博听到查理友好、热情的声音，立刻激动得身子习惯性地晃个不停，摆出贴近你的大腿的姿势，等着你爱抚它，查理立即满足了它的愿望。我们进了屋，看见有着紫罗兰色头发的埃玛坐在床上，她80多岁了，虽然瘦弱但精力充沛。她笑着用手拍打床，只拍了一下，拴着皮带、向来顺从的博就跳上床，躺在它的身边，舔它的脸。查理告诉我们，“二战”期间他俩从德国移民到英国，不得不忍痛割爱，把德国短毛猎犬马克斯留在那里。说到这里，埃玛满眼泪水。查理说，博长得和马克斯简直一模一样。
隔壁114房住的是70多岁的老太太凯瑟琳，几个月前她就不与别人说话了，近一个月以来她都坐在轮椅上，始终处于紧张性精神分裂状态。任何关心、拥抱、谈心或陪伴都无法打动她。我和博走进她的房间时，床边的小灯亮着，遮阳窗帘拉着，她背对着我们，低头垂肩地坐在轮椅上，面朝看不到任何风景的窗子。
博用套着它的皮带拽着我向前走去。我还没来得及蹲到凯瑟琳面前，博已经站在她的左侧，并把头靠在她的膝盖上。我拉过一把椅子坐在她跟前并向她问好，但她没有反应。我和博在那里坐了15分钟，而凯瑟琳一言未发，也一动未动。这使我很吃惊，而令我更吃惊的是，博把长长的下巴搭在凯瑟琳的膝盖上，竟一动不动地站了整整15分钟。
要是你了解博，就会知道它为得到一次爱抚，能等上10秒钟就已经很难得了。但这次是个例外，它把头贴在凯瑟琳的膝盖上，和她一样僵在那里。与这个毫无生气的女人在一起让我感到极不舒服。一到2点半，我就匆忙地说“再见”，然后站起身来，拉着不愿离开的博往外走。
我问一位护士，为什么凯瑟琳会得这种紧张性精神分裂症，她告诉我：“我们也不知为什么。有时候老人被家人嫌弃时，他们就会得这种病，我们只能尽力让他们感到舒心。”
所有使我能幸福生活的善良的人和动物都浮现在眼前，而后又消失了。我能想象得到凯瑟琳此刻的心情：孤单、烦乱、绝望，甚至被人遗忘。我决心找寻一种方法去读懂她的心。
从那以后，每周一我和博去接待室时，都会特意去112房探视查理和埃玛，还要去114房陪伴凯瑟琳。每次都如此——查理挥手邀我们进屋，埃玛拍床等博去舔她，两人对此总是不亦乐乎。然后我们去凯瑟琳的房间——她总是无精打采地坐在那里，除了还有呼吸外，几乎没有一点儿其他的生命迹象。
每次我都试着和凯瑟琳说话，可她一直没反应。我越来越失去兴致了，我不甘心只是跟她待在一起。博却一如既往，每次探访凯瑟琳，博都会“坐禅”15分钟，教我如何“陪伴”凯瑟琳。
第四次去康复中心时，我打算绕过凯瑟琳的房间，可是博却有自己的主意，它把我拽了进去，跟前几次一样，它把头搭在她的膝盖上，待在她的左侧。我默许了，可是心里盘算着那天下午晚些时候的商务会谈，因此我决定把陪凯瑟琳的时间从以往的15分钟缩短为5分钟。我没吭声，只是默默地坐在那里，一门心思地想着即将开始的会谈。凯瑟琳肯定没有注意，也不会在意。可是我起身要拽走博的时候，它却纹丝不动。
接下来，奇迹发生了——凯瑟琳把手放到了博的头上，没有别的举动，只是她的手。博既没有像往常那样用鼻子蹭，也没有越发用力地摇晃身子，它仍然纹丝不动，像雕塑一样站在那里。
我又坐了下来，心中有说不出的震惊。随后在那宝贵的10分钟里，我感受着凯瑟琳的手和博的头之间那种生命之源的沟通。时钟在2点半时响了，我们的15分钟到了，此时凯瑟琳的手缓慢地移回膝上，博也转身走出房间。
那次探访已经过去了10年，博在8年前因中风死在我的怀里。爱有多种表达方式，每一次因我对某人感到失望而准备离开时，都会想起博对凯瑟琳和对我那坚贞不渝的爱。既然博能耐心再多待10分钟，那么我坚信我也能。
心灵小语
爱有多种表达方式，每一次因我对某人感到失望而准备离开时，都会想起博对凯瑟琳和对我那坚贞不渝的爱。既然博能耐心再多待10分钟，那么我坚信我也能。
记忆填空
1. Her eyes were full of as Charlie told us that he and Emma had immigrated to the United States from Germany during World War II and had to their beloved Doberman, Max, behind.
