We will see what happens

A few years ago, my younger sister and I were the first ones down the tunnel to board our flight for Norfolk, Virginia. Just as we were about to board the plane, a mechanic emerged from inside the aircraft and blocked the door with his arms. He turned to the flight attendant and hurriedly stated, “We got problems!”

幾年前，我和妹妹搭乘飛機去弗吉尼亞州的諾福克市，當時我們是最早通過隧道準備登機的乘客。正當我們要登上飛機的時候，一位機械師從機艙里走出來，用手臂擋住了艙門。他轉過身急促地對乘務員說道：“我們遇到問題了!”

I thought to myself, “Why did I have to be the one to hear that? Why couldn’t I have been at the back of the line? I didn’t need to know that!” Very soon we were back in the terminal, waiting, and then ultimately back on the plane. I waited for the pilot to give an explanation. Pilots take courses to ease passengers’ mind right? They know what to say to calm nerves.

我暗想：“為什么是我聽到這個消息呢?為什么我不是排在登機隊伍的最后呢?我不需要知道這件事!”很快地我們返回到候機室等消息，然后最終又回到了飛機上。我等著機長給出一個合理的解釋。機長們都學過如何緩和乘客們的情緒，不是嗎?他們知道應該說些什么來寬慰神經緊張的乘客們。

Unfortunately, I don’t think this pilot took that course. Soon his voice boomed throughout the plane, “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. We had no power on the plane. We have a generator on the ground right now, and we are going to jump-start the engines. Once we get them going, we will get up in the air and head to Norfolk, and see what happens.”

不幸的是，我想我們的這位機長并沒有學過這方面的課程。很快，他的聲音就在整個機艙里回響：“女士們、先生們，很抱歉飛機晚點了。我們的飛機動力不足，現在在地面上有臺發電機，我們準備借助它來發動飛機上的引擎。一旦發動了那些引擎，我們就能夠飛到空中并飛向諾福克市，然后隨機應變。”

Click.

That was it. That was all he said. See what happens? We are going to get up in the air, and see what happens? Couldn’t we have another plan, one that’s been worked out just a little better?

喀噠——

就這樣。他就是這么說的。隨機應變?我們會首先升空，然后隨機應變?難道我們不能有一個更好的計劃嗎?

At this point, all I could do was to laugh nervously. One woman started yelling, “Oh no! We are going to crash!” There were sighs of desperation and anxiety spreading throughout the cabin like a tidal wave, and we hadn’t even taken off yet. Thirty minutes passed and we were still sitting there. Then the voice of the pilot came over the intercom again, “Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are frustrated—so are we—we know you are hot, we only have one engine going right now, and it is working double time.”

這個時候，我所能做的只是緊張兮兮地笑了起來。一位女士開始大叫：“噢，不!我們要墜機了!”絕望和焦慮的嘆息聲像潮汐般席卷了整個機艙，而我們甚至還沒有起飛。三十分鐘過去了，我們仍然停在原地。接著廣播里又一次響起了機長的聲音：“女士們，先生們，我知道你們很沮喪，我們也一樣;我們知道你們現在感到很熱，因為我們現在只有一個引擎能夠正常運轉，而且它正在加速運轉。”

Click.

There were moan as if we had all boarded a vessel of doom. It seemed that, we were all seated in an aluminum casket, buckled next to strangers. After all, the pilot said he was frustrated. He told us our one engine was working double time, and his elaborate plan was to get up in the air, and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing—other than thrust and lift. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched the tarmac than a round of applause burst out, as everyone throughout the airplane simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.