正文
I believe listening is powerful medicine.
我相信倾听是一剂良药。
Studies have shown it takes a physician about 18 seconds to interrupt a patient after he begins talking.
研究表明，病人在开始说话大约18秒后，就会被医生打断。
It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. I approached her room in a hurry and stood at the doorway. She was an older woman, sitting at the edge of the bed, struggling to put socks on her swollen feet.
那是个星期天，我还要去看最后一个病人。我匆匆向她的病房走去，然后在门口站定。那是一位老妇人，正坐在床边，吃力地要把袜子套在肿起的脚上。
I crossed the threshold（门槛）, spoke quickly to the nurse, scanned her chart noting she was in stable condition. I was almost in the clear.
我走进病房，迅速地和护士交代了几句，看到老人的病历上标注着病情已经稳定，我就基本清楚她的身体已无大碍。
I leaned on the bedrail looking down at her. She asked if I could help put on her socks. Instead, I launched into a monologue（自言自语） that went something like this：“How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they’re better today. The nurse mentioned you’re anxious to see your son who’s visiting you today. It’s nice to have family visit from far away. I bet you really look forward to seeing him.”
我倚靠在床栏上，低头看着她。她问我能不能帮她穿上袜子，而我却开始自言自语起来，大概是这样说的：“你感觉怎么样？你的血糖和血压之前都很高，但今天好多了。护士说你的儿子今天来看望你，你很想见到他。有家人从很远的地方赶来探望真是太好了。我想你一定很期待见到他。”
She stopped me with a stern（严厉的） , authoritative voice. “Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not your story.”
她用严厉且充满威严的声音打断了我：“请坐，医生。这是我的故事，不是你的故事。”
I was surprised and embarrassed. I sat down. I helped her with the socks. She began to tell me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that the stress of this contributed greatly to her health problems.
我既惊讶又尴尬，只好坐了下来，帮她穿上袜子。她告诉我，她只有一个儿子，就住在离她家不远的街角，但是她已经有五年没见过他了。她觉得她的病主要是她和儿子间的紧张关系引起的。
After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She shook her head no and smiled. All she wanted me to do was to listen.
听完她的故事，给她穿好袜子后，我问她我还能为她做些什么。她笑着摇了摇头。她只是想让我听听她的故事。
Each story is different. Some are detailed; others are vague（模糊）. Some have a beginning, middle and end. Others wander without a clear conclusion. Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really matter. What matters to the storyteller is that the story is heard—without interruption, assumption or judgment.
每个人讲述的故事都不一样。一些故事非常详尽，另一些故事则模糊粗略。有些故事完完整整，有开头、经过和结尾，另一些故事则有头无尾。有些故事是真的，而有些是假的。然而，所有这些都不重要。对讲述者来说，真正重要的是这个故事要有人去倾听——不要打断，不要臆测，也不要评价。
Listening to someone’s story costs less than expensive diagnostic testing but is key to healing and diagnosis.
倾听别人的故事比昂贵的诊断测试花费更少，但却是诊断和治疗的关键。
I often thought of what that woman taught me, and I reminded myself of the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening.
我经常想起那个老妇人教我的道理。我时常提醒自己，要停下脚步，坐下来，认真倾听病人的故事。
And, not long after, in an unexpected twist（出人意料的转折）, I became the patient, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis （多发性硬化症）at age 31. Now，20 years later, I sit all the time—in a wheelchair.
不久之后，在我31岁的时候，我没有料到自己也成了病人，被诊断出患有多发性硬化症。直到20年后的今天，我一直只能坐在轮椅上。
For as long as I could, I continued to see patients from my chair, but I had to resign when my hands were affected. I still teach med students and other health care professionals, but now from the perspective of physician and patient.
在得病后的很长一段时间里，我还坚持坐在轮椅上坐诊看病。可是后来当我的手也受到疾病影响时，我就没法再给病人看病了。如今，我仍然在给医学生和其他医疗专业人士上课，但我不仅仅是从医学的角度出发给他们授课，还会考虑到医患关系。
I tell them I believe in the power of listening. I tell them I know firsth and that immeasurable（不可估量的） healing takes place within me when someone stops, sits down and listens to my story.
我告诉他们我相信倾听的力量。我告诉他们，我亲身体会过那种力量。当有人停下来，坐到我身旁，倾听我的故事时，我的内心就会产生强大的力量，而这种力量足以治愈疾病。
倾听是良药，它能治愈心灵的创伤。
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