短暫的相遇 也能是一條救命繩索 Life-Saving Power of Chance Meetings
Life-Saving Power of Chance Meetings
#克漏字 #心靈·療癒 #健康
11/4 解析英語
作者 David J. Hurfurt
閱讀時間 10分鐘
聽講解 聽朗讀
本圖文出處:
https://www.ivy.com.tw/newsLetter/an...071014135355498MP3:
短暫的相遇 也能是一條救命繩索 Life-Saving Power of Chance Meetings
就在她準備邁出人生的最後一步時，一位陌生人接近她，並提出了一個意料之外的請求：「不好意思，妳能幫我拍張照片嗎？」
目錄 / Tips & Analysis / More to Learn / 中文翻譯(& 答案)
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Billy Lezra stood on the edge of a train platform, with her heart pounding and her mind clouded by despair. At 23, she faced her mother’s suicide attempt and spiraled into depression and alcohol addiction. She saw no way out, and just as she was about to take the final step, a stranger __1__ her with an unexpected request: “Excuse me, but would you mind taking my picture?”
This simple, unforeseen meeting was enough to pull Billy back from the brink. __2__ that fateful day, Billy has been on a journey of recovery and discovery, determined to understand what drives people to the edge and how to bring them back.
Billy’s research reveals startling statistics. The child of a parent who has tried to take their own life is five times more likely to develop suicidal __3__ than the child of a parent with no history of self-harm. Also, the likelihood of someone with an alcohol use disorder attempting suicide is 120 times greater than that of someone who is not __4__ alcohol. Other factors include depression, life crises, financial problems, and chronic pain.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15-29. While many charities strive to prevent it, Billy’s story shows that sometimes, all it takes is __5__ to stop a tragedy from happening. Now, Billy comes up to lonely or depressed individuals and offers to do some small things for them. This simple act often brings a smile and a moment of connection, reminding us of the power we all have to change a life.
1. (A) observed (B) approached (C) informed (D) embarrassed
2. (A) Through (B) Until (C) Since (D) On
3. (A) tendencies (B) possessions (C) resemblances (D) capacities
4. (A) appealing to (B) beneficial for (C) ignorant of (D) dependent on
5. (A) a random encounter (B) a brief vacation
(C) a comforting thought (D) a polite greeting
↓ 完整文章版本（無挖空）
Billy Lezra stood on the edge of a train platform, with her heart pounding and her mind clouded by despair. At 23, she faced her mother’s suicide attempt and spiraled into depression and alcohol addiction. She saw no way out, and just as she was about to take the final step, a stranger approached her with an unexpected request: “Excuse me, but would you mind taking my picture?”
This simple, unforeseen meeting was enough to pull Billy back from the brink. Since that fateful day, Billy has been on a journey of recovery and discovery, determined to understand what drives people to the edge and how to bring them back.
Billy’s research reveals startling statistics. The child of a parent who has tried to take their own life is five times more likely to develop suicidal tendencies than the child of a parent with no history of self-harm. Also, the likelihood of someone with an alcohol use disorder attempting suicide is 120 times greater than that of someone who is not dependent on alcohol. Other factors include depression, life crises, financial problems, and chronic pain.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15-29. While many charities strive to prevent it, Billy’s story shows that sometimes, all it takes is a random encounter to stop a tragedy from happening. Now, Billy comes up to lonely or depressed individuals and offers to do some small things for them. This simple act often brings a smile and a moment of connection, reminding us of the power we all have to change a life.
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
pound [paʊnd]
vt. & vi. 猛擊，連續重擊
n. 英鎊（貨幣單位，縮寫為 £）（= pound sterling）； 磅（重量單位，縮寫為 lb）
●
despair [dɪˋspɛr]
●
suicide [ˋsuə͵saɪd]
n. 自殺
●
spiral [ˋspaɪrəl]
n. . 螺旋
vi. 螺旋下降 (飛機以螺旋形狀向下墜落)
●
depression [dɪˋprɛʃən]
n. 沮喪；憂鬱症；（經濟）蕭條，不景氣
●
addiction [əˋdɪkʃən]
n. 上癮
n. . 上癮（與介詞 to 並用）
●
unforeseen [͵ʌnforˋsin]
a. 預料之外的
●
fateful [ˋfetfəl]
a. 災難性的
●
statistics [stəˋtɪstɪks]
n. 統計學（不可數）
●
likelihood [ˋlaɪklɪ͵hʊd]
n. 可能性
●
chronic [ˋkrɑnɪk]
a. 慢性的
●
depressed [dɪˋprɛst]
a. 沮喪的
●
drive [draɪv]
vt. 迫使；驅動
vt. & vi. 開車
n. 駕車路程；幹勁（此意不可數）
Extra Words
●
startling [ˋstɑrt!ɪŋ]
a. 令人驚訝的
●
a chance meeting 偶然相遇
Practical Phrases
●
be in despair 陷入絕望
Paula was in despair when her husband left her for another woman.
老公跟別的女人跑了之後，寶拉陷入了絕望。
●
drive sb to + 地方 開車載某人到某地
I drive my son to school every day.
