by John W. Mansur
I heard this story when I was in Vietnam, and it was told to me as fact. I have no way of knowing for sure that it is true, but I do know that stranger things have happened in war.
Whatever their planned target, the mortar rounds landed in an orphanage run by a missionary group in the small Vietnamese village. The missionaries and one or two children were killed outright, and several more children were wounded, including one young girl,
People from the village requested medical help from a neighboring town that had radio contact with the American forces. Finally, an American Navy doctor and nurse arrived in a jeep with only their medical kits. They established that the girl was the most critically injured. Without quick action, she would die of shock and loss of blood.
A transfusion was imperative, and a donor with a matching blood type was required. A quick test showed that neither American had the correct type, but several of the uninjured orphans did.
The doctor spoke some pidgin Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering of highschool French. Using that combination, together with much impromptu sign language, they tried to explain to their young, frightened audience that unless they could replace some of the girl's lost blood, she would certainly die. Then they asked if anyone would be willing to give blood to help.
Their request was met with wide-eyed silence. After several long moments, a small hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and then went up again.
"Oh, thank you," the nurse said in French. "What is your name?"
"Heng," came the reply.
Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swab bed with alcohol, and a needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Heng lay stiff and silent.
After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand.
"Is it hurting, Heng?" the doctor asked. Heng shook his head, but after a few moments another sob escaped, and once more he tried to cover up his crying. Again the doctor asked him if the needle hurt, and again Heng shook his head.
But now his occasional sobs gave way to a steady, silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.
The medical team was concerned. Something was obviously very wrong. At this point, a Vietnamese nurse arrived to help. Seeing the little one's distress, she spoke to him rapidly in Vietnamese, listened to his reply and answered him in a soothing voice.
After a moment, the patient stopped crying and looked questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.
Glancing up, the nurse said quietly to the Americans, "He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live."
"But why would he be willing to do that?" asked the Navy nurse.
The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question boy, who answered simply, "She's my friend.
Greater love has no man than this－－that he will lay down his life for a friend.
中文：
我是在越南时听到这个故事的，而且它是被当作真事告诉我的。虽然我无法确认它是否属实，但我却知道，在战争中比这更离奇的事情都发生过。
一次，美军的例常炮击击中了坐落在一个越南小村庄里的一所孤儿院。这是由一个传教团体创办的。那儿的众多传教士和一两个孤儿在炮击中立刻丧命，还有更多的孩子受伤，其中包括一个八岁的小女孩。
村里的人们请求附近一个小镇给予医疗救助，而该镇同美军部队之间有无线电联系。最后，一名美国海军的军医同他的护士带着他们的药箱乘一辆吉普车到达了该村。他们确诊这个小女孩的伤势最严重，若不立刻采取措施，她就会死于休克和失血。
必须立即为她输血，而且要求找到一个血型同她相匹配的献血者。经过快速的化验，这两个美国人的血型都与小女孩不匹配，幸而有好几名未受伤的孤儿的血型都符合要求。
这位军医能讲几句洋泾浜的越南语，护士也能讲几句半生不熟的法语。二位将他们仅有的语言技能加到一起，再加上一些即兴的手势语，努力地向这些被吓坏了的孩子们解释－－除非他们能够献出一些血，来补充这个小女孩失掉的血，否则她一定会死去。然后他们问孩子们，有谁愿意献血来救活这个孩子。
他们得到的回答却是孩子们睁大的眼睛和沉默。过了好久好久，才有一只小手慢慢吞吞地，犹犹豫豫地举起来，接着又放下去，接着再一次举起来。
“哦，谢谢你，”护士用法语说，“你叫什么名字？”
“恒。”孩子答道。
恒被很快地放到一张简陋的小床上，护士用酒精擦洗了他的胳膊之后，便将一根针头插进了他的静脉。在这个严酷的考验中，恒一直僵硬地躺着，默不作声。
过了一会儿，他发出了一声战栗的抽泣，并且很快地用他的另外一只手掩住自己的脸。
“痛吗，恒？”医生问道。恒摇了摇头。可是，没过多久，他又抽泣了一声。而且他又一次竭力地掩盖自己的哭泣。于是医生再一次问他针头是否扎痛了他。然而，恒却再一次摇了摇头。
可是，这时他的断断续续的抽泣已经无法克制，变成了一种持续的、无声的哭泣。他紧闭着双目，把小拳头塞进嘴里，以控制自己的抽泣。
医生和护士感到十分不安，显然有什么出了错。这时，终于有一位越南的护士来解围了。当她看见孩子的痛苦状态时，她很急切地用越南语对他说了几句话，在听了孩子的回答之后，她又用抚慰的声音解答了孩子的困惑。
过了一会儿，小男孩停止了哭泣，然后疑惑地看着这位越南护士。当护士点头时，一种巨大的释然才在孩子的脸上慢慢地展开。
越南护士抬起头来，看了一眼两个美国人，轻声地告诉他们：“他刚才以为自己要死了。他误解了你们的意思。他以为你们要他把自己所有的血都抽出来才能救活那个小女孩呢。”
“可是那样为什么他还愿意献血呢？”海军护士问道。
越南护士又向这个男孩重复了这个问题。男孩简单地答道：“因为她是我朋友。”
没有一个人有这么伟大的爱－－肯为一个朋友献出自己的生命。
相关单词：mortar
mortar解释：n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合
mortar例句：
The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。
相关单词：orphanage
orphanage解释：n.孤儿院
orphanage例句：
They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。
相关单词：missionary
missionary解释：adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士
missionary例句：
She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。
相关单词：missionaries
missionaries解释：n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )
missionaries例句：
Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
相关单词：outright
outright解释：adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
outright例句：
If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
相关单词：kits
kits解释：衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件
kits例句：
Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。
相关单词：transfusion
transfusion解释：n.输血，输液
transfusion例句：
She soon came to her senses after a blood transfusion.输血后不久她就苏醒了。
The doctor kept him alive by a blood transfusion.医生靠输血使他仍然活着。
相关单词：imperative
imperative解释：n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的
imperative例句：
He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。
相关单词：donor
donor解释：n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体
donor例句：
In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
相关单词：orphans
orphans解释：孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
orphans例句：
The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。
相关单词：spoke
spoke解释：n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
spoke例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
相关单词：impromptu
impromptu解释：adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)
impromptu例句：
The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。
相关单词：vein
vein解释：n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络
vein例句：
The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。
相关单词：ordeal
ordeal解释：n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验
ordeal例句：
She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。
相关单词：shuddering
shuddering解释：v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
shuddering例句：
'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）
相关单词：sob
sob解释：n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣
sob例句：
The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。
相关单词：sobs
sobs解释：啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 )
sobs例句：
She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
相关单词：stifle
stifle解释：vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止
stifle例句：
She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。
相关单词：distress
distress解释：n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
distress例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
相关单词：soothing
soothing解释：adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的
soothing例句：
Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。
