The use of force

The use of force

孩子。

Does your throat hurt you? Added the mother to the child.

女孩的表情没有任何变化，而她的目光却一直没有从我的脸上移开。

But the little girl’s expression didn’t change nor did she move her eyes from my face.

你看过她的嗓子了吗？

Have you looked?

我想看，孩子的母亲说，但看不见。

I tried to, said the mother but II couldn’t see.

这个月碰巧她上学的那个学校已经有好几例白喉病。虽然到目前为止没有人说出这件事，但很显然，我们心里都想到了。

As it happens we had been having a number of cases of diphtheria in the school to which this child went during that month and we were all, quite apparently, thinking of that, though no one had as yet spoken of the thing.

好了，我说，我们先看看嗓子吧。

Well, I said, suppose we take a look at the throat first.

我以医生特有的职业方式微笑着，叫着孩子的名字。我说，来吧，玛蒂尔达，张开嘴，让我看一下你的嗓子。

I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child’s first name I said, come on, Mathilda, open your mouth and let’s take a look at your throat.

没有任何反应。

Nothing doing.

哦，来吧，我劝道，张大你的嘴，让我看看。看，我说着把两只手伸开，我的手里没有东西，张大嘴，让我看看。

Aw, come on, I coaxed, just open your mouth wide and let me take a look. Look, I said opening both hands wide, I haven’t anything in my hands. Just open up and let me see.