雅思阅读练习：The Use of Force

　　新东方在线雅思网为大家带来了雅思阅读练习：The Use of Force。正文都做了贴心的注解，文章包含雅思词汇、例句讲解。希望以下内容能够为同学们的雅思备考提供帮助。新东方在线雅思网将第一时间为大家发布最新、最全、最专业的雅思报名官网消息和雅思考试真题及解析，供大家参考。

　　威廉姆斯既是一位艺术家，还是一名出色的医生。他喜欢描写行医过程中遇到的普通人：他们的痛苦、灾难、艰辛与自尊，与此同时，他也喜欢通过文字来反思自己的行医过程，揭示出更为普遍的人性。这方面的小说都收录在他的短篇小说集《医生的故事》(Doctor’s Stories)中，《使用武力》即出自该小说集，这也是被其他小说选集收录最多的短篇小说之一。在《使用武力》中，威廉姆斯用第一人称自传式视角回顾了自己的一次行医经历：“我”到一个贫穷家庭诊断一位可能患有白喉病的女孩，但女孩无论如何都不愿意张开嘴让“我”检查喉咙。于是“我”命令她父母和“我”一起，“使用武力”强行撬开了女孩的嘴巴。终于，“我”发现了女孩拼命守护的秘密：她的喉咙化脓，已经感染上白喉病。这本是医生经常遇到的情景，但在威廉姆斯笔下，这一经历却给他提供了一次难得的机会来反思行医过程中的种种伦理困境：医患冲突、残忍与尊严、理性与欲望等。

　　[1] They were new patients to me, all I had was the name, Olson. Please come down as soon as you can, my daughter is very sick.

　　When I arrived I was met by the mother, a big startled looking woman, very clean and apologetic who merely said, Is this the doctor? and let me in. In the back, she added. You must excuse us, doctor, we have her in the kitchen where it is warm. It is very damp here sometimes.

　　他们是我的新病人，我所知道的只有名字，奥尔森。请尽快赶过来，我女儿病得厉害。

　　我到达时前来迎接的是母亲，一个大个子、脸色惊恐的女人，穿着干净，满脸歉意，只问我一句，是医生吗?就让我进屋了。在后屋，她又说。医生，您得原谅咱们，咱让她待在厨房，那儿暖和些。这地方有时湿气太重。

　　[2] The child was fully dressed and sitting on her father’s lap near the kitchen table. He tried to get up, but I motioned for him not to bother, took off my overcoat and started to look things over. I could see that they were all very nervous, eyeing me up and down distrustfully. As often, in such cases, they weren’t telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that’s why they were spending three dollars on me.

　　那孩子穿得严严实实，坐在父亲膝上，挨着餐桌。父亲想站起来，但我示意他不必起身，然后脱去外套，开始检查。看得出，他们都很紧张，不信任似地上下打量我。在这种情况下，他们通常都是能不说话就不说话，应该由我来给他们说;这是他们向我支付3美元的理由。

　　[3] The child was fairly eating me up1 with her cold, steady eyes, and no expression to her face whatever. She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer2 in appearance. But her face was flushed3, she was breathing rapidly, and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair, in profusion4. One of those picture children often reproduced in advertising leaflets and the photogravure5 sections of the Sunday papers.

　　那孩子眼神冷淡而坚定，脸上没有任何表情，一时让我不知所措。她一动不动，看起来内心很安静;小东西分外可爱，外表壮得像头小母牛。但她脸色猩红，呼吸急促，我知道她在发着高烧。她满头金发漂亮浓密，就像印在广告传单和星期天报纸照片栏目中的孩子。

　　[4] She’s had a fever for three days, began the father and we don’t know what it comes from. My wife has given her things, you know, like people do, but it don’t do no good. And there’s been a lot of sickness around. So we tho’t you’d better look her over and tell us what is the matter.