2. No movement, just her hand. Instead of Beau’s customary response of nose nuzzling and body wagging, he to stand like a statue, never moving from his spot.
3. Love has many ways of showing its . Each time I am ready to walk away from a on whom I’ve given up, I am reminded of the power of Beau loves persistence Katherine and with me.
佳句翻译
1. 所有使我能幸福生活的善良的人和动物都浮现在眼前，而后又消失了。
译
2. 我决心找寻一种方法去读懂她的心。
译
3. 每一次因我对某人感到失望而准备离开时，都会想起博对凯瑟琳和对我那坚贞不渝的爱。
译
短语应用
1. She was sitting in her wheelchair, her back toward us, slouched over, facing the viewless window.
slouch over：懒散
造__________________
2. Each visit I attempted to engage Katherine in conversation.
attempt to：企图，尝试
造__________________
飞跃“小埃及”
Flight over Little Egypt
佚名 / Anonymous
March 18, 1925. Though only five years of age, I will remember the day the great tornado swept over “Little Egypt”, as the southern tip of Illinois is called. The little coal-mining town in which we lived lay directly in its path. The howling wind sounded as if a dozen locomotives were roaring past. We huddled in the kitchen as the roaring filled our ears and seemed to shake our very bones.
Suddenly it was over. The quietness felt unnatural and an eerie, uneasy feeling gripped us. Opening the door, my mother stood transfixed as she gazed upon the awful scene. Debris lay everywhere. The street was impassable. People, some obviously in shock, milled around like cattle, unsure of what to do. The strange silence was suddenly broken by a subdued, pitiful whining at Mother’ s feet.
Trembling violently, a wet and frightened little poodle lay wedged between the door and the screen.
“My stars,” my mother said, bending over. “Wherever did you come from?”
The bedraggled little dog timidly wagged his tail and began licking Mother’ s hand.
Jacky, as we named him, accepted our large family without reservation. We in turn lavished our love upon the displaced but lucky little poodle.
Almost immediately we realized Jacky was an exceptional dog—a very smart one. Surrounded by masses of curly hair, his dark inquisitive eyes sparkled with life.
The little dog had been a part of our family for about two years when a hobo knocked at the back door and asked if we could give him something to eat. The request wasn’t at all unusual. In those days, many hobos stopped at our corner. Mother brought a plate of food to the porch where he waited. As he sat down to eat, we boys gathered around him. He began telling us all the places he’d been and the many things he’d seen. We were spellbound by his tales.
All of a sudden he stopped. We looked in the direction he was staring, and there stood Jacky. For several moments they looked at one another. Then a huge smile came across the old hobo’s face.
“You little rascal, ” he said, calling him by some strange-sounding name. “What are you doing here?”
The little dog became hysterical with joy. He was all over the hobo, barking and jumping as if he would never stop. There was no doubt he knew the hobo and knew him well. After caressing and talking to Jacky, the old hobo uttered a brief command. Immediately, Jacky controlled his enthusiasm and lay down obediently at the old man’s feet.
“Boys, where did you get this dog?” asked the hobo.