雙語美文：查理的新輪椅
working at a disability/welfare office
在社會福利部門任職
and I got to see the coolest thing today.
今天，我看到了最美的風景
A homeless man, Charlie,
一個名叫Charlie的無家漢
came in with a power wheelchair
坐在一輛電動輪椅上走了進來
that didn't work.
輪椅壞了
Its batteries would no longer charge.
電池充不了電
As I was pushing him around the office,
我推着他在辦公室裏走動
first to get checked in,
先是去登記
then to an outlet
然後走向一個出口
to get some charge in his batteries,
去給他的電池充電
then back to a window to be seen... etc.
然後來到一個窗口邊進行人臉識別
A woman noticed
一個女士注意到了我們
and asked Charlie if his chair was dead
問查理，他的輪椅是不是壞了
and how long he had it.
他用了多久了
He's needed it for about three years now,
他已經靠着它四處行走足有三年了
after he got stabbed in the back of the neck
三年前，他被人從背後刺中了頸椎
leaving him paralyzed on the left side.
左側身體全部癱瘓
He's on disability
他靠社會福利金過活
and doesn't have much money to replace the battery
沒有錢去換電池
which will now only hold a charge for about ten minutes,
現在充電之後只能用大概十分鐘
so he mostly just pushes himself around with his right foot,
所以，他大多數時候只能用右腳推着自己移動
traveling backwards.
向後倒着走
The Woman, Diane,
那位女士名叫Diane
explained that her brother is also paralyzed
她說，她的哥哥也癱瘓了
and they have an older chair that they're not using.
他們有一架沒有再用的久輪椅
She asked Charlie if he would like it.
她問Charlie是否願意接受那架舊輪椅
Charlie said yes.
Charlie說願意
Diane left and came back about an hour later.
Diane離開大概一小時後回來了
She asked me to unload the new chair,
她讓我幫她把新輪椅搬下來
which I did.
我照辦了
Now,
其實
I don't know much about powered wheelchairs,
我對電動輪椅所知甚少
but I can tell this is no basic model.
但我可以看出，眼前的新輪椅絕不是簡單的款式
It not only drives,
它不僅可以向前行駛
it can lift up,
還可以託舉
recline,
後傾
and do other stuff too.
還有很多其他功能
Turns out it's like a $20,000 chair.
原來這是一個價值約2萬美元的輪椅
Charlie looked it over Charlie
仔細打量了一番
and said it sure is nice.
說這的確是把好輪椅
But Diane tells us there's one small problem,
不過Diane對我們說，有一個小小的問題
the new chair won't charge
新輪椅無法充電
because it hasn't been used in two years.
因爲它已經有兩年沒有被用過了
So what does Diane do?
Diane如何解決這個問題？
She tells Charlie
她告訴Charlie
she will take it over to the Medical Supply Store
她會把這架輪椅帶到醫療用品專賣店去
that's just a block away
商店離這裏只有一個街區
and see if they can put new batteries in it
詢問店家，是否能換上新的電池
or get it working.
或者用其他辦法讓輪椅啓動
So I loaded the chair back into her van,
於是我把輪椅搬到了她的車裏
and they all took off
於是兩人出發了
to get the new chair up and running.
去讓新輪椅站起來，跑起來
Let me tell you,
讓我告訴你
in 13 years of law enforcement and security work,
我幹了13年執行法律，維護治安的工作
I've never seen anything like that.
卻從沒見過這樣的事情
The funny thing was
有趣的是
Diane actually told me I was so kindDiane
還對我說，我真善良
for helping Charlie get around the office.
會幫助Charlie在辦公室裏走來走去
No, ma'am it's you.
不，女士，善良的人是你。
