2007年VOA标准英语-US Surgeon Predicts 'Full Recovery' for Castro

By Sean Maroney
Washington, DC
01 February 2007

Cuban state television has aired a video showing President Fidel Castro meeting this week with his Venezuelan counterpart and ally, Hugo Chavez.  Many viewers said Mr. Castro looked somewhat stronger than in October, when pictures of him were last released.  VOA asked a respected gastric¹ surgeon what he thinks the new video indicates.  Sean Maroney has our report.

Castro and Chavez visit

New images of Cuban President Fidel Castro show him upright and talking with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. The video contained the first images of the ailing² president seen by the Cuban public in three months.

Cuban state television aired the 10-minute video clip Tuesday, saying it was taped Monday in Havana.

Pictures of Mr. Castro were last released in July. Less than a week later, Cuba released an announcement in Mr. Castro's name, saying he had undergone surgery after "an acute intestinal³ crisis with sustained bleeding."  The president's statement said he had temporarily ceded⁴ power to his brother, Defense⁵ Minister Raul Castro.

Images of President Castro have been scarce since then, prompting speculation⁶ about the state of his health.

Dr. Fred Finelli is president of the medical staff at the Washington Hospital Center.  He is a surgeon who has operated many times on patients with symptoms similar to those suffered by the Cuban leader.

Dr. Finelli examined the new videotape at VOA's request Wednesday.  Although he has never seen Mr. Castro in person, the physician was asked for his impression of the president's appearance, compared to that of the patients he treats here.

"He looked weak; he was not as robust⁷ as he is.  He certainly wasn't making a lot of hand gestures and speaking loudly, as he has in basically every other thing I've seen of him.  But he looked good.  He looked to me like a patient who is recovering."

The American surgeon said he tends to agree with news reports that the 80-year-old Mr. Castro most likely was being treated for diverticulitis -- inflamed⁸ sacs on the walls of the intestines⁹ or stomach.  The danger is that the inflamed tissue might rupture¹⁰ in the abdominal¹¹ cavity.

Dr. Finelli says diverticulitis is very common in older people, and could account for the Cuban president's long absence.  But he adds: "If it's diverticulitis, and he's gotten this far, he'll probably make a full recovery, from what I've seen."

The surgeon cautions that cancer can sometimes mimic¹² the symptoms of diverticulitis.  He adds, however, that there is no specific evidence of this in Mr. Castro's case.

“The great unknown is: Is it diverticulitis?  If it was a cancer, it could act like other cancers and catch up with him eventually."

The Cuban government treats President Castro's health as a state secret, and has released scarcely any details of his illness or treatment. Earlier this month, a Spanish doctor [Garcia Sebrido] who examined Mr. Castro in December, said he is making a "slow but progressive" recovery from surgery.

1 gastric   

adj.胃的

参考例句：

• Miners are a high risk group for certain types of gastric cancer.矿工是极易患某几种胃癌的高风险人群。
• That was how I got my gastric trouble.我的胃病就是这么得的。

2 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

3 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

4 ceded   

v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Cuba was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898. 古巴在1898年被西班牙割让给美国。
• A third of the territory was ceded to France. 领土的三分之一割让给了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

7 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

8 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

10 rupture   

n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂

参考例句：

• I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
• The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。

11 abdominal   

adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Abdominal tissues sometimes adhere after an operation.手术之后腹部有时会出现粘连。

12 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。