hands
hand的短语与搭配
hand的短语与搭配1. at hand(1) 在手边，在近处。
如：He lives close at hand. 他就住在附近。
I always keep a dictionary (ready) at hand. 我经常把字典放在手边。
(2) 即将到来。
如：The examinations are near at hand. 考试即将来临。
2. by hand(1) 用手工(即不是用机器或其它手段)。
如：The letter was written by hand. 这封信是用手写的(即不是打印的)。
My shoes were made by hand. 我的鞋是手工做的(即不是机器做的)。
(2) 用专人(即不是通常邮寄等)。
如：Did the letter come by hand or through the post? 这封信是专人送来的还是邮寄来的?3. give [lend] sb a hand 帮某人一把。
如：It’s really heavy--can you give [lend] me a hand? 这东西确实很重，能帮一下忙吗?4. hand in hand(1) 手拉手。
如：They walked down the street hand in hand. 他们手拉手沿街道走去。
(2) 同时并存。
如：War and suffering go in hand and hand. 战争与苦难是同时并存的。
5. in hand(1) 手头有。
如：I still have some money in hand. 我手头还有些钱。
(2) 控制，处理，进行。
如：/ 8)The work is in hand and will soon be completed. 工作正在进行中，不久就可完成。
Give them a call and let them know we have the matter in hand. 给他们打个电话，告诉他们我们已控制了局势。
握手的动词短语
握手的动词短语
握手，是人们在社交场合中常见的一种礼仪性动作。
而在英语中，握手的动词短语也是我们日常生活中经常使用的表达方式。
下面就让我们来了解一些常见的握手动词短语吧。
首先，我们常用的握手动词短语之一就是“shake hands”。
这个短语是最基本的握手方式，表示两个人互相握手，通常用于正式场合或者是商务交流中。
比如，在会议结束时，人们会互相握手，并说上一句“Nice to meet you.”，以示礼貌和友好。
除了“shake hands”之外，还有一些其他的握手动词短语，比如“give a firm handshake”。
这个短语表示一个人握手的力度比较大，通常用于形容一个人的握手很有力量，表达出自信和坚定的态度。
而与之相对的，还有“give a limp handshake”，意思是握手时力度不够，常常给人一种懦弱和不自信的印象。
另外，还有一个常见的握手动词短语是“offer a handshake”。
这个短语通常用于形容一个人主动伸出手来与他人握手，表示对对方
的尊重和友好。
在一些正式场合或者是与陌生人见面时，这样的举动能够让人感到亲切和受到尊重。
总的来说，握手是一种非常普遍的社交礼仪，而握手的动词短语也是我们日常生活中经常使用的表达方式。
通过学习和掌握这些握手动词短语，我们不仅可以更加流利地与他人交流，更能够在社交场合中展现出自己的礼仪和个人魅力。
希望大家在今后的社交场合中，都能够运用这些握手动词短语，展现出自己的优雅和自信。
Hands
HandsThe thematic inspiration for Winesburg, Ohio may have been the novels of D.H. La wrence, although Anderson used Lawrence’s ideas more as a jumping-off point tha n as gospel. Lawrence, taking his own inspiration from the works of Sigmund Freu d, thought that all psychological problems could be cured through the power of phy sical touch. Anderson turned this theory on its ear in the story "Hands."The central figure of this story is a middle-aged, homely, balding man known to all the residents of Winesburg as "Wing Biddlebaum." The most distinctive characteris tic about Wing is his hands; they seem to have a mind of their own. In season, W ing picks strawberries for a living, as many as a hundred and forty quarts a day, a nd his fingers fly over the berries fas ter than the flutter of wings. When he’s not w orking with his hands, he tries to keep them quiet and out of sight by stuffing the m into his pockets, but every time he starts to talk, they dart upwards and into mo tion. Consequently, he talks as little as possible, which is easy because most of th e townspeople think he’s a little weird.But he is befriended by George Willard, the young boy-reporter for the local paper, and in George’s company Wing lets his hands free to express themselves. One d ay George and Wing go out into the fields to talk, and Wing begins to tell George earnestly that he needs to worry less about what people think of him and concent rate more on fulfilling his own dreams. Without really meaning to, Wing’s hands mo ve to George’s shoulders and begin caressing him. George doesn’t seem to be rea lly aware that Wing is doing anything strange at all, but suddenly "a look of horror swept over [Wing’s] face. With a convulsive movement of his body, Wing Biddleba um sprang to his feet and thrust his hands deep into his trouser pockets."At this point Anderson-as-narrator steps into the story and tells us the reason for Wing’s reaction. Wing was once a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania; his name then w as