书城外语双语学习丛书-岁月之海
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第12章 Arnold, My Bosom Friend阿诺德,我的密友(1)

God used Arnold to teach us this very important lesson in life which we will never forget.

Arnold, My Bosom Friend

I recently lost my best friend Arnold in an automobileautomobile n.<主美>汽车(=<英>motorcar,car) accident while moving my family to our new home in Arizona. Arnold was an 8monthold pot belly who taught me so much about love, devotion and companionship. I am devastateddevastate vt.毁坏 by his loss, but thank God daily for blessing me with the joy of having Arnold for his short life.

上帝让阿诺德给我们上了人生中十分重要的一课,我们永生难忘。

阿诺德,我的密友

在我们搬家前往亚利桑那州的途中发生车祸,从此我失去了我最好的朋友阿诺德。阿诺德是一只有八个月大的宠物猪,是他令我更懂得爱,懂得付出和维护情谊。他的离去令我伤心欲绝,不过我还是不断感谢上帝赐予我与阿诺德相处的那段短暂却快乐的时光。

Anyone contemplating a pot bellybelly n.腹部, 胃vi.涨满 as a pet should know that if you are a true pet lover and devote yourself to them, a pot belly will make the most wonderful friend.

You will be assuredassured adj.确实的, 确定的 of endless hours of fascination and entertainment as you both grow together in understanding the human/pot belly relationship. Words cannot describedescribe vt.描写, 记述, 形容, 形容v.描述 this relationship and it can only be fully understood by experiencing it.

Arnold didnt know he was a pig—he thought he was just another member of our family—modeling his behaviorbehavior n.举止,行为 through observing me, my wife, my two daughters and our beaglesbeagle n.(一种猎兔用)小猎犬.

He was convinced he was loved by all; and he was, even when he was ornery trying to just get our attention.

凡想过饲养宠物猪的人都应知道,假如你真心疼爱它,全身心投入地饲养它,小猪就会成为你最好的朋友。

在这个和小猪一起探索共处的过程中,你一定会陶醉其中,发现其中有无穷的乐趣。这种关系无法言传,只有亲身体会才能充分享受。

阿诺德并不认为自己是一只猪,他认为自己就是我们家的一个成员,所以他会观察和模仿我、我太太、我两个女儿还有我家小猎犬的各种举动。

他相信我们所有的人都喜爱他,事实确实是这样,就算有时他耍小脾气来吸引我们的注意力。

He learned his name, how to sit and how to use the litter box all in the first week we had him (at 7 weeks old!).

He loved to sleep on your lap as you sat on the couch watching TV. He didnt care if he grew to weigh 45 lbs, he still expected you to hoist him onto your lap at precisely 8:00 pm every evening where he would fall fast asleep within seconds after snugglingsnuggle v.偎依 his wet nose between your neck and shoulder.

If you didnt respond to his initial “honkshonk n.雁叫声 ” letting you know it was his nap time, he would bump your legs with his nose until you picked him up.

With his weight as it was, you couldnt hold him all evening as he preferred, so you had to slide him off onto the couch next to you where he would sleep for hours with all four legs and his nose sticking straight up in the air.

他来到我们家的头个星期(7周大时)就已经学会了听自己的名字,学会了如何坐,还有如何使用那个小盒子。

他喜欢在你坐在沙发上看电视时爬到你的大腿上。他也不管自己已有45磅重,就是要你每天晚上八点准时把他抬到你的大腿上来,湿漉漉的鼻子在你的脖子与肩膀间磨蹭一番后,眨眼工夫这家伙就酣然入 睡了。

开始的时候他会“鼾鼾”地提醒你到了他该休息的时刻了,如果你没有反应,他就会用他的鼻子撞你的脚,直到你把他抱起来为止。

他很想一晚上都睡在你的大腿上,但他那么重,你根本承受不起的,所以得把他顺势滑到旁边的沙发上,让他的鼻子向上四脚朝天地呼呼大睡。

He would snore as long as he could feel you next to him but would immediately wake up if you tried to leave the couch. We had hours of fun balancing objects like a salt shaker on his flat nose while he slept soundly.

Arnold helped me in all my chores around our five acres in the country. Just being there at my feet, interested in what I was doing made even the most mundane tasks enjoyable.

When he was out roaming and foraging and you would call out his name, he would come running at top speed, honking the whole way until he got close to you where he would dodge you, zigzaggingzigzag v.成Z字形, 作Z字形行进, 曲折前进 n.Z字形, 锯齿形, 蜿蜒曲折adj.曲折的, 锯齿形的, Z字形的adv.作Z字形地, 弯弯曲曲地 around with a few victory roles turning in circles before settling down and calmly walking up to you with his tail wagging as if to say (winking) “hah, gotcha.”