现实版“睡美人”可连续昏睡两月

 　　现实版“睡美人”可连续昏睡两月

　　The 'Sleeping Beauty' syndrome¹ which makes student nod off for a MONTH at a time

　　因患有罕见的克莱恩－李文综合症，21岁的英国女孩莉莉常常会昏睡不醒，最严重时曾经连睡两个月，成为现实版的“睡美人”。据莉莉的母亲介绍，她第一次发病是在2007年11月，全家出去滑冰后到一家饭店吃饭，莉莉没等餐点上桌就睡着了，之后一直睡了将近一个月，每天睡23个小时。之后的几年间，莉莉因为长睡不醒而错过了生日、学校考试、圣诞节、新年等很多人生重要日子。莉莉的母亲在2010年看到报纸上的一则报道后才知道女儿所患的病症为克莱恩－李文综合症，不过这一罕见病种目前没有任何治疗方法，只是有迹象显示部分患者可能会随着年龄增长而自愈。

　　A student has revealed how she has missed birthdays and university exams - because she has been fast asleep.

　　Lily Clarke, 21, has a rare condition called Kleine-Levin syndrome, which makes her nod off for a month at a time. She wakes only to eat and drink before returning to slumber².

　　Over three years she was seen by seven different consultants⁴ and underwent a battery of medical tests, but was only diagnosed when her mother read about a similar case in the Daily Mail in February 2010.

　　'As soon as I read the symptoms I recognised them,' Adele, 47 said.

　　'It was such a relief to finally find someone who knew what I was describing.'

　　Ms Clarke said the condition first came on when the family, from Halsemere, Surrey, went ice skating in November, 2007.

　　'Lily was uncharacteristically quiet and kept saying: "My head feels strange - I don't feel well." I just thought she was coming down with a cold.'

　　After the skating they went to a restaurant and Lily fell asleep through the whole meal.

　　Lily refused to get out of bed for the next 25 days, barely eating or drinking. She slept for 23 hours a day and couldn't bear noise or light.

　　A month later Lily was due to take some mock exams but suffered a further three-week episode before making a similar 'miraculous⁵' recovery. A third two-week episode followed a few days after her 18th birthday and her parents had to cancel her party.

　　Doctors suggested conditions from migraine to ME and depression. A consultant³ neuropsychiatrist suggested Lily was suffering from 'recurrent depressive episodes'. She was prescribed anti-depressants and a course of cognitive⁶ behavioural therapy.

　　However, a fourth episode followed in July 2008. This time she was awake for a few hours each day but was afraid to be alone.

　　'She behaved like a four year old, cuddling her teddy, sucking her thumb and crying that she thought she was going to die,' Ms Clarke said.

　　Lily continued to have regular episodes and although she managed to go to university she was falling behind with her studies. Without an official diagnosis⁷ she could not be granted 'extenuating⁸ circumstances.'

　　Then in February 2010, Ms Clarke read an article in the Daily Mail about Louisa Ball, who suffered with the 'sleeping sickness' Kleine-Levin syndrome.

　　She contacted the paper who put her in touch with Louisa's parents and the KLS Foundation in America. They advised her to see Professor David Nutt at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who confirmed Lily had the condition.

　　The symptoms match the ones Lily suffered. Sadly there is no cure, although there is some suggestion that some sufferers do grow out of it.

　　She met with two other British mothers who had children with the rare syndrome and together they set up the website www.kls-support.org.uk to raise awareness⁹.

　　Ms Clarke said: 'It is only through talking to other parents, I now understand that in an episode Lily feels like she is trapped in a horror film where everything is confusing.

　　'Her brain cannot process information. When asleep, her dreams are vividly¹⁰ real. When awake she hallucinates and nothing feels real.'

　　To help Lily cope, they have no visitors during episodes and keep to a quiet and calm routine. Lily also watches a familiar children's film over and over.

　　Ms Clarke said she now felt more confident how to deal with the condition and was proud of how Lily was coping.

　　'Lily has learnt regardless of what she has missed out on, she needs to pick herself up and live every moment of her life to the full.'

1 syndrome   

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。

2 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

3 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

4 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

5 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

6 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

7 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

8 extenuating   

adj.使减轻的，情有可原的v.（用偏袒的辩解或借口）减轻( extenuate的现在分词 )；低估，藐视

参考例句：

• There were extenuating circumstances and the defendant did not receive a prison sentence. 因有可减轻罪行的情节被告未被判刑。
• I do not plead any extenuating act. 我不求宽大，也不要求减刑。 来自演讲部分

9 awareness   

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。

10 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。