查理以它自己喜欢的方式生活。如果它想过得浪漫些，就会到附近寻找异性同伴。我的姐姐有一只母狗，她想要查理和她家的狗交配。当时机成熟的时候，我抓着查理，将它放在车里带到姐姐家。到了之后，我们将库房的门锁上，然后站在后面观看那浪漫的一幕。我从未听到过这样的咆哮声！它们在车底走来走去、上蹿下跳，听起来好像在厮杀。我想，这次是肯定成功不了的。查理竟然拒绝她的狗，这让姐姐很愤怒，她说道：“很显然，你的狗是个同性恋。”
“不，不是那样的，”我回应道，“查理只是有些挑剔而已。我们只是需要将一个纸袋子套在你家狗的头上，那样就好了。”
我和查理回到了家，彼此都有些生气。到此为止吧，我再也不会让查理处于如此可笑的境地了。几个星期之后，姐姐给我打来电话，说她家的狗生了一只小狗，而且看起来真的很像查理！
查理渐渐地衰老了，动作也相对缓慢了很多。它看到一只小鸟栖息在附近，就只是满意地摇着尾巴，并不冲上去捕猎。它也不再与我和女儿做游戏了。我可以从它的眼里看出有些事情不对劲了。在兽医所里给它做了全身检查，医生告诉我，查理患了肾功能衰竭。他建议让查理从痛苦中解脱出来，因为现在它已经无药可救了。
将这个消息告诉我的女儿并不是一件容易的事情。她还是一个十几岁的孩子，让查理安乐死，对她来说是一件不可思议的事。她每天都会带着查理去医院输液。这样过了将近一个月，查理没有什么好转。我在储藏室给查理做了一张小床，它原来的那个稍高一点儿的床也不再用了，因为查理太虚弱了，下不了床。它只有在去医院的时候才下床。
我和丈夫都知道，我们应该结束查理的痛苦，但是女儿会哭，这使得我们一再放弃这个念头。可是，我再也不能让一只动物长时间地遭受这样的痛苦了。查理需要离开，我们必须让它离开了。
甚至是我的那位声称不喜欢查理的丈夫也下定决心要好好地安葬查理，并开始给查理做棺材了。后来查理走出了储藏室，这是两个多星期以来它第一次出来。它慢慢地走向我，我将它抱起来，放在我的腿上，这是它第一次让我抚摸它而没有试图逃走。我们就这样坐着，好像过了很长时间。然后，查理决定离开了。它慢慢地走向门后，当我让它出去的时候，它走到平台停顿了一会儿，看着我的丈夫给它做的棺材。它走下台阶，又转过身，再看了我一眼，然后就走了。
查理知道离开的时候到了，它向我们道别，然后做了上帝创造出来的所有生灵都会做的事，它走到它的安睡之地，安息了。它的棺材成了一个花坛，多年来一直是那些漂亮的天竺葵的家园，不过这样做的真正目的是希望我们能够想起它。
心灵小语
它离开我们已经很长时间了，但是它依然在我的心里，即使别离也阻挡不了我们对它的思念。
记忆填空
1. He didn’t play the game my daughter and me anymore. I could look into his and tell, something was just not right. a thorough examination from the vet, I was informed that Charlie had kidney failure.
2. Once there, we closed the garage door and stood back to the romantic scene unfold. Never have I heard growling and howling!
3. Charlie knew that his had come, he said his , and then did what all of God’s creatures .
佳句翻译
1. 查理非常爱我们，不过它大部分时间是在宽容我们。
译
2. 我通常会想他对查理的愤恨，是否因为查理以他的名字命名却没有征求他的意见呢。
译
3. 它看到一只小鸟栖息在附近，就只是满意地摇着尾巴，并不冲上去捕猎。
译
短语应用
1. I could almost imagine that one of his forefathers belonged to a Persian Princess.
belong to：属于，是……的成员
造__________________
2. On the other hand, my husband Charles, clearly had no interest in Charlie, and often made the comment that dogs weren’t good for anything.
on the other hand：另一点，另一方面
造__________________
马略卡岛上的喂猫者
Pedro the Fisherman
鲍勃·特伦 / Bob Toren
The most touching dog story I’ve ever heard.
The setting of the story is a little cove on the east side of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It was there that an Englishman, a professional diver, lived on his yacht with his dog, a springer spaniel. He had tied his yacht to a pier where diving conditions were ideal. Each time the Englishman made a dive, the dog sat anxiously on the pier, awaiting his return. One day the dog became so concerned when the Englishman disappeared into the water that he dove in after him.
