# 第四册 Lesson 28 Patients and doctors 病人与医生

## 一、课文原文

This is a sceptical age, but although our faith in many of the things in which our forefathers fervently believed has weakened, our confidence in the curative properties of the bottle of medicine remains the same as theirs. This modern faith in medicines is proved by the fact that the annual drug bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures and shows no signs at present of ceasing to rise. The majority of the patients attending the medical out-patients departments of our hospitals feel that they have not received adequate treatment unless they are able to carry home with them some tangible remedy in the shape of a bottle of medicine, a box of pills, or a small jar of ointment, and the doctor in charge of the department is only too ready to provide them with these requirements. There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them what they are asking for, and since most medical men in the Health Services are overworked and have little time for offering time-consuming and little-appreciated advice on such subjects as diet, right living, and the need for abandoning bad habits etc., the bottle, the box, and the jar are almost always granted them.

Nor is it only the ignorant and ill-educated person who has such faith in the bottle of medicine. It is recounted of Thomas Carlyle that when he heard of the illness of his friend, Henry Taylor, he went off immediately to visit him, carrying with him in his pocket what remained of a bottle of medicine formerly prescribed for an indisposition of Mrs. Carlyle's. Carlyle was entirely ignorant of what the bottle in his pocket contained, of the nature of the illness from which his friend was suffering, and of what had previously been wrong with his wife, but a medicine that had worked so well in one form of illness would surely be of equal benefit in another, and comforted by the thought of the help he was bringing to his friend, he hastened to Henry Taylor's house. History does not relate whether his friend accepted his medical help, but in all probability he did. The great advantage of taking medicine is that it makes no demands on the taker beyond that of putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste, and that is what all patients demand of their doctors — to be cured at no inconvenience to themselves.

— KENNETH WALKER, *Patients and doctors*

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| sceptical | /ˈskeptɪkl/ | adj. | 怀疑的 | sceptical age 怀疑的时代；美式 skeptical |
| forefather | /ˈfɔːfɑːðə/ | n. | 祖先 | fore- 前 + father |
| fervently | /ˈfɜːvəntli/ | adv. | 热烈地，虔诚地 | fervent adj. 热烈的；fervency n. |
| curative | /ˈkjʊərətɪv/ | adj. | 有疗效的 | curative properties 疗效；cure v. 治疗 |
| astronomical | /ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkl/ | adj. | 天文数字的，巨大的 | astronomical figures 天文数字 |
| tangible | /ˈtændʒəbl/ | adj. | 有形的，切实的 | tangible remedy 有形的药物；反义词 intangible |
| ointment | /ˈɔɪntmənt/ | n. | 药膏 | a jar of ointment 一罐药膏 |
| dispose | /dɪˈspəʊz/ | v. | 处理，打发 | dispose of 打发，处理掉 |
| overwork | /ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk/ | v. | 过度工作 | over- 过度 + work |
| ignorant | /ˈɪɡnərənt/ | adj. | 无知的 | be ignorant of 对……一无所知 |
| indisposition | /ˌɪndɪspəˈzɪʃn/ | n. | 小病，不适 | in- 否定 + disposition 安排 |
| prescribe | /prɪˈskraɪb/ | v. | 开处方 | prescribe medicine 开药；prescription n. 处方 |
| inconvenience | /ˌɪnkənˈviːniəns/ | n. | 不便 | at no inconvenience 毫无不便 |

**固定搭配：**
- **mount to astronomical figures**：达到天文数字
- **dispose of**：处理，打发
- **put up with**：忍受
- **in all probability**：极有可能

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. Nor 引导的倒装句

> **Nor is it** only the ignorant and ill-educated person who has such faith in the bottle of medicine.

Nor 置于句首，主谓倒装，表示"也不"。

| 结构 | 例句 | 翻译 |
|------|------|------|
| Nor + be + 主语 | Nor is he aware of the danger. | 他也没有意识到危险 |
| Nor + 助动词 + 主语 | Nor does she know the truth. | 她也不知道真相 |
| Neither + 助动词 + 主语 | Neither can I help you. | 我也无法帮你 |

### 2. 强调句型 It is...who...

> It is **only the ignorant and ill-educated person** who has such faith...

强调句，强调主语"只有无知的人才……"。但作者随即用 Carlyle 的例子否定——受教育的人也一样。

### 3. 分词结构作状语

> **comforted by the thought** of the help he was bringing to his friend, he hastened to Henry Taylor's house.

