I had gotten used to the chaos. As we made our morning rounds, discussing the best treatment plans for the new patients, I scribbled furiously to record diagnoses and medications. I was adrift in a world of medical terms, patient charts, procedures, and physical tests, struggling to master the intricate workings of Beth Israel’s ICU. The doctors moved quickly and expected me to keep up. We hurried from room to room, checking on the patients whom I would be seeing for the next couple of days.

At the doorway of one room, however, I stopped. A tiny, motionless figure lay curled up on the bed. At first I did not even recognize him as Johnny, the lively two-year-old I had seen running around the doctor’s office a couple of days earlier. He looked utterly lifeless, and as I moved to his bedside, I could see that he did not register my presence. The doctor told me that Johnny had suffered an unexpected intracranial hemorrhage overnight, the effects of which were still not clear. Johnny could barely respond to commands; his only way of communicating with the outside world was to squeeze his fingers in response to yes or no questions. For Johnny and his family, that morning was a time of uncertainty and despair. There was no definitive prognosis his future, and I found myself caught up in his struggle for survival.

Over the course of the next week, as I made my rounds and tried to keep up with the hectic schedule, my thoughts often strayed to Johnny. When I finally had time to visit him again, I was not sure what I would find. I dreaded the sight of an empty bed. When I reached the doorway of his room, however, I saw that he was standing. His mother held his hand while he made tiny, uncertain steps across the room. His legs trembled, and his whole body wobbled from side to side as this brave boy fought for every step. He radiated optimism and hope, and I knew he was going to make it. Just a week ago, his charming smile was more than anyone could have asked for, but today Johnny was taking baby steps toward the future. To the medical staff on that floor, he was proof of dedication to their work. To me, he was an inspiration and a sign that I had chosen the right path. “Look honey,” whispered his mom, pointing at me. “That girl has red hair, just like you. We can call her ‘ginger’ too.” As our eyes met, Johnny burst into giggles.

Johnny and I had more in common than just our hair color. He was a fighter and a survivor. He could not yet understand everything that was waiting ahead of him, but fought hard for every step that he took. When I left my home country at age eleven to move to the United States with my family, I did not know what awaited me, but I knew the transition would be difficult. I remember standing in the airport, watching my parents say their last goodbyes to the people they had grown up with. I held my four-year-old brother’s hand, feeling an adult’s sense of responsibility. Life would never be the same, and I missed my friends already. Uncertainty and insecurity filled my mind. I was on the verge of tears as I watched my mother embrace her best friend and exchange a couple of last heartfelt words. For my brother’s sake, I held back my tears. Only time would tell where our lives would go; meanwhile, I had to be strong and take one step at a time.

As I watched Johnny struggle across the room toward me, I reflected on the transformation I had undergone upon coming to this country. That early experience of adjusting to a new environment shaped the person that I am today. The independence I developed has always helped me make my own decisions and determine my own path in life, whether I was choosing which research to do in the summer, which colleges to apply to, or which career to pursue. Now, providing service and aid to others is the most meaningful and satisfying job I can imagine. Being a doctor requires patience and dedication, and I believe I have acquired these traits since that painful and uncertain day of departure from my past -- or rather, arrival in my future.

點評：

這是我看過這么多篇文章中最讓我感動的一篇，不僅僅因為我是一個比較感性的人，更重要的是通過作者的文章，我看到了一個弱小生命的頑強斗志，是我們很多成年人都缺少。

醫(yī)院原本就是一個死亡和生存相互交錯的地方，醫(yī)物人員的職責就是盡自己最大力量去挽救每一個生命。但往往病人本身的頑強斗志會使醫(yī)物人員更加意識到自己工作的本質(zhì)所在。作者在文中僅是一個普通的醫(yī)務(wù)人員，早上跟著醫(yī)生巡房，做記錄，每天重復著同樣的事。一次偶然的機會認識了一個叫Johnny的小孩子，從他身上看到這個幼小的生命是如何與病魔作斗爭，如何渴望生存，已經(jīng)堅持不懈鍛煉走路。從而意識成為一名救死扶傷的醫(yī)生才是她最想追求，并覺得最有意義和最有滿足感的一份工作。

作者在通過與自己小時候移民到美國的故事與Johnny的故事相結(jié)合，巧妙的推導出自己也曾經(jīng)歷過與Johnny類似的經(jīng)歷。年紀輕輕就與家人背井離鄉(xiāng)來到一個陌生的國度，前路茫茫，需要極大的勇氣和毅力才能生存下來并得到良好的發(fā)展。早期的鍛煉造就了作者獨立能力，使其對自己將來要做什么都能夠準確地做出決定。

文章的結(jié)構(gòu)也是非常合理，七百多個字就完整地描述了兩個意義深長的故事，并能很好地把兩個故事結(jié)合在一起，讓人看完后感受頗深。文章的內(nèi)容選材也是非常的成功的，通過醫(yī)院里的一名小病患頑強與病魔作斗爭的故事感動了讀者，并反映出自己這個職業(yè)的熱愛。