　　她发烧已经3天了，父亲开始说道，我们不知道从哪儿得的。我老婆给她吃了一些东西，嗯，就和别人一样，可一丁点用都没有。现在到处都是得病的人，所以我们希望您给她检查检查，告诉我们她到底怎么了。

　　[5] As doctors often do I took a trial shot6 at it as a point of departure7. Has she had a sore throat?

　　Both parents answered me together, No . . . No, she says her throat don’t hurt her.

　　Does your throat hurt you? added the mother to the child. But the little girl’s expression didn’t change nor did she move her eyes from my face.

　　Have you looked?

　　I tried to, said the mother, but I couldn’t see.

　　按照医生的惯常做法，我试探性地问了个问题作为开始。她嗓子痛吗?

　　父母两个齐声答道，没有……没有，她说嗓子不痛。

　　你嗓子痛吗?母亲又问了孩子一次。但是小女孩的表情纹丝不动，眼睛也一刻不离我的脸。

　　你们看过没有?

　　我想看，母亲回答，但没法看到。

　　[6] As it happens8 we had been having a number of cases of diphtheria9 in the school to which this child went during that month and we were all, quite apparently, thinking of that, though no one had as yet10 spoken of the thing.

　　那个月，我们碰巧在这个孩子的学校发现了很多例白喉病。很显然，我们三个都想到了这点，但现在为止谁也没挑明。

　　[7] Well, I said, suppose we take a look at the throat first. I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child’s first name I said, come on, Mathilda, open your mouth and let’s take a look at your throat.

　　Nothing doing.

　　Aw, come on, I coaxed11, just open your mouth wide and let me take a look. Look, I said opening both hands wide, I haven’t anything in my hands. Just open up and let me see.

　　好，我说，我们先来看看嗓子吧。我用最职业的方式微笑着问小孩的名字，然后说，来吧，玛蒂尔达，张开嘴，让我瞧瞧你的嗓子。

　　没有任何反应。

　　哦，来吧，我连哄带骗地说，把嘴张开些，我瞧瞧就可以了。你看，我摊开双手说，我手里什么也没有。你张开嘴，让我看一下就行啦。

　　[8] Such a nice man, put in the mother. Look how kind he is to you. Come on, do what he tells you to. He won’t hurt you.

　　At that I ground12my teeth in disgust. If only they wouldn’t use the word “hurt” I might be able to get somewhere. But I did not allow myself to be hurried or disturbed but speaking quietly and slowly I approached the child again.

　　多好的人啊，母亲插话道。瞧他对你多好。来吧，照他说的做，他不会弄疼你的。

　　这句话让我讨厌得直咬牙。他们要是不说“弄疼”这个词，我也许能做成点事。但眼下我不可匆忙，也不能心有旁骛，我慢声细语地再次转向孩子。

　　[9] As I moved my chair a little nearer suddenly with one catlike movement both her hands clawed instinctively13 for my eyes and she almost reached them too. In fact she knocked my glasses flying and they fell, though unbroken, several feet away from me on the kitchen floor.

　　Both the mother and father almost turned themselves inside out14 in embarrassment and apology. You bad girl, said the mother, taking her and shaking her by one arm. Look what you’ve done. The nice man . .

　　For heaven’s sake, I broke in. Don’t call me a nice man to her. I’m here to look at her throat on the chance15 that she might have diphtheria and possibly die of it. But that’s nothing to her. Look here, I said to the child, we’re going to look at your throat. You’re old enough to understand what I’m saying. Will you open it now by yourself or shall we have to open it for you?

　　我把座椅搬过去靠近她一点，突然，她的双手像猫一样本能地抓向我的眼睛，差点被她抓到。结果，她打飞了我的眼镜，落在厨房地板上离我几英尺远的地方，幸而没有摔碎。

　　父母两个顿时无比尴尬，满脸歉意。你这坏孩子，母亲一边说，一边抓住她的手臂使劲摇。瞧你都干了些什么，他是多好的人啦……

　　看在上帝份上!我打断了她，别在她面前叫我好人。我来这儿是看她嗓子的，她有可能得了白喉，还可能因此丢小命!但她丝毫不为所动。瞧，我对孩子说，我们必须看看你嗓子。你不小了，应该明白我的意思。现在，你是愿意自己张开嘴，还是让我们来帮你张开?

