I found myself nodding in agreement(点头赞同) at John Harris’s worries about his son’s future as he leaves full-time education(全日制教育) to enter the world of adult social services (Social care for disabled adults is in as much crisis as support for elderly people – so why is the government silent about it?, 5 October). John’s concerns were shared by my wife and I as our disabled daughter moved from her specialist residential further-education setting(专门的全日制寄宿继续教育机构) 17 years ago.
读到约翰·哈里斯担忧儿子离开全日制教育、进入成人社会服务系统后的未来时，我发现自己一直在点头赞同（《残障成年人的社会照护与老年人支持同样深陷危机——那政府为何对此保持沉默？》，10月5日）。17年前，我们的残障女儿从专门的全日制寄宿继续教育机构转出时，我和妻子也有着同样的担忧。
However, with her gutsy(勇敢的、有胆量的) approach and strong financial support by way of(通过、经由) 24-hour care from our local council, she is able to say, “I love my life”, and has expressed this in a little book, How I Flourished, published by Lewisham Adult Learning. This despite being quadriplegic(四肢瘫痪的), having no speech and being dependent on her personal assistants for all the necessaries of life(生活必需品). I could wax at length(长篇大论地讲述) about her wheelchair dancing, the “proper job” she secured with a wonderful charity (the Deptford-based Entelechy Arts), her painting, thirst for maintaining social relationships involving long and tiring overseas travel, and so on. The blunt truth(残酷的事实), however, is that we, as her parents, have always needed to be closely involved in managing her care and safety, and for taking up the opportunities to broaden her landscape(拓宽她的视野). We are aware that she has had a much better deal(好得多的待遇) than so many people in adult care institutions.
然而，凭借她勇敢的态度，以及地方议会提供的24小时照护这一强有力的经济支持，她能够说出“我热爱我的生活”，并在刘易舍姆成人学习中心出版的小书《我如何绽放》中表达了这一点。尽管她四肢瘫痪、无法说话，生活的一切所需都依赖她的个人助理。我可以长篇大论地讲述她的轮椅舞蹈、她在一家很棒的慈善机构（位于德特福德的 Entelechy Arts）获得的“正经工作”、她的绘画、她对维持社交关系的渴望——这包括漫长而疲惫的海外旅行，等等。但残酷的事实是，作为她的父母，我们一直需要密切参与管理她的照护和安全，并抓住机会拓宽她的视野。我们清楚，她所得到的待遇比成人照护机构中的许多人要好得多。
Now we are at an age when the reality of our own mortality(死亡、必死性) weighs heavily(沉重地压着). Our daughter will have no close relatives or friends at hand when we depart this world(离开这个世界、去世). At that point, the good life that we have striven to provide for her will be cast to the winds of dire adult social care institutions.(到那时，我们努力为她营造的美好生活，将被抛向那些糟糕透顶的成人社会照护机构的风中。) Chris Ball Blackheath, London
如今我们已到了这样的年纪：自身终将一死的现实沉重地压在心头。当我们离开这个世界时，女儿身边将没有近亲或朋友。到那时，我们努力为她营造的美好生活，将被抛向那些糟糕透顶的成人社会照护机构的风中。克里斯·鲍尔，伦敦布莱克希思