虽然和它相处的时间不长，但是我懂了许多事情，例如，狗狗天性宽容大度，它们拥有神奇的自我恢复能力，信赖他人，我相信爱能创造奇迹，而我最明白的事情是：你很愚蠢。它也许是你人生中最值得信赖、最忠诚于你的挚爱，而你却让它生活在一个肮脏和孤寂的环境里，直到它做出最好的选择——离开你。也许是它的守护天使帮助它逃脱的。以免其他人误解我原来就是这个天使，我将承诺有一天我会像它的守护天使那样好好地照顾它；我相信在它过上新生活的第一个24小时之后它就原谅了你，原谅了你对它大约4年的冷落对待。而且我试着压制自己的那个念头——总有一天，你会受到地狱般的煎熬。
我现在还不是很确定是否要将它留在这里或是为它找到一个更温馨的家，一个比我还可以给它更多关注的家，但是有一件事情可以确定，这份偷来的“财产”，我绝对不会再归还给你。所以你可以起诉我、告发我，请求法院归还你的所有权……我深信偷走你的狗是我毕生中犯的最出色的“罪行”，偷走你的狗是我一生中最快乐的事情。我只需要看着它那美丽的棕色眼睛，就知道它会终其一生捍卫我的决定。如果我们有一个愿望，那就是希望你不要带走它；如果我们有一个特殊的日子来纪念我们在一起的时光，那就是我偷走你的狗的那一天，而在那一天，它也偷走了我的心。
心灵小语
没有哪只狗想成为流浪狗，也没有哪只狗想对人类心存防备，所以，如果你们决定抚养我，就请好好珍惜我，不要随便遗弃我。如果你们没有准备好要和我一起生活，就不要把我带到你们的世界里去。
记忆填空
1. But just make sure， I checked with the local authorities for a report of a missing dog matching her description and to see you’d placed a “ dog ” advertisement in the local newspaper.
2. She was possibly the trusting， loyal and loving being in your life， and you consigned her to a life of filth and loneliness she made the best she' s ever made when she broke free.
3. It' s not clear yet she’ll remain here or whether I’ll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual than I can give her， but one thing is ， this is one bit of stolen“property”who is never returning to you.
佳句翻译
1. 如果你知道它也不想你的话，是不是就会感到一些欣慰。
译
2. 狗狗天性宽容大度，它们拥有神奇的自我恢复能力，信赖他人。
译
3. 我只需要看着它那美丽的棕色眼睛，就知道它会终其一生捍卫我的决定。
译
短语应用
1. I can imagine what it looks like... the word“ junkyard ”comes to mind.
come to mind：想到
造__________________
2. ... and you consigned her to a life of filth and loneliness...
consign to：交付给
造__________________
给生命带来奇迹的狗
Medical Dog
佚名 / Anonymous
The doctors sent my mother home to die. A fifteen-year survivor of breast cancer， she had suffered two heart attacks when advanced cancer was found in her lung.
Mom had struggled to raise three daughters while holding a full-time job， yet worked hard to maintain a cozy home for her family. Growing up， I knew only two things about my mother： She had an iron will， and she loved nature. During her days of illness， she told me a third： “I’ve had a miserable life.”
My dad was a difficult man to live with， but my mom did not complain， probably because she could not put words to her own need. But when it came clear that because of her progressive deterioration， my dad regarded her as a burden， she and I decided that she would move to my home.
I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements. I changed my work schedule， found transportation， an oncologist， cardiologist， hospice care， medical equipment， a caregiver and bather. My plan for Mom’s final days was simple： She would live with love， and die with grace.
Upon her arrival， after an exhausting five-hour trip， Mom was examined by the home health-care nurse. The nurse took me aside and asked， “How long do you think your mother has？”
“Two， maybe three months. ” I said.
The nurse looked at me sadly.“Adjust your thinking， ” he said.“She has a few days， maybe a week. Her heart is weak and unstable.”
My home， small and comfortable， was a heaven to four cats and a retriever. The animals had the run of my house.
We installed the electric hospital bed and oxygen machine， which frightened the cats from the bedroom. I’d moved their furniture， and they were peeved. The retriever， on the other hand， an immature dog with bad habits， was excited by all the changes in the house. He jumped up， barked and shed more profusely than usual.
He is Otto who was not afraid of the hospital bed， the oxygen machines or the medical smells. Nor was he afraid of the frail woman who had scolded him. Otto jumped onto the foot of Mom’s hospital bed， and stayed.
He was not startled by the nurses. He did not interfere when Mom was fed， nor when she was transferred from bed to commode and back. Whether the disturbance was from changing her bed or because of bathing， he simply waited to resume his post. With the exception of eating and using the litter box， Otto never left Mom’s room.
Days passed， and Mom started to rally. “Not unusual， ” I was told， “a rally is often a sign of imminent death.”
I grieved. But Otto would not give her up so easily. He used her improved condition to reposition himself from the foot of her bed to her side. Her thin fingers found his soft coat. He leaned into her body， as if clinging to the threads of her will to live. Though weak， she caressed the dog and would not allow me to take him.
Days turned into weeks and Mom continued to fight. Once， after the nurses had gone for the day， I heard the sound of Mom’s voice coming from her room. I found her with the head of the bed raised. Otto was tucked into the crook of her elbow， listening adoringly as she read from the newspaper. I will forever cherish the memory of Mom’s face with Otto’s paw， claws retracted， caressing the side of her chin.
Eventually， using a walker， Mom began to take walks through the house. She was trailed by oxygen tubing and Otto. Where she rested， Otto rested. Where she moved， Otto shadowed. It seems I had forgotten my Mom was a mother. Somehow， Otto knew， and during those days he became her dog child， giving her life purpose.
Exactly three years have passed since then. The hospital bed and oxygen machine are long gone. The medicines and nurses are gone， too. But Mom’s still here. And so is Otto. And so is the bond that united them in days of sickness.
When we saw the oncologist a while ago， he patted himself on the back. “I can’t believe it， Lula， ” he said.“I can’t find your cancer and your heart is strong. When your daughter brought you to me， I thought you were a ship that had sailed.” We let the doctor think what he likes， but Mom gives the credit to Otto.
Thankfully， my mother has put off dying， and Otto continues to share his gift of love—a medicine more potent than any drug a doctor could prescribe.
医生让母亲在家中度过生命的最后几天。母亲患乳腺癌已有15年了，并且在发现晚期肺癌期间，她还并发过两次心脏病。
母亲做着一份全职工作，含辛茹苦地养大了三个女儿，她还尽力为家人创造一个温馨的家庭。从小到大，我只知道有关母亲的两个特点：她的意志像铁一样坚强，并且，她非常热爱大自然。患病期间，她又告诉了我第三点：“我的一生很悲惨。”