狗狗天生知道如何愛

lingoma

http://www.worldjournal.com/view ... 9B?instance=wjengch
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# A( L0 Y' E% u" O5 N) j# sBeing a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker.

( }% ]$ g' i5 ]. H2 h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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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。

+ H% U; i  S5 D9 t$ T: D" l4 wI 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.

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。

8 Z. r" l/ _5 P0 PAs 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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( N: E8 m& U* S6 C5 p- {# K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。

The 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.
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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。

# y+ {' m/ N6 e( x* @3 Q2 @! rThe 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.

# e" x5 e" O9 k; ~& u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。
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; I7 h* `" |% x2 ]" c9 BShane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
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% g" n0 u7 C: q. z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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# X& T* p: T' a  ]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?"
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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)

3 l. S. @& Q- D+ v  _9 b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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' T+ o& J/ w/ H; |+ _$ A詞解：1.euthanasia：安樂死
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- T& @" v; f) {- x4 v  M; `1 w2.transition：過渡，轉變

7 f  D- l- q4 e/ @3.pipe up：尖聲的說，脫口而出

●狗老師的啟示…
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Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

7 H/ T( U. D* X記住，如果狗狗曾經是位老師，你會學到這些東西：
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; Q& K2 {8 J$ d: x$ ^When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
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當心愛的人回家了，永遠跑上前熱情地迎接他們。
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  U: p1 d/ n" e0 D9 tNever pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

永遠不要錯過能夠出去玩兒的機會。
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( M& H% I: w. o! C$ CThrive on attention and let people touch you.

隨時尋求關注並讓人們撫摸。

* N1 ^( |  d2 p! tWhen you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
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高興的時候，跳舞並搖動整個身體。
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. p  k; n- O/ R6 TBe loyal.

$ B- S, Y2 o% `2 `忠誠。
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. w3 K5 x; L) {" b0 g" _Never pretend to be something you're not.

1 f& T- f- C2 p% N+ R永遠不假裝。

4 p# V' P9 x) b" P( K& QWhen someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
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: @# V. _8 G# V6 I: e' v- z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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: j7 @, ^& |* \3 v' A  z/ [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
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