美国国家公共电台 NPR--Volunteering at the U.S.-Mexico border helped a nurse find meaning in her work

Volunteering at the U.S.-Mexico border helped a nurse find meaning in her work

Transcript¹

Angelina McCall talks about volunteering as a nurse at a clinic on the U.S.-Mexico border after struggling to work in the ER at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Time for StoryCorps. Today, a story about rediscovering meaning in your work. Angelina McCall began her nursing career at an emergency room in Tucson, Ariz. It was 2020 at the height of COVID. She left that job about a year later and doubted whether she was cut out for nursing.

ANGELINA MCCALL: I was very embarrassed and ashamed. And I thought, OK, well, I can't work in the ER, but I am bilingual. I have a car. And I live right on the border. My mom is from Mexico. She's an immigrant. So I thought I can maybe help these migrants that are stuck at the border right now.

I applied² for the volunteer position at a clinic, and when I got there, people were coming in for first aid. They have an injury in their foot, wound care, blister³ care, and they open up, and they tell me stories that are very difficult. There was one family that came in and the little girl was probably around 10, and the dad of the little girl starts to cry. And he's telling me that the reason why they left their home country was because there was someone who was trying to hurt his daughter, and he couldn't protect her down there. And I tell myself, OK, I'm going to let him know that he is in a safe place, that he is worthy⁴ of safety, love, compassion⁵, and then be a nurse and help the young girl.

That little girl drew these pictures for me, and they express their love for me, a stranger. And at that point, I realized the one year that I struggled in the ER - as much as I feel like I failed, I am actually using the skills that I learned. Nursing is a beautiful thing. It can be amazing to be with someone during their worst situation. And I ask myself, why did I become a nurse? And it's to do this kind of work.

MART?NEZ: Angelina McCall with her husband, Matt, in Tucson, Ariz. Angelina decided⁶ not to leave nursing, and she still volunteers at the clinic on the border. Her interview is archived at the Library of Congress.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 blister   

n.水疱；(油漆等的)气泡；v.(使)起泡

参考例句：

• I got a huge blister on my foot and I couldn't run any farther.我脚上长了一个大水泡，没办法继续跑。
• I have a blister on my heel because my shoe is too tight.鞋子太紧了，我脚后跟起了个泡。

4 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 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。