本集内容

The dentist helping a koala to walk 牙医为一只考拉制作义肢

学习要点

有关 “improving health（改善健康）” 的词汇

边看边答

What did the dentist make to help the koala walk?

文字稿

It’s an unlikely story – but an Australian dentist has made the world’s first prosthetic foot for a koala.

这是一个难以置信的故事：一位澳大利亚牙医制作了世界上首个给考拉用的义肢。

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist
My name's Jon Doulman – and I’m a prosthetist, I make dentures – so it was just a matter of bending the rules a bit I suppose.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师
“我是乔恩·杜尔曼，是一名修复师，我制作假牙。从制作假牙到制作义肢，我想这只是一个需要稍加变通的问题。”

This is Triumph – Jon’s first animal patient. He’s a rescue koala who was born without a foot.

这是考拉 “胜利”，它是乔恩的第一位动物病人。它是一只获救的考拉，生下来就少长了一只爪子。

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse
Because he didn't have a foot, he limped and he wouldn't put pressure on it. He had difficulty in climbing. He could not jump, and of course, he walked a lot slower.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员
“由于它少一只爪子，所以走路是跛着的，它不在那条腿上施加压力。它爬行困难。它跳不起来，当然，走路也比正常考拉慢得多。”

Marley wanted to help Triumph with his mobility. But when initial attempts to make a prosthetic failed, she ended up going down a less conventional route.

马莉想帮助考拉胜利改善它的行动能力。但在最初几次制作义肢的尝试失败之后，她最终另辟蹊径。

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse
I was speaking to our local dentist, Jon, and he wanted to have a look. I thought, hmm, OK!

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员
“当时，我和我们当地的牙医乔恩说了这件事，他想看一看。我想，那好吧！”

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist
I realised that he was in trouble. Just watching him walk around, holding his leg in the air. The fact that his leg bone almost protrudes through the bottom, so he’s standing on it, and I thought there’s nothing to lose – I should have a go at [helping] him.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师
“我意识到它的处境艰难。看着它四处走动，一条腿悬在空中的样子，就能明白它的处境。它的腿骨几乎从底部伸了出来，因此它是站在腿骨上的，我想已经没什么好怕的了，我应该试着帮帮它。”

So, Jon made a model of Triumph’s leg and got to work looking for a solution.

就这样，乔恩为考拉胜利的腿制作了一个模型，并开始寻找解决办法。

Jon Doulman, Dental Prosthetist
I came up with the idea of making a boot out of this dental material. And luckily, he has, almost has, a little ankle here – which means that this thing can slip over it and we can Velcro at the top, which is what’s holding it on. And then it was just a matter of giving him some tread pattern so he could grip.

乔恩·杜尔曼     牙科修复师
“我想出了用这种牙科材料制作靴子的主意。幸运的是，它在这个部位有一个小脚踝，这意味着这个东西可以套上去，我们可以在顶部用一个尼龙搭扣固定。剩下的就是给鞋底加点花纹防滑。”

Luckily, Triumph took to the new boot immediately.

幸运的是，考拉胜利立刻就适应了这只新靴子。

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse
So since I put it on him, he actually did this little jump – started running around, so… yeah, he reacted really, really well. He seems like, I don’t know, he was reborn again, he was just rejuvenated. I have to say that I cried because it was just such a great moment.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员
“自从我给它穿上靴子之后，它就跳了一下，开始跑来跑去，它的反应真的很好。它就像重获新生了一样，恢复了活力。不得不承认，当时我哭了，因为那真是一个很美妙的时刻。”

Now Jon’s working on a new version ­– improving the boot design.

现在，乔恩正在研制一个新版本，以改进靴子的设计。

Marley Christian, Vet Nurse
Amazing! Amazing that it could be done. And it just gives him a better quality of life – because he’s going to be in captivity for the rest of his life.

马莉·克里斯蒂安     动物护理员
“太棒了！这件事情能够成功，真是太棒了。这个靴子还提高了它的生活质量，因为它一生都将活在饲养环境中。”

词汇

prosthetic 义肢的，义体的

patient 病人，患者

mobility 行动能力

rejuvenated 恢复了活力

quality of life 生活质量

问题答案

He made the koala a boot.