It happens on a sunny晴朗的 /ˈsʌn.i/ Saturday afternoon. I am playing football足球 /ˈfʊt.bɔːl/ in the park with Tom when I land落地 /lænd/ badly不当 /ˈbæd.li/ after a jump跳跃 /dʒʌmp/ and twist扭伤 /twɪst/ my ankle脚踝 /ˈæŋ.kl̩/. The pain疼痛 /peɪn/ is instant即刻的 /ˈɪn.stənt/ and sharp剧烈的 /ʃɑːrp/. I drop倒下 /drɑːp/ to the ground地面 /ɡraʊnd/ and Tom kneels跪下 /niːlz/ beside me. "Can you stand站起来 /stænd/?" he asks. I try试 /traɪ/, but the moment I put weight on踩上体重 my foot脚 /fʊt/, the pain shoots射穿 /ʃuːts/ up my leg腿 /leɡ/. I sit坐 /sɪt/ back down.
Tom calls Mum. Within fifteen minutes she arrives到达 /əˈraɪvz/ in the car and helps扶 /helps/ me hobble一瘸一拐走 /ˈhɑːb.əl/ to the seat座位 /siːt/. My ankle has already started to开始 swell肿 /swel/. It looks puffy浮肿的 /ˈpʌf.i/ and feels tender触痛的 /ˈten.dɚ/ to the touch触碰 /tʌtʃ/. "We are going to hospital医院 /ˈhɑːs.pɪ.t̬əl/," Mum says.
At the accident事故 /ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/ and emergency急诊 /ɪˈmɜːr.dʒən.si/ department部门 /dɪˈpɑːrt.mənt/, a nurse assesses评估 /əˈses.ɪz/ me quickly. She wraps包裹 /ræps/ an ice冰 /aɪs/ pack冰袋 /pæk/ around the ankle to reduce减轻 /rɪˈdjuːs/ the swelling肿胀 /ˈswel.ɪŋ/ and sends送 /sendz/ me for an X-rayX光 /ˈeks.reɪ/. The machine机器 /məˈʃiːn/ whirrs嗡嗡响 /wɜːrz/ for a few seconds. A technician技师 /tekˈnɪʃ.ən/ tells me to keep保持 /kiːp/ still静止 /stɪl/. I do my best.
The orthopaedic骨科的 /ˌɔːr.θəˈpiː.dɪk/ doctor医生 /ˈdɑːk.t̬ɚ/ — a woman with short短的 /ʃɔːrt/ dark深色的 /dɑːrk/ hair — studies the image图像 /ˈɪm.ɪdʒ/ on her screen屏幕 /skriːn/. "Good news," she says. "No fracture骨折 /ˈfræk.tʃɚ/. It is a sprain扭伤 /spreɪn/." She points指向 /pɔɪnts/ to the ligament韧带 /ˈlɪɡ.ə.mənt/ on the X-ray and explains解释 /ɪkˈspleɪnz/ that it is stretched拉伸的 /stretʃt/ but not torn撕裂的 /tɔːrn/. "You were lucky幸运的 /ˈlʌk.i/," she adds.
A nurse bandages包扎 /ˈbæn.dɪdʒ.ɪz/ the ankle firmly紧实地 /ˈfɜːrm.li/. The doctor tells me to elevate抬高 /ˈel.ɪ.veɪt/ my foot as much as possible, apply敷 /əˈplaɪ/ ice for twenty minutes every few hours小时 /aʊɚz/, and avoid避免 /əˈvɔɪd/ sport运动 /spɔːrt/ for two weeks周 /wiːks/. She also gives me a pair of crutches拐杖 /ˈkrʌtʃ.ɪz/. "Just until the swelling goes down消退 /daʊn/," she says.
In the car Mum is quiet安静的 /ˈkwaɪ.ət/ for a moment. Then she says, "No football for two weeks." I groan呻吟 /ɡroʊn/. "I know," she says, patting轻拍 /ˈpæt.ɪŋ/ my arm手臂 /ɑːrm/. "But bones骨头 /boʊnz/ need time时间 /taɪm/." I stare盯着 /ster/ out the window窗户 /ˈwɪn.doʊ/ and think about all the training训练 /ˈtreɪ.nɪŋ/ sessions I will miss错过 /mɪs/.
At home, Dad sets安置 /sets/ up the sofa沙发 /ˈsoʊ.fə/ with pillows枕头 /ˈpɪl.oʊz/ so I can rest休息 /rest/ with my foot raised抬高的 /reɪzd/. Lily brings带来 /brɪŋz/ me a blanket毯子 /ˈblæŋ.kɪt/ without being asked被要求 /ɑːskt/. I look at my bandaged缠了绷带的 /ˈbæn.dɪdʒd/ ankle and then at the crutches leaning against the wall. Two weeks feels like a very long漫长的 /lɔːŋ/ time. But at least, I think, it is not a fracture.