VOA标准英语2015--乌克兰官员恢复美国军事医院

Left for Dead on Battlefield, Ukrainian Officer Recovers at US Military Hospital 乌克兰官员恢复美国军事医院

BETHESDA, MARYLAND—

A Ukrainian Army colonel, badly wounded while fighting Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, is undergoing rehabilitation¹ at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington, D.C.

Colonel Ihor Hordiychuk is a rare foreign patient at the world’s largest military hospital - which accepted him after a request from the government in Kyiv.

While the colonel heals and re-learns how to walk, he is already dreaming of returning to Ukraine and continuing to serve his country.

It was a 10-hour plane trip to Washington for the seriously-wounded colonel and his wife Tetiana.  But just a day after his arrival at Walter Reed Medical Center, he was already doing the exercises necessary for his rehabilitation process.

“I feel much stronger now. I even can do physical exercises for few hours in a row,” he proudly remarked.

This is not his first visit to the United States. Hordiychuk learned English and was educated at the U.S. Military Academy.

‘Motivated beyond belief’

Hordiychuk’s physical therapist, Jessica Goodine, helps a lot of veterans go through the rehab process. But she says the Ukrainian colonel’s willpower has genuinely impressed her.

“He is a delight to work with.  From day one he's been sarcastic² and funny.  He is able to make jokes and lighten up the situation.  However, he is incredibly determined³ to get back to his functions and be able to come back to Ukraine and be able to help his people," she said. "He is motivated beyond belief. He is actually a type of patient I have to pull back.”

Hordiychuk was wounded in August, while leading a Ukrainian Special Forces squad⁴ behind separatist rebel lines.  When finally forced to retreat, they came under fire from a “Grad” multiple rocket launcher, the colonel recalls.

“The shrapnel from the multiple launch rocket hit me here in the neck,” he said pointing to remnants of his injury. “It was the end of the helmet at that place, so my neck wasn't protected and that’s how everything happened.”

The rebels left the badly-wounded colonel bleeding on the battlefield in the summer heat for two days. They expected he would not live for more than a few hours. 

His wife Tetiana believes his strong character and will to live saved his life.

“No doubt, our path to rehabilitation won’t be short. The rehab is very difficult, because he had very bad symptoms and the inflammation in his head. But thanks to doctors and God and my husband’s strong character we were able to get through this and now we are [here] alive,” she said.

Tetiana is also military - a senior member of the Ukrainian Special Forces. She says her husband had little confidence in her ability as a soldier at first. But that changed once she proved herself.  Now, both of them know they have to work together very hard to get back to a normal life.

‘Faith can help’

Hordiychuk knows he has a long ahead.

“The doctors told me my traumas⁵ are too serious and, that is why it will take me almost two years to get back to a normal life.  But in order to start at least walking independently … as I dream…  well, I have to spend around one year practicing and learning how to walk again,” he said.

The colonel has one more operation to undergo and will then continue rehabilitation.  He says he believes God will help him.  In fact, he is confident it was his faith which saved him on the battlefield, when he seemingly had no chance to stay alive.  For that reason, one of the first things he did, when he came to Walter Reed, was to meet with a priest.  And when he felt a little better, he asked to be taken to a Ukrainian church not far from Walter Reed.

“Here I am and I think I am a good proof that faith can help you in life, when you basically have no chance,” Hordiychuk said.

The pastor⁶ at the church, St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, Maryland, Volodymyr Steliac, recalls their first meeting.

“I think our conversations with Ihor actually gave me more than I could give him," he said. "This guy can teach us a lot with regard of what does it means to be devoted⁷, to love your motherland and to value the freedom.”

Hordiychuk shares his thoughts with congregation members at St. Andrew’s about the situation on the front lines and in Ukraine in general. He also shares his determination to continue serving his country.  He understands he will never be able to fight the way he did before his injury.  But he says he definitely has something to teach the future generation of Ukrainian officers.

1 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

2 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

5 traumas   

n.心灵创伤( trauma的名词复数 )；损伤；痛苦经历；挫折

参考例句：

• She felt exhausted after the traumas of recent weeks. 她经受了最近几个星期的痛苦之后感到精疲力竭。
• Conclusion: Safety lens of spectacles can protect the occurrence of ocular traumas. 结论：安全镜片可以预防眼镜碎片所致的眼外伤。 来自互联网

6 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。