学文网Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 into a wealthy English family who were, at the time of her birth,living in Florence,Italy.She and her sister had all the advantages that money could provide. This included private tutors and a superb education which was not generally available1 to girls at that time. Florence excelled2 in Science and Maths; however there was little opportunity for her to use her knowledge.Women of her position in life were expected to get married and arrange all the domestic affairs that were important to wealthy families.But, Florence had a dream to become a nurse and when her father refused to allow her to train as a nurse, she was so upset that she became very ill. Eventually, her father relented3 and Florence started on her journey. She volunteered to work in hospitals in France and Germany and even travelled to Egypt to have formal training.Nurses were not considered to be important or valuable in those days and hospitals were generally places that only poor people would go to out of desperation.The standards of hygiene (卫生)and medicine were very low. Florencebegan tochangeall that. In every hospital that she worked in she made sure that everything was clean and that the patients themselves were washed and well nourished（滋养，营养）.
Florencehadbecome well known for all the wonderful improvements that she had made and for the way she had trained other young women to be good nurses. When the British army was fighting in the Crimea against Russia,the soldiers were in desperate need of medical attention. The British commander in the Crimea had heard of Florence and asked her if she would come and help.So Florence collected some of her best nurses and went to the Crimea.Conditions there were terrible.There was no water and no medical equipment. Florence and her team organized a kitchen and a laundry and worked incredibly（难以置信地）hard to improve conditions for the injured soldiers. At night she would carry a lamp as she went round the hospital and the soldiers started to call her"the lady with the lamp." They would often kiss her shadow as she passed by. Florence and her team saved thousands of lives and earned the love and admiration of her countrymen （同胞，同国人） and women.
In 1860 Florence started the Nightingale Training School.The Nightingale nurses were in demand4all over the world.She advised the American President how to look after his soldiers who were injured in the Civil War. She was a guiding influence behind the founding of the International Red Cross（国际红十字会）. In 1907, she was honoured by the King of England, Edward VII and given the Order of Merit.She was the first woman to receive this award.She died at the age of 90 on August 10, 1910. Florence could have lived a life of luxury(奢华) and comfort. She saw a need for someone to help the poor and the sick and she did everything in her power to improve the situation and to make a change. She thought little of her own comfort and she inspired thousands of young women to become nurses.
注释：
1．available adj．可获得的
2．excel vi．突出，超常，胜过他人
3．relent vi. 变温和，变宽容，发慈悲
4．in demand 所需要的
弗罗伦斯，南丁格尔1820年生于一个富裕的英国家庭，她出生时全家生活在意大利的佛罗伦萨。弗罗伦斯和姐姐享有金钱所能提供的一切优越条件，包括私人教师和良好的教育，这对那时的女孩而言通常是无法企及的。弗罗伦斯的自然科学和数学成绩很好，然而她很少有机会运用这方面的知识。在生活上处于弗罗伦斯这种地位的妇女，人们寄予的期望就是嫁人和把对有钱人家来说很重要的日常家务安排得井井有条。但弗罗伦斯的梦想是成为一名护土，当父亲不允许她接受护士培训时，弗罗伦斯感到非常苦恼，还为此大病一场。最终父亲还是妥协了，弗罗伦斯由此开始了她的护士生涯。她志愿到法国和德国的医院工作，甚至去埃及参加正式的培训。在那个年代，护士不受重视，地位也不高，一般来说，只有生活极其困苦的穷人才会去医院工作，那里的卫生和医疗条件都很差。弗罗伦斯开始改变这一切，在工作过的每一个医院，她都要确保一切都是干净的，病人得到清洗照顾和良好的膳食。
由于弗罗伦斯对医护工作非常出色的改善，并用这套方法把其他年轻妇女培训成优秀的护士，她获得了很高声望。当时英国和俄国正在克里米亚交战，土兵们的医疗救护极为短缺。在克里米亚的英***司令听说过弗罗伦斯，于是问她能否前来提供帮助。弗罗伦斯召集了手下一些最出色的护土赶赴克里米亚。那里的情况糟透了，既没有水，也没有医疗设备。弗罗伦斯和她带领的护士小组建了一个厨房和一个洗衣间，她们竭尽全力工作以改善伤员的***条件。晚上在医院巡视时，弗罗伦斯都要提一盏灯，士兵们开始称她为“提灯女神”。她走过时他们常常会亲吻她身后的影子。弗罗伦斯和她的护土们拯救了成千上万名士兵的生命，也赢得了祖国人民的爱戴和崇敬。
1860年，弗罗伦斯建立了“南丁格尔护士培训学校”，培训学校培养出的护士正是当时全世界所需要的。她给美国总统提出建议，告诉他如何照料在南北战争中受伤的土兵。她对国际红十字会的成立发挥了巨大的作用。1907年，弗罗伦斯受到了英国国王爱德华七世的嘉奖，被授予荣誉勋章，她是第一位得到这一奖项的妇女。弗罗伦斯于1910年8月10日去世，享年90岁。弗罗伦斯本可以过上奢华和安逸的生活，但是当看到穷人和病人需要帮助，她毅然倾己所能去改善这种现状，使之发生了改变。她不看重个人的安逸生活，并激励了成千上万的妇女投身于护士这一职业。
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