　　[10] Not a move. Even her expression hadn’t changed. Her breaths however were coming faster and faster. Then the battle began. I had to do it. I had to have a throat culture16 for her own protection. But first I told the parents that it was entirely up to them. I explained the danger but said that I would not insist on a throat examination so long as they would take the responsibility.

　　她还是一动不动，连表情也没任何变化，只是呼吸越来越急促。于是战斗开始了。我迫不得已。为了保护她，我必须给她做喉咙检查。但首先我告诉她父母，完全由他们来拿主意。我把危险解释给他们听，但是，只要他们愿意承担责任，我不会坚持做喉咙检查。

　　[11] If you don’t do what the doctor says you’ll have to go to the hospital, the mother admonished17 her severely.

　　Oh yeah? I had to smile to myself. After all, I had already fallen in love with the savage brat, the parents were contemptible18 to me. In the ensuing19 struggle they grew more and more abject20, crushed, exhausted while she surely rose to magnificent heights of insane fury of effort bred of her terror of me.

　　你要是不听医生的话，你就得上医院!母亲语气严厉地训斥道。

　　噢，是吗?我不由暗笑。两个父母虽然可恶，我却已经喜欢上了这个小兔崽子。在接下来的搏斗中，两个父母变得越来越卑鄙讨厌，体力不支，精疲力竭，而她由于对我心怀恐惧，仍在用尽全身力气拼命地挣扎。

　　[12] The father tried his best, and he was a big man but the fact that she was his daughter, his shame at her behavior and his dread of hurting her made him release her just at the critical times when I had almost achieved success, till I wanted to kill him. But his dread also that she might have diphtheria made him tell me to go on, go on though he himself was almost fainting, while the mother moved back and forth behind us raising and lowering her hands in an agony of apprehension21.

　　父亲尽了最大努力。他块头很大，但毕竟是自己的女儿，他既为她的行为羞愧，又怕伤到她，于是，每每在我快要成功的关键时刻，他就撒了手，最后我都恨不得杀了他。但是，他也担心她可能得了白喉，所以又叫我继续，继续，虽然他自己差不多都晕倒了，母亲则在我们后面走来走去，焦急万分地一会儿抬起手，一会儿又放下。

　　[13] Put her in front of you on your lap, I ordered, and hold both her wrists.

　　But as soon as he did the child let out a scream. Don’t, you’re hurting me. Let go of my hands. Let them go I tell you. Then she shrieked terrifyingly, hysterically22. Stop it! Stop it! You’re killing me!

　　Do you think she can stand it, doctor! said the mother.

　　You get out, said the husband to his wife. Do you want her to die of diphtheria?

　　Come on now, hold her, I said.

　　把她抱到膝盖上，我命令道，抓住她两只手腕!

　　他刚动手，孩子就发出一声尖叫。不要，你弄痛我了!放开我的手，我叫你放手!她接着歇斯底里地大叫，叫声令人恐怖。住手!住手!痛死我了!

　　您看她受得了吗?医生!母亲说道。

　　你滚出去!丈夫对妻子说。你想她得白喉死吗?

　　得了吧，抓牢她!我说。

　　[14] Then I grasped the child’s head with my left hand and tried to get the wooden tongue depressor between her teeth. She fought, with clenched teeth, desperately! But now I also had grown furious--at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn’t. I know how to expose a throat for inspection. And I did my best. When finally I got the wooden spatula23 behind the last teeth and just the point of it into the mouth cavity, she opened up for an instant but before I could see anything she came down again and gripping the wooden blade between her molars she reduced it to splinters24 before I could get it out again.

