读者文摘:失去我一生挚爱的那天(8)

Incredibly, Laura’s location would have been considered “accurate” according to FCC standards, even though it led first responders astray.

令人难以置信的是，根据联邦通信委员会的标准，劳拉的位置被认为是“准确的”，尽管它导致第一批响应者走错地方。

A push is underway for states to adopt the Next Generation 911 system,

各州正在推动采用下一代911系统，

in which callers will be able to send text messages, photos, and video to help emergency responders locate them and assess their crises.

在这个系统中，呼叫者将能够发送短信、照片和视频，以帮助应急人员定位他们并评估他们的危机。

With such a system, Laura conceivably could have sent a photo of the ambulance-access door to her 911 operator,

有了这样一个系统，劳拉可以把救护车出入门的照片发给她的911接线员，

who in turn could have texted it to Engine 7’s crews, or even to Nurse X.

然后接线员就可以把它发给7号车的救援人员，甚至发给X护士。

Thanks to software upgrades, Android and Apple phones can now automatically relay a 911 caller’s coordinates¹ to the operator.

由于软件升级，安卓和苹果手机现在可以自动将911呼救者的坐标转接给接线员。

The location readings can still be off by hundreds of feet, but they are more frequently leading responders to almost the exact location.

位置数据仍然可能相差数百英尺，但它们会更频繁地引导响应者到达几乎准确的位置。

Far more needs to be done by mobile service providers and regulators to improve the system, but at least some progress is being made.

为了改善系统，移动服务提供商和监管机构要做的还有很多，但是至少已经取得了一些进步。

Medical errors have become the country’s third-leading cause of death,

根据约翰霍普金斯大学医学院的一项研究，

resulting in as many as 250,000 deaths per year, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

医疗事故已成为该国第三大死亡原因，每年导致多达25万人死亡。

Another study estimates the number could be as high as 440,000.

另一项研究估计，这个数字可能高达44万。

In Laura’s case, something as simple as requiring two people to conduct a search—a second set of eyes—could have made the difference.

就劳拉的事例而言，简单到需要两个人进行搜寻——多一对眼睛——就能产生不同的效果。

Doctors and nurses can reduce common-place errors simply by reminding themselves never to skip a single step in whatever they’re doing—

医生和护士可以通过提醒自己无论做什么都不要略过任何一步来减少常见的错误，

such as walking 100 feet between two doors, just to make sure no one is there.

比如在两扇门间走上一百英尺，只为确保那里没有人。

The same goes for those with medical conditions, particularly serious ones such as asthma².

同样的道理也适用于那些有疾病的人，尤其是像哮喘这样严重的疾病。

Laura did not miscalculate that morning, but she should have been more careful.

那天早上劳拉并没有判断错误，但是她应该更小心才对。

She should have told someone she was having an attack and should never have walked alone to the hospital.

她应该告诉别人她哮喘发作了，不应该一个人去医院。

It is a message I pray everyone who reads this will pass along to the people in their lives who have asthma.

这个信息，我希望任何读到的人都把它告诉身边患哮喘的人。

A message that Sumita Khatri, MD, an asthma expert and co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Asthma Center, stressed to me when explaining just how quickly asthma can turn fatal:

医学博士苏米塔·卡特里是一名哮喘专家，也是克利夫兰诊所哮喘中心的联合主任，他在向我解释哮喘有多快会致命时向我强调：

If an attack strikes when you are alone, let someone know. Because even if you reach the door of a hospital, you might not get in.

如果哮喘发作时，你是独自一人，请告诉别人。因为即使你走到医院门口，你也可能进不去。

After the full version of this story appeared on bostonglobe.com, hospital leaders apologized and acknowledged that mistakes had cost Laura her life.

当这个故事的完整版本刊登在《波士顿环球报》上面时，医院领导道歉了，他们承认错误让劳拉失去了生命。

Today, when you approach the front of Somerville Hospital, the entrance that Laura found locked is the main public doorway³ to the emergency room.

现在，当你去萨默维尔医院时，劳拉发现上锁的那个通道成了进入急诊室的主要公共入口。

There’s a large illuminated⁴ “Emergency” sign above it, as well as several additional signs on the property pointing patients to use that entrance, which is never locked.

上面有一个大的明亮的“紧急情况”标志，还有几处附加的标志，指示病人使用那个一直开放的通道。

The bench where Laura collapsed⁵ is now bathed in bright light at night, and security cameras are always monitored.

劳拉倒下的那张长椅现在在晚上沐浴在明亮的灯光下，而且安全摄像头一直在监视着。

Peter DeMarco continues to advocate for change, pushing 911 administrators⁶ to retrain operators

彼得·德马科继续倡导变革，敦促911管理人员对接线员进行再培训，

and filing legislation—“Laura’s Law”—to create standards for hospitals requiring signage, lighting⁷, and the monitoring of doors.

并申请立法——《劳拉法》——为医院制定要求标识、照明和门监控的标准。

Through the Asthma and Allergy⁸ Foundation of America, he has sought to bring attention to Asthma Peak Week,

通过美国哮喘和过敏基金会，他试图引起人们对哮喘高峰周的关注，

when common triggers are at their highest levels. It strikes the third week in September—the week Laura had her attack.

在高峰周，触发因素处于最高水平。时间是在九月的第三周，也就是劳拉发病的那个星期。

And he established the Lift4Laura Foundation (lift4laura.org) to fund personal gym training sessions for underprivileged and abused women in his wife’s memory.

为了纪念妻子，他也创建了LIft4Laura基金会，为贫困和受虐待的妇女提供私人健身训练。

1 coordinates   

n.相配之衣物；坐标( coordinate的名词复数 )；（颜色协调的）配套服装；[复数]女套服；同等重要的人（或物）v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

3 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

4 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

7 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

8 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。