第 07 回｜就醫與疾病

上星期，我的爺爺在浴室滑倒，傷到了膝蓋，從那時起他的腿就一直隱隱作痛。

Last week, my grandfather slipped in the bathroom and injured his knee, and his leg has ached ever since.

slip 是「滑倒」；injure 指意外造成的身體傷害，常用被動語態，如 be injured in an accident。ache 當動詞是「持續隱隱作痛」，主詞是疼痛的部位（his leg aches）。「從那時起一直」要用現在完成式 has ached，再加 ever since。

我們帶他去住家附近的一間診所，一位醫師替他做了檢查。

We took him to a clinic near our house, where a physician examined him.

clinic 是規模比 hospital 小的「診所」；physician 是 doctor 的較正式說法，寫作時兩者皆可。where 在此是關係副詞，前面加逗號，用來補充說明這間診所，後面接完整子句。

醫師說膝蓋沒有受到感染，但傷勢比預期的嚴重，如果不動手術，可能會讓他終身行動不便（cripple）。

The physician said there was no infection in his knee, but the injury was more serious than expected, and without surgery it might cripple him for life.

「受到感染」可直接用名詞 infection（there was no infection）。more serious than expected 是慣用說法，than 後面省略了 it was。without + 名詞表示「如果沒有…」，等於 if he did not have surgery。cripple 當動詞是「使行動不便、使殘廢」，語氣很重，只用於描述嚴重傷害；「動手術」也可寫 have an operation。

外科醫生提醒我們，只要保持傷口乾淨，傷口就不會受到感染，而且會癒合得比較快。

The surgeon reminded us that if we keep the wound clean, it will not get infected and will heal faster.

surgeon 是「外科醫生」，surgery 則是這個專業或「手術」。if 子句描述未來可能發生的事，if 子句用現在簡單式，主要子句用 will。infect 常用被動語態（be / get infected），will not get infected 與 will heal 共用主詞 it。heal 指傷口、骨頭等「痊癒、癒合」。

雖然手術很順利，他還是必須做幾個月的復健（therapy），才能正常走路。

Although the surgery went well, he must have physical therapy for several months before he can walk normally.

Although 引導讓步副詞子句，句中不可再加 but。「復健」在這裡指 physical therapy（物理治療），therapy 是不可數名詞，「做復健」用 have / do physical therapy。before 引導的時間子句談的是未來，所以用現在簡單式 can walk。

幸好，大部分的醫療費用都由全民健保負擔。

Fortunately, most of the medical costs are covered by national health insurance.

medical 是形容詞，medical costs 是「醫療費用」。be covered by 表示「由（保險）給付」。most of the + 複數名詞作主詞時，動詞配合名詞 costs，所以用 are。Fortunately 是修飾整句的副詞，放句首要加逗號。