　　我左手紧紧扳住孩子的头，试图把木制压舌板塞到她牙齿之间。她咬紧牙关，殊死搏斗!而这时我也变得怒不可遏了——对一个孩子。我努力控制住自己的情绪，但做不到。我知道如何把人喉咙张开检查!我竭尽全力。终于，我将木制压舌板伸到她最后一排牙齿后面，木板的顶部进入牙腔，她的嘴张开了，不过只有那么一瞬间，我还没来得及看到任何东西，嘴又合上了，没等我取出压舌板，她臼齿紧紧咬住板缘，将它咬成了碎片。

　　[15] Aren’t you ashamed, the mother yelled at her. Aren’t you ashamed to act like that in front of the doctor?

　　Get me a smooth-handled spoon of some sort, I told the mother. We’re going through with this. The child’s mouth was already bleeding. Her tongue was cut and she was screaming in wild hysterical shrieks. Perhaps I should have desisted25 and come back in an hour or more. No doubt it would have been better. But I have seen at least two children lying dead in bed of neglect in such cases, and feeling that I must get a diagnosis now or never. I went at it again. But the worst of it was that I too had got beyond reason. I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it.

　　你不害臊吗?母亲冲她大喊大叫起来。在医生面前这样你不觉得害臊吗?

　　给我拿把平柄勺过来，我对母亲说。我们得把这事干完才行。孩子的嘴已经开始流血。她的舌头破了，可还在歇斯底里地尖叫。也许我该住手，过一两小时后再来，这样无疑会更好。但是，我已经见过至少两个情况相同的孩子疏于治疗而死在床上，我感觉我必须现在给她诊断，否则就永无机会了。我又开始干起来。但最糟糕的是，此时我也失去了理智。盛怒之下，我恨不得把那孩子撕开了享用。向她发起进攻让我感受到快感，我的脸也因此变得火辣辣的。

　　[16] The damned little brat must be protected against her own idiocy26, one says to one’s self at such times. Others must be protected against her. It is a social necessity. And all these things are true. But a blind fury, a feeling of adult shame, bred of a longing for muscular release are the operatives27. One goes on to the end.

　　这种情况下，人人都会对自己说，这可恨的小兔崽子虽然无知，但我们必须保护她，保护她也就是保护其他人，这是社会的需要。这些话固然都不错，但释放身体力量的欲望往往让人产生盲目的愤怒和成人的屈辱感，这些才是关键所在。它让我们一意孤行。

　　[17] In a final unreasoning assault I overpowered the child’s neck and jaws. I forced the heavy silver spoon back of her teeth and down her throat till she gagged. And there it was--both tonsils covered with membrane28. She had fought valiantly29 to keep me from knowing her secret. She had been hiding that sore throat for three days at least and lying to her parents in order to escape just such an outcome as this.

　　Now truly she was furious. She had been on the defensive before but now she attacked. Tried to get off her father’s lap and fly at me while tears of defeat blinded her eyes.

　　在最后一次疯狂的攻击中，我控制住了孩子的脖子和下巴。我将重重的银勺强行从她的牙齿后面伸入喉咙，直到她作起呕来。果然，她两个扁桃体都覆盖着膜状物。她一直奋勇搏斗，就是为了不让我获知这个秘密。喉咙痛这个秘密她至少隐藏了三天，她向父母撒谎，就是为了逃避这样一个结局。

　　现在她真的愤怒了。之前她一直在防守，现在她开始进攻了。她挣扎着要离开她父亲的膝头向我扑来，眼眶里盈满了失败的泪水。

　　eat somebody up: (非正式)击败某人

　　coax: 哄骗

　　grind: 碾，磨

　　turn somebody inside out: 使某人彻底地翻转过去，此处强调父母尴尬的程度。

　　admonish: 训诫，训导

　　contemptible: 可鄙的，卑鄙的

　　desist: 停止