读者文摘:在医院工作的一天

I'm a nurse in a hospital's children's ward¹.

我是一家医院儿童病房的护士。

One night, I was at the nurses' station when I heard a little boy in his room talking.

一天晚上，我在护士站听到一个小男孩在他的房间里说话。

He kept the patter up for some time.

他喋喋不休有一段时间。

Finally, I got on the intercom and said softly but firmly, "All right, Johnny, it's time to go to sleep now."

最后，我打开对讲机，轻轻地但坚定地说：“好了，约翰尼，该睡觉了。”

There was quiet in the room, and then he said, "OK, God, I will."

房间里很安静，然后他说，“好的，上帝，我会的。”

I didn't hear a peep from him until morning.

直到早晨我才听到他的尖叫声。

I was in a small store in a nearby town one evening.

一天晚上，我在附近城镇的一家小商店里。

Wanting to find out when it opened the next morning,I stopped a teenage staffer on her way out and asked, "What are your hours?"

想知道第二天早上什么时候开门，

I stopped a teenage staffer on her way out and asked, "What are your hours?"

于是，我拦住一位十几岁的女员工，问她:“你们的营业时间是几点?”

Her reply: "Right now, six to nine because I'm in school.

她回答说：“现在，六点到九点，因为我在上学。

But next month it will be full-time²."

但下个月就是全天营业。”

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。