Adolph Myers. He loved his students and he expressed this love by touching th em -- not, as far as Anderson tells us, in any inappropriate places, but simply care ssing their hair and their shoulders in an affirmative way. However, a "half-witted b oy" started an allegation of molestation. Parents began asking their children whethe r Mr. Myers had ever touched them, and when told that he had, the parents drove the teacher from town; they very nearly lynched him, but seeing "his figure, so s mall, white, and pitiful", they let him escape -- tossing balls of soft mud at him as he ran weeping through the darkness.He wound up in Winesburg, Ohio, still unable to control the fluttering movements o f his hands, and amazed and somewhat hurt that other people could. He is so frig htened of ever having this happen to him again that he avoids human contact for t wenty years -- until George Willard. After realizing on that sunny afternoon with Ge orge that he isn’t cured, that it can happen again, he returns home, seemingly res olved to stay removed from any form of emotional intimacy from then on. Of cours e, this also condemns him to an unremittingly lonely life -- a tragedy, since he real ly hasn’t done anything wrong except talk with his hands.。
《手》文体特征
《手》的文体特征探析摘要本文拟从词汇、句法、语音3方面来分析小说《手》的文体特征，粗略地探讨一下美国作家舍伍德·安德森（sherwood anderson）的语言风格和写作技巧，以期对我们理解国外作品和提升本土写作发挥一点作用。
关键词：手词汇句法语音文体学圆周句中图分类号：h03 文献标识码：a《手》（hands）是美国作家舍伍德·安德森（sherwood anderson）《小城畸人》（winesburg,ohio）中具有代表性的一篇小说。
《小城畸人》发表于1919年，是美国小说中的一篇经典之作，它奠定了舍伍德·安德森在美国小说史上的坚实基础。
小说里的主人公大都性格怪异、沉默寡言、冷漠无情，而且惧怕与世人交往。
舍伍德·安德森是美国著名的作家之一，他对小说艺术的贡献之大，非数言可以论之。
他的文风可以用两句话概括：简朴精炼、通俗易懂。
这使得他的写作技法为众多文人所效仿，曾被称为“a writer’s writer”。
《手》集中体现了舍伍德·安德森的写作特色。
采用倒叙手法，以通俗的口语描写主人公wing在黄昏时分焦急等待george willard来消磨晚上无聊的时间开始，引出耐人寻味的“双手”的故事，从而引导读者一步一步地探究心里残缺的人的内心世界。
整篇故事弥漫着美国中西部的乡土气息。
一词汇舍伍德·安德森是继马克·吐温（mark twain）之后又一位运用口头语言进行创作的小说家，其语言的幽默诙谐、朴素自然、简洁有力在《手》中体现得淋漓尽致。
1 同一个词或词组的反复使用故事的题目是《手》，作者抓住“hands”这个关键词展开故事，用“hands”引起读者的悬念，用“hands”讲述主人公的悲惨遭遇。
该词的运用高达30次，增强了文章的感染力，使读者对于wing产生了更深的同情。
wing作为一名教师，热爱生活，热爱学生，热爱事业，但就是因为那双手——传递感情的桥梁，遭到了学生家长的误解而被逐出学校，开始自己一生的悲剧，再也无法从沉痛的打击中恢复过来。
have their hands full 语法结构
have their hands full 语法结构
"Have their hands full" 是一个常见的英语表达，其语法结构如下：
"have" 是动词，表示拥有或持有。
"their hands" 是宾语，表示“他们的手”。
"full" 是形容词，表示“满的”或“充满的”。
整个表达的意思是“他们已经非常忙了，没有多余的时间或精力去做其他事情”。
其中，“full”用来形容他们的手或时间已经满了，表示他们已经没有空闲时间或能力去做其他事情。
这个表达通常用于描述某个人或组织非常忙碌，没有多余的时间或精力去处理其他事情。
例如：
They have their hands full with the project and can't help you with anything else.（他们正在忙于这个项目，没有多余的时间或精力来帮助你做其他事情。
）
The charity has its hands full dealing with the influx of refugees.（该慈善机构忙于处理大量涌入的难民。
）。
hands-on的例句
"Hands-on" 是一个形容词短语，用来描述某人是亲自动手做某事的，或者某个课程/教学方法是实践性的，需要学生亲自动手操作。
1. I prefer a hands-on approach to learning new skills.我更喜欢亲自动手学习新技能。
2. The teacher encourages a hands-on approach to experiments in the science class.老师鼓励在科学课上采用实践性的实验方法。
3. Our company offers hands-on experience in the field of engineering.我们的公司提供在工程领域的实践经验。
4. The repair manual provides hands-on instructions for fixing a car engine.维修手册提供了亲自动手修复汽车发动机的指导。
5. The workshop was a hands-on experience that really brought the subject to life.这次研讨会是一个实践性的体验，让主题变得生动有趣。
6. As a nurse, she prefers hands-on training over theoretical lectures.作为一名护士，她更喜欢亲自动手的训练而不是理论讲座。
7. The culinary school offers hands-on training in cooking techniques.烹饪学校提供在烹饪技巧方面的实践训练。
8. The architect prefers a hands-on approach to overseeing construction projects.这位建筑师喜欢亲自动手监督建筑项目。
join hands用法
Join Hands用法详解“Join hands”是一个常见的英语短语，它在各种语境中都有广泛的应用。
这个短语字面上的意思是“手拉手”，但在实际使用中，其含义远不止于此。
理解并正确运用“join hands”能帮助我们更好地理解和使用英语。
