The poor, the rich: in a sick India, all are on their own

穷人、富人都一样：在疫情下的印度，一切都得靠自己

For the family of the retired diplomat, the terror struck as they tried desperately to get him past the entrance doors of a private hospital. For the New Delhi family, it came when they had to create a hospital room in their ground-floor apartment. For the son of an illiterate woman who raised her three children by scavenging human hair, it came as his mother waited days for an intensive care unit (ICU) bed, insisting she’d be fine.

一位退休外交官确诊，家人充满恐惧，不顾一切为他办理私立医院住院手续；新德里的一家人，则是不得不在家里隔了一间“病房”；一位不识字的母亲靠捡头发养大了三个孩子，等了几天还等不到ICU病床，仍在安慰家人说自己没事。

Three families in a nation of 1.3 billion. Seven cases of Covid-19 in a country facing an unparalleled surge, with more than 300,000 people testing positive every day.

这就是在拥有13亿人口，每天感染人数激增超过30万的国家中三个家庭和7位患者的故事。

When the pandemic exploded in India in early April, each of these families found themselves struggling to keep relatives alive as the medical system neared collapse and the government was left unprepared.

4月初，当疫情在印度爆发时，医疗系统濒临崩 溃，政府毫无准备，每个家庭都在努力维持亲人的生命。

Across India, families scour cities for coronavirus tests, medicine, ambulances, oxygen and hospital beds. When none of that works, some have to deal with loved ones zippered into body bags.

在印度各地，许多家庭满世界寻找检测点，争抢药物、救护车、氧气和医院病床等资源。要是这些都无果，那么他们中的一些就不得不面临亲人被装进尸袋的命运。

The desperation comes in waves. New Delhi was hit at the start of April, with the worst coming near the end of the month. The southern city of Bengaluru was hit about two weeks later. The surge is at its peak now in many small towns and villages, and just reaching others.

绝望一波接一波地袭来。新德里在4月初遭受疫情打击，在4月底左右达到最严重。大约两周后，南部城市班加罗尔暴发。现在，在许多小城镇和村庄，这种浪潮达到了顶峰，并且还在蔓延。

But when a pandemic wave hits, everyone is on their own. The poor. The rich. The well-connected bureaucrats who hold immense sway here, and the people who clean the sewers. Wealthy businessmen fight for hospital beds and powerful government officials send tweets begging for oxygen. Middle-class families scrounge wood for funeral pyres and in places where there’s no wood to be found, hundreds of families have been forced to dump their relatives’ bodies into the Ganges River.

但是，当疫情袭来时，每个人都只能靠自己。不论是穷人，富人，举足轻重、有广泛人脉的官僚或是清理下水道的劳工，谁都一样。富裕的商人为争夺病床而战，有权有势的政府官员发布推文乞求氧气。中产阶级家庭则为了火葬柴堆而砍伐木材，当连木材都没有了之后，数百个家庭被迫将其亲属的尸体抛到恒河中。

The rich and well-connected, of course, still have money and contacts to smooth the search for ICU beds and oxygen tanks. But rich and poor alike have been left gas for breath outside overflowing hospitals.

当然，有钱人和人脉丰富的人们仍然可以轻松寻到ICU病床和氧气罐。但是，有些时候富人和穷人一样，也都只能在被挤爆的医院外喘息。

“This has now become normal,” said Abhimanyu Chakravorty, 34, whose extended New Delhi family frantically tried to arrange his father’s medical care at home. “Everyone is running helter-skelter, doing whatever they can to save their loved ones.”

现年34岁的阿比曼尤·查克拉沃蒂表示：“这现象已经习以为常了。”他位于新德里的一大家子人正在疯狂地试图安排他父亲在家治疗。“每个人都在奔波，竭尽全力挽救亲人。”

But every day, thousands more die.

