365个英语简短小故事-359. The Heart Attack (1)

（单词翻译）

He was watching TV. It was about 10:45 p.m. All of a sudden, he felt something in his chest. It was a fullness that he had never felt before. The feeling was dull and painless. But it quickly became a very strong “chest ache.” His chest felt full, sort of like his belly¹ did after Thanksgiving dinners. He could feel a little bit of sharpness in the area of his heart. Then he felt a tiny electric current go down his left arm and into his left hand. His hand felt numb².

He couldn’t believe it. I’m having a heart attack, he thought. No, it couldn’t be. He was perfectly³ healthy, or at least he was the last time he saw his doctor. When was that—one year, or two years, ago? Well, it didn’t matter. Your doctor could give you a clean bill of health on Monday and you could drop dead on Wednesday. But he had great genes—no one in his family had ever died of a heart attack. In fact, no one in his family had ever died of anything at his age.

He kept hoping the sensation⁴ would just disappear. But the feeling of fullness remained—yet without the slightest bit of pain.

He checked his front door. It was locked. That would be a problem if he called 911; would they break the door down, or do they have master keys to most buildings? His windows were open; they could just remove a screen. Should he call 911—no, the ambulance alone would be at least $500. The emergency room bill would be in the thousands. And what about the embarrassment⁵ if this was a false alarm? Should he call his brother, who would come over and—and what? He was getting confused. He turned down the TV. He didn’t want it blasting⁶ away at his dead body in the middle of the night.