Episodio 7: Acts of Service (Actos de servicio)

Duolingo English for Spanish Speakers Podcast

Cuando suena el teléfono de Chris Yeager, a menudo es porque alguien está en problemas.

Chris es el jefe del equipo de búsqueda y rescate, o search and rescue, en el condado de Lake, en Colorado.

Allí hay una gran cantidad de zonas desérticas o wilderness.

I grew up in the state of Connecticut, where there’s not really any “wilderness.” You’re always pretty close to a town, or at least a road.

It’s not like the state of Colorado, or some of these other western states, where you can really get lost.

Here in Lake County, we have the two tallest mountains in Colorado and hundreds of miles of wilderness.

It’s pretty easy for something bad to happen here.

En realidad, la mayoría de los equipos de búsqueda y rescate en los Estados Unidos son voluntarios.

Chris tiene su propio trabajo de tiempo completo como paramédico.

Y su tiempo libre lo dedica a ayudar a los excursionistas que se encuentran en apuros.

Broken legs, avalanches, rock climbing accidents… All of these things happen here.

We get around 60 calls a year, so I spend at least a few days every month in the woods, helping people.

Sometimes my job is pretty calm, but sometimes things are dramatic...

Welcome, bienvenidos y bienvenidas a “Relatos en inglés”, un pódcast de Duolingo.

Soy Diana Gameros.

En cada episodio podrás practicar inglés a tu propio ritmo, escuchando historias reales y fascinantes contadas por las personas que las vivieron.

Los protagonistas hablan en un inglés sencillo y fácil de entender para quienes están aprendiendo el idioma.

En cada capítulo, yo te acompañaré, para asegurarme de que entiendas todo.

En el episodio de hoy, escucharemos a personas que dedican sus vidas a ayudar a los demás… desde rescatar a excursionistas en las montañas de Colorado, hasta curar a soldados heridos en los campos de batalla de Afganistán.

Estas son sus historias de servicio.

Chris se unió al equipo Lake County Search and Rescue justo después de mudarse a Colorado en el 2009 para estudiar en la universidad.

There was a poster on the wall at my college.

It said that the county’s search and rescue team needed volunteers.

On the poster, there were people in helicopters.

It said, “You can do this!” But it wasn’t true.

My team doesn’t often use helicopters for wilderness rescue.

It’s really just a lot of hiking.

En sus primeros años trabajando con el equipo, Chris recibió llamadas de socorro de muchos excursionistas que se habían perdido.

Una vez hasta lo llamaron para rescatar a un perro, porque sus patas traseras se le habían paralizado en plena montaña y en medio de una tormenta.

Ten minutes after we started the rescue, it started raining and it didn’t stop.

It was some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever experienced.

And when we found the dog, it was a big dog! A poodle! We put the dog in a “litter” — basically just a big blanket that’s easy to carry.

We started to carry the dog, but it didn’t understand what was happening, so it tried to get out.

And it was still raining very hard.

In the end, we got the dog home safely.

Este no es un trabajo glamuroso.

Pero Chris lo disfruta mucho.

I have helped people all my life; I learned it from my parents.

My mom is a social worker.

My dad helps people with special needs get jobs and become more independent.

So helping people has always been important to me.

Cuando los excursionistas piden ayuda al equipo de Chris, por lo general no se encuentran en una situación de vida o muerte, a pesar de que ellos piensen que sí lo están.

Sin embargo, a veces sus vidas sí pueden estar en peligro…

I remember one rescue.

We got a call just before it got dark outside, which is when we get most of our calls.

People get lost or hurt, and they don’t think that they need help.

Then it gets dark.

They realize, “Oh, I do need to call someone for help.” In this case, we needed to rescue two women who were hiking up a mountain called Mount Elbert.

They got lost in deep snow, and they couldn’t get back down the mountain.

They were starting to get really cold.

En marzo todavía es invierno en Colorado.

Nieva mucho, incluso a bajas elevaciones.

El equipo de Chris ya había realizado muchos rescates ese mismo mes en el monte Elbert, que tiene la cima más alta de todo Colorado.

