005 我的助产士生涯

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My name is Maia, and I am a 47-year-old midwife living in Rome

我叫玛雅，是一名47岁的助产士，住在罗马。

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Midwives are women who assist other women during childbirth

助产士是在分娩时协助其他妇女的女性。

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Midwifery is a profession that has been practiced since

human families have been having children.

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My mother taught me how to be a midwife, and she taught me well

我母亲教我如何成为助产士，她教得很好。

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Giving birth is a joyous event, but it can be dangerous

分娩是件喜事，但也可能很危险。

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So a midwife must, with the help of the gods, make sure the

mother and her child are healthy and safe.

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In 146 BC Roman soldiers destroyed the Greek city of Corinth

made my mother a slave, and took her to Rome.

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Romans respect Greek science, and Greek midwives

like my mother are well trained.

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When my mother settled in Rome in her master's house, he allowed

her to work as a midwife for other families.

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She was paid well, so my mother was able to save some money

她报酬优厚，所以我母亲得以攒下一些钱。

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Soon she was able to buy her freedom

不久，她就得以赎回自由身。

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From age nine, I accompanied my mother to every birth and learned the craft

从九岁起，我便跟随母亲参与每一次接生，学习这门技艺。

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I discovered how women experience the birth of children

我了解到了女性是如何经历分娩的。

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For example, it is natural for women to be fearful, especially

when they are having their first child.

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Older mothers are more confident and understand

that the pain eventually ends.

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But the first time I saw a birth, I became sick to my stomach

但我第一次目睹分娩时，感到一阵恶心反胃。

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I had not expected such a large amount of blood

and the birth was very messy.

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The new mother cried so much that I cried too

那位新妈妈哭得很厉害，把我也惹哭了。

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My mother sternly told me that a good midwife must be calm in

order to be a strong support for the mother.

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Even though there are some sad moments, being a midwife has many joys

尽管有些悲伤的时刻，但做一名助产士也充满了许多快乐。

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So I am teaching my daughter Sofia this craft too

所以，我现在也在把这门技艺教给我的女儿索菲亚。

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To be a good midwife, you should be able to read and write

要成为一名好的助产士，你得会读书写字。

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When my mother was young, midwives learned mostly from experience

but now, midwives have some medical knowledge too.

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Hippocrates, the Greek physician, wrote a lot about women and their babies

希腊医生希波克拉底写了很多关于妇女和婴儿的著作，

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and good midwives need to read and understand his ideas to deal with

some of the problems that can arise during childbirth.

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Midwives also have to understand the nature of plants; for example, we

need to know which herbs make labor and childbirth easier.

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One time a woman was in labor for over 12 hours

and the pain was almost unbearable.

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She became very tired and weak, so I made tea from the root

of vervain, a plant with small purple flowers.

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When the mother drank this tea, it helped to speed up the delivery of

her child, and her baby boy was born an hour later.

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Every woman should have a midwife when she is going to have a baby

but in Rome only wealthy women can hire one.

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When a woman first believes she is going to have a baby

she sends her slave to ask me to visit.

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Then I go to the woman's home to examine her body

for signs that she will be a mother.

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I ask the woman many questions, and her answers help me determine

when natal day—the day of birth—will be.

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Usually it takes about nine months for a baby to develop inside a woman

通常，宝宝在女士体内发育需要大约九个月的时间。

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But every woman is different. Sometimes natal day comes

a bit early and sometimes it is late.

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Even a midwife cannot know the exact day the baby will come

即使是我这个助产士，也无法知道宝宝到来的确切日子。

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Most of the time, childbirth begins when the mother

starts feeling labor spasms.

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Then a slave is sent to me, and I go quickly to the mother's

home with two or three assistants.

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My daughter is one of them. Upon arrival we are taken into a room where

the mother is lying in bed, usually in great pain.

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We bring soft strips of cloth, a pillow, herbs

and a special birthing chair.

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It is easier for mothers to give birth if they are

sitting, rather than lying down.

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First we warm olive oil and water in pots

首先，我们在罐子里把橄榄油和水加热。

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My assistants soak the soft cloths in water and then fold them

against the woman's sides as she lies in bed.

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I massage the mother's belly and hips with warm olive oil too

我也用温热的橄榄油按摩产妇的肚子和臀部。

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The warmth eases the pain. Childbirth may take a few

hours or last as long as a few days.

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But midwives always stay until the baby arrives

但助产士总会一直守着，直到宝宝降生。

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When the baby is ready to be born, my assistants and I carefully

move the mother to the birthing chair.

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This chair has a wooden back and armrests that the mother

can hold on to during the delivery.

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The seat is carved in the shape of a crescent moon so I can

easily catch the baby when it comes out.

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My assistants hold the mother's shoulders and arms, and

I bend down between the mother's legs.

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When I see the head of the baby coming out, I quickly

wrap my hands in cloth or thin papyrus.

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I do this to make sure the baby does not slip out of

my grasp. Finally the baby is born.

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Before giving the baby to the mother, I make sure it is healthy

在把宝宝交给母亲之前，我会先确认它是健康的。

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I check the baby's arms and legs and count all the fingers and toes

我检查宝宝的胳膊和腿，并数一数所有的手指和脚趾。

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A loud cry means the baby is strong

响亮的哭声意味着宝宝很强壮。

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I also press a finger against the baby's skin to see

if the baby is sensitive to touch.

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Then I cut the umbilical cord with a piece of pottery

然后，我用一片陶器割断脐带。

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After giving the baby a nice warm bath, I wrap it in a soft wool blanket

put it on a pillow, and give the baby to its mother.

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It is a Roman custom for the mother to then put the newborn on the floor

接着，母亲把新生儿放在地板上，这是一项罗马习俗。

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The father comes into the room and lifts the baby up to

announce the new member of his family.

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I enjoy helping women give birth. There is no greater joy and

satisfaction than seeing a new life enter this world.