Randy Pausch是美国卡内基梅隆大学的计算机科学、人机交互及设计教授。2006年9月,他被诊断患有胰腺癌。2007年9月18日,他在卡内基梅隆大学做了一场风靡全美的“最后的演讲”,根据这次演讲,他出版的“The Last Lecture”一书则成为亚马逊网站上最为畅销的书籍之一。Randy教授所传达的讯息之所以如此震撼人心,是因为他以诚恳、幽默的态度去分享他独特的经验。他谈的不是死亡,而是人生中的重要议题,包括克服障碍、实现儿时梦想、帮助别人实现梦想、把握每一个时刻……

Hints:
Dylan
neonatal
Magee
dissonant
1)
2)
Jai
bassinette
lapel
staccato
Pausch
Dylan was sent to the neonatal intensive care unit. I came to recognize that parents with babies there needed very specific reassurances from doctors and nurses. At Magee, they did a wonderful job of simultaneously communicating two dissonant things. In so many words, they told parents that 1) Your child is special and we understand that his medical needs are unique, and 2) Don't worry, we've had a million babies like yours come through here. Dylan never needed a respirator, but day after day, we still felt this intense fear that he could take a downward turn. It just felt too early to fully celebrate our new three-person family. When Jai and I drove to the hospital each day, there was an unspoken thought in both our heads: "Will our baby be alive when we get there?" One day, we arrived at the hospital and Dylan's bassinette was gone. Jai almost collapsed from emotion. My heart was pounding. I grabbed the nearest nurse, literally by the lapels, and I couldn't even pull together complete sentences. I was gasping out fear in staccato. "Baby. Last name Pausch. Where?"