1. 字面含义：手拉手当“join hands”表示字面上的“手拉手”时，通常描绘的是一种合作或团结的场景。
例如：“The children joined hands and formed a circle for the game.”（孩子们手拉手围成一个圈做游戏。
）在这个例子中，“join hands”直接描述了孩子们手拉手的动作，强调了他们之间的协作。
2. 比喻含义：合作、联手在比喻意义上，“join hands”常常用来描述不同个体或组织之间的合作或联手行动。
这种用法暗示了合作中的互相支持和协作。
例如：“The two companies joined hands to expand their market reach.”（两家公司联手扩大市场覆盖范围。
）这里，“join hands”传达了一种合作精神，强调双方共同努力以达到共同的目标。
3. 抽象含义：共同参与、协力除了具体的动作和比喻意义外，“join hands”还可以用于更抽象的概念，表示共同参与或协力。
这种用法通常用于描述思想、理念或行动上的共同支持或合作。
例如：“We should join hands to promote social justice.”（我们应该携手促进社会公正。
）在这个句子中，“joinhands”强调了共同努力和团结一致的精神，以实现更广泛和深远的目标。
4. 语境中的多样用法在不同的语境中，“join hands”的表达方式和意义可能有所不同。
它可以用于描述人际关系、商业合作、政治联盟等各种情况，根据上下文和语境来表达更丰富的意义。
例如：“The political parties joined hands to form a coalition government.”（各政党联手组成联合政府。
《Hands》翻译
在俄亥俄州温斯堡镇附近的幽⾕旁边有⼀个⼩⽊屋，⽊屋破败的⾛廊上，有个胖胖的⼩⽼头正紧张的来回踱步。
穿过⼀⽚⻓⻓的播种着苜宿却⻓满⻩⾊的芥菜的⽥野，他可以看到⼀条公路，采摘浆果的⼈驾着⻢⻋沿着这条公路返回。
采摘浆果的少年和少⼥们，欢笑着，⼤声吵闹着。
⼀个穿着蓝⾊衬衫的男孩从⻢⻋上跳了下来，试图拖跟在他后⾯的⼀个姑娘，姑娘们尖叫着抗议。
男孩的脚在路上激起了⼀团尘埃，那尘埃拂过了落⽇的脸庞。
⻓⻓的⽥野上传来⼀个少⼥般的声⾳。
“哦，⻜翼⽐德!鲍姆你真应该梳梳你的头发，头发都掉到你的眼睛⾥了。
”这是对那个秃头⼩⽼头说的，他紧张的⼩⼿在光秃秃的⽩额头上晃来晃去的，好像在整死他乱糟糟的卷发⼀样。
⻜翼⽐德!鲍姆，永远被⼀⽚幽灵般的怀疑吓坏了，他根本不认为⾃⼰是他⽣活了⼆⼗年的⼩镇⽣活的⼀部分。
在温斯堡的所有居⺠中，只有⼀个⼈和他关系不错。
他和新威拉德房⼦的主⼈、汤姆·威拉德的⼉⼦——乔治威拉德结下了友谊⼀样的感情。
乔治·威拉德是温斯堡之鹰的记者，有时晚上他沿着公路⾛到⻜翼⽐德!鲍姆的房⼦。
现在，这个⽼年⼈在阳台上⾛来⾛去，两⼿紧张地搓着，他希望乔治·威拉德能来和他共度夜晚。
在运载浆果采摘者的货⻋经过之后，他穿过⾼⾼的芥菜野草穿过⽥野，爬上⼀道铁轨，焦急地注视着⼩镇。
他就这样站了⼀会⼉，搓着双⼿，在路上上下打量，然后，恐惧打败了他，于是⼜跑回到⾃⼰房⼦的⾛廊上。
⼆⼗年来，⻜翼⽐德!鲍姆⼀直是镇上的神秘⼈物，但在乔治·威拉德的⾯前，他的怯懦消失不⻅了，还有他那朦胧的性格，本来沉没在⼀⽚狐疑的海洋中，现在也冒出来张望着这个世界。
在年轻记者的陪伴下，他敢在天还在亮的时候⾛进中⼼街区，或者在⾃⼰家破败的⾛廊上⼤步⾛来⾛去，兴奋地说着话。
他那低沉⽽颤抖的声⾳变得⼜尖⼜洪亮。
他那弯曲的身躯也挺直了。
沉默的⽐德勒鲍姆扭动着身⼦，像被渔夫放⽣回到⼩溪边的⻥⼀样，开始说话，努⼒把他在沉默多年中积累的思想⽤语⾔表达出来。
握手的英文怎么说
握手的英文怎么说握手是一种礼仪，是人与人之间、团体之间、国家之间的交往都赋予这个动作丰富的内涵。
你知道握手的英文怎么说吗?现在跟店铺一起学习关于握手的英语知识吧。
握手的英文释义义to shake handshandshakinghandshakehandclaspshake-handsshake sb.'s hand握手的英文例句他向我走来，微笑著伸出手来和我握手。
He came towards me, smiled and offered his hand.握手时软弱无力。
Has limp, weak handshake.有个陌生人向我走来跟我握手。
A stranger walked up to me and shook my hand.他实在是个很不友好的人。
我有一次和他握手，那冷冰冰的样子简直是像和一条死鱼握手一样。
I shook hands with him once and it was like shaking hands with a dead mackerel.赫伯尔特万分高兴，我们握了握手，表示一言为定。
Herbet was highly delighted when we shook hands on this arrangement.此次握手将生成会话的加密参数。
This handshake produces the cryptographic parameters of the session.请允许您从前的一个学生跟您握握手好吗?Will you permit an old pupil to shake hands with you?晚上他就睡在车后座，跟别人达成握手协议。
He slept in the back of the car and made handshake deals.赫斯渥十分热忱地和他们握手道别。
Hurstwood shook hands with them most cordially.他和我们热情地握手。
hand牛津词典解释一词多义
1 [countable] the part of the body at the end of the arm, including the fingers and thumb Ian placed a hand on her shoulder.Put your hand up if you know the answer.Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times.She was on (her) hands and knees(= crawling on the floor) looking for an earring.Couples strolled past holding hands.Give me your hand(= hold my hand) while we cross the road.The crowd threw up their hands(= lifted them into the air) in dismay.He killed the snake with his bare hands(= using only his hands).a hand towel(= a small towel for drying your hands on)a hand drill(= one that is used by turning a handle rather than powered by electricity)HELP3a hand [singular] (informal) help in doing something Let me give you a hand with those bags (= help you to carry them).Do you need a hand with those invoices?The neighbours are always willing to lend a hand.ROLE IN SITUATION4 [singular]hand in something the part or role that somebody/something plays in a particular situation; somebody's influence in a situation Early reports suggest the hand of rebel