的確，現(xiàn)代的人只要受到一點點挫折就會很輕易的放棄之前的追求。跟文章中的Johnny相比，真是顯得很無用。每一天我們都遇到不同的挑戰(zhàn)和困難，如果我們都選擇逃避和放棄，是沒有辦法取得任何成功的。不僅僅是作者，包括我們，每一個看這篇文章的人，都應(yīng)該向故事中的小Johnny學習，學習那種對生命的熱愛，鍥而不舍的精神。

譯文：

寶貝的腳步

我已經(jīng)漸漸習慣了這種混亂。正如每天早上我們進行的巡房，討論著新患者的最佳治療方案，我潦草的記錄下診斷和用藥。我漂流在一個充滿醫(yī)學術(shù)語，病患圖表，和體能測試的世界里，忙于去掌握以色列貝絲加護病房的復雜運作。醫(yī)生們的動作很快并指望我能跟得上他們的節(jié)奏。我們匆忙的從一個病房到另一個病房，對每一個我在接下來的日子里會經(jīng)常見到的病人進行檢查。

但是在靠近門口的一個房間里，我停了下來。一個微小的，靜止的家伙卷縮在病床上。起初我并沒有認出那就是Johnny，那個兩歲大的小家伙前不久還看見他在醫(yī)生辦公室里跑來跑去。他現(xiàn)在看起來是那么地毫無生氣，我來到他的床邊，我知道他并沒有意識到我的存在。醫(yī)生告訴我Johnny一夜之間遭受到意想不到的顱內(nèi)出血，目前的影響還不明確。Johnny幾乎不能對指示作出反應(yīng)，他唯一與外界溝通的方法就是捏手指回應(yīng)是與不是的提問。對于Johnny和他的家人來說，那是一個充滿未知之數(shù)和絕望的早晨。在這個無法最終確定他將來的時刻，我發(fā)現(xiàn)我已經(jīng)陷入了他為生存而進行的斗爭中。

在接下來的一個星期里，盡管我努力的使自己的巡房跟上那瘋狂的時間表，我的思緒還是時常停留在Johnny那里。當我終于有時間去看望他時，我并不確定我還能再找到他。我害怕看到的只是一張空床。但是當我到了房間門口，我看見他在站立著。由他媽媽牽著他的小手，在病房里邁著細小的，不確定的步子。他的腿顫抖，他的身子兩邊搖擺不定，而這名小男孩卻正在勇敢的爭取邁出每一步。他流露出的樂觀和希望，我知道他一定可以做到的。就在一個星期前，他有著無人能比的迷人笑容，但是今天，Johnny正朝著未來努力的邁著每一個如嬰兒般的細小步子。對于那一層樓的醫(yī)務(wù)人員來說，他是他們工作認真負責的證明。對于我來說，他是我選擇了一條正確的道路的啟示和標志?！坝H愛的，你看，”他媽媽指著我悄悄地說?！澳莻€女孩也有著跟你一樣的紅頭發(fā)，我們也可以叫她‘Ginger’?！?當我們目光相交，Johnny忍不住咯咯笑起來。

Johnny和我相同之處不僅僅是我們頭發(fā)的顏色。他是一個戰(zhàn)士也是一名生存者。他也許還無法理解一切在等待著他將來去面對的東西，但是他努力的為他邁出的每一步而奮斗。當我離開我的國家和家人來到美國時我年僅11歲，我也不知道前面什么在等待著我，但是我知道這種轉(zhuǎn)變將會是很艱難的。我仍記得站在機場里，看著我的父母跟我們過去一起生活成長的人說著最后的再見。我牽著4歲弟弟的手，感覺到一個成年人的責任感。生活將不再一樣，我已經(jīng)開始想念我的朋友了。不確定和不安充滿我的腦子。當我看到我媽媽擁抱著她最要好的朋友，交換了最后幾句肺腑之言，我眼泛淚光。因為弟弟的緣故，我強忍住我的淚水。只有時間能告訴我們的生活將會去哪里, 與此同時，我必須堅強，并且一步一步的前進。

當我看到Johnny掙扎著穿過房間朝著我走來，我反省著自從來到這個國家我所經(jīng)歷的轉(zhuǎn)化。早先的適應(yīng)新環(huán)境的經(jīng)歷塑造了今天的我。我養(yǎng)成的獨立能力一直幫助我自己做決定，并確定自己的人生道路，無論我是在選擇這個夏天做什么研究，申請哪所學院，或是追求哪種職業(yè)。現(xiàn)在，為他人提供服務(wù)和幫助是我所能想象到的最有意義和最有滿足感的工作。作為一名醫(yī)生，需要耐心和奉獻，我相信我擁有這些特質(zhì)，因為那痛苦和不確定的日子離開了我的過去 — 或者說，抵達了我的未來。