365个英语简短小故事-360. The Heart Attack (2)

His computer was on. Maybe he should email someone. What would the email say—“I think I’m dying¹ of a heart attack”? Wait a minute, he thought. He was about to die, and he was going to email someone who might not open his email for days?! He turned off the computer. Should he leave the dining table lamp on, or turn it off? He didn’t know whether to sit in the chair at the dining table, or go lie down in bed. Should he be sitting down or lying down when he died? Did it matter? He decided² to sit in the chair and wait for his death.

He used to teach CPR, and he knew he had the symptoms³ of a heart attack. Victims⁴ usually describe a feeling of fullness. Students always used to ask what the “fullness” felt like, but he couldn't tell them. Now he knew exactly what it felt like.

So, this is how it’s going to happen, he thought, as he sat in the chair looking at the TV, waiting to die. He didn’t particularly like the thought of dying at this time, but he accepted it. He was 60 years old. You live, you die. Would he just quietly become unconscious⁵? Or would his heart “explode,” causing him to yell⁶ out in pain?

And then the fullness in his chest⁷ simply disappeared. The numbness⁸ in his hand went away, too. He waited, just to be sure. He was okay! From start to finish, perhaps three minutes had passed. Thank You, he said quietly.

Tomorrow he should see a doctor and a lawyer, he thought. And next time, he shouldn’t worry about the cost of an ambulance ride or a hospital stay. He couldn’t believe that when he thought his very life was on the line, he had cheaped out.

 

1 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 symptoms   

症状( symptom的名词复数 )； 征兆

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。

4 victims   

n.牺牲者( victim的名词复数 )；牺牲品；受骗者；为祭祀杀死的动物（或人）

参考例句：

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。
• victims of child abuse 受虐待的儿童

5 unconscious   

adj.失去知觉的，不省人事的；无意识的，不知不觉的

参考例句：

• She was unconscious but her heart was still beating.她已经不省人事，但脉搏还在跳。
• He was unconscious of his mistake.他没意识到自已的错误。

6 yell   

vi./n.号叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
• When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。

7 chest   

n.胸，大箱子，金库，资金，一箱，密封室，衣橱

参考例句：

• The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
• Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。

8 numbness   

n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆

参考例句：

• She was fighting off the numbness of frostbite. 她在竭力摆脱冻僵的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Sometimes they stay dead, causing' only numbness. 有时，它们没有任何反应，只会造成麻木。 来自时文部分