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End-of-life care

 

When Becky tells people about her incurable breast cancer, she is met with all sorts of reactions. Some people are awkward, even crossing the street to avoid talking to her, while others are just stuck for words. So what should you say to someone with a terminal illness?

當Becky告訴其他人，她患上不能治癒的乳癌，不同人有不同反應。有些人感到不知所措，甚至繞道而行避免跟她談話；有些人則不懂說甚麼。到底面對末期病患者，我們應該說甚麼呢？

 

incurable (adj.)  無法治癒的

an incurable disease 不治之症

 

e.g. Peter was told that he was incurably ill. 　Peter 被告知他患上不治之症。

 

不可改變的

incurable habits 難改的積習

  • Johnathan is an incurable romantic.   Jonathan 是個無可救藥的浪漫主義者。
  • Annie is an incurable optimist.　Annie總是樂觀得無可救藥。

 

awkward (adj.) 令人不舒服，尷尬，難相處

  • 1. 令人不舒服，奇怪

e.g. She is standing in an awkward position. 她的站姿很別扭。

e.g. This story contained some awkward writing. 這個故事有些寫作手法很笨拙。

 

  • 2. 令人尷尬的

e.g. My mother always yelled in the public that put me in a very awkward position! 媽媽經常在公眾場合大叫大嚷，把我弄得很狼狽！

 

  • 3. 難相處的

e.g. My colleague is being awkward about the whole project.  我的同事在整個計劃中都不肯合作。

e.g Her son is in the awkward age. 她的兒子正處於尷尬年齡。

 

  • 5. 侷促不安的

to feel awkward about sth./doing sth. 對某事／做某事感到侷促不安

e.g. There was an awkward pause in their conversation. 他們談話中突然沉默，令人感到侷促不安。

 

 

  • stick (v.) 黏貼

e.g. He stuck a stamp on the envelop. 他把一張郵票貼在信封上。

e.g. If you want to use that bowl again, you'll have to stick the with some superglue.

如果你想再用這隻破了的碗，你得用強力膠把它黏起來。

 

困住

e.g. We were stuck at the airport for two days because of typhoon. 因為颱風，我們被困在機場整整兩天。

 

stuck on 迷戀於; 特別喜歡

e.g. They were stuck on each other ever since they met. 打從相識開始, 他們就彼此相愛。

 

terminal 終點站；航空站；碼頭 (n.)

an oil terminal /a freight terminal 輸油管終端／貨運站

the terminal building 客運大樓

 

(adj.) 晚期的 / 不可救藥 / 終點

 

a terminal patient 晚期病人

terminal boredom 極度的無聊

終點的：the terminal point 終點

不可救藥的： a terminal crisis 致命危機

terminal disease 不治之症

e.g. Cancer is a terminal disease that takes thousands of life every year.  癌病這個不治之症每年奪去數以十萬計人的生命。

 

She was diagnosed with advanced, stage four breast cancer last year, describing the moment as "like being smashed with a sledgehammer". It is under control - "I'm not imminently going to pop my clogs" - but doctors do not know how long it can be treated for.

她去年確診患上第四期乳癌，感到晴天霹靂。雖然不會很快沒命，但醫生也不知道抗病之路有多長。

 

diagnose  (v.) 診斷

to diagnose sth./sb. as sth. 診斷某疾病／某人為某狀況

e.g. She is only twenty years old, but she has been diagnosed with diabetes. 她才廿歲，但已被診斷出有糖尿病。

 

to find the cause of (a problem)

  • The investigation was unable to diagnose the problem. 調查找不出問題的根源。

 

smash (v.)擊碎; 敲打

She smashed the glass into pieces. 她將玻璃擊碎。

He smashed his fist into my body. 他一拳捶在我身上。

 

to destroy or beat (someone or something) easily or completely

  • They smashed their opponents easily in the match. 他們在比賽中輕易將對手擊敗。
  • She smashed the world record. [=she broke the world record by a large amount]她打破世界紀錄。

(n.)嘩啦聲; 轟響

Suddenly there is a smash of breaking plates from the next table.

旁邊的桌子突然傳來碟子打碎的嘩啦聲。

 

pop one's clogs 收檔 / 玩完

In the UK = to die, usually a natural death

 

e.g. You smoke four packs a day? You'll pop your clogs before you time. 你每天吸四包煙？你很快就會歸天。

 

2. 殺人

e.g. If you don't shut up, she will has Peter to pop your clogs. 如果你不住口，她會叫 Peter 殺了你。

 

Drama in English

 

"The Open Couple" by Dario Fo

 

Man: My compliments on your acting. But it doesn’t hold water.

我必須要讚賞你的演技，但（你的故事）並不可信。

 

hold water

 

1. 不可信

e.g. Anson's story won't hold water. It sounds too unlikely. 

Anson 所講的故事並不可信，根本無可能發生。

 

2. 不可行

to be inadequate, insubstantial, or ill conceived. 

e.g. I am sorry that your idea won't hold water. Thanks for your good try.

多謝你的嘗試，可惜你的想法並不可行。

 

A Song For You – “Sick and Tired” by Anastacia

 

Your heart is in a place I no longer want to be

I knew there'd come a day

I'd set you free

'Cause I'm sick and tired

Of always being sick and tired

 

be sick/ tired of sth 受夠了

= to have experienced too much of someone or something with the result that you are annoyed

 

e.g. I’m sick of him whining about money.

   
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