父亲是一个难以相处的人，但母亲从来没有抱怨过，也许是因为她无法用语言完全表达出来吧。但当母亲的病情恶化时，在父亲眼里，她显然是个累赘。于是，我和母亲都决定，母亲搬来和我一起住。
我利用3个星期的时间来安排一切。我更改了工作表，联系运输公司、肿瘤专家、心脏病专家、晚期病人护理机构，联系购买医疗器械，寻找能帮助她洗澡的护理人员。对于母亲最后的日子，我的安排很简单：让她生活在爱中，优雅地离开人世。
坐了5个小时的车，疲惫不堪的母亲到家了。她立刻接受了家庭护士的检查。护士把我叫到一边，问：“你觉得你的母亲还能坚持多久呢？”
我说：“2个月，也可能是3个月。”
护士悲伤地看着我，“你要有思想准备，”他说，“她只有几天的生命了，最多一个星期。她的心脏很衰弱，而且不稳定。”
我这个小而舒服的家，是4只猫和1只狗的天下。
我们安装好医用电动病床和氧气装置之后，那些猫吓得都不敢进卧室了。他们很不高兴，因为我还挪动了他们的用具。对于家里的一系列变化，那只还未成熟并有着坏习惯的狗显得很兴奋，它跳着，叫着，毛也掉得比平时多。
它叫奥托，只有它对医用病床、氧气设备和医药气味无所畏惧。它也不害怕病床上那个虚弱的女人，尽管她曾经呵斥过它。奥托会跳上母亲的床尾，并待在那里。
它也不害怕护士。当护士给母亲喂饭，或母亲去洗手间时，它很安静，也不捣乱。不管是给母亲换床还是洗澡出现混乱时，他都只是等着回到自己的岗位。除了吃食和大小便，奥托决不离开母亲的房间。
日子一天天过去了，母亲的病情开始有些好转。但别人告诉我：“这很正常，这种好转一般是死亡前的回光返照。”
我很伤心，但奥托没有轻易地放弃母亲。借着母亲病情好转的机会，它从床尾挪到了母亲的身边。母亲用消瘦的手指抚摸着它柔软的皮毛。它斜靠在母亲的身上，似乎要抓住她的求生欲望。尽管母亲很虚弱，但仍然爱抚着它，不让我抱走。
几个星期过去了，母亲仍在和病魔作斗争。有一次，当护士们完成一天的工作离开时，我听到母亲的房间里有声音。我发现它的床头升了起来。奥托依偎在她的臂弯里，敬慕地听她读报纸。奥托用爪子抚摸着母亲的脸，这一幕令我永生难忘。
最终，母亲可以借助助行器在屋子里来回走动了，她的身后跟着奥托，还拖着氧气管。她停下休息，奥托也在那里休息。不管她走到哪里，奥托都寸步不离。我似乎忘记了她也是一位母亲，但奥托明白。这些日子以来它一直是母亲的狗宝宝，并让她有了生活的目标。
转眼间，3年过去了，医用病床和氧气装置都已经撤了，所有的药物都停了，护士也离开了。但母亲和奥托还在，重病期间他们建立起来的那份情感依然存在。
不久前，我们去看了肿瘤医生，他非常满意地说：“卢拉，简直难以置信，你的癌细胞一点儿也找不到了，而且你的心脏也变得强壮了。当年你的女儿带你来看病时，我还认为你已经走到生命的尽头了。”随便医生怎么去想，母亲认为这全是奥托的功劳。
非常幸运的是，母亲最终摆脱了死亡的阴影，奥托也仍然继续陪伴着母亲。它给予母亲的爱，是比医生的处方更有效的灵丹妙药。
心灵小语
你不得不承认，狗身上那种不离不弃的守护常常具有缔造奇迹的力量。那种力量的名字，叫做希望。
记忆填空
1. I’d their furniture， and they were peeved. The retriever， on the other hand， an immature dog with bad ， was excited by all the in the house.
2. Exactly three years have passed then. The hospital bed and oxygen are long gone. The medicines and nurses are ， too.
3. “I can’t it， Lula， ”he said.“I can’t find your cancer and your is strong. When your daughter brought you to me， I thought you were a ship that had .”