Underwater, the dog saw a school of fish swim past. He grabbed a fish and carried it back to the pier. The Englishman, surprised and pleased, praised him. After that, the dog followed the man on his dives. In the course of the shared diving, the dog developed excellent fishing skills, to the man’s considerable amusement. The Englishman told the island’s residents of his dog’s accomplishments, and they came to the pier to watch. Delighted, they began calling the dog Pedro, after Peter, the fisherman.
One day the Englishman became ill, and shortly thereafter, he died. Townspeople tried to adopt Pedro, but the dog would never leave the beach for fear he would miss his master’s return. He waited on the beach through hot sun and driving rain. People tried to feed him, but eventually they gave up. He wouldn’t accept food from anyone other than his master. Finally, to feed himself, Pedro went back to fishing.
It happened that on this same island there were a number of stray cats. Ravenous, they would gather to watch Pedro dive into the schools of fish, select the fish he wanted and bring it back to eat on the shore. Then the cats would fight over what the dog had left uneaten. The dog must have observed this, for one morning when Pedro had eaten his fish, he dove into the water again and came back up with a large fish, which he placed on the sand before the group of cats. Then he backed off and watched. One black cat, with greater courage than the others, approached the fish, grabbed it and ran. After that, in addition to keeping vigil for his master, the dog also seemed to consider it his duty to feed those less fortunate. For every morning thereafter, Pedro the fisherman shared his catch with the hungry cats of Mallorca.
这是我曾经听到过的最触动人心的一则有关狗狗的故事。
故事发生在西班牙群岛东部的马略卡岛的一个小峡谷。那里有一个英国人，他是一名职业潜水员，以开潜艇为生，并与一只西班牙猎犬生活在一起。他将潜艇固定在一个码头，那里是潜水的最佳位置。每当那个英国人潜水时，那只狗就会坐在码头焦急地等着主人回来。有一天，那个英国人在水中消失了，那只狗非常关心主人，于是跟在主人的后面也跳入水中。
在水下，那只狗看到一群鱼游了过去。它抓住一条鱼并把它带上码头。那个英国人既惊奇又高兴，并表扬了它。从那以后，那只狗总会随着主人一起潜水。在潜水的过程中，那只狗展现出它卓越的捕鱼技巧，给它的主人带来了相当大的乐趣。那个英国人将那只狗的技艺告诉了岛上的居民，他们都来到那个码头观看，并对那只狗赞不绝口，还根据那个英国人的名字彼得，给它起了个名字——佩德罗。
有一天，那个英国人病了，没过多久就离开了人世。镇里的人都试图收养佩德罗，但是那只狗从不离开那片海滩，因为它害怕它的主人回来会找不到它。无论是烈日炎炎还是大雨倾盆，它始终在那片海滩上等着。人们试着去喂它，但最终都放弃了。除了主人，它不接受任何人的食物。最后，为了养活自己，佩德罗回去捕鱼了。
在同一座岛屿上还有一群流浪猫。它们贪婪地聚在一起看着佩德罗捕鱼，佩德罗把它想要的鱼挑出来带回海滩上吃掉，然后那群猫就会争夺它不吃的鱼。佩德罗一定也注意到了这一点，因为一天早晨，当佩德罗吃完它的鱼之后，又潜入水中，上来的时候带着一条大鱼，它将鱼放在沙滩上的那群猫的面前。然后它走开了，观察着那群猫。有一只黑猫显然比其他猫有勇气靠近那条鱼，于是它叼起来就跑。从那以后，除了给主人守夜，那只狗好像认为喂养那些不幸者是自己的责任。因此，从那以后的每一天早晨，“渔夫”佩德罗都会将自己抓到的鱼与那群饥饿的马略卡岛上的猫共同分享。
心灵小语
那只狗从不离开那片海滩，因为它害怕他的主人回来会找不到它。无论是烈日炎炎还是大雨倾盆，它始终在那片海滩上等着——一只狗的坚守，执著而简单，让人泪下潸然。
记忆填空
1. The Englishman the island’s residents of his dog’s accomplishments, and they came to the pier to . Delighted, they calling the dog Pedro, after Peter, the fisherman.
2. He wouldn’t food from anyone other than his . Finally, to feed , Pedro went back to fishing.