孤独是一种病Lonelinessisakindofdisease.doc

孤独是一种病Loneliness is a kind of disease
BLACKPOOL, England — The woman on the other end of the phone spoke lightheartedly of spring and her 81st birthday the previous week. “Who did you celebrate with, Beryl?” asked Alison, whose job was to offer a kind ear.
英格兰布莱克浦——一位女士在电话里快活地聊着春暖花开,还有她上周刚度过的81岁生日。“是谁和你一起庆生的,贝柔?”艾利森问道;她的工作就是当个耐心的听众。
“No one, I …” And with that, Beryl’s cheer turned to despair.
“没有人。我......”因为艾利森这句话,贝柔的情绪从快活转为低落。
Her voice began to quaver as she acknowledged that she had been alone at home not just on her birthday, but for days and days. The telephone conversation was the first time she had spoken in more than a week.
当贝柔承认自己不只生日那天独自在家,还有好一段时间都是如此,说话的声音开始颤抖。这通电话是她一个多星期以来首度与人交谈。
About 10,000 similar e in weekly to an unassuming office building in this seaside town at the northwest reaches of England, which houses The Silver Line Helpline, a 24-hour call center for older adults seeking to fill a basic need: contact with other people.
在英格兰西北区的这个海滨小镇,每周都有大约1万通类似的电话打进此地一栋不起眼的办公大楼。它是Silver Line求助热线的所在地。这是一个为老人服务的24小时热线中心。这些老人家打电话来,是为了满足生活的某种基本需求:与他人保持联系。
Loneliness, which Emily Dickinson described as “the Horror not to be surveyed,” is a quiet devastation. But in Britain, it is increasingly being viewed as something more: a serious public health issue deserving of public funds and national attention.
诗人艾米莉•狄金森(Emily Dickinson)把孤独感描述为“不可丈量的恐怖”,那是一种悄无声息的伤