◎張沛元
Sixty-nine-year-old Wladyslaw Haniszewski had lived in the U.S. for about 30 years. But when the New Jersey resident fell into a coma he awoke to find himself in his native country of Poland.
69歲的漢尼斯齊維斯基在美國住了約30年，但當這名新澤西州居民陷入昏迷，醒來後卻發現自己人在祖國波蘭。
The New York Daily News reports that Haniszewski fell victim to a growing phenomenon in which uninsured immigrants are deported by U.S. hospitals that do not want to get stuck paying for their treatment.
「紐約每日新聞」報導，漢尼斯齊維斯基淪為一種與日俱增現象的受害者，就是沒有保險的移民會被不希望一直支付其醫療費用的美國醫院驅逐出境。
"Imagine being carted around like a sack of potatoes," said Polish Consul General Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, who argues that Haniszewski was placed on a chartered flight while still unconscious, never giving his consent to being shipped to a hospital in a country he had not lived in for decades.
「想像一下被當成一袋馬鈴薯似地搬運」，波蘭總領事錫姆卡辯稱，漢尼斯齊維斯基在仍無意識、從未表示同意的情況下被送上一架包機，運送到一個他數十年沒住過國家的醫院。
The practice of medical repatriation has reportedly become increasingly common. One immigration advocacy group told The Associated Press in April that it has documented at least 800 cases of individuals being deported from hospitals without consent over the past six years in at least 15 states.
這種醫療驅逐的作法據稱愈來愈普遍。一個移民倡議團體今年4月告訴美聯社，該團體的紀錄顯示，過去6年在至少15個州有至少800件病患從醫院被驅逐出境的案例。
新聞辭典
fall victim to something：慣用語，淪為某事的受害者。例句：In her later years, she fell victim to Alzheimer’s disease.（她晚年淪為阿茲海默症的受害者／罹患阿茲海默症／為阿茲海默症所苦。）
get stuck：慣用語，卡住，動彈不得。例句：We got stuck in the traffic yesterday.（我們昨天遇到大塞車。）
consent to something：慣用語，同意允許某事發生。例句：Her parents will not consent to her marriage. （她父母不同意她的婚事。）
本文引用至 自由時報電子報 http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/
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