11-3 错过的舞会

Missing the Dance

“Would you like to be my date for the ROTC1 dance?” asked Rick. I couldn’t believe he was asking me. My two best friends had gotten dates weeks ago, so I had given up hope of anyone from ROTC asking me. Rick was the cutest guy in the club! He wanted to go with me? “Are you serious?” “It’s semiformal2, so you’ll need a dress, but my parents will pay for the tickets and the limo3,” he responded. How could I ask for more a chariot4 taking Prince Charming and me to the ball? My mouth worded, “Yes,” as my heart leapt with joy. I had never been to a semiformal dance before, and now was my chance. This would be the best night of my life!

The moment I got home, I told my mom about Rick’s asking. Immediately, she took me shopping to find the perfect dress. We went to the hairdresser’s to make an appointment for Friday before the dance to have my hair and nails done. I wanted Rick’s eyes to literally 1 pop5 out of his head when he saw me. I wanted him to take one look at me and fall in love. Could it happen? Would it? Could I be transformed into a beautiful princess? Before I knew it, days had passed. I couldn’t sleep at all. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and my head was throbbing 2. Friday morning I woke up and the whole world seemed to spin. I tried to lift my head off the pillow but I couldn’t move.

“Honey, you’re going to be late for school... are you okay?” My mom came into the bedroom. Her hand flew to my forehead. “Oh, no! You’ve got a fever.” I didn’t feel hot; I felt cold, so very cold. My mother helped me dress, and she drove me to my doctor. I had been there only a few minutes before my doctor called an ambulance. I couldn’t understand all that my doctor was telling me. All I could hear was a muffled6 “One hundred four degree fever.”

The hospital’s bright lighting 4 was blinding as a nurse with long, dark hair stuck two IVs7 in my arm. I didn’t remember seeing her come into my room, only the blanket being thrown on top of me. “Cold, very cold,” I said. “The blanket is filled with ice,” she explained. “You have a bad infection. Your doctor ordered fluids8 and antibiotics 69 for you. Just rest.” I closed my eyes.

It seemed only a few minutes later when I heard, “Good morning.” My doctor woke me. “I’m glad you slept through the night. Luckily, we’ve brought your temperature down. You are one special little girl. You have a very serious ear, nose, and throat infection, but it seems we now have it under control.” “ Mom?” I gasped10.  “Dad?” “I’ m right here.” My mother grabbed my hand. I looked and my parents were there beside me. “Did I miss the dance?” My mom smiled. “I called Rick. I got his number out of your address book and let him know that you were in the hospital.” “Oh no!” I cried. “There’ll be other dances,” said my doctor. “Be thankful you’ll be alive to see them.” Days passed.

I got increasingly stronger and no longer had a temperature. They discovered that I had developed a very bad strep11 infection that was treated with antibiotics. I hadn’t heard from Rick at all. That bothered me. I worried that he was angry. Not only had I missed the dance, but his parents had also spent that money on a limo. I had let them all down12. Who could blame him if he never spoke 8 to me again? I cared so much about looking good, I had worn myself down. The same nurse who had given me my IVs came into my room holding another hospital gown. “ Put this on backwards 9 so your rump won’t show,” she said.

“Why do I need to do that? Aren’t I going home today? I’ve got one gown on already.” She left, shutting the door, and although I didn’t feel like putting on another gown, I did what she asked. Maybe there was another X ray or test my doctor needed before I could be released. Suddenly the door swung open and standing 10 before me were my parents holding balloons and a tape player, my two best friends in formals, their dates, and Rick in a tuxedo 1113.

“Would you care for a dance?” Rick asked. “Just because you missed the ROTC dance doesn’t mean we can’t have our own right here right now.” Tears came to my eyes. “Sure,” I stammered 12. The nurse closed the curtains and left only the bathroom light on. My friends coupled together as Rick wrapped his arms around me and began to sway to the music. “I’m so glad you are okay,” he said. “I called your parents every night to check up on you.” “They didn’t tell me.” I pulled at my hair so it wouldn’t look unbrushed. “Don’t worry.” He smiled. “You look beautiful.”

For what seemed like hours, my friends and I danced. We didn’t mind the people watching from the hall or my parents dancing beside us. My two hospital gowns were less than formal, but I didn’t care. When the tape was over, Rick helped me into a wheel chair and took me downstairs to the limousine 13 waiting to take me home. Never will I forget that afternoon for as long as I live. I didn’t have my hair fancily done or even a pretty dress, but I learned how to feel truly beautiful to be loved.