forces in the bombings.Several of his colleagues had a hand in his downfall.This appointment was an attempt to strengthen her hand in policy discussions.ON CLOCK/WATCH5 [countable] (usually in compounds) a part of a clock or watch that points to the numbersWORKER6 [countable] a person who does physical work on a farm or in a factorySAILOR7 [countable] a sailor on a ship All hands on deck!HAND-8 (in compounds) by a person rather than a machine hand-painted potteryhand-knittedThis item should be hand washed.IN CARD GAMES9 [countable] a set of playing cards given to one player in a game to be dealt a good/bad hand10 [countable] one stage of a game of cards I'll have to leave after this hand.all hands on deck(also all hands to the pump)(saying, humorous) everyone helps or must help, especially in a difficult situation There are 30 people coming to dinner tonight, so it's all hands on deck.(close/near) at handclose to you in time or distanceHelp was at hand.The property is ideally located with all local amenities close at hand.at the hands of somebody|at somebody's hands(formal) if you experience something at the hands of somebody, they are the cause of it They suffered years of repression at the hands of the old regime.be good with your handsto be skilful at making or doing things with your handsbind/tie somebody hand and foot1to tie somebody's hands and feet together so that they cannot move or escape2to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, restrictions, etc.by hand1 by a person rather than a machine The fabric was painted by hand.2 if a letter is delivered by hand, it is delivered by the person who wrote it, or somebody who is sent by them, rather than by post/mailfall into somebody's hands/the hands of somebody(formal) to become controlled by somebody The town fell into enemy hands.We don't want this document falling into the wrong hands.After the war, the hotel fell into the hands of an American consortium.(at) first handby experiencing, seeing, etc. something yourself rather than being told about it by somebody elseThe President visited the area to see the devastation at first hand.get your hands dirtyto do physical workHe's not frightened of getting his hands dirty.somebody's hand (in marriage)(old-fashioned) permission to marry somebody, especially a woman He asked the general for his daughter's hand in marriage.hand in glove (with somebody)working closely with somebody, especially in a secret and/or illegal wayhand in hand1if two people are hand in hand, they are holding each other's hand They walked through the park hand in hand.2if two things go hand in hand, they are closely connected and one thing causes the other Poverty and poor health often go hand in hand.hands down(informal) easily and without any doubt They won hands down.It is hands down the best movie this year.see also HANDS-DOWN adjective(get/take your) hands off (something/somebody)(informal)used to tell somebody not to touch something/somebody Get your hands off my wife!Hey, hands off! That's my drink!hands up!