时间简史

He fell ill in Switzerland.When he came back, he was on a ventilator.

他在瑞士生病了 他回来的时候戴着呼吸机

Because he's on a ventilator, you've got a tube down your throat and therefore you can't speak, just for that reason.

因为他戴着呼吸机 要把管子插到喉咙里 所以就不能说话了

For that period, which may have been a couple of months

那段时期 可能是两个月

I spent probably one in two nights, one in three nights, at the hospital

我每两天或每三天会在医院里呆一夜

because when he was in hospital he couldn't communicate with the nurses.

因为他在医院里 没法和护士交流

It's not just like being seriously ill but you're in a position where the nurses couldn't understand what Stephen wanted.

虽然不像是什么大病 但是护士不能理解 史蒂芬的需求

If Stephen was uncomfortable, they couldn't tell why.

如果史蒂芬不舒服 他们不知道是为什么

Before I caught pneumonia my speech had been getting more slurred so that only a few people who knew me Well could understand me.

在我得肺炎之前 我说话越来越含糊不清 所以很少有人能很清楚地理解我 了解我

But at least I could communicate.I wrote scientific papers by dictating to a secretary and I gave seminars through an interpreter.

但是至少我能够交流 我以向秘书口述的方式来写论文 并且通过翻译参加研讨会

And then, a tracheostomy operation removed my ability to speak altogether.

后来 一个气管改造手术 让我完全失去了说话的能力

After a long time... well, it seemed like a long time somebody came up with this brilliant gadget.

之后的很长一段时间 好吧 看起来是很长时间 有人想出这个绝妙的小发明

They didn't have it at the Cambridge hospital.They got it from somewhere in London.

剑桥医院里没有这东西 他们从伦敦的什么地方拿到了

This was high technology how you can communicate with a person with no voice.

这是个高科技 你不用出声就可以与人交流

It's a plastic piece of Perspex about so big and you've got the letters of the alphabet arranged like that,and a hole in the middle.

它是有机玻璃的 大概这么大 你能看到字母像这样排列着 中间有个洞

You hold it up between you and the other person.

朝着别人举着它

They look at a letter, and you can see which letter they're looking at most of the time. Sometimes you can't be sure.

他们看一个字母时 你能知道他们看的是哪个字母 绝大多数都行 有时也不能确定

So you would get the patient to spell out what they wanted.

所以你要有耐心来拼出想要说的话

So each letter... they have to look to pick out the A.

每一个字母 你必须看着挑选出A

You say, "A?" Did you get it right? It's like a guessing game.

你说"A" 你明白了吗 就像个猜字游戏

重点讲解

1、communicate

沟通;联系;交流

My natural mother has never communicated with me.

我的亲生母亲从未和我联系过。

Officials of the CIA depend heavily on electronic mail to communicate with each other.

中情局官员之间的联系在很大程度上依赖电子邮件。

传达;传递

They successfully communicate their knowledge to others.

他们成功地把知识传授给他人。

The results will be communicated to parents.

结果会通知父母。

沟通，交流(情感、想法等)

He was never good at communicating with the players.

他不善于和队员们进行沟通。

Family therapy showed us how to communicate with each other.

家庭疗法指导我们彼此之间的沟通交流。

2、position

位置；方位

The ship was identified, and its name and position were reported to the coastguard.

那艘船已找到，其名字和位置已报告给海岸警卫队。

This conservatory enjoys an enviable position overlooking a leafy expanse.

这个温室位置绝佳，放眼望去，草木繁茂，郁郁葱葱。

姿势；安置方式

Hold the upper back and neck in an erect position to give support for the head.

挺直上背部和脖子来支撑头部

Ensure the patient is turned into the recovery position.

确保使患者处于复苏体位。

处境；状况；形势

He's going to be in a very difficult position indeed if things go badly for him.

如果事情进展不顺利的话，他的处境将非常艰难。

Companies should be made to reveal more about their financial position.

应该要求公司使其财务状况更为透明化。