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.
4 T% ^/ ?" k1 [
$ L/ t% N, ~' K( ~/ S9 z& x! O+ g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。
% j$ z; l6 y" Q2 w; D* n
3 S& N  G+ G+ S7 b+ c) p; \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.

  t/ J$ Q  w/ uBelker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。
, p0 G0 m) Y8 p
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.

/ O2 u9 A! C  h) {  P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。
( ^, `; Y5 U2 j" S0 p7 A
  O/ M0 S: Y- E) s, x$ E$ Q) 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.

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。

; a7 |. q% j) Q( P' K8 iThe 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.

" y2 m3 a) A: e/ i( X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。
) b: D- Z2 l$ m. E; M* j5 a
9 j2 r! Q0 i( A, B1 OThe 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.

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。
. P% @: I' H7 F5 I' r8 J
7 i/ K2 Y# e2 eShane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
; \8 K5 i' r7 V) o1 t
3 z3 J& V' L" R( \7 v靜靜地聽著我們談話的西恩，忽然冒出一句：「我知道為什麼。」
  e2 I- J' g7 C. m" ?
; Q0 H0 {1 ^) V+ y& u5 Z! }* @Startled, 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?"
8 v. J) d" ]! l' _
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？」
# s5 a. r/ D; S9 W5 I+ Y
# t" r2 u, p9 `  g4 x7 u4 bThe six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."(allone.com)

& ^- u, T' J; V+ A/ J. _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)

詞解：1.euthanasia：安樂死
$ B( M. y8 o2 c3 Z9 _
5 q+ V4 O, d4 h# j( B! j& O0 o2.transition：過渡，轉變
) }. l9 k# L( }9 E, F1 C
3.pipe up：尖聲的說，脫口而出

1 `  L9 N2 Y  |. N; `$ ~●狗老師的啟示…

" ~5 q/ R: {) _8 XRemember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
2 r: M, |6 j8 A2 [3 m  r) t2 U
6 ~! P" z. g8 G6 f4 |6 y& ~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.
; L9 Z7 E5 n- n  ~. J
! i9 T% c: F2 y5 q) W, W當心愛的人回家了，永遠跑上前熱情地迎接他們。

3 C2 H( W" ~2 k4 _% A+ ]! nNever pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

永遠不要錯過能夠出去玩兒的機會。

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

3 P$ _" h4 d% Z; i! \& m0 j* a) h; S& T隨時尋求關注並讓人們撫摸。
# n  f. c' J  t6 N/ y& @
- e. x  i8 T0 a9 l( a: @When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
  m) E8 X0 y- G+ m# `; a
高興的時候，跳舞並搖動整個身體。

Be loyal.
, D4 o- r. t6 ~" X# z
忠誠。
# C( d0 R" D5 X+ y$ R* j
, v% \3 Q4 u  n* c- f) eNever pretend to be something you're not.

永遠不假裝。
# e" x. A) u/ c& }" N: o) Q
When 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。
) R  O; S6 q0 V
Read more: 世界新聞網-北美華文新聞、華商資訊 - 狗狗天生知道如何愛