佳句翻译
1. 但当母亲的病情恶化时，在父亲眼里，她显然是个累赘。
译
2. 我这个小而舒服的家，是四只猫和一只狗的天下。
译
3. 日子一天天过去了，母亲的病情开始有些好转。
译
短语应用
1. My dad regarded her as a burden， she and I decided that she would move to my home.
regarded …… as：把……视为
造__________________
2. 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.
put off：推迟，拖延
造__________________
温暖的眼神
Killer Angels
佚名 / Anonymous
I had just graduated from veterinary school， and I was volunteering at the local shelter in Twin Falls， Idaho. As I looked down at the dog napping in her run， I knew I was going to have to wake her up to put her to sleep. What a cruel euphemism.
She was a Heinz-57 mixed-breed with no name， no home， and no hope. She was horrifically malnourished， and her coat was a mass of mats and burrs.
In a way， she was lucky to be here. Found on the side of the road—like living garbage—she’d been left to die in a remote area of our county.
The kind rancher who found her brought her to the local shelter where she joined dozens of other cutiest and ugliest pressing against the front of the cages hoping to catch the eye of someone who had a heart and home big enough to give them another chance.
Problem was that there were too many homeless pets and not enough homes. Day after day for a week the dog waited and waited， her still-wagging tail marking the time.
But on this day， her time was up. No one had adopted her， like many in the shelter， the animals were too big， too small， too hairy， too young， and too old. Without enough cages to hold all that came through our doors， we were prepared to end her life quickly and without suffering. "Better than starving to death in the country." I said， finding little solace in the words.
I was inspired to enter this profession because of a deep love of animals. I had been highly trained and entrusted to save lives and prevent pain and suffering. Yet here I was about to end the life of this innocent creature. I hated this part of the job， but I had to do it. Choking back my emotions， I readied myself to perform the procedure for which I’d been trained.
I set her on the table， and she wiggled her gaunt frame with delight as I spoke some soothing words and patted her head. The tempo of her tail quickened as she looked up at my face. Looking into her eyes， I saw total trust， unconditional love and absolute loyalty. I felt the cruel irony of what was taking place. God’s precious creatures， embodying the kindest virtues on the planet， being killed for the crime of not being wanted. She held out her leg for me to inject and licked my hand. She was ready. I wasn’t.
I collapsed onto the dog and held her tight as I bathed her with tears. Never， ever would I do convenience euthanasia again. I’d euthanize a pet if it was suffering terribly， or had an incurable disease， but never again because of an uncaring owner’s mere request.
I took the dog back to my veterinary practice and named her G. H. short for Good Home. I’d observed over the years that people who raised litters of puppies or kittens always said， "I just want to find them a good home."
I soon entrusted G. H. to a loving client who had a heart and home big enough to welcome yet another four-legged family member.
Saving G. H. set me on a new path as a veterinarian. Although my hands still held the power of death， my heart didn’t. Now， whenever I look into the dancing liquid eyes of a pet， brimming with love， I realize that looks can save. They did it to me.
从兽医学校毕业的那刻起，我就决定去爱达荷州双瀑市，在一家地方动物收容所做了名志愿者。看到眼前有狗在场子里打瞌睡，我就明白我得叫醒它，然后让它“入睡”。这样说真是既委婉又残酷！
这是只海因茨-57杂种狗，没有名字，也没有家，更没有生存的希望。它严重营养不良，毛长得像一团乱麻。
从某种程度上讲，能待在这里对它来说已经算是幸运的了。要不是人们在路边发现它——当时它就像一团活垃圾——很可能，它就会死在我们县城的某个僻静角落。
一个善良的农场工发现了它，把它送到了当地的动物收容所。在这里，它加入了其他动物的行列。这些动物要么美丽可人，要么丑陋不堪，但个个都挤到笼子前，希望那些既有钱又好心的人多看自己几眼，好让它们再次得到收养。
但问题是，流浪的宠物太多，而且很少有人愿意收养它们。小狗等了整整一周，尾巴不停地摆来摆去，而时间也随着它尾巴的摆动渐渐消逝。
但是今天它要告别这个世界了。像收容所里的其他动物一样，一直没有人收养它，这些动物要么个儿太大，要么个儿太小，要么毛太多，要么太幼小或者太老。因为没有足够的笼子装所有被送进来的动物，我们要让它迅速地、毫无痛苦地结束生命。“这样总比在乡下饿死好。”从这句话里，我也多少找到了安慰。