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The right to live — A dog's account 生存的的权利——一只狗的独白 1 When I was a puppy, I made you laugh and you called me your child. Despite the chewed shoes and pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad", you'd shake your finger at me and ask, "How could you?" Then you'd give in and roll me over on the rug for a rub. 当我是一只小狗狗时，我逗你笑，你称我为你的孩子。尽管我啃坏了家里的鞋子和枕头，我仍是你最好的朋友。每当我使坏的时候，你会对我摇摇你的手指，问我：“你怎么能这样？”然后你就会让步，把我翻过来放在地毯上揉一揉。 2 My housetraining took a long time because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together until there were no more stains. I remember nights, sleeping in your bed listening to your dreams, and believing that I'd been provided with a royal life. We rotated between long walks to the park, car rides, and stops for ice cream. 因为你忙不过来，训练我在指定地点大小便花了很长时间，但我们一起度过了这一关，直到屋内没有便溺污渍为止。我记得那些夜晚，我睡在你的床上，听着你的梦想，并相信我一直过着皇室般的生活。我们重复轮换着做这些事：漫步去公园，坐车，停下来买冰淇淋。 3 Gradually, the rhythm of life changed as you lagged behind, spending more time at work and searching for a human mate. I waited patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never scolded your bad decisions, and leaped happily when you came home or fell in love. 渐渐地，由于你花了更多的时间在工作和寻找伴侣上，造成的拖拉改变了我们的生活节奏。我耐心地等待着，在你伤心和失望时给予安慰，我从来不指责你做出的糟糕决定；当你回家或恋爱时，我为你欢呼雀跃。 4 Your new wife wasn't a "dog person", but I still welcomed her and showed her affection. I was happy because you were happy. When you reproduced — when your babies came along, I shared your excitement. I loved their little fingers and toes, and wanted to raise them, too. Only you both worried I might hurt them, so I was shoved into another room or my dog cage. 你的新婚妻子不是“爱狗人士”，但我仍然欢迎她，并对她示好。我高兴是因为你高兴。当你生儿育女，宝宝来临时，我和你一样激动。我爱他们小小的手指和脚趾，也想照料他们。但是你们俩担心我会伤害到他们，把我硬塞入另一个房间或我的狗窝。 5 As they grew, I became their friend. They buried their hands up to their wrists in my fur and pulled themselves up on unsteady legs, investigating my ears and squeezing my muscles. I loved everything about them, especially the touch of their clumsy fingers and thumbs. I would have defended them with my very life. 他们慢慢长大，我成了他们的朋友。他们喜欢把整个手都埋在我的毛下，并摇摇晃晃地站立起来，检查我的耳朵，挤压我的肌肉。我爱他们的一切，尤其是他们用笨拙的手指和拇指触摸时的感觉。我甚至会用我的生命捍卫他们。 6 I'd sneak into their beds, listening to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time when you kept a photo of me in your wallet. But slowly, I went from being your dog to just the dog, and you deducted all the money you spent on me from your budget. 我会偷偷溜进他们的被窝，倾听他们的烦恼和秘密的梦想。我们一起等待着你驾车回来在房前车道上的声音。曾经一度，你把我的照片放在你的钱包里。但慢慢地，我从“你的狗”变成了“那条狗”，你从预算中减去了所有用在我身上的钱。 7 Suddenly, you had a career opportunity in telecommunications in another city and you all moved to a third-story apartment that didn't allow pets. Our rural life in the suburbs was over. On the eve of your departure, there was no internal debate — the jury had already decided. You'd made the right decision for your "family", but I remember a time when I was part of your family. 突然，你在另一个城市有了一个在电信领域工作的机会，你和你的家人要搬到一个不许养宠物的三层楼高的公寓去了。我们在郊区的乡村生活结束了。你们离开的前一天，家里没有内部的辩论——陪审团已经做出决定。你为你的“家庭”作出了正确的决定，然而，我还记得，曾几何时，我还是你家庭的一员。 8 I was excited about riding with the family in the van until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of strange species of dogs and cats, of hell and hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said, "I know you will find a good home for her." But they weren't enthusiastic, knowing how difficult it is to discharge old dogs. 我与家人坐在面包车上，曾一度兴奋不已，直到我们到达了动物收容所。那儿有陌生的狗和猫的味道，我感到如地狱般地绝望。你填写了资料，并说：“我知道你们会为她找到一个好的家。”但他们并不热情，因为他们知道要送走一条年老的狗是多么的困难。 9 Your son cried, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" I worried what lesson she'd learned about friendship and loyalty, love and responsibility, and respect for a living organism. You patted my head goodbye, avoiding my eyes and refusing to take my collar and walking rope with you, the last symbols of our relationship. 你的儿子哭喊道：“不，爸爸，请不要让他们带走我的狗！”我担心他在友谊和忠诚，爱心和责任，以及如何尊重一个活的生命方面学到了什么。你拍拍我的头，跟我告别，却避开了我的眼睛，并拒绝带走剩下的最后象征我们关系的颈圈与遛狗绳。 10 The two nice ladies were as attentive to us in the shelter as they were expected. They fed us, but I had lost my appetite and was experiencing a famine of hope. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping that you had changed your mind about ditching me or that this was all a bad dream. Later, I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, who might scratch my chin and love me again. Eventually, I retreated to a corner and waited for the countdown of my days. 那两位好心的女士，如同人们期望的一样，在收容所里细心地照顾着我们。她们给我们喂吃的，但我没有胃口，正经历着希望的饥荒。起先，每当有人经过我的栏圈，我就会奔到前面，希望你改变了抛弃我的打算，希望这只是一场噩梦而已。后来，我希望至少会是某个在乎我的人，他会轻挠我的下巴，重新爱我。最终，我退缩到了一个角落里，等待我生命的倒计时。 11 I heard her footsteps at the end of the day and I padded along the corridor after her to a separate room. She placed me on the table, rubbed her hand down my spine and told me not to worry. She gently placed a tight rubber band around my leg as a tear ran down her cheeklicked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you as she slid the needle into my vein. As I felt the cool injection coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and emitted a low cry, "How could you?" 那天夜幕降临之前，我听到了她的脚步声。我沿着走廊轻轻地跟她走到一个单独的房间。她把我抱到桌上，用手顺着我的脊椎揉搓着，告诉我不用担心。当她轻轻地用一根很紧的橡皮带扎住了我的腿时,一滴泪水顺着她的脸颊流了下来。当她把针推入我的静脉时，我舔了舔她的手，就像过去常常安慰你时那样。当我觉得冰凉的注射剂在体内流动，我昏昏沉沉地躺了下来，看着她那双善良的眼睛，喃喃低鸣：“你怎么能这样？” 12 Perhaps she took the cue from my sad eyes because she whispered, "I'm so sorry." She patted my head and explained that I would waken in a better place where I wouldn't be ignored, abused or abandoned — a place of love and light. With my last fraction of energy, I tried to convey to her with a quick move of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was for you, my master. I will think of you and wait for you forever, hoping everyone in your life will continue to love you and show you never-ending loyalty as I did. Goodbye. 也许她从我哀怨的眼神中得到暗示，因为她低声说：“我很抱歉。”她拍了拍我的头，并解释说，我醒来时会在一个更好的地方，一个我不会再受忽略、遭虐待或被遗弃的地方，一个有关爱和光明的地方。我用尽全身最后一丝力气，向她快速地摇了摇尾巴，想让她知道我的这句“你怎么能这样？”并不是对她说的。我是对你说的，我的主人。我会永远怀念你，永远等待你，我只希望你生活中的每个人都将继续爱你，并像我那样，永远忠诚。别了。 |
