双语美文：An Open Heart一颗仁慈的心

（文章题目巧妙地利用了“双关语”的修辞手法——Open Heart，一方面指心脏外科的“开心手术”，一方面指仁慈善良的心地，同时还隐含“打开心扉”的意义。文章通过一封信，向读者形象地展现了一名热爱生活的患者和一位妙手仁心的外科医生，通过描写他们是如何“敞开心扉”的过程，给读者以启迪。）

My aunt Edith was a widow of 50, working asa secretary, when doctors discovered what was then thought to be a very seriousheart ailment.

我的姨妈伊迪丝，寡居，一直从事秘书工作，当她五十岁时，医生发现她患了一种当时被认为是非常严重的心脏病。

 

Aunt Edith doesn’t accept defeat easily.She began studying medical reports in the library and found an article in amagazine about a well-known heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, of Houston, Texas.HE had saved the life of someone with the same ailment. The article said Dr.DeBakey’s fees were very high; Aunt Edith couldn’t possibly pay them. But couldhe tell her of someone whose fee she could pay?

伊迪丝姨妈可不会轻易认输。她开始到图书馆研究医疗报告，并在杂志上发现了一篇介绍著名心脏外科医生，迈克尔·狄贝基（Michael DeBakey）博士的文章，这名得克萨斯州休斯敦的医生曾挽救过患有相同病症的患者。据文章报道，狄贝基博士收费高昂，伊迪丝姨妈根本付不起。但是他没准能告诉她，还有谁能治这种病，而且费用是她付得起的人？

 

So Aunt Edith wrote to him. She simplylisted her reasons for wanting live: her three children, who would be on theirown in three or four more years, her little-girl dream of traveling and seeingthe world. There wasn’t a word of self-pity---only warmth and humor and the joyof living. She mailed the letter, not really expecting an answer.

于是，伊迪丝姨妈写信给医生，简单陈述了她想活下去的原因：她有三个孩子，他们还要三四年以后才能自立，她的小女儿梦想着环游世界，见见世面。信里没有一个自怜的字眼，只有温暖和幽默，以及对生活的热爱。她把信寄出，并不期待真的会有答复。

 

A few days later, my doorbell rang. AuntEdith didn’t wait to come in; she stood in the hall and read aloud: “Yourbeautiful letter moved me very deeply. If you can come to Houston, there will be no charge for eitherthe hospital or the operation. Signed------Michael DeBakey.”

几天后，我们家的门铃响了。伊迪丝姨妈迫不及待地走进来，她伫立在客厅中央，大声朗读道：“你那优美的来信，深深打动了我。如果你能前往休斯敦，我们将不收取任何住院或手术费用。署名迈克尔·狄贝基。”

 

That was seven years ago. Since then, AuntEdith has been around the world. Her three children are happily married. Forher age, she is one of the youngest, most alive people I know----all because ofan open heart surgeon who knew how to honor of his profession, and how to openhis own heart.

那是七年前的事情了。从那时起，伊迪丝姨妈已经游遍全球。她的三个孩子都喜结良缘。她是我认识的人当中，年龄最大却最年轻的人——这一切都归功于一位敬业的心脏外科医生，而他仁慈地敞开了心扉。