一只狗狗的临终告白
本文选自美国作家Jim Willis的畅销书《Pieces OfMy Heart-----Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature》，以自述的形式讲述了一只家犬对昔日主人的真情告白。当年作者用七千美元以全版广告的形式在报纸上刊登了该文章，以一篇文章感动了所有的读者。
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my 1)antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"-but then you'd 2)relent, and roll me over for a belly rub.
当我还是一只小狗的时候，我的顽皮滑稽每每惹你发笑，为你带来欢乐。你把我叫做你的孩子，虽然家里许多鞋子和靠枕都被我咬得残缺不全，我依然是你最好的朋友。无论什么时候我干了“坏”事，你总会对我摇摇手指说：“你怎么可以这样呢？”不过最后你都会原谅我，把我扑倒然后搓我的肚皮。
1)anticsn. 古怪或可笑的举动；滑稽动作
2)relentvi. 怜悯;变温和;变宽厚
My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of 3)nuzzling you in bed and listening to your 4)confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
你非常忙碌，但是我们还是一起努力让我改掉了乱啃家居物品的坏习惯，虽然所花的时间比预期的要长。我依然记得那些夜晚，我总会跳到你的床上用鼻子蹭你，倾听你的知心话和秘密的梦想，那时的我觉得生活简直是完美无瑕。我们常常去公园散步和追逐，乘车兜风，偶尔停下来买雪糕吃（我只能吃到雪糕筒，因为你说“吃雪糕对狗狗的身体不好”）。每天我都会在太阳下长时间地打盹，等待着你傍晚回家。
3)nuzzlevt. 1. (用鼻)掘,擦,触2. 依偎,舒服地躺卧3. (用头或脸)紧挨，摩擦
4)confidencesn. 1. 信任，信赖；（对某人会保守秘密的）信任，信赖2. 信心, 自信, 把握3. 知心话, 私房话, （向某人透露的）秘密, 机密4. 把握；肯定
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never 5)chided you about bad decisions, and 6)romped with 7)glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person"-still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.
渐渐地，你把更多时间花在工作和事业上，而花更多时间去找寻你的另一半。而我总会耐心地等你回来，在每一个绝望心碎的日子里给你安慰，永远支持你哪怕是你糟透了的决定。每天只要你一踏进家门，我都会欢快地扑向你，迎接你回家。终于，你和她——也就是你现在的妻子——谈恋爱了。她并不是一个“爱狗之人”，但我还是欢迎她来到我们家，还努力向她表达我的友好，并听她的话。因为你开心，所以我也开心。
5)chid [tʃaɪd] vt. 1. 责骂, 责备6)romp [rɔmp] n. 无忧无虑, 快活 vi. 1. 嬉笑玩闹2. (尤指在赛跑或竞选等中)轻易获胜
7)glee [gli:] n. 1. 欢喜, 高兴2. 三部或四部重唱的歌曲
Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog 8)crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch-because your touch was now so infrequent-and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.
后来你们添了几个小娃娃，我也跟你一样万分雀跃。我被他们粉红的小脸、甜甜的气息深深地迷住了，我也想像妈妈一样好好照顾他们。然而你和她却怕我会弄伤他们，大部分时间都把我关在另一个房间里，甚至关到笼子里。唉，我多想好好地爱他们啊，但是我却成了“爱的囚徒”。随着孩子们慢慢长大，我也成了他们的好朋友。他们喜欢抓着我的毛摇摇晃晃地站起来，喜欢用指头戳戳我的眼睛，喜欢研究我的耳朵，也喜欢亲吻我的鼻子。我喜欢他们的一切，尤其喜欢他们的抚摸——因为你现在已经很少触摸我了——如果有必要的话我会用我的生命去保护他们。我会偷偷地溜到他们的床上，倾听他们的忧虑和秘密的梦想，和他们一起等待你的汽车开进家里的车道。