注释：

1. ROTC abbr. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps 14 （美国）后备军官训练队

2. semiformal [5semi5fC:mEl] a. （场合）半正式的

3. limo [5limEu] n. =limousine （尤指驾驶室与后座间用玻璃隔开、通常由专职司机驾驶的）豪华高级小客车

4. chariot [5tFAriEt] n.（尤指18世纪的）四轮礼车

5. pop [pCp] vi. 冷不防地出现（或发生），（突然）冒出

6. muffle 3 [mQfl] vt. 使（声音）低沉（或轻微）

7. IV abbr. intravenous [7intrE5vi:nEs] n. 静脉注射

8. fluid [5flu(:)id] n. 流体（包括液体和气体），流质，液

9. antibiotic 5 [7Antibai5Ctik] n. （微）抗菌素，抗生素

10. gasp 7 [^B:sp] vi. 喘气，倒抽气

11. strep [strep] （口）a.=streptococcal 链球菌的，链球菌引起的

12. let down 使失望，使沮丧，对……失约

13. tuxedo [tQk5si:dEu] n. [美](男子的)餐服，小礼服，无尾礼服（指全套或其上衣）

错过的舞会

　　“你愿意在后备军官训练队舞会上做我的舞伴吗？”里克问道。我不敢相信他在邀请我。我的两个最要好的朋友几周前就收到了邀请，所以我早就不指望会有后备军官训练队的人邀请我去训练队舞会上跳舞了。里克是俱乐部最可爱的小伙子！他想要约我一起去？“你是认真的吗？”“这是半正式舞会，所以你需要一件连衣裙，而我的父母会付门票钱和车钱，”他回答说。一架马车将把白马王子和我送到舞会上——我还能有何奢求？我的心兴奋得狂跳不已，嘴里吐出“愿意”两个字。我以前从没有参加过这种半正式的舞会，这次可是我的机会。这会是我一生中最美好的夜晚!

　　我一回到家就告诉妈妈里克邀请我跳舞的事。她立刻带我去买一件合身又得体的连衣裙。我们还去了发廊，预约了周五舞会前的时间去美发并且修剪指甲。我想让里克看到我时惊得目瞪口呆。我想让他看我一眼后就坠入爱河。这能发生吗？会发生吗？我能成为美丽的公主吗？在我知道答案前，日子已经一天天过去了。我根本无法入睡，紧张得直恶心，头部也剧烈抽痛。周五早晨醒来我觉得整个世界都在旋转。我想把头从枕头上抬起，但根本动不了。

　　“宝贝，你今天上学要迟到了，你怎么啦？”妈妈走进我的卧室。她伸手摸我的前额。“哦，糟糕！你发烧了。”我不感觉热，我感觉冷，非常冷。我妈帮我穿上衣服，开车送我去看医生。到诊所没呆几分钟，大夫就叫了辆急救车。我不明白大夫对我说的话，只听到他闷声闷气地说：“104度（华氏）高烧。”

　　医院明亮的灯光很刺眼，一位留有深色长发的护士在我的胳膊上打了两针。我记不得她进房间的情形，只记得身上被人盖了一条毯子。“冷，很冷，”我说。“这毯子里装满了冰，”她解释说。“你得了严重的感染。大夫要求给你输液和注射抗生素。好好休息吧。”我闭上眼睛。

　　好像仅仅几分钟以后，我听到有人说：“早上好。”大夫来叫醒我。“我很高兴你一夜睡得很安稳。很幸运，我们把你的热度降下来了。你是个特殊的小女孩。你患了严重的耳、鼻、喉感染，不过现在看来我们已经将感染控制住。” “妈？”我喘着气叫道。“爸？” “我在这儿。” 妈妈抓住我的手。我抬眼看，我的父母都在我身边。“我错过舞会了吧？”我妈妈笑了。“我打电话给里克了。我在你的电话号码本里找到了他的电话号码，告诉他你生病住院了。” “哦，真糟糕！” 我喊道。“以后还有别的舞会，”大夫说，“将来还会有许多舞会等你去参加，对此你要心存感激。”日子一天天过去了。

我的身体逐渐康复，而且不再发烧了。他们发现我得了非常严重的链球菌感染，要用抗菌素进行治疗。我没有听到一点里克的消息，这使我很着急。我担心他生气了。不仅仅是我没去参加舞会，而且他父母已经花了钱租车。我辜负了他们所有的人。如果他永远不再理我，谁又能责备他呢？我太注重外表好看，把自己累倒了。给我输液的那位护士进了房间又拿来一件病号服。“前后反穿这件衣服，这样可以盖住你的臀部。”她说。

　　“为什么让我反穿病号服？我不是今天要出院了吗?我已经穿着一件了。”她走了，关上门。虽然我不想再套上一件，我还是照她说的做了。或许在我出院之前，我的大夫还需要为我照一次X光片或做其他检查。突然，门被推开了，在我面前站着我的父母，拿着气球和录音机，以及我的两个最要好的朋友，都身着礼服，带着她们的舞伴，还有穿着小礼服的里克。

　　“可以请你跳舞吗？”里克问道。“错过了那次后备军官训练队舞会并不意味着我们不能在这里举行我们自己的舞会——现在就开始。”我的眼睛湿润了。”当然可以，”我结结巴巴地说。那位护士拉上窗帘，仅留着浴室的灯没关。里克搂着我的腰，开始随着音乐婆娑起舞，我的朋友们也成双成对跳了起来。“我非常高兴，你康复了，”他说。“我每天晚上打电话给你的父母询问你的情况。”“他们没告诉我。”我理了理头发，使它整齐点。“别担心，”他笑着说，“你看上去很美丽。”

我和朋友们好像一起跳了几个小时。我们不介意走廊里的人们看着我们，也不介意我的父母在我们旁边跳着舞。我穿着两件病号服，实在太不正式，但我不在乎。当磁带放完后，里克扶我坐入轮椅，把我推到楼下，扶我坐进正在等着接我回家的轿车。我一生都忘不了那个下午。我没有别致的发型，甚至也没有穿一件漂亮的连衣裙，可是我领略了真正美丽的感觉——被爱的感觉。