- 过去分词 comforted 作原因状语
- 逻辑主语与主句主语一致（he）

### 4. beyond that of 比较结构

> it makes no demands on the taker **beyond that of** putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste

- beyond 超过，除了
- that 替代 demands，避免重复

## 四、重点句型分析

### 句型1：长难句——多重从句嵌套

> The majority of the patients attending the medical out-patients departments of our hospitals feel **that** they have not received adequate treatment **unless** they are able to carry home with them some tangible remedy in the shape of a bottle of medicine, a box of pills, or a small jar of ointment

- 主干：The majority of the patients feel that...
- attending... 现在分词作后置定语修饰 patients
- that 引导宾语从句
- unless 引导条件状语从句

### 句型2：讽刺性结论句

> The great advantage of taking medicine is **that** it makes no demands on the taker beyond that of putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste, and **that** is what all patients demand of their doctors — **to be cured at no inconvenience to themselves**.

- 两个 that 从句：表语从句 + 主语从句
- 破折号引出核心讽刺：病人想要的是"不费力气地被治愈"
- at no inconvenience to themselves 毫不费事

### 句型3：三重 of 并列

> Carlyle was entirely ignorant of **what the bottle contained**, of **the nature of the illness**, and of **what had previously been wrong with his wife**

- 三个 of 短语并列，强调 Carlyle 的无知程度

## 五、课文翻译

这是一个怀疑的时代，但是尽管我们对祖先虔诚信仰的许多事物的信心已经减弱了，我们对药瓶疗效的信心却和祖先们一样坚定。现代人对药物的信仰可以从这一事实得到证明：卫生部门的年度药费开支正上升到天文数字，而且目前没有停止增长的迹象。到医院门诊部看病的多数病人觉得，除非能带回家一些有形的药物——一瓶药水、一盒药丸或一罐药膏——否则就是没有得到充分的治疗，而门诊部的主治医生也太乐意满足他们的这些要求了。没有比给病人他们所要的东西更快地打发他们的方法了。既然卫生部门的大多数医生都工作过度，没有时间提供费时而又不被重视的关于饮食、正确生活方式和戒除不良习惯等方面的建议，药瓶、药盒和药罐几乎总是有求必应。

并非只有无知和未受过教育的人才对药瓶如此信赖。据说托马斯·卡莱尔听说朋友亨利·泰勒生病后，立刻前去探望，口袋里揣着以前给卡莱尔夫人开的一瓶药剩下的部分。卡莱尔对他口袋里的药瓶装的是什么、他朋友患的是什么病、他妻子以前得了什么病都一无所知，但是既然一种药对一种病如此有效，对另一种病肯定也同样有益，想到能给朋友带来帮助他便感到欣慰，于是他急匆匆赶到亨利·泰勒的家。历史上没有记载他的朋友是否接受了他的"药物帮助"，但很可能接受了。吃药的最大好处是，除了忍受片刻令人恶心的味道外，对服药者再无其他要求，而这正是所有病人对医生的要求——病要治好，但不要太麻烦。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：讽刺与幽默

- 文章以"怀疑时代"开头，却指出人们对药物的信仰毫不动摇——反讽
- Carlyle 的故事：一个文化名人却犯下"一种药治百病"的荒谬错误——幽默讽刺
- 结尾句"to be cured at no inconvenience to themselves"——辛辣的讽刺

### 2. 论证结构

| 段落 | 论点 | 论据 |
|------|------|------|
| 第一段 | 人们对药物有盲目信仰 | 药费天文数字、门诊病人心理、医生顺水推舟 |
| 第二段 | 受过教育的人也如此 | Carlyle 的故事 |

### 3. 文化背景

- Thomas Carlyle（1795-1881）：苏格兰散文家、历史学家，代表作《法国革命史》
- Henry Taylor：英国诗人和剧作家
- 英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）的药品开支问题

### 4. 修辞分析

- "the bottle of medicine"作为提喻（synecdoche），代表所有药物
- "the bottle, the box, and the jar"——三重并列，节奏感强
- "to be cured at no inconvenience"——矛盾修辞（oxymoron），揭示病人不切实际的期望

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **词汇练习**：掌握 sceptical、curative、tangible、dispose of、prescribe 等核心词
2. **语法练习**：Nor 倒装句的构造；强调句型的识别
3. **翻译练习**：注意 beyond that of 的翻译处理
4. **写作练习**：模仿课文的讽刺手法，写一篇关于现代人依赖手机的文章

## 八、本课小结

本课探讨人们对药物的盲目信赖心理。核心观点：**无论是普通人还是受过教育的人，都倾向于相信药物的疗效，而忽视改变生活方式等根本途径**。作者以讽刺的笔调指出，病人真正想要的是"不费力气就被治好"，而医生也乐得开药了事。语法重点为 Nor 倒装句、强调句型和分词结构作状语。语言风格辛辣幽默，体现了英国散文的讽刺传统。