一条狗的使命 —— 我会永远记得你，我的狗狗 A Dog's Purpose
狗狗的世界里只有你一个人，它们的生命太过短暂，因此在与他们共度的美好时光里，我们要好好珍惜。下面，就和小译一起来看看狗狗奥蒂斯和它主人的故事~
For many, the loss of a dog is harder than any other.
对于许多人来说，大概没有比痛失爱犬更难过的事情了。
It's been three years, but it was only a few weeks ago that I was able to look at my old dog's bed without crying. Otis wasn't just my dog; he was my friend, my workout partner, my first baby and my stalwart protector. In our 14 years together, Otis was there for me through the birth of both of my daughters, five moves, one tarantula infestation and countless bad haircuts, which he endured without skipping a beat.
我的爱犬已经离开三年了，但直到几周前，我才能在看到他生前睡的床时忍住不哭。奥蒂斯不只是我的狗狗，他还是我的朋友、我锻炼时的伙伴、我的第一个孩子和我坚定的守护者。我们在一起共度了14年的时光，他不仅见证了我两个女儿的出生，陪我经历了五次搬家，而且和我一起应对狼蛛入侵，以及在我无数次剪了糟糕发型时，他始终陪伴在我身边。可以说，我生活中的每时每刻他都未曾错过。
His death left a giant black hole in my heart. Anyone who has ever lost a longtime pet knows this feeling. The loss of a pet can be as hard as the loss of a close friend or family member. Here's why you'll never forget a loyal dog:
他的离开让我心里空落落的。曾有过这种经历的人一定懂得我的感受。失去宠物与失去密友或家人同样让人难过。以下就是你永远无法忘记狗狗的原因：
- 可能你和爱犬的关系比和家人的关系更为亲密。
You may be closer to your dog than you are to some members of your family.
A 1988 study published in the Journal of Mental Health Counseling asked dog owners to create a family diagram placing all their family members and pets in a circle whose proximity to them represented the strength and closeness of their relationships. Not surprisingly, the participants tended to put their dogs as close as or even closer than family members. In 38 percent of the cases, the dog was closest of all.
1988年在《心理健康咨询杂志》上发表的一项研究曾邀请狗主人画一个家庭关系图，以他们自己为圆心，把所有的家庭成员和宠物放在一个圆圈里，与圆心的距离代表着家人或宠物与自己关系的强度和亲密度。不出所料，参与者倾向于将他们的爱犬摆放在很近的位置，甚至比家人还近。38%的参与者将爱犬放在了最近的位置。
- 他的眼里只有你
You dog's world revolves around you and your happiness.
If there's one thing that your dog loves even more than chew toys, cheeseburgers and chasing squirrels, it's you. His world literally revolves around you, and he will do anything at all to make you happy. There's no other being in the world that will give you as much nonjudgmental love as a dog will.
还有什么比咀嚼玩具、芝士汉堡、和追松鼠更惹你的狗狗喜爱呢？那就是你。他的世界里只有你，他愿做任何事来让你开心。世界上没有什么会像狗狗一样给予你如此无限的爱。
- 宠物会帮你减压
Your pet is your stress reliever.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that contact with pets can help to reduce stress by lowering levels of stress hormones, calming the heart rate, and even elevating feelings of happiness.
在《心理学前沿》上发表的一项研究表明，与宠物相处有助于减压，能够降低人们的压力荷尔蒙水平，平缓心率，甚至可以提高人们的幸福感。
- 宠物会认可你的每一点付出，无论多少。
Pets appreciate your every effort, no matter how small.
At the end of the average day, I will have cooked, cleaned, worked, shuffled kids from school to after-school activities and home again all without anyone in my household even noticing. Yet my two current dogs (Henry and Honey) are seemingly overjoyed by any effort I make — no matter how small — to keep them fed or happy. It's easy to feel like a superhero when you see the love in your dog's eyes reflected back at you.
每天，我要做饭、打扫、工作、接孩子放学参加课余活动，再把他们接回家，等等。我所做的一切家里没人注意过。然而我现在养的两只狗狗（亨利和霍尼）似乎会为我的任何付出而感到欣喜若狂——无论是多小的事——比如喂饱他们或逗他们开心。当你看到狗狗满眼的爱意时，很容易就会感觉自己像个超级英雄。
- 你的狗狗理解你
Your dog understands you.
Honey, my energetic running partner, knows well before I reach for my shoes whether or not it's time to get ready for a run. Henry knows when it's time to play and when it's time to dog pile on the sofa for popcorn and a movie. And it's not just your mood that dogs understand. New research shows that your dog probably understands much of what you say — and even the tone of voice you use to say it.
霍尼是我的跑步伙伴，他精力充沛，每次还没等我拿起鞋，他就知道我们要去跑步了。亨利总是知道什么时候该玩，什么时候可以窝在沙发上吃爆米花看电影。其实狗狗不只了解你的心情，新的研究表明你的爱犬很可能听得懂你说的话——甚至是你说话的语气。
- 狗狗的忠诚至死不渝
Dogs are loyal to the bitter end.
For all of the good days we had, my boy and I had our struggles, too. Yet Otis never judged me for the days that I forgot to feed him or when I walked around the house like a zombie while caring for a new baby. He forgave me for all of those missed walks and harsh words when I struggled to juggle the demanding tasks of caring for a growing family.
尽管在过去美好的时光里我们也会有矛盾，但是奥蒂斯从来不会因为我忘记喂他而生气，不会因为我哄着宝宝在家里走来走去而不高兴。当我忙前忙后照顾家人时，他也不会因为没能去散步或者我说了什么刺耳的话而不开心。
Yet, when I needed him, he was there, without fail. It was Otis who sat by my side as I rocked a colicky baby through countless sleepless nights. When the Twin Towers crumbled to the ground, I wept silently into his collar. When a close friend lost her son to cancer, Otis walked with me around and around the block as I struggled to understand the meaning of life.
但是，当我需要他的时候，他一直都在。在无数不眠夜里，当我哄着哭闹的宝宝睡觉时，奥蒂斯就坐在旁边陪着我。911恐怖袭击发生时，我抱着他默默哭泣。当我好友的儿子因癌症去世，我努力思考生命的意义时，奥蒂斯陪我在街上走了一圈又一圈。
- 即使狗狗不在你身边了，他仍希望你能快乐。
Even if your dog is no longer with you, he wants to comfort you.
Your dog would never want you to be sad — even if your sadness is caused by his loss.
你的狗狗永远希望你开开心心的——即使你是因为他的离去而感到悲伤。
Animation student Shai Getzoff captured this sentiment perfectly in his short film "6 Feet."
动画制作专业的Shai Getzoff在他的微动画《再见了，布朗迪》（"6 Feet"）中完美呈现了这种情感。
"I based this story on my beloved dog who passed away last April," Getzoff commented in the film notes. "She spent 15 and a half wonderful years with me and my family. After she passed away, it took a while getting used to life without her. It felt like she was always around, when in reality she wasn't really there any more. This, for me, is a way to say goodbye."
“我的灵感源于我的爱犬，去年四月她永远离开了我，” Getzoff在他的动画介绍中写道。“她与我们一家共度了15年半的时光。在她离开之后的很长一段时间里，我们都无法适应没有她的生活。仿佛她仍在我们身旁，但实际上她已经永远离开了。因此我决定用这部微动画来与她告别。”