(informal)1 used to tell a group of people to raise one hand in the air if they know the answer to a question, etc.Hands up all those who want to go swimming.2 used by somebody who is threatening people with a gun to tell them to raise both hands in the airhave your hands fullto be very busy or too busy to do something elseShe certainly has her hands full with four kids in the house.have your hands tiedto be unable to do what you want to do because of rules, promises, etcI really wish I could help but my hands are tied.hold somebody's handto give somebody support in a difficult situationDo you want me to come along and hold your hand?in somebody's capable, safe, etc. handsbeing taken care of or dealt with by somebody that you think you can rely onCan I leave these queries in your capable hands?in hand1if you have time or money in hand, it is left and available to be used We managed to redecorate the house and still have some savings in hand.She completed the first part of the exam with over an hour in hand.2if you have a particular situation in hand, you are in control of it Don't worry about the travel arrangements—everything is in hand.3the job, question, etc.in hand is the one that you are dealing with Please confine your comments to the topic in hand.4if somebody works a week, month, etc.in hand, they are paid for the work a week, etc. after they have completed itin the hands of somebody|in somebody's handsbeing taken care of or controlled by somebodyThe matter is now in the hands of my lawyer.At that time, the castle was in enemy hands. keep your hand into occasionally do something that you used to do a lot so that you do not lose your skill at it She retired last year but still teaches the odd class to keep her hand in.lay/get your hands on somebodyto catch somebody that you are annoyed withWait till I get my hands on him!lay/get your hands on somethingto find or get somethingI know their address is here somewhere, but I can't lay my hands on it right now.Do you know where I can get my hands on a second-hand television?many hands make light work(saying)used to say that a job is made easier if a lot of people helpnot do a hand's turn(old-fashioned) to do no work She hasn't done a hand's turn all week.off your handsno longer your responsibilityon either/every hand(literary) on both/all sides; in both/all directions Mist curled from the water on either hand.on handavailable, especially to helpThe emergency services were on hand with medical advice.on your handsif you have somebody/something on your hands, you are responsible for them or itLet me take care of the invitations—you've enough on your hands with the caterers.They'll have a fight on their hands if they want to close down the school.(on the one hand…) on the other (hand)…used to introduce different points of view, ideas, etc, especially when they are opposites On the one hand they'd love to have kids, but on the other, they don't want to give up their freedom.out of hand1difficult or impossible to control Unemployment is getting out of hand.2if you reject, etc. something out of hand, you do so immediately without thinking about it fully or listening to other people's arguments All our suggestions were dismissed out of hand.out of your handsno longer your responsibilityI'm afraid the matter is now out of my hands.play into somebody's handsto do exactly what an enemy, opponent, etc. wants so that they gain the advantage in a particular situationIf we get the police involved, we'll be playing right into the protesters' hands.put your hand in your pocket(British English) to spend money or give it to somebody I've heard he doesn't like putting his hand in his pocket.