M y first misfortune came two weeks ago when I suddenly had an excruciating (very painful) toothache while I was hosting a live radio show. I rushed to the dentist (teeth doctor) after the radio show. He told me the large filling in my tooth could have caused it to crack. He said the crack had reached the nerve and it was not possible to save the tooth. He explained that the best solution was to extract (remove, pull out) the tooth. That was the first misfortune. I agreed to the extraction (noun) but the tooth broke while the dentist was pulling it out. That was the second misfortune. He then spent nearly one hour getting the remnants (small remaining parts) out. After the extraction, he told me that it would cost about $20,000 to implant (put in, insert) a false tooth. I was shocked.
A few days later I went to see an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) because there was a problem with my right eye. He told me I needed surgery to remove something from the eye. That was my third misfortune. He told me the surgery would cost about $20,000. I was again shocked. I checked my health insurance and found out I would only be reimbursed (repaid) 25 percent. Two days after I saw the ophthalmologist I had a very bad stomach ache which lasted for many days. I was so unlucky that all these things happened to me one after another. That's why I now believe that misfortunes never come singly.
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古語有云： Misfortunes never come singly，意即禍不單行。厄運（misfortune）來臨時，總是接二連三。我常常認為這只是無稽之談（old wives' tale）。習語old wives' tale意即迷信的想法，或不是基於事實的普遍信念。但這兩個星期我遭逢許多的不幸（misfortunes），而且接二連三，令我不再覺得習語misfortunes never come singly只是迷信的說法（old wives' tale）。
我的第一個厄運（misfortune）於兩星期前降臨， 當時我正主持一個電台直播節目，突然感到難以忍受（excruciating）的牙痛。一做完電台節目我便跑去見牙醫（dentist），他告訴我應該是牙齒內的大塊補牙物令它裂開，他說那裂縫下達神經，那顆牙已經救不回了。他解釋道，最好的解決方法是拔（extract）牙，那是我的第一個不幸（misfortune）。我同意拔出（extraction），但當牙醫拔牙時那顆牙破裂了，這是第二個不幸（misfortune），然後他花了將近一小時去取出殘餘（remnants）。拔牙（extraction）以後，他跟我說，植入（implant）假牙盛惠兩萬大元，我嚇呆了。
幾天後我去見眼科醫生（ophthalmologist），因右眼有問題。他跟我說我需要動手術移除眼內的一點東西，這是我第三個不幸（misfortune）。他告訴我手術盛惠兩萬元，我又嚇呆了。我查閱我的醫療保險，發現我只能報銷（reimbursed）25%。兩天後我再看眼醫（ophthalmologist），我又肚痛了幾天。我真的很倒霉，這些事接二連三的發生在我身上。因此，我現在相信了，人真的會禍不單行（misfortunes never come singly）。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=263264§ion_name=wtt&kw=126