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Chapter 7 The Last Letter
7 最后一封信
Six months later, in April 1890, I found him dead inbed. He was on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep. I talked to him, but he did not move. Then I saw that the skin on his face was blue, so I knew he was dead.
過了六個月，也就是1890年4月，我發現他死在床上。他仰面朝天，開始我以為他睡著了，我朝他說話他不動，后來我見他臉上的皮膚發青，才知道他死了。
He did not usually sleep on his back. His enormous head was very heavy, so he usually sat up in bed with his arms round his legs, and his head on his knees. He could sleep well like this.
他通常不能躺著睡覺，因為他的腦袋又大又重，所以他常常坐在床上，用手抱著腿，把頭放在膝蓋上，這樣他能睡得很好。
But he wanted to sleep on his back like you and me. Hetried to sleep on his back that night, but his heavy head came off the bed, and he broke his neck. He died very quickly.
可是他也想像你我這樣躺著睡覺。那天晚上他試著躺下來睡，結果他那個龐大的頭跌下床，折斷了脖子。他很快就死了。
Next day, the Chairman of the London Hospital, Mr Carr Gomm, wrote to the editor of The Times again.
第二天倫敦醫院院長卡爾·戈蒙又給《泰晤士報》的編輯寫了一封信：
The Times, April 16th, 1890
摘自1890年4月16日的《泰晤士報》
Dear Sir,
親愛的先生：
Three and a half years ago I wrote to you about a man called Joseph Merrick. This man was called'The Elephant Man' because he aws born with a very ugly body. Merrick was not ill, but he could not work, and he had no money.
三年半以前我寫信給你介紹了一個名叫約瑟夫·麥里克的男人，這個人被叫做“象人”，他天生有一個像大象一樣的丑陋身軀。麥里克沒有病，但他不能工作，也沒有錢。
The readers of The Times felt sorry for him, and they gave me a lot of money for Merrick. Because of this money, we could giveMerrick a home in the Lon-don Hospital. It was his first good home, and for three and a half years he lived here happily. The doctors and nurses of the hospital helped him, and many important people visited him. He read many books, he went to the the atre, and in the summer he stayed in the country for six weeks. Because of your readers' money, we couldgive him a happy life.
《泰晤士報》的讀者們很同情他，給了他許多錢。有了這些錢，我們可以在倫敦醫院里給他安個家，這是他的第一個家。三年半以來他一直生活得很幸福，醫院里的醫生和護士都幫助他，許多要人來拜訪他。他讀了許多書，去看過戲，在鄉間避暑待了六個星期。有了讀者們給的錢，我們把他的生活安排得很幸福。
Last night Joseph Merrick died quietly in his bed. He was a man with a very ugly body, but he was a good, kind man, and he had a lot of friends. We liked to talk to him, and we are all very sorry because he is dead. A lot of people are going to remember him for a longtime.
昨天晚上約瑟夫·麥里克在床上靜靜死去。他是一個很丑的人，但是很好、很善良，他有許多朋友。我們都喜歡與他交談，我們都很遺憾，他死了。許多人會永遠記著他的。
There is some money left, so I am going to give it to the hospital. Thank you, sir, for your help.
現在還剩下一些錢，我準備把這些錢捐給醫院。感謝你的幫助。
Yours faithfully
謹致
F. C. Carr Gomm Chairman of The London Hospital
倫敦醫院院長F.C.卡爾·戈蒙
文本來源于OK閱讀網
