The Best Medicine
最佳灵药
1 As I approach the hospital wearing my white coat, I look just like any other doctor. That is until I put on my curly rainbow wig, big red nose, and add my name badge “Doctor Larry Laugh-Out-Loud”. I walk through the doors into the waiting area, where there’s a familiar atmosphere of boredom and tension. People sit uncomfortably on plastic chairs, looking through old magazines, all of which have been read hundreds of times previously. Anxious parents do what they can to comfort nervous and crying children.当我穿着白大褂走进医院时，我看起来和其他医生没什么两样——直到我戴上卷曲的彩虹假发和大红鼻子，别上我的名牌“拉里，笑哈哈医生”。我穿过一道道门进入候诊区，这里充斥着常见的厌烦和紧张情绪。人们别扭地坐在塑料椅上，翻阅着那些已经被读过数百遍的旧杂志。焦虑的父母们正尽其所能安抚紧张哭闹的孩子。
2 In the middle of this particular scene I spot a small girl whose ankle is twice its normal size. I speak with the on-duty nurse, who tells me that Lara’s parents rushed her to the hospital after she fell off her bicycle. Since getting here, Lara has spent her time crying in pain. Although it’s the doctors and nurses who will treat her injury, it’s my job to make her feel better.
在这个特别的场景里，我注意到一个小女孩，她的脚踝肿成了原来的两倍。我和值班护士交谈时她告诉我，劳拉从自行车上摔下来，她父母赶紧将她送到医院。自从来到这里，劳拉就因为疼痛而一直大哭。尽管为她伤痛的是医生和护士，但让她的心情变好则是我的工作。
3 Scientific studies show that laughter produces chemicals to make people feel better, which means clown doctors can be helpful. We are specially trained clowns who work as part of a programme known as “hospital clowning”. I chose this career because of my experience of going to hospital when I was a kid. Although the doctors and nurses did a great job, hospitals weren’t really designed for children. I spent much of the time when I was there feeling frightened and more than little bored! Being a clown doctor means I can help people by entertaining them.
科学研究表明，欢笑能产生使人心情变好的化学物质，这就意味着小丑医生能帮到患者。我们是受过专门培训的小丑，是“医院小丑”项目的成员。我之所以选择这个职业，是因为我自己小时候去医院的经历。尽管当时医生和护士都尽职尽责，但医院实在不是个适合孩子们待的地方。我在那里度过的大部分时间要么觉得害怕，要么感到非常无聊！而成为小丑医生意味着我可以通过娱乐人们的方式来帮助他们。
4 Visiting hospitals and other health care facilities, we clown doctors work together with medical prof
essionals. On a typical day, we spend our time cheering up patients, their families, and more often than not, the hospital staff, too! We do this by doing magic tricks, singing songs, telling stories and, of course, telling silly jokes. Some children, though, don’t feel like laughing, especially if they’re in pain. We have to be very sensitive and work closely with the doctors and nurses, who keep us updated on each patient.
我们小丑医生和专业医疗人员一起工作，要走访医院和其他的医疗机构。我们一天的工作内容通常是为病人、病人家属，甚至是医院的工作人员带来欢乐！为此，我们会变魔术、唱歌、讲故事，当然还会讲一些滑稽的笑话。不过，有些孩子并不想笑，特别是在他们很疼痛的时候。所以我们必须非常善解人意，并且与医护人员密切合作，他们会为我们提供每个病人的最新情况。
5 And my magic medicine does indeed seem to do the trick. While the doctor concentrates on examining Lara’s ankle, I get her attention by doing a magic trick. Although she is clearly still in some pain, her scared and anxious look has been replaced—first by a small smile, and then by loud laughter as I “magically”produce her sock from out of my pocket. Seeing their daughter so much happier has in turn made Lara’s parents more relaxed.
而我的灵药似乎确实起作用了。当医生集中精力检查劳拉的脚踝时，我用魔术来吸引劳拉的注意力。
尽管她显然仍然有些痛苦，但她恐惧和焦虑的表情已经不见了：先是一个小小的微笑，接着变成了大笑——因为我“魔术般地”从我的口袋里变出了她的一只袜子。看到女儿破涕为笑，劳拉的父母也松了一口气。
6 And as for me? Well, when I take off my wig and my red nose, I’m still wearing a big smile, as I remember all the fun and laughter of the day. While there might be more hospital visits ahead for Lara and others, I hope that clown doctors help make it a friendlier place to visit. After all, it really i s true that “laughter is the best medicine”.
至于我呢？当我摘下假发和红鼻子的时候，我脸上仍然带着大大的微笑，因为我记得这天所有的乐趣和欢笑。也许将来，对于劳拉或者其他人来说，他们还有更多到医院就诊的需要，但我希望，小丑医生能够帮助医院成为一个更温暖友善的就诊场所。毕竟，“欢笑是最佳灵药”，这句话是真的。高中英语课文