The phone rang. The lady of the house answered.
電話鈴響了,女主人應聲拿起話筒。
"Yes?"
「哪位?」
"Mrs. Ward, please."
「請華德太太聽電話。」
"Speaking"
「我就是。」
"Mrs. Ward, this is Doctor Jones at the Medical Testing Laboratory.When your doctor sent your husband s samples to the lab, the samples from another Mr. Ward were sent as well and we are now uncertain which one is your husband s.
「華德太太,我是醫藥測試實驗室的瓊斯醫生,當您的醫生將您先生的檢體拿來的同時,另一位華德先生的檢體也剛巧送了過來,現在我們無法確定哪一件檢體是您先生的了。
Frankly, it is either bad or terrible."
老實說,這很糟糕,也很麻煩。」
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Ward asked.
「您說這話是什麼意思?」華德太太問。
"Well, one Mr. Ward has tested positive for Alzheimer s and the otherfor AIDS. We can t tell which your husband s is."
「經過我們化驗的結果,一位華德先生得了〝阿茲海默症〞,另一位華德先生得的卻是〝愛滋病〞。我們無法分辨哪一件是您先生的。」
"That s terrible! Can we do the test over?" questioned Mrs. Ward.
「那真糟糕!我們能再重做一次檢測嗎?」華德太太問。
"Normally, yes. But Medicare won t pay for these expensive tests more than once."
「一般說來是可以,但是這麼昂貴的檢測健保是不會再給付的。」
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"
「哦,那我現在該怎麼辦呢?」
The people at Medicare recommend that "You drop your husband off in the middle of town.
健保局的人員建議:「您把您先生帶到鎮上,然後丟下他一個人。
If he finds his way home, don t sleep with him".
如果他還回的了家,就不要和他同床共眠了。」