狗狗天生知道如何愛

lingoma

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

, I! l' _2 S& i. pBeing 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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9 j' k! q8 r3 m+ GBelker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.
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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。
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As 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.

( v5 W0 @* A, c4 d! H+ }  {$ \$ `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。

  W$ a; f/ a' B/ v8 JThe 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.

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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2 G& L7 X; q3 V" r" k1 LThe 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.
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7 l7 F6 [& s  x; v; Y2 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。
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3 j0 l# p# Z2 K0 I9 OShane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

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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: _9 G, S7 s8 u  x, \5 C; h4 qStartled, 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?"

! C1 }( b, P* b# q  {% a2 w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？」
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5 J! w: C& t: g2 a1 ?The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."(allone.com)

2 S0 x+ A5 F: p1 O4 ^7 W' S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)

- j3 f0 |1 f4 e- P0 M詞解：1.euthanasia：安樂死

- z" [. P# q. {) @6 p9 T1 j# B2.transition：過渡，轉變

3.pipe up：尖聲的說，脫口而出

●狗老師的啟示…
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; Z, _  Y  q1 _' s! Q+ sRemember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

' q% R  ]* [+ x, A記住，如果狗狗曾經是位老師，你會學到這些東西：
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" ^8 L. {9 L# g: \When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
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  g7 c/ J3 {/ V: B4 S* f當心愛的人回家了，永遠跑上前熱情地迎接他們。
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" w* h- Y7 e& w. s  ]! uNever 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.

$ |; h! K) J2 N* L3 s6 N3 v隨時尋求關注並讓人們撫摸。
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When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

高興的時候，跳舞並搖動整個身體。
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: _* n6 t. i7 G: M; P0 a9 R; TBe loyal.

忠誠。
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  ?- B2 q( Z: g. _2 w7 JNever pretend to be something you're not.
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* q( z! ]1 O+ r7 Z# M( ~/ z" |永遠不假裝。

0 s" `$ S$ J/ \9 u! E( n1 H' iWhen someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

/ I; m/ }& i7 R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。

/ q8 W- o6 s7 G* v1 LRead 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