环球英语 — 272：Difficult Birth

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Rachel Hobson.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
“Come on then - come on then push push”
Voice 2
Rosie has said these words to thousands of pregnant¹ women! Rosie is a trained midwife - it is her job to bring new babies into the world. She has worked in North Africa for thirty [30] years. So what is it like to be a midwife - to spend your days bringing life into the world? She shared some of her experiences with Spotlight².
It is the middle of the night. Most people are sleeping in the small village of Sidi daoud, North Africa. But in one small house, no one is asleep. The cries of a young woman are loud. Saadia is ready to give birth to her third child. She needs help. And there is only one person she wants - Rosie. Rosie brought Saadia’s other children into the world. And Saadia needs her now. She sends her husband to Rosie’s house. But, he comes back alone. Rosie is not there. She is already at work in another house. It is a busy night! Saadia is troubled. She refuses to go to the hospital. She wants Rosie. Finally, her husband manages to find Rosie. She goes with him to help Saadia. Rosie says,
Voice 1
‘I went to their village home. It is a small mud³ built house. I walked in. I saw a freezing cold bottle of water! Usually women will not drink anything cold. They believe cold fluids⁴ make their labour pains cold. And you want hot labour pains to have a baby. (Although I do not think cold fluids have any real effect.) “What is that doing there?!” I asked. “I did not want to push until you came.” Saadia answered.
Voice 2
Rosie lifted Saadia’s clothes from her lower⁵ body. ‘Oh dear’ she said. To her surprise, there was a little foot! The baby was the wrong way around inside Saadia. Its feet were pointing downwards⁶ - instead of its head! Quickly, Rosie began her skilled⁷ work. She listened to the baby’s heart beat. She got ready to move Saadia. The baby’s position meant that Saadia could not give birth in the usual position.
Saadia could not lie on the floor. She had to lie on a bed. But she had to lie at the very end of the bed. Her bottom had to be off the bed. Rosie sat opposite. She placed Saadia’s feet on her knees. In hospitals for such births, they move the bottom half of the bed away. But, in a small mud hut⁸, this is the next best thing. Rosie explains why,
Voice 1
‘This way, when the baby is born there is nothing under it. I needed Saadia on the end of the bed. Her bottom must be at the very end. Her feet are on my knees. So, when the baby’s body is born, it will hang down. The weight of the baby’s body will pull the head into the right position. No one must touch the baby.’
Voice 2
Rosie explains that touching⁹ the baby at this point is very dangerous. It may cause the baby to breathe. The baby’s head is still inside the mother, in water. It must not breathe until it comes out of the mother, or it will die.
But how can you get the baby out without touching it? Well, the mother pushes her baby out. Rosie makes sure that Saadia is in the right position. She knows when it is safe to touch the baby. It is when she can see the hair at the back of the baby’s neck. At this point, she can gently lift the baby’s body into position. Then, she guides the nose and the mouth out. She cleans them so the baby can breathe. Next, she carefully guides the rest of the head out. Rosie knows that she only has limited time. The umbilical cord¹⁰ is already out! The umbilical cord is a tube¹¹ shape. It connects mother and baby from the baby’s stomach. Rosie says,
Voice 1
‘It is frightening. Once the umbilical cord is out, you have seven minutes. You have to get the head out in this time. This is because the cord is still attached¹² to the baby. When the head starts to come out, the cord is pressed against it. This pressure on the cord stops the baby getting oxygen from it.’
Voice 2
Rosie succeeds. A healthy baby girl is born. The hardest part is over. But there is still work to do. She must cut the umbilical cord. There are many ways to do this. But there are also many dangers to avoid. In another Spotlight programme we will tell simple methods that protect a baby’s life! Listen out for ‘Cutting the Cord.’
Voice 1
For Rosie there is still work in other village houses. She left one mother and child to attend to Saadia. Now she returns, to see how this mother and baby are. It has been a long night. This is not unusual for Rosie! But even thirty [30] years experience does not stop tiredness! People often ask Rosie why she chose to be a midwife - in a small village in Northern Africa. After all, she is a European, educated¹³ woman. She could do a much easier job somewhere else. To this, she answers,
Voice 1
‘God led me here - where there is a need. I do not think I would be here if I was not a Christian¹⁴. Living the Christian faith has to go alongside¹⁵ what is happening in your own life. And in the Bible¹⁶ Jesus always talks about helping¹⁷ the poor and needy¹⁸.’
Voice 2
Rosie admits that she gets tired. She says it can be difficult to get out of bed in the middle of the night. But in her mind are these words, ‘Let your gentleness be seen by all. The Lord¹⁹ is near.’ She tells me, Jesus gives rest to the spirit.’ This is how she gets out of bed in the middle of the night. And although the work is hard, it is worth it. This is her way of bringing God given life into the world.
 

1 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 mud   

n.泥，泥浆

参考例句：

• The swimming pool is filled up with mud.游泳池里全是泥。
• A car ran past,spotting my coat with mud.一辆汽车驶过，给我的外衣溅上了泥点。

4 fluids   

n.液体，流体( fluid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He is taking cold fluids. 他正在喝冷饮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You can contract Aids if your bodily fluids come into contact with the bodily fluids of someone else who is infected with HIV. 如果你的体液与染有HIV者的体液接触，你就会染上艾滋病。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 lower   

adj.较低的；地位较低的，低等的；低年级的；下游的；vt.放下，降下，放低；减低

参考例句：

• Society is divided into upper,middle and lower classes.社会分为上层、中层和下层阶级。
• This price is his minimum;he refuses to lower it any further.这个价格是他开的最低价，他拒绝再作任何降价。

6 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

7 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

8 hut   

n.棚子；简陋的小房子

参考例句：

• The hut is in the midst of the forest.小屋在森林深处。
• The poor old man lived in a little wooden hut.那个贫穷的老人住在一间小木屋内。

9 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

10 cord   

n.绳，线；纺织品；小电线；腱

参考例句：

• I wear a safety cord all the time.我一直带着安全绳索。
• I pulled the cord,and I felt a strong jerk.拉住绳索，我强烈的恐惧。

11 tube   

n.（英）地铁；管，软管，隧道；vt.把…装管，使通过管子

参考例句：

• You may get to the railway station by tube.你可以乘地铁到火车站。
• Take care not to break the test tube!当心别把试管打碎了！

12 attached   

附加的

参考例句：

• The lease entitles the holder to use the buildings and any land attached thereto.本租约持有人有权使用此建筑物以及所附属的土地。

13 educated   

adj.受过教育的，有教养的

参考例句：

• She was well educated in literature at a university.她在大学里受到良好的文学方面的教育。
• Children should be educated in a correct way.教育孩子要得法。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 alongside   

adv.在旁边；prep.和...在一起，在...旁边

参考例句：

• There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
• Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。

16 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

19 lord   

n.上帝，主；主人，长官；君主，贵族

参考例句：

• I know the Lord will look after him.我知道上帝会眷顾他的。
• How good of the Lord not to level it beyond repair!上帝多么仁慈啊，竟没有让这所房子损毁得不可收拾！