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2006年NPR美国国家公共电台一月-Social Work: The Ideal vs. The Reality

时间:2007-07-19 06:10来源:互联网 提供网友:zhao6221133   字体: [ ]
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In 1991, I lived with a murderer, an albino Elvis impersonator, and a girl whose TV told her she was wicked. I was in London as a volunteer working with mentally ill homeless people, testing out a possible future as a social worker.

Smith Lodge1 was the euphemistic name for the nuthouse where I worked and lived. As the only staff member there after 4 o clock, I became the housemother to an unholy herd2 of schizophrenics, violent offenders3 and HIV-positive prostitutes. Even though I had no mental health training, I was upbeat about my assignment and intrigued4 by some of the characters and residents.

Colin, the albino Elvis personator surfaced right after I did. He was thin as dental floss and obsessed5 with destroying the building s elevator. I d find him with his arms and face drenched6 in black elevator grease. The streaks7 on his transparent8 white face made him look like the warlord of the asylum9.

He passed the time with Elvis s songs, jittery10 renditions of Love Me Tender and Viva Las Vegas . He performed at the nearby pub until becoming convinced that Win Skeletons were kept birding him when he ventured outside. He had to be hospitalized.

His breakdown11 affected12 me deeply. I started to realize that I was too connected to his suffering to really help him.

I did make some progress, finding grant money for a resident's bike ride across England to raise awareness13 of his disease, Tourette's syndrome14. The disease can cause convulsions and vulgar outburst.

Andrew always attired15 in glaring spandex bike-shorts was so thrilled about the grant that he cussed like a sailor and collapsed16 in a shining heap at my feet. Despite the good news, I still fretted17 over his mental problems. In fact, I worried about everyone, and it was taking a toll18. My doubts about becoming a social worker grew with each pint19 of gins I consumed, and eventually I consumed six pints20 every night.

Finally, there was Clyde, a 4-feet-11-inch native of French Guyana and a gentle sweet man. It was determined21 that he was ready for independent living but he never would be. He needed a supportive community. He cried when the moving van arrived to transport his belongings22 to his new home, a urine drenched housing project in one of London s welfare waste lands. His few things, clothes, toiletries, a framed photo of his long-dead mother, looked lonely in the back of the van. I couldn t bear the cruelty of the situation.

I knew then and there that I d never be a social worker because I never have or want the emotional detachment necessary for the job. I crossed the Atlanta to test out a career, I left there seeing that this kind of work would destroy me. I was the wrong person, too empathetic, too concerned about Colin, Andrew and Clyde.

In the end, I came to understand the old saying: If you live next to the cemetery23, you can not cry for everyone. And it was clear that I d have to move on and live someplace else.

NEW WORDS:

albino 白化病患者
impersonator 模仿(名人等)的艺人
euphemistic 委婉的
schizophrenic 精神分裂症的
asylum 收容所, 精神病院
Guyana 圭亚那
dental floss 牙线
jittery = trembling
convulsion 震撼,动乱
attire in 穿上
toiletry 化妆品
detachment the state of not reacting to or being involved in something in an emothinal way

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 lodge q8nzj     
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆
参考例句:
  • Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
  • I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
2 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
3 offenders dee5aee0bcfb96f370137cdbb4b5cc8d     
n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 );犯规者;罪犯;妨害…的人(或事物)
参考例句:
  • Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
  • Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。
4 intrigued 7acc2a75074482e2b408c60187e27c73     
adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
  • He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
5 obsessed 66a4be1417f7cf074208a6d81c8f3384     
adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的
参考例句:
  • He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
  • The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。
6 drenched cu0zJp     
adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体)
参考例句:
  • We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨,淋得浑身透湿。
  • The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 streaks a961fa635c402b4952940a0218464c02     
n.(与周围有所不同的)条纹( streak的名词复数 );(通常指不好的)特征(倾向);(不断经历成功或失败的)一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 );使布满条纹
参考例句:
  • streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
  • Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
8 transparent Smhwx     
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的
参考例句:
  • The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明,可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
  • The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。
9 asylum DobyD     
n.避难所,庇护所,避难
参考例句:
  • The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
  • Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。
10 jittery jittery     
adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的
参考例句:
  • However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是,自从拉上这辆车,并没有出什么错儿,虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。
11 breakdown cS0yx     
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌
参考例句:
  • She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
  • The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障,但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
12 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
13 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
14 syndrome uqBwu     
n.综合病症;并存特性
参考例句:
  • The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
  • Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。
15 attired 1ba349e3c80620d3c58c9cc6c01a7305     
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The bride was attired in white. 新娘穿一身洁白的礼服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It is appropriate that everyone be suitably attired. 人人穿戴得体是恰当的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
17 fretted 82ebd7663e04782d30d15d67e7c45965     
焦躁的,附有弦马的,腐蚀的
参考例句:
  • The wind whistled through the twigs and fretted the occasional, dirty-looking crocuses. 寒风穿过枯枝,有时把发脏的藏红花吹刮跑了。 来自英汉文学
  • The lady's fame for hitting the mark fretted him. 这位太太看问题深刻的名声在折磨着他。
18 toll LJpzo     
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟)
参考例句:
  • The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
  • The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
19 pint 1NNxL     
n.品脱
参考例句:
  • I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
  • In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前,花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。
20 pints b9e5a292456657f1f11f1dc350ea8581     
n.品脱( pint的名词复数 );一品脱啤酒
参考例句:
  • I drew off three pints of beer from the barrel. 我从酒桶里抽出三品脱啤酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Two pints today, please. 今天请来两品脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
22 belongings oy6zMv     
n.私人物品,私人财物
参考例句:
  • I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
  • Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。
23 cemetery ur9z7     
n.坟墓,墓地,坟场
参考例句:
  • He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
  • His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。
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TAG标签:   npr  公共电台  social  ideal  npr  公共电台  social  ideal
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