Mount Elbert doesn’t look scary.

It’s a really big mountain, but it doesn’t look like it.

A lot of people think, “Oh, I’m just walking up a hill.” But it’s a very long walk.

If you don’t bring enough food and water, you’re going to have a bad time up there.

Cuando Chris y su equipo recibieron la llamada, se dirigieron a la montaña.

Fueron en coche tan lejos como pudieron y después, comenzaron a caminar.

We knew approximately where the women were, so we found them pretty quickly.

They were just sitting down, and they seemed very confused.

People who are really cold can’t think clearly.

Their brains stop working.

And these two women were really cold.

So at first, they didn’t want to leave.

I told them they were going to die if they stayed there.

But they were so cold that they just said, “Oh, that’s OK.”

Lógicamente, Chris no las iba a dejar allí… así que se dedicó a abrigarlas y a hacerlas pensar con mayor claridad.

First, we always ask people if their clothes are dry.

Because we change their clothes if they are wet so they can get warm.

One of the women said her socks were wet, so I took off her boots and her boots were full of water, and she didn’t even notice.

Después de darle ropa seca a las dos mujeres para que se cambiaran, Chris y sus compañeros les dieron agua y comida, y las ayudaron a bajar la montaña.

Usually, when we’re taking people back to a safe place, it’s a really slow hike.

We tell them that they’re going to be OK, and we give them some food and water.

After we hiked for about 20 minutes with the two women, they started feeling warm again.

They realized what happened, and they thanked us for coming to get them.

La mayoría de las veces, las personas a las que Chris rescata le dan las gracias.

Otras donan dinero al equipo de búsqueda y rescate… y en una ocasión, un hombre al que Chris rescató compró sudaderas para todos.

Pero Chris no lo hace por eso.

People don’t plan to get lost or hurt when they’re in the wilderness.

Sometimes bad things just happen, and people need help.

It could even happen to me.

I rescue people, but I can still get lost or hurt too.

As a search and rescue volunteer, I can help people and make things better.

And it’s very satisfying.

I love exploring the wilderness, but helping people out there makes it even better.

La palabra servicio puede significar voluntariado… pero también tiene una connotación militar: servir al país o to serve one’s country.

En el 2009 Amanda Rooney trabajaba en una tienda de vestidos de novia en el estado de Nueva York cuando recibió la orden de despliegue con la Armada o Navy de los Estados Unidos.

I got my orders for duty, so I went to South Carolina to start my intensive training.

I knew I was going to leave the US for duty, but I didn’t know where I was going to be assigned.

Then I found out I was going to a combat hospital…in Afghanistan.

Amanda había estado en la reserva de la Armada por dos años y medio.

Las fuerzas armadas de los Estados Unidos estaban en Afganistán desde el 2001 y en Irak desde el 2003.

Ella sabía que podía ser enviada a la guerra en cualquier momento.

I joined the military after high school; I wanted to explore the world.

When I was 22, I found out I was going to work in a hospital in Afghanistan.

My first thought was, “Wow, this is really happening!” My second thought was, “I don’t know anything!” I was very nervous!

Amanda se había formado para ser asistente médico… y en Afganistán, fue destinada a un hospital en una base de la OTAN en la provincia de Kandahar.

In the hospital, we saw all kinds of things — from soldiers with high-altitude sickness to local children who were hurt by suicide bombs.

Often, I had to suddenly stop working and help evacuate very badly hurt patients from helicopters.

Their lives depended on us.

Fue un trabajo de mucho estrés.

Pero Amanda descubrió que se le daba bien.

Durante seis meses, su único mundo fue el hospital y las personas que trabajaban con ella.

I learned how different people respond to difficult situations.

I also learned how I respond to difficult situations.

It was hard, but I actually really enjoyed that time in Afghanistan.

I created strong relationships with the people who worked with me.

I will never forget that group of people.

They are so important to me.

Eventualmente, llegó el momento de volver a casa.

Amanda todavía era reservista, pero su primera misión había terminado, y no volvería a ser llamada a filas durante mucho tiempo.