但是每天都有数千人死去。

以下是巴基斯坦黎明报读者的评论：译者：Jessica.Wu

@papi

Why worry about India. Pakistan's both Hands are full

为什么担心印度？巴基斯坦都自顾不暇

ENGR Hamid Shafiq

@@papi, Nothing bad in Pakistan don’t compare with India

@@papi，巴基斯坦没出啥坏事，别和印度比

Babu Ram

@@papi, because humans live in both Pakistan & India, you even being an Indian must at least concede that.

@@papi，因为生活在巴基斯坦和印度的都是人类，即使你是印度人，至少也得承认这一点。

Sree

@ENGR Hamid Shafiq, "@papi, Nothing bad in Pakistan don’t compare with India"

Yes certainly,  that's what we have always been saying.  Pl don't compare or even come near India..

@ENGR Hamid Shafiq当然，我们也一直都这么说。不要和印度比，甚至不要接近印度。

UMAIR

Shining india

印度大放异彩

Point of View

@UMAIR, Shining india

Yes it is shining India which has hit a speed bump. Mark my word, I am 100% sure it will emerge as a much stronger nation once this pandemic is over.

是的，印度大放异彩，现在印度上了减速带。请记住我的话，我100%相信，一旦疫情结束，印度将成为一个更加强大的国家。

Akram

@Point of View, “ I am 100% sure it will emerge as a much stronger nation once this pandemic is over.”

All the best. Tell this to all those who lost loved ones.

Akram

@Point of View:“我100%肯定，一旦疫情结束，印度将成为一个更加强大的国家。”

愿一切都好！把这个告诉所有失去亲人的人。

Frank

The superpower.

所谓的超级大国

Misbah

Why rich and largest economy Pakistan worried about India?

为什么富裕的大型经济体巴基斯坦要担心印度?

Zak

@Misbah, Why rich and largest economy Pakistan worried about India?

Infections 27 million, deaths 400,000 x 20. Forget Pakistan, the world should be worried from many different Indian variants being spread round the world and new Indian variants pop up.

@Misbah

确诊2700万例，死亡40万x 20。忘掉巴基斯坦吧，世界应该担心的是，许多不同的印度变种正在世界各地传播，新的印度变种正在涌现。

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

True face of India exposed which racist, bigot, biased, liar and prejudiced Modi and his fascist, crooked, cruel, corrupt, cunning and criminal R.S.S. and BJP cronies were tirelessly trying to hide from rest of the world.

这是印度的真实情况，暴露了种族主义的、偏执的撒谎者莫迪以及奸诈、残忍、腐败、狡猾RSS和人民党伙伴们试图向世界隐瞒实情。

Zak

And their leader, who they voted for so eagerly, can only shed crocodile tears on TV and make long pauses for dramatic effect.

而他们热切为之投票的领导人，只会在电视上流下鳄鱼的眼泪，为了达到戏剧效果而故意长时间停顿。

Ali

Not to worry, superpower India has everything under control.

别担心，一切都在超级大国印度的掌控之中。

Reality

As if Pakistan is doing better

说得好像巴基斯坦的情况更好似的

Ibrahim

When will Modi stop hibernating and face the facts on the ground.

莫迪什么时候才能停止冬眠，面对现实？

Sri Ram

Corruption is everywhere in India from politicians to bureaucrats. $1.5 trillion stolen from the people of India. People of India are forever cursed to remain poor and die of poverty, hunger and disease.

在印度，从政客到官僚，腐败无处不在，从印度人民那里盗走了1.5万亿美元。印度人民被诅咒了，将永远贫穷，死于贫穷、饥饿和疾病。

M Saeed

Hearts of all Pakistanis ache on knowing the covid crisis in India, killing thousands of their genetic brothers and sisters in near hopeless conditions.

得知印度的新冠危机后，所有巴基斯坦人的心都在痛。这场危机导致他们的数千名兄弟姐妹在近乎绝望的条件下死亡。

Jawwad

The dirty unhygienic conditions in India created the pandemic situation from bad to worse.

印度肮脏、不卫生的条件导致疫情日益恶化。