美国国家公共电台 NPR--Hospice worker excelled at caregiving after being inspired by his grandmother

Hospice worker excelled at caregiving after being inspired by his grandmother

Transcript¹

Hajime Koyama, who goes by Issan, is a retired² hospice worker. He came to StoryCorps to remember his grandmother who shaped is understanding of grief and inspired him to care for those who are dying.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

This week from StoryCorps, we're going to hear from someone who brings comfort to people in their final moments. Hajime Koyama, who goes by Issan, is a retired hospice worker. He came to StoryCorps to remember his grandmother, who shaped his understanding of grief.

HAJIME KOYAMA: When I was 5 years old, I was playing in her room, as I always did. By that time, she was bedridden. She says, Hajime, keep it down. And I say, yes. And then suddenly door swings open, and one of the people who used to work for us comes in. And I was basically pulled out from the room. And I was told my grandmother died while I was with her all alone, playing on the floor at the foot of her bed. But the memory stuck with me because it was a beautiful afternoon. The sun comes in through the window, and I felt so warm and protected.

And then when I was a teenager, my father was sick with a cancer. My mother came to me and says, we need a little break. Can you sit with your father? So I said, of course. And in Japan, parents don't really touch kids - particularly father-son, don't really touch or hug. But before he died, he started to move his hand toward me. So I held his hand. Eventually, I held him in my arms. He looked at me and took three separate exhale³ with a long pause in between - his final breath. It's a strange thing to say, but it was so beautiful. It feels really deep and almost dangerous, like the depth of this unknown at the bottom of the ocean.

And so by diving right into it, I really understood that incredible sense of intimacy⁴. We are all together in this painful world. But because of that, this really organic, deep-seated sense of compassion⁵ arises that puts us together. And in the midst of the chaos⁶ and pain and the suffering, that is exactly where the very, very pure white flower of compassion arises and blossoms - nowhere else but in the muddy water.

MARTINEZ: That's retired hospice worker Hajime "Issan" Koyama. He spoke⁷ with his husband, Paul Boos. To hear more from their conversation, you can find the StoryCorps podcast at npr.org.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 exhale   

v.呼气，散出，吐出，蒸发

参考例句：

• Sweet odours exhale from flowers.花儿散发出花香。
• Wade exhaled a cloud of smoke and coughed.韦德吐出一口烟，然后咳嗽起来。

4 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。