我每天開車送我兒子上學。
●
take one’s own life 自殺
The criminal took his own life en route to the police station.
該罪犯在前往警局的路上自殺了。
●
strive to + V 努力要……
The coach encouraged his team to strive to win the championship.
教練鼓勵他的球隊要努力爭取冠軍。
●
come up to sb （為了攀談而）走到某人跟前
The stranger came up to me and asked me how to get to the train station.
那個陌生人走到我跟前來問我火車站要怎麼去。
Tips & Analysis
1. She saw no way out, and just as she was about to take the final step, a stranger approached her with an unexpected request: “Excuse me, but would you mind taking my picture?”
理由
空格後提到，那名陌生人提出了一個請求，可知那個人應是「接近」比莉以提出請求，故 (B) 項應為正選。
2. Since that fateful day, Billy has been on a journey of recovery and discovery, determined to understand what drives people to the edge and how to bring them back.
理由
空格前一句提到與該陌生人的意外相遇將比莉從邊緣帶了回來，而本句後半時態為現在完成式，可知應選 (C) Since 與其並用，表「自」那命運的一天「以來」，比莉踏上了一段康復和探索之旅。
3. The child of a parent who has tried to take their own life is five times more likely to develop suicidal tendencies than the child of a parent with no history of self-harm.
理由
空格前提到比莉決心研究人們是如何被逼到邊緣，且她的研究揭露了驚人的統計數據，可推測本句說明的應是與自殺「傾向」有關，也就是比起父母沒有自殘史的孩子，父母曾試圖自殺的孩子發展出自殺「傾向」的可能性高出了五倍，故選 (A)。
4. Also, the likelihood of someone with an alcohol use disorder attempting suicide is 120 times greater than that of someone who is not dependent on alcohol.
理由
本句前半提到的是有酗酒問題的人，可知其應是與沒有酒精「依賴」的人相比，而前者試圖自殺的可能性是比後者高出一百二十倍，故選 (D)。
5. While many charities strive to prevent it, Billy’s story shows that sometimes, all it takes is a random encounter to stop a tragedy from happening.
理由
本文中的比莉原先想要結束自己的生命，一位陌生人卻打斷了她的思緒，進而拯救了她，可知她的故事應是顯示出，有時只需要一次「偶然的相遇」就能阻止一場悲劇的發生，故選 (A)。
More to Learn
edge n. 邊緣
• The castle was built on the edge of a steep cliff.
那座城堡建在陡峭的懸崖邊上。
下面再介紹幾個表「邊緣」的字，有時可互換使用：
a. brink n.（事情發生的）邊緣
• Lisa is definitely on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
麗莎肯定是瀕臨精神崩潰的邊緣。
b. brim n.（容器的）邊緣
• My glass is filled to the brim with juice.
果汁已經滿到我的玻璃杯杯緣。
c. margin n. 邊緣；頁邊的空白處
• Timmy wrote his contact information in the margin.
提米在頁邊空白處寫下聯絡資訊。
d. rim n.（圓形物體的）邊緣；框邊
• The rim of the glass cracked when Ken poured hot water into it.
阿肯將熱水倒進玻璃杯時，杯緣就裂掉了。
e. verge n. 邊緣；邊際
• The company was on the verge of collapse due to poor management.
這間公司因為管理不當而瀕臨倒閉。
f. on the edge / brink / brim / verge of...
在……的邊緣；瀕臨……
• Many rare animals are on the edge of extinction.
很多稀有動物瀕臨絕種。
中文翻譯(& 答案)
比莉‧萊斯拉站在火車月臺的邊緣，她的心跳加速，思緒被絕望所籠罩。在二十三歲時，她面臨了母親意圖自殺的狀況後，陷入憂鬱和酗酒的漩渦中。她看不到出路，就在她準備邁出人生的最後一步時，一位陌生人接近她，並提出了一個意料之外的請求：「不好意思，妳能幫我拍張照片嗎？」
這簡單而意外的相遇足以將比莉從邊緣拉回來。自那命運的一天以來，比莉踏上了一段康復和探索之旅，決心要了解是什麼把人們逼到邊緣，以及該如何把他們帶回來。
比莉的研究揭露了驚人的統計數據。比起父母沒有自殘史的孩子，父母曾試圖自殺的孩子發展出自殺傾向的可能性高出了五倍。此外，比起沒有酒精依賴的人，有酗酒問題的人試圖自殺的可能性高出一百二十倍。其他因素還包括憂鬱症、生活危機、經濟問題和慢性疼痛。
根據世界衛生組織的數據，自殺是十五至二十九歲人群的第四大死因。儘管許多慈善機構努力防止自殺，但比莉的故事顯示出，有時只需要一次偶然的相遇就能阻止一場悲劇的發生。現在，比莉會接近孤獨或抑鬱的人，並主動提出幫他們做一些小事。這個簡單的舉動常常會帶來一抹微笑和片刻的連結，提醒著我們每個人都有改變生命的力量。
Ivy 熊提醒您：勇敢尋求幫助並非弱者，珍惜生命，若需諮商或相關協助可撥生命線專線「1995」、張老師服務專線「1980」或衛福部安心專線「1925」。
