第28课

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This is a sceptical age,

这是一个怀疑的时代，

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but although our faith in many of the things in which our forefathers fervently believed has weakened,

尽管我们对先辈们曾笃信的许多事物的信念已动摇，

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our confidence in the curative properties of the bottle of medicine remains the same as theirs.

但我们对瓶装药物疗效的信心却和他们一样坚定。

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This modern faith in medicines is proved by the fact

对药物的这种现代信念由以下事实得到证明：

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that the annual drug bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures.

医疗服务机构每年的药品费用正在攀升至天文数字，

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and shows no signs at present of ceasing to rise.

而且目前没有停止增长的迹象。

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The majority of the patients attending the medical out-patients departments of our hospitals feel that

在我们医院门诊部就诊的大多数病人觉得，

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they have not received adequate treatment unless they are able to carry home with them

除非他们能带回家一些

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some tangible remedy in the shape of a bottle of medicine,

具体可见的治疗方法，比如一瓶药水、

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a box of pills, or a small jar of ointment,

一盒药片或一小罐药膏，

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and the doctor in charge of the department is only too ready to provide them with these requirements.

否则他们就没有得到充分的治疗。而负责该部门的医生也非常乐意满足他们的这些要求。

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There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them what they are asking for,

没有比给病人他们所要求的东西更能迅速打发他们的方法了，

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and since most medical men in the Health Services are overworked

而且由于医疗服务机构的大多数医务人员工作过度，

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and have little time for offering time-consuming and little-appreciated advice on such subjects as diet,

很少有时间提供耗时且不被重视的建议，比如关于饮食、

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right living, and the need for abandoning bad habits etc.,

正确生活方式以及改掉坏习惯等，

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the bottle, the box, and the jar are almost always granted them.

所以药水、药片和药膏几乎总是会给他们。

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Nor is it only the ignorant and ill-educated person who has such faith in the bottle of medicine.

并非只有无知和受教育程度不高的人才对瓶装药水有如此大的信心。

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It is recounted of Thomas Carlyle that when he heard of the illness of his friend, Henry Taylor,

据记载，托马斯·卡莱尔听说他的朋友亨利·泰勒生病时，

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he went off immediately to visit him,

立刻前去探望他，

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carrying with him in his pocket what remained a bottle of medicine formerly prescribed for an indisposition of Mrs. Carlyle's.

口袋里带着一瓶他妻子卡莱尔夫人以前因病服用后剩下的药水。

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Carlyle was entirely ignorant of what the bottle in his pocket contained,

卡莱尔完全不知道他口袋里的药瓶装着什么，

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of the nature of the illness from which his friend was suffering,

也不知道他的朋友患的是什么病，

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and of what had previously been wrong with his wife,

更不知道他妻子以前得了什么病，

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but a medicine that had worked so well in one form of illness would surely be of equal benefit in another,

但他认为一种疾病疗效显著的药，对另一种病也肯定同样有效，

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and comforted by the thought of the help he was bringing to his friend,

想到他能给朋友带来帮助，便感到欣慰，

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he hastened to Henry Taylor's house.

于是他匆匆赶往亨利·泰勒家。

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History does not relate whether his friend accepted his medical help, but in all probability he did.

历史上没有记载他的朋友是否接受了他的医疗帮助，但很可能他接受了。

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The great advantage of taking medicine is that it makes no demands on the taker

服药的最大优点在于它对服药者没有任何要求，

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beyond that of putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste,

除了忍受一小会儿难闻的味道之外，

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and that is what all patients demand of their doctors--to be cured at no inconvenience to themselves.

而这正是所有病人对医生提出的要求——在自己不感到任何不便的情况下被治愈。