Brad: I’m sorry I keep disrupting (v. 使...分心) the class...

 

Principal: You aren’t answering my question. What’s a school for? To educate, isn’t it? To use knowledge to wipe out ignorance (消除无知). The school’s orchestral (n.管弦乐队) is having a concert this afternoon. You plan on going?

 

Brad: No, sir. My tics (n.抽搐) will ruin (v. 毁掉) the music.

 

Principal: I want you to be there.

[音乐会期间Brad不断发出怪声，让同学们厌烦不已，好不容易等到散场，校长突然走上讲台发话]

Everybody, just keep in seats for a minute, please. Thank you. Enjoy the concert? Great job. Did you hear any noises during the quiet part?

 

[学生们一起回答Yes，齐齐看向Brad]

 

Principal: Yeah, so did I. They’re pretty annoying, aren’t they? The person making those noises is Brad Cohen. Come up here, Brad.

 

[Brad慢慢走上台, 和校长一起面向所有人]

Do you like making noises and upsetting (v.让人心烦) people, Brad?

 

Brad: No, sir.

 

Principal: Then why do you do it?

 

Brad: Because I have Tourette’s syndrome.

 

Principal: What’s that?

 

Brad: It’s a thing in my brain. It causes me to make rude noises,

 

Principal: But you can control it if you want to, right?

 

Brad: No, sir. It’s a sickness (n.疾病).

 

Principal: Well....Why can’t you just get cured (接受治疗)?

 

Brad: There isn’t any cure. I don’t like making noises any more than you like hearing them (我和你们一样不喜欢发出噪音). They’re even worse when I get stressed (adj.紧张的). When you don’t accept then I can’t stop them. But when I feel accepted, then they’re not so bad.

 

Principal: What can we do? And I mean everyone in this school. What can we do to help you, Brad?

 

Brad: I just want to be treated like everybody else.

 

Principal: [悄悄对Brad说] Good job. Go sit down.