一个患自闭症的弟弟

一个患自闭症的弟弟

A Sibling with Autism

身边带着一个患有自闭症的弟弟是一种什么样的体验？对于这个特殊的弟弟，这位姐姐又是怎么想的呢？一起来听听她的心声吧！

My brother Pat is1)brilliant. He is priceless. His brain works in ways that mine never will. But he has autism.

I have had a unique life. I grew up with a little brother whose needs were always more important than mine. To be the sister of a child with autism means every day is crazy. You never know what to expect. It’s stressful. You grow up very quickly. You deal with a lot of emotions and anxieties that never cross the minds of other 8-year-olds. However, what you gain are2)irreplaceable life experiences. They turn you into a strong, independent and3)caring adult who knows the true meaning of love, hard work, patience and family.

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autism（孤独症），又称自闭症，是广泛性发育障碍的代表性疾病。该症患儿在言语交流方面存在明显障碍，且对一般儿童所喜爱的玩具和游戏缺乏兴趣。该病症为慢性病程，约2/3患儿在成年后无法独立生活，需要终生受人照顾和养护。

词组加油站

deal with 克服（坏情绪）

turn into 转变为

1) brilliant ['brɪlɪənt] adj. 出色的，聪明的

3) caring ['keərɪŋ] adj. 体贴的

词组加油站

make progress 取得进展trade…for…

以……换得……

5) genuinely ['dʒenjʊɪnlɪ] adv. 真正地

When I was little, the doctors said Pat would never speak. I wondered if my brother would ever be able to talk to me and tell me how he felt. I wondered if he even knew I was his sister and what it meant to have a big sister.

Gradually, he proved everyone wrong and he spoke! Pat now rides his bike all by himself. He also4)volunteers at the library and the hospital. He has made progress that could inspire anyone on their darkest days. I do know that there is nothing Pat can’t do. And if he lives with me for the rest of my life, I will be the luckiest big sister in the whole world.

And to my brother, I love you more than words will ever be able to describe. I would not trade you for anything. The struggles make us stronger. I am the luckiest girl in the world to have learned what life is5)genuinely about. It’s about love.

我的弟弟帕特十分出色，他是无价的。他大脑的运作方式是我永远无法企及的。但他患有自闭症。

在成长过程中，身边有一个患上自闭症的弟弟让我的生活与众不同，他的需求总是比我的更为重要。成为自闭症儿童的姐姐意味着每一天都是疯狂的，你不知道接下来会发生些什么，压力挺大的。你会迅速成长起来，需要面对种种情绪波动、焦虑烦忧，而这些是其他八岁的同龄孩子根本不会想到的。然而你也是有收获的，那便是无可替代的生活经历。你长大成人，这些经历让你变得坚强、独立、充满关爱之心，会让你知道爱、付出、耐心和家庭的真正意义。

在我小的时候，医生们说帕特永远也说不了话。我不知道弟弟日后还能否和我交谈，告诉我他的感受，也不清楚他到底有没有意识到我是他的姐姐，以及有个姐姐意味着什么。

随着日子一天天过去，他证明了早前人们的说法都是错误的，他开口讲话了！如今，帕特能自己骑自行车了，还在图书馆和医院做着志愿者。他取得的进步与成绩足以鼓励所有处于最阴郁时期的人们。我就知道帕特是可以做到任何事情的。如果余生他能和我永远生活在一起，我将会是全世界最幸运的姐姐。

我想对弟弟说，我爱你，这种爱非语言所能表达。你是任何事物都无法替代的。挫折让我们变得更坚强。我是世界上最幸运的女孩，领悟到了生活的真谛，那便是爱。