新視野大學英語讀寫教程第三冊unit5-a Graceful Hands

Section (A)

Graceful Hands

I have never seen Mrs. Clark before, but I know from her medical chart and the report I received from the preceding shift that tonight she will die.The only light in her room is coming from a piece of medical equipment, which is flashing its red light as if in warning. As I stand there, the smell hits my nose, and I close my eyes as I remember the smell
of decay from past experience. In my mouth I have a sour, vinegar taste coming from the pit of my stomach. I reach for the light switch, and as it silently lights the scene, I return to the bed to observe the patient with an unemotional, medical eye.

Mrs. Clark is dying. She lies motionless: the head seems unusually large on a skeleton body; the skin is dark yellow and hangs loosely around exaggerated bones that not even a blanket can hide; the right arm lies straight out at the side, taped cruelly to a board to secure a needle so that fluid may drip in;the left arm is across the sunken chest, which rises and falls with the uneven breaths.

I reach for the long, thin fingers that are lying on the chest. They are ice cold, and I quickly move to the wrist and feel for the faint pulse. Mrs. Clark's eyes open somewhat as her head turns toward me slightly. I bend close to her and scarcely hear as she whispers, "Water." Taking a glass of water from the table, I put my finger over the end of the straw and allow a few drops of the cool moisture to slide into her mouth and ease her thirst. She makes no attempt to swallow; there is just not enough strength.

"More," the dry voice says, and we repeat the procedure. This time she does manage to swallow some liquid and weakly says, "Thank, you."She is too weak for conversation, so without asking, I go about providing for her needs. Picking her up in my arms like a child, I turn her on her side. Naked, except for a light hospital gown, she is so very
small and light that she seems like a victim of some terrible famine. I remove the lid from a jar of skin cream and put some on the palm of my hand. Carefully, to avoid injuring her, I rub cream into the yellow skin, which rolls freely over the bones, feeling perfectly the outline of each bone in the back.

Placing a pillow between her legs, I notice that these too are ice cold, and not until I run my hand up over her knees do I feel any of the life-giving warmth of blood.When I am finished, I pull a chair up beside the bed to face her and, taking her free hand betweenmine, again notice the long, thin fingers. Graceful. I wonder briefly if she has any family, and then I see that there are neither flowers, nor pictures of rainbows and butterflies drawn by children, nor cards.

There is no hint in the room anywhere that this is a person who is loved. As though she is a mind reader, Mrs. Clark answers my thoughts and quietly tells me, "I sent ... my family ... home ... tonight ...didn't want ... them ... to see ..." Having spent her last ounce of strength she cannot go on, but I have understood what she has done. Not knowing what to say, I say nothing. Again she seems to sense mythoughts, "You …stay …"

Time seems to stand still. In the total silence, I feel my own pulse quicken and hear my breathing as it begins to match hers, breath for uneven breath. Our eyes meet and somehow, together, we become aware that this is a special moment between two human beings ... Her long fingers curl easily around my hand and I nod my head slowly, smiling. Without words, through yellowed eyes, I receive my thank you and her eyes slowly close.

Some unknown interval of time passes before her eyes open again, only this time there is no response in them, just a blank stare. Without warning, her shallow breathing stops, and within a few moments,the faint pulse is also gone. One single tear flows from her left eye, across the cheek and down onto the pillow. I begin to cry quietly. There is a swell of emotion within me for this stranger who so quicklycame into and went from my life.

Her suffering is done, yet so is the life. Slowly, still holding her hand, I become aware that I do not mind this emotional battle, that in fact, it was a privilege she has allowed me, and I would do it again, gladly. Mrs. Clark spared her family an episode that perhaps they were not equipped to handle and instead shared it with me. She had not wanted to have her family see her die,yet she did not want to die alone. No one should die alone, and I am glad I was there for her.

Two days later, I read about Mrs. Clark in the newspaper. She was the mother of seven,grandmother of eighteen, an active member of her church, a leader of volunteer associations in her community, a concert piano player, and a piano teacher for over thirty years.Yes, they were long and graceful fingers.

Words: 910

New Words

　graceful a. 1.優(yōu)美的，優(yōu)雅的 2.得體的
　chart n. 圖，圖表 vt. 制圖表
　preceding a. 在前的，在先的，前面的
　decay n. 變壞，腐爛，衰敗 vi. 1.腐爛，變壞 2.衰退，衰落，衰敗
　vinegar n. 醋
　pit n. 1.坑 2.礦井，煤礦
▲skeleton n. 1.骨骼，骨架 2.梗概，提要
　loose a. 1.寬松的，不緊的 2.自由的，散漫的
　loosely ad. 松地，大致地
　secure vt. 1.關(guān)緊，固定 2.使安全，保護 3.得到，獲得 a. 1.安全的 2.牢固的 3.無憂的，安心的
　fluid n. 液體，流體
　drip v. 滴 n. 1.(連續(xù)落下的)液滴 2.一滴
　faint a. 1.微弱的 2.虛弱
　pulse n. 脈搏 vi. 搏動，跳動
　straw n. 1.吸管，麥管 2.稻草，麥桿
　moisture n. 潮濕，濕氣
　slide v. 1.（使）滑動 2.（使）悄悄地移動 n. 1.滑，滑行 2.幻燈片
　thirst n. 1.渴，口渴 2.渴望
　liquid n. 液體
　naked a. 1.赤身的，裸露的 2.赤裸裸的，無遮蔽的
▲gown n. 女長服；罩衣
　famine n. 饑荒
　lid n. 蓋，蓋子
　jar n. 罐子，壇子
　palm n. 1.手掌，掌心 2.棕櫚樹
　injure vt. 傷害，損傷
　outline n. 1.輪廓，外形 2.要點，大綱 vt. 概述
　pillow n. 枕頭
　rainbow n. 虹，彩虹
　butterfly n. 蝴蝶
　hint n. 1.細微的跡象 2.暗示，提示 v. 暗示
　reader n. 1.讀者 2.讀物，讀本
　ounce n. (重量單位)盎司
　being n. 1.生物，人 2.存在
　interval n. 1.間隔，間距 2.幕間休息，中場休息
　blank a. 1.茫然的，無表情的 2.空白的，無字的，空著的 n. 空白
　shallow a. 1.(呼吸)淺的，弱的 2.淺的 3.膚淺的，淺薄的 n. 淺水處，淺灘
　emotion n. 情感，感情，激情
　privilege n. 特權(quán)，優(yōu)惠
　episode n. 1.一個事件，一組事件 2.(尤指電視或無線電廣播的)一集，一出，一部分
　association n. 1.協(xié)會，社團，組織 2.聯(lián)合，結(jié)交，結(jié)合

Phrases and Expressions

　the pit of the stomach 胸口，心窩
　hang around sth. (使)在……上掛著， （使）圍在……上
　so that 為的是，以便
　reach for 伸出手以觸到或拿到
　feel for （用手、足、棍等）摸索，尋找
　turn towards 轉(zhuǎn)向
　bend to 俯向
　make an attempt to do sth. 嘗試，企圖
　go about doing sth. 著手處理，開始做
　provide for sth. 為可能發(fā)生的事做安排
　pick sb. up 舉起，抱起
　pull up 把... ...拉過來，把... ...拉向前

Proper Names

　Mrs. Clark 克拉克夫人