That her ribs showed, that her ears were filthy, that her overall condition was poor and that her coat and eyes were dull, were good indications that you didn' t deserve her. But just to make sure, I checked with the local authorities for a report of a missing dog matching her description and to see if you' d placed a "lost dog" advertisement in the local newspaper. You hadn' t, which I can only surmise means that you do not miss her. That' s rather convenient, because the fact that she is not spayed, probably unvaccinated, and possibly heartworm positive, means that restoring her health could cost me around a thousand dollars.
Perhaps it may be some small comfort to know that she doesn' t miss you. In fact, her very act of escape made it clear that she' d had enough of your brand of pet guardianship. It took her about a day to realize that I' m not you, that I won' t hurt her, that despite our brief acquaintanceship. I love her. It took two days for her to realize that the other animals who live here accept her and that one of the joys she has been missing has been the companionship of other dogs. It took three days for her to appreciate the ecstasy of a homecooked meal and that a couch is meant to be reclined on, and that she no longer has to sleep outside—in fact, when the thunder starts, she' ll get a hug and her ears rubbed, and I' ll make a fool of myself with baby talk.
She has a beautiful name now. Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should. Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting. She has stopped flinching when I make a sudden movement, because she knows now that I won' t beat her, in fact, she rarely leaves my side. She' s even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I watched from the window as she initiated play with the other dogs. No, it' s clear she does not miss you or her former life of neglect on a chain.
Of all the things that have become apparent from my brief relationship with her—such as the forgiving nature of the dog, their wonderful ability to heal and to trust, the fact that love can work miracles—one of the most apparent is what a fool you are. She was possibly the most trusting, loyal and loving being in your life, and you consigned her to a life of filth and loneliness until she made the best choice she' s ever made when she broke free. Perhaps her guardian angel helped her escape. Lest anyone should mistake me for a angel, I will admit that one day I hope to be as good as she; I believe she forgave you within the first twenty-four hours of her new life for the about four years of her previous "life", while I still try wrestle with the part of me that hopes that one day you will burn in Hell.
It' s not clear yet whether she' ll remain here or whether I' ll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual attention than I can give her, but one thing is certain, this is one bit of stolen"property" who is never returning to you. So sue me, prosecute me, plead with the courts that she is rightfully yours... I' m convinced this is the best "crime" I' ve ever committed. Hardly anything has pleased me more than the day I stole your dog. I need only look into her beautiful brown eyes to know that she' d defend my decision with her life. If we have one prayer, it is that you will not replace her, and if we have one special day to commemorate together, it is the day I stole your dog and the day she stole my heart.
今天,我偷了你的狗。请不要误解,我并未踏上你的领地,只是从你的狗狗的状态中,想象那是一个什么样的地方……我的脑海中突然闪现出“垃圾场”这个词。
我是在一条马路上发现她的,那个时候,她的脖子上拴着一条铁链,后面拖着一截狗屋上的烂木板,还有几根露在外面已经生锈的钉子。从发现她的地方来判断,我不仅知道这个城镇大部分人都已经不再理睬她了,而且还知道如果她钻进树林,拖着的那个“十字架”一定会缠到树干上,直到她被饿死或渴死。而在通常情况下,当地的居民对这些急需帮助的动物都是熟视无睹、不闻不问的,可是当这些动物做错事时,他们就会立刻将其射杀掉。
她的肋骨露在外面,耳朵很脏,总体条件不是很好,皮毛暗淡无光,眼神呆滞,这一切都显示出你不值得拥有她。不过,为了证明这一点,我去了当地的几家机构,核实是否有丢失狗的报道,看是否有和她的特征一致的描述。你应该在当地的报纸上刊登一则“寻狗启示”的广告,而你没有,我就能猜测到你并不想念她。而且这样为你提供了方便,因为事实上她还没有被阉割,也没有注射过狂犬疫苗,可能有丝虫病,而这些都意味着如果要把她治好,可能会花费一千美元呢。
如果你知道她也不想你的话,是不是就会感到一些欣慰。事实上,她的出逃已经清晰地表明她受够你的监护了。花了一天时间才让她明白我不是你,而且我不会伤害她,尽管我们相识的时间很短,但是我爱她。用了两天的时间她才意识到这里的其他动物已经接受了她,才意识到她前所未有的快乐就是有朋友的陪伴。她用了三天的时间才享受到家里饭菜的狂喜,才开始享受躺在睡椅上的舒适感觉,而且她再也不用睡在外面了——事实上,响雷的时候,她还会得到一个温暖的拥抱,为她搓揉耳朵,而且我还会像小孩子那样与她交谈。
她现在有了一个漂亮的名字,而且在她来到这里的第一周,她已经恢复了原貌,很漂亮。她的眼睛闪闪发光,还学会了摇尾巴打招呼。当我突然移动的时候,她也不会再畏缩害怕了,因为她现在知道我不会打她,事实上,她总是待在我的身边。她甚至变得勇敢起来,敢于冲着猫狂吠。今天我透过窗户看到,她已经开始和其他的狗狗们玩游戏了。哦,不,很显然,她现在已经不再想你或是回想以前那种备受忽视的铁链生活了。
虽然和她相处的时间不长,但是我懂了许多事情,例如,狗狗天性宽容大度,她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。她也许是你人生中最值得信赖、最忠诚于你的挚爱,而你却让她生活在一个肮脏和孤寂的环境里,直到她做出最好的选择——离开你。也许是她的守护天使帮助她逃脱的。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她的守护天使那样好好地照顾她;我相信在她过上新生活的第一个24小时之后她就原谅了你,原谅了你对她大约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她留在这里或是为她找到一个更温馨的家,一个比我还可以给她更多关注的家,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。我只需要看着她那美丽的棕色眼睛,就知道她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她;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,她也偷走了我的心。
property [' prpti] n. 财产;性质
She don' t have a right to the property.
她不享有这笔财产的所有权。
populace [' ppjuls] n. 平民;大众
The populace at large are opposed to the law.
人民群众普遍反对这部法律。
surmise [' s:maiz] v. 推测;臆测
Your last surmise was right.
你最后一次猜对了。
ecstasy [' ekstsi] n. 狂喜
We were in ecstasy at the thought of the dinner.
一想到大餐,我们就兴奋不已。
如果你知道她也不想你的话,是不是就会感到一些欣慰。
狗狗天性宽容大度,她们拥有神奇的自我恢复能力,信赖他人。
我只需要看着她那美丽的棕色眼睛,就知道她会终其一生捍卫我的决定。
I can imagine what it looks like... the word "junkyard" comes to mind.
come to mind:想到
... and you consigned her to a life of filth and loneliness...
consign to:交付给