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A police sergeant called me from Pennsylvania three weeks later. Six days after successful treatment on his throat, the driver left the hospital against medical advice, because he couldn't get a drink on the ward. He was being charged with drunk-driving.
三周后，一位宾夕法尼亚的警官给我打来电话。说是在喉咙重建手术成功完成的六天后，那名司机就不顾医生的建议出院了，因为在病房里他不能喝酒。他被指控酒后驾车。
A few days later, I went into the office of one of my senior professors, to tell the story. He peered over his half glasses and his eyes narrowed. "Well, you did the right thing medically of course. But, James, do you know what you put at risk by doing that?" he said sternly. "What was I supposed to do?" I asked.
几天后，我去了大四时的一位教授的办公室，并把这件事告诉了他。他眯着眼睛透过他那只剩一半的镜片看了会儿，严肃地说：“嗯，当然从医学上来说你做得很对。但是，詹姆斯知道你那样做冒着多大的风险吗？”“我应该怎么做？”我问他。
"Drive on," he replied. "There is an army of lawyers out there who would stand in line to get a case like that. If that driver had turned out to be paralyzed, you might never have practiced medicine again. You were a very lucky young man."
“继续朝前开，”他回答说，“有很多律师排队等着类似的案件发生。如果那名司机从此四肢瘫痪，你可能从此就与医务工作无缘了。年轻人，你很幸运！”
The day I graduated from medical school, I took an oath to serve the sick and the injured. I remember truly believing I would be able to do just that. But I have found out it isn't so simple. I understand now what a foolish thing I did that day. Despite my oath, I know what I would do on that cold roadside near Gettysburg today. I would drive on.
从医学院毕业的那天起我就发誓要为病者和伤者服务。我清楚地记得，也坚信我能做得到。但是我发现事情并没有那么简单，我现在才明白那天我做了一件多么愚蠢的事情。现在，如果我再行驶在葛底斯堡那条寒冷的小道上的话，我知道该怎么做了，我会继续朝前开，尽管我曾有过那样的誓言。
