Joe: You know, that’s always a big shock to me at Chinese hospitals.
Lin Zhi: Having to pay?
Joe: Well, not that so much- though of course in England we don’t pay anything, the government covers all the cost. So we don’t have any of this
faffing(v.无事奔波) about over insurance or payment, we just get into
casualty（n.伤亡者，这里指急诊） -
Lin Zhi：Casualty?
Joe: That’s what we call the
emergency room(急诊室). Anyway, we get into casualty and into treatment as soon as possible. Well, they run
triage（n.治疗类选法：根据紧迫性和救活的可能性等在战场上决定哪些人优先治疗的方法）, of course, when there’s lots of people there. Most serious things first. People often come in with relatively minor things, but if you’re actually bleeding, they get to you
straightaway.(adv.立刻，马上) But what throws me about the Chinese system is that you have to pay for everything as you go! You know, I went in once with
food poisoning(食物中毒), and I even had to take the blood to be tested myself, and pay for it at a separate until; it was
bizarre(adj.奇怪的，古怪的).
Lin Zhi: I thought that was the way in America too?
Joe: Not usually; rather, they give you a bill for it at the end. Especially with emergencies. It’s actually illegal in the US not to give emergency treatment to people, regardless of their ability to pay. So if a homeless guy
shows up（出现）in a hospital bleeding from a gunshot, they have to treat him.
Lin Zhi: Doesn’t that cost the hospital a lot of money?
Joe: Yeah, a lot. The government
makes up(v.弥补) some of it. I think it’d be better if they just
bit the bullet（忍受困难或免为其难做某事）and made it all free
at the point of care, like we do. But anyway, you were telling me about your injury? Was it all
sorted out(v.解决问题)?
Lin Zhi: Oh, yes, they got me to a doctor relatively quick. But, you know, there were other people trying to get him to see them, even while he was looking at me! My friend ended up
shouting at（对…大声喊叫）them. Well, it all ended up OK. I mean, I have to keep this thing on—the
cast(n.石膏模)– for a while, and then go back to the hospital to get it
removed(v.移除).
Joe: Well, I’m glad it was just your foot.
bite the bullet 忍受困难或勉为其难做某事
例：We don’t need to bit the bullet and bear something beyond our tolerance. 我们不必凡事都扛下来。
参考译文：乔：你知道的，这在中国的医院总是让我很吃惊。
林芝：付医药费吗？
乔：嗯，也不全是—不过在英国我们自然不用管任何费用，政府会支付所有花销。所以我们不必为保险金或是医疗费而奔波，只需去看急症——
林芝：急诊？
乔：也就是你们所说的急诊室。不管怎样，我们去了急诊室后就会很快得到治疗。当然，有很多病人候诊时，就通过治疗类选法来安排就诊顺序，重病优先。通常，来看病的人们只是小病小灾，但如果确实有人在大出血，就会被直接推进诊室。但是让我吃惊的是，中国的医疗制度让病人不得不亲自为事事埋单！你知道吗？有一次我事物中毒，我甚至不得不亲自去验血，再单独付费。这太让人匪夷所思了。
林芝：我还以为在美国也是一样的情况呢？
乔：通常不是的。事后，医院就会给病人一张账单，特别是急诊时。无论病人是否有能力支付医药费，在美国拒绝为病人实施急救是违法的。所以，如果一个身受重枪伤、血流不止的流浪汉出现在医院，医务人员也得为他疗伤诊治。
林芝：那医院不会花费很多钱吗？
乔：是啊，花费不少。政府会补贴一些费用。我想，如果美国人抓紧牙关，像我们（英国）一样，从关爱公民的角度免去所有医疗费用，那样会更好。不过你的伤势到底怎样？已经确诊了吗？
林芝：哦，是的。院方较为及时地为我找了一位医生。但是，你知道的，即使在他为我做诊断时，其他病人也要他给看病。我的朋友最后还冲这些人发火了。嗯，最终一切都还好。我是指，我不得不带着这玩意儿——石膏——待一段时间，再去医院把它拆下来。
乔：哎，庆幸的是你伤到的只是脚啊！