(at) second, third, etc. handby being told about something by somebody else who has seen it or heard about it, not by experiencing, seeing, etc. it yourselfI'm fed up of hearing about these decisions third hand!take somebody in handto deal with somebody in a strict way in order to improve their behaviourtake something into your own handsto deal with a particular situation yourself because you are not happy with the way that others are dealing with itthrow your hand in(informal) to stop doing something or taking part in something, especially because you are not successfulto handthat you can reach or get easilyI'm afraid I don't have the latest figures to hand.Keep a pen and paper to hand for details of this week's competition.turn your hand to somethingto start doing something or be able to do something, especially when you do it wellJim can turn his hand to most jobs around the house.more at give somebody/get a big hand at BIG adjective, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush at BIRD, bite the hand that feeds you at BITE v., have somebody's blood on your hands at BLOOD n., cap in hand at CAP n., cash in hand at CASH n., change hands at CHANGE v., close at hand at CLOSE2adverb, take your courage in both hands at COURAGE, the dead hand of something at DEAD adjective,the devil makes work for idle hands at DEVIL, eat out of your/somebody's hand at EAT, a firm hand at FIRM adjective, fold your hands at FOLD v., force somebody's hand at FORCE v., get, have, etc. a free hand at FREE adjective, go hat in hand (to somebody) at HAT, heavy hand at HEAVY, give/lend a helping hand at HELP v., an iron fist/hand (in a velvet glove) at IRON adjective, join hands at JOIN v.,know somebody/something like the back of your hand at KNOW v., take the law into your own hands at LAWsee take your life in your hands at LIFE, not lift/raise a finger/hand (to do something) at LIFT v., live from hand to mouth at LIVE1, make/lose money hand over fist at MONEY, offer your hand at OFFER v., overplay your hand at OVERPLAY, a pair of hands at PAIR n., I've only got one pair of hands.at PAIR n., have somebody in the palm of your hand at PALM n., putty in somebody's hands at PUTTY,raise a/your hand against/to somebody at RAISE v., in safe handsin the safe hands of somebody at SAFE adjective, a safe pair of hands at SAFE adjective, a show of hands at SHOW n., show your hand/cards at SHOW v., stay your hand at STAY v., have time on your hands at TIME n., try yourhand at TRY v., gain, get, have, etc. the upper hand at UPPER adjective, wait on somebody hand and foot at WAIT v., wash your hands of somebody/something at WASH v., have/hold, etc. the whip hand at WHIP n., win (something) hands down at WIN v., wring somebody's hand at WRING, wring your hands at WRING。
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I have never seen Mrs. Clark before, but I know from her medical chart and the report I received from the preceding shift that tonight she will die.The only light in her room is coming from a piece of medical equipment, which is flashing its red light as if in warning. As I stand there, the smell hits my nose, and I close my eyes as I remember the smell of decay from past experience. In my mouth I have a sour, vinegar taste coming from the pit of my stomach. I reach for the light switch, and as it silently lights the scene, I return to the bed to observe the patient with an unemotional, medical eye.Mrs. Clark is dying. She lies motionless: The head seems unusually large on a skeleton body; the skin is dark yellow and hangs loosely around exaggerated bones that not even a blanket can hide; the right arm lies straight out at the side, taped cruelly to a board to secure a needle so that fluid may drip in; the left arm is across the sunken chest, which rises and falls with the uneven breaths.I reach for the long, thin fingers that are lying on the chest. They are ice-cold, and I quickly move to the wrist and feel for the faint pulse. Mrs. Clark's