮紅色的枕頭來來回回在走廊里出現(xiàn)了無數(shù)次。一開始，走得不遠(yuǎn)也走得緩慢。很快，步行時(shí)間變得更長，步伐也快了起來。手術(shù)后第五天，我們回到家里。那個(gè)亮紅色的枕頭繼續(xù)陪伴我們走過社區(qū)各處，我丈夫慢慢重獲力量、精力及自信。他順利地完全康復(fù)了。

　　That was four years ago. Occasionally, I’ll spot the bright red pillow in the corner of our closet. I always pick it up and hold it close to my chest. I close my eyes and remember the day I became aware of the power of 25)grace and goodness, and what it felt like to hold the hand of the man who had held, and healed, my husband’s heart.

　　事情已經(jīng)過去四年了。偶爾，我會(huì)看看放在我們櫥柜一角的那個(gè)亮紅色枕頭。我總會(huì)拿起它，把它貼近胸口。我閉上眼睛，回憶起讓我意識(shí)到感恩祈禱及善良的力量的那一天，想起握著那只曾經(jīng)捧著并治愈我丈夫心臟的手的感覺。