I was only there for six months, but it seemed much longer.

I was happy to go home, but then I had to make a new plan for my life.

I was ready to start a career, but I just needed to find the right one.

Muchos soldados que han servido en el extranjero tienen problemas para volver a adaptarse a la vida cotidiana en los Estados Unidos, pero Amanda estaba ilusionada...

I decided to get my degree and become a paralegal.

Amanda obtuvo su título de asistente legal o paralegal, y encontró trabajo en un bufete especializado en demandas por accidentes laborales.

Pero pronto se dio cuenta de que no era un trabajo adecuado para ella.

I started working for a lawyer, and I really hated it.

When I was in the military, I was around a lot of men, and they often shouted at me because it was a life-or-death situation.

But in that office, when a lawyer shouted at me, it was about a document, or a phone call.

I did not feel respected or appreciated.

And, as a paralegal, I wasn’t saving anyone’s life! The job didn’t feel important, and I realized that I didn’t want to do it.

Así que Amanda renunció.

I loved being in the Navy because I could make a difference and help people.

So I thought, “I should find a job in public service!” When I was growing up, I helped take care of my siblings.

I really like taking care of kids.

So I started volunteering to represent children in the legal system…

Amanda defendería a niños como tutor designado por el tribunal en juicios, para decidir su custodia legal.

Y después de un tiempo, encontró trabajo como asistente de un juez, o judge, en un juzgado de familia, o family court.

I work in a family court.

I’m the judge’s assistant.

The judge has cases about family problems, like divorce and domestic violence.

Sometimes it’s a little crazy, but I really love my work.

El trabajo no implica el mismo tipo de situaciones de vida o muerte que Amanda vivió en Afganistán… pero aun así tiene un efecto muy importante sobre la vida de los demás.

In court, people get divorced, families disagree about money, and sometimes kids are taken away from their parents.

It’s really difficult for everyone.

There is a lot of emotion in family court, and people are often annoyed, irritated, or confused.

Many people do not have enough money for a lawyer, and they need advice.

Y cuando las cosas salen mal… pueden arruinarle la vida a una persona.

Amanda recuerda especialmente el caso de un niño al que ayudó.

In one court case, there were parents who couldn’t take care of their child.

So the child was taken away from them.

The boy had relatives in another state, and they wanted him to live with them.

But before the boy could live with his relatives, the judge had to sign some documents.

The boy’s relatives called my office many times to find out if the documents were signed yet.

But they were missing!

Era una semana antes de Navidad, y los familiares del pequeño querían que él pasara las vacaciones con ellos.

Sin los documentos que faltaban, Amanda no sabía qué hacer.

I made a lot of phone calls.

And I found out that the child services agency sent the documents to the wrong office! Those documents were in the wrong place for six weeks! So the boy’s relatives were waiting for a long time and becoming very worried.

En cuanto Amanda descubrió que los documentos habían sido enviados al lugar equivocado, pudo arreglar la situación inmediatamente.

I found the right documents, and then I personally spoke to the boy’s relative at my office.

We talked for almost an hour.

She was so happy that the child — who she loved — could spend the holiday with her family.

It was something small for me, but it was very important to this family.

En el ejército, Amanda dedicó su vida a servir a los demás y siguió haciéndolo en su trabajo de asistente legal.

When I joined the Navy, I really didn’t know what kind of career I wanted to have.

I’m almost 33 now, and I’m still not completely sure.

I’m still in the Navy Reserves…and I want to be an officer one day.

Until then, I’m really happy that I can help people in court!

Amanda Rooney trabaja para el Tribunal del Condado de Charlotte, en Tampa, Florida.

Su relato fue producido por Allison McManus.

Nuestro primer narrador, Chris Yeager, dirige el equipo de búsqueda y rescate de voluntarios en el condado de Lake, en Colorado.

Su relato fue producido por Stephanie Joyce.

“Relatos en inglés” es una producción de Duolingo y Adonde Media.

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También hay una versión en video disponible en YouTube.

Yo soy Diana Gameros.

Thank you for listening!