eyes open somewhat as her head turns toward me slightly. I bend close to her and scarcely hear as she whispers, "Water". Taking a glass of water from the table, I put my finger over the end of the straw and allow a few drops of the cool moisture to slide into her mouth and ease her thirst. She makes no attempt to swallow; there is just not enough strength. "More," the dry voice says, and we repeat the procedure.This time she does manage to swallow some liquid and weakly says, "Thank, you."She is too weak for conversation, so without asking, I go about providing for her needs. Picking her up in my arms like a child, I turn her on her side. Naked, except for a light hospital gown, she is so very small and light that she seems like a victim of some terrible famine. I remove the lid from a jar of skin cream and put some on the palm of my hand. Carefully, to avoid injuring her, I rub cream into the yellow skin, which rolls freely over the bones, feeling perfectly the outline of each bone in the back. Placing a pillow between her legs, I notice that these too are ice-cold, and not until I run my hand up over her knees do I feel any of the life-giving warmth of blood.When I am finished, I pull a chair up beside the bed to face her and, taking her free hand between mine, again notice the long, thin fingers. Graceful. I wonder briefly if she has any family, and then I see that there are neither flowers, nor pictures of rainbows and butterflies drawn by children, nor cards. There is no hint in the room anywhere that this is a person who is loved. As though she is a mind reader, Mrs. Clark answers my thoughts and quietly tells me, "I sent ... my family... home... tonight... didn't want... them... to see..." Having spent her last ounce of strength she cannot go on, but I have understood what she has done. Not knowing what to say, I say nothing. Again she seems to sense my thoughts, "You... stay..."Time seems to stand still. In the total silence, I feel my own pulse quicken and hear my breathing as it begins to match hers, breath for uneven breath. Our eyes meet and somehow, together, we become aware that this is a special moment between two human beings... Her long fingers curl easily around my hand and I nod my head slowly, smiling. Without words, through yellowed eyes, I receive my thank-you and her eyes slowly close.Some unknown interval of time passes before her eyes open again, only this time there is no response in them, just a blank stare. Without warning, her shallow breathing stops, and within a few moments, the faint pulse is also gone. One single tear flows from her left eye, across the cheek and down onto the pillow. I begin to cry quietly.There is a swell of emotion within me for this stranger who so quickly came into and went from my life. Her suffering is done, yet so is the life. Slowly, still holding her hand, I become aware that I do not mind this emotional battle, that in fact, it was a privilege she has allowed me, and I would do it again, gladly. Mrs. Clark spared her family an episode that perhaps they were not equipped to handle and instead shared it with me. She had not wanted to have her family see her die, yet she did not want to die alone. No one should die alone, and I am glad I was there for her.Two days later, I read about Mrs. Clark in the newspaper. She was the mother of seven, grandmother of eighteen, an active member of her church, a leader of volunteer associations in her community, a concert piano player, and a piano teacher for over thirty years.Yes, they were long and graceful fingers.。