英语美文：Saving a Life 救人一命

 “妈，你猜我今天在童子军学什么啦！”鲁思·珀金斯的女儿安-玛丽嚷嚷着。

　　看到女儿这么兴奋鲁思笑了。12岁的女儿滔滔不绝地讲述心肺复苏法和海姆利克氏操作法，母亲赞许地频频点头。但她可万万没有想到，这些方法女儿掌握得有多好！.......
Saving a Life 救人一命
    “ Mom , guess what I learned in Scouts1 today!” shouted Ruth Perkins' daughter Ann -Marie.
　　Ruth smiled at her daughter's excitement. As the 12-year-old went on and on about CPR2 and the Heimlich maneuver3, mom nodded proudly. Little did she guess how well her daughter knew her stuff!
　　Just three weeks later, Ann-Marie, her mom and her grandmother stopped for lunch at Dave's Restaurant. As the waitress set down their water, Ann-Marie heard a gasping4 sound behind her.
　　Someone can't breathe! She thought. Turning, she saw Peter Moody 3, the restaurant owner, hitting a man on the back. Eighty-four-year-old Bill Russell had recently lost his wife of 59 years and had come to Dave's to help himself get through the day--his wedding anniversary. Now he was choking on a piece of meat.
　　Ruth looked at her daughter. “ The Heimlich maneuver 2!” Ruth blurted 4. “ If you need to use it, can you?”
　　“ Yes ,” a frightened Ann-Marie said.
　　Just then, one of Bill's friends, yelled, “ Does anyone know the Heimlich maneuver?”
　　In the crowded restaurant, only Ann-Marie's hand shot up5--and it was trembling. I hope I remember everything they taught me, she thought. I have to try!
　　“ I need him to stand up,” Ann-Marie said, and Irene and Ruth lifted the 5′7″ , 150-pound man. Then the 4′10″ , 110-pound Scout 1 planted her leg between Bill's feet and locked her arms around him. Placing her hands just above his stomach, she made a fist with her right hand and cupped it with her left. Then she gently pressed in and up.
　　Nothing. Again, Ann- Marie thrust in and up. Again, nothing.
　　“ Harder, Ann-Marie!” urged Ruth.
　　Please, please let this be right, Ann-Marie prayed.Mustering 5 all her strength , she gave Bill a forceful thrust, and the piece of meat dislodged at last. Gulping 6 . Bill sank into a chair. 
　　“ It's gone!” he cried. “ Thank you!”
　　Ann-Marie blushed as all the folks in the restaurant started to applaud. Just then, paramedics arrived and checked Bill, who declined to go to the hospital, saying he felt fine.
　　“ You did the right thing, and you did it well!” a paramedic told her.
    At a statewide convention last month, they presented Ann-Marie with the Medal of Honor.
　　“ I'm so glad I was there,” says Ann-Marie, “ and that I knew just what to do!”
           救人一命
    “妈，你猜我今天在童子军学什么啦！”鲁思·珀金斯的女儿安-玛丽嚷嚷着。
　　看到女儿这么兴奋鲁思笑了。12岁的女儿滔滔不绝地讲述心肺复苏法和海姆利克氏操作法，母亲赞许地频频点头。但她可万万没有想到，这些方法女儿掌握得有多好！
　　三个星期之后，安-玛丽、妈妈和奶奶在戴夫饭店吃午饭。当女侍者给她们拿来水时，安-玛丽突然听到身后有急促的喘息声。
　　有人呼吸困难！她想。她转过身去，看见饭店的老板彼得·穆迪在拍打一个人的背。84岁的比尔·拉塞尔结婚59年的妻子最近去世了。他今天来到戴夫饭店是为了度过这艰难的一天——他们的结婚纪念日。此时他被一块肉噎住了。
　　鲁思看着女儿。“海姆利克氏操作法！”鲁思脱口而出。“如果需要用这个方法的话，你行吗？”
　　“行，”吓着了的安-玛丽说。
　　这时，比尔的一个朋友高声问道，“有人会海姆利克氏操作法吗？”
饭店里的人很多，但是只有安-玛丽举起了手——那手颤抖着。但愿他们教的我都记得住，她想。我得试一下！
　　“我需要他站起来，”安-玛丽说。艾琳和鲁思将那位身高5英尺7英寸、重150磅的男士扶了起来。然后，这位身高4英尺10英寸、重110磅的童子军开始操作。稳稳地将一条腿放在比尔双足之间，然后用双臂紧紧抱住他。她将双手放在他的上腹部，右手握成拳，用左手抱住右拳，然后轻轻地压下去再向上推。
　　没有反应。再来一次。安-玛丽压下去再向上推。还是没有反应。
　　“使大点劲儿，安-玛丽！”鲁思催促她。
　　求求你，求求你，求你让这次做成功，安-玛丽心里祈祷着。这次她使出所有的力气压下去再向上推。那块肉终于吐出来了。比尔大吸了一口气，一下跌坐到椅子里。
　　“肉出来了！”他叫道。“谢谢你！”
　　饭店里的人都鼓起掌来，安-玛丽脸红了，感到很不好意思。这时，医护人员赶来了，给比尔做了检查。比尔说他感觉很好，不愿去医院。
　　“你做得对，而且做得很专业！”一名医护人员对她说。
　　在上个月召开的一次州级大会上，安-玛丽被授予一枚荣誉奖章。
　　“我很高兴我当时在场，”安-玛丽说，“而且知道该做什么！”