狗狗天生知道如何愛

lingoma

http://www.worldjournal.com/view ... 9B?instance=wjengch

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker.

身為獸醫，我曾被找去為一隻名叫「Belker」的10歲愛爾蘭獵狼犬看病。
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The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
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/ T$ B8 ]' V6 w- h: {Belker的主人羅恩，他的太太麗莎和他們的小男孩西恩都和Belker感情很好，也都期待奇蹟發生。
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I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

7 @; H3 ~6 p& p, U8 u檢查後，我發現Belker罹患癌症，回天乏術；我告訴這家人，我們無法幫Belker做點什麼了，也建議在家中為牠實施安樂死。

) q" K1 c+ r/ f2 FAs we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
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在我們準備的時候，羅恩和麗莎告訴我，他們覺得讓西恩觀察整個過程會是好事，相信西恩也許能從這段經歷學到一些東西。

$ K3 k& u: q8 vThe next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

3 M0 v# G( v7 d+ U4 b  F7 w隔天，這家人圍繞在Belker身邊時，我和以往一樣有了哽咽的感覺。西恩似乎很平靜，最後一次輕拍這隻老狗，我甚至懷疑他是否真的瞭解情況。幾分鐘之後，Belker安詳地死去了。
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4 v8 L+ v+ g" ]/ X* XThe little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

: A) ]9 A. y+ `小男孩似乎沒有太多困難和疑惑就接受了Belker的離去。我們在Belker死去後一起坐了一會兒，感嘆動物的壽命總是比人類短這個哀傷的現實。

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
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; g4 L& B* X* j' A" a! N2 z/ `' z3 X靜靜地聽著我們談話的西恩，忽然冒出一句：「我知道為什麼。」
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% G) A, p% `  K% b7 rStartled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"

我們非常驚訝地轉頭望著他，接下來他說的話，令我大為感動，是我聽過最令人欣慰的解釋。他說：「人們出生就是為了要學會如何過好生活，比如愛身邊的人，好好對待別人，對嗎？」

The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."(allone.com)
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$ ]8 P$ f% H( j& @2 Q9 I# ]這個6歲的孩子繼續說：「而狗狗原本就知道怎麼做到這些了，所以牠們不需要活那麼久。」(取材自allone.com)
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+ Z/ r6 m, Q/ K1 A; Q( U. x詞解：1.euthanasia：安樂死
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2.transition：過渡，轉變

9 ?) x4 e. B1 a3.pipe up：尖聲的說，脫口而出

5 w6 d# O6 f0 o5 T& r) Z# V' T●狗老師的啟示…

5 j' x9 r( T1 ^# o: ?, a4 n% VRemember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
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* H9 [3 ^5 t2 j. W. d' Y1 S( K記住，如果狗狗曾經是位老師，你會學到這些東西：

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
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5 v; Z( x5 h7 d$ R9 W" }! k當心愛的人回家了，永遠跑上前熱情地迎接他們。

% E" H; N$ a3 W" d, _Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

6 J0 f8 ?4 X0 ]# Y, r1 o; g0 K! A2 X永遠不要錯過能夠出去玩兒的機會。
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1 p" w: w" L1 TThrive on attention and let people touch you.

隨時尋求關注並讓人們撫摸。

$ l5 A# V7 l0 u, }+ lWhen you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

高興的時候，跳舞並搖動整個身體。

! P, Y) S6 Z  DBe loyal.
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- k3 [- C0 T9 U- I& C/ W1 V忠誠。
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Never pretend to be something you're not.
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永遠不假裝。
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4 H1 S) x. `! E# J: y8 B, g" R; uWhen someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

如果家裡有人不開心，保持沉默，坐到他身邊，溫柔地拱拱他、安慰他。

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