The Story of Xiao Hei, the little black German sharpe

                                               The Story of Xiao Hei (Little Black)                         

              《小黑的故事》

Born with nine siblings, I was neither my parents’ nor my first owner’s favorite. We lived in a dirty garage covered in our own mess. Because there was not enough food for my mom, she did not have enough milk for the nine of us. We were hungry all the time until the animal shelter rescued us. They brought us to Green Hill, a wonderful place for homeless pets.(我出生在一个有九个兄弟姐妹的大家庭里，但我既不是父母的最爱，也不受第一任主人的待见。我们住在一个脏兮兮的车库里，地上到处是我们的排泄物。因为妈妈吃不饱，她也没有足够的奶水喂养我们九个孩子。我们每天都饿得饥肠辘辘，直到动物收容所救了我们。他们把我们带到了“绿山”（Green Hill），那是一个专门收留流浪宠物的美好地方。)

不幸的是，早期的疏于照顾和营养不良让我对食物失去了兴趣。哪怕后来在“绿山”有吃不完的粮食，饲养员们还是说我挑食。(Unfortunately, early neglect and malnutrition made me lose interest in food. Even when there was plenty to eat at Green Hill, the caregivers said I was a picky eater.)

 

大约八周大的时候，他们在我的脖子上系了一个漂亮的粉色蝴蝶结，还给我拍了照。一开始，我不知道这是为什么。后来，陆续有人来看我、摸我。我这才意识到，我的照片被发到了网上，我正在等待领养。我想，大概因为我是德国牧羊犬，大家都很愿意领养我们吧。我的妈妈当时也在那里，不过她似乎并不在意。我想，在我们这个物种里，一旦小狗长大到一定年纪，就到了该离开的时候了。(When I was about eight weeks old, they tied a beautiful pink bow around my neck and took my picture. At first, I didn’t know why. Later, people began visiting to look at me and pet me. I realized my photos were online and I was up for adoption. I guess as German shepherd, people are interested to adopt us. My mom was there too, though she didn’t seem to care. I suppose in our species, once puppies grow old enough, it is simply time for them to go.)

 

紧接着，我的新家人来了！那是俄勒冈州尤金市（Eugene）一个温暖的冬日。鲍勃（Bob）和他的妻子一大早就来看我，跟我说话，还抚摸我。他们当场就决定领养我，第二天便回来接我回家了。(Then, my new family arrived! It was a warm winter day in Eugene, Oregon. Bob and his wife came very early in the morning to see me, talk to me, and pet me. They decided right then to adopt me and came back to pick me up the next day.)

 

他们给我买了狗笼和狗粮，带我回了家。虽然我只是九只小狗中的一员，但我一直把自己当成一位小公主。女主人因为我一身乌黑的皮毛，给我取名叫“小黑”。(They bought a kennel and food and took me to their house. Even though I was just one of nine puppies, I always considered myself a princess. The lady of the house named me “Xiao Hei,” which means "Little Black," because of my black coat.)

 

新家既温馨又暖和，地板干净得发亮——他们在家甚至都不穿鞋。白天他们在家时，我就待在电视机旁玩耍；到了晚上，我就在自己的笼子里睡觉。他们每隔一段时间就会带我出去上厕所，不过在学会定点排泄之前，我偶尔还是会在地板上“闯祸”。女主人每次都会帮我清理干净。她也是第一个注意到我走路时总是昂首挺胸、步伐轻盈，就像一位真正的公主一样。我知道，她是真的爱我。(The house was nice and warm, with clean, shiny floors—they didn't even wear shoes inside. I stayed by the TV to play when they were home during the day and slept in my kennel at night. They took me outside for bathroom breaks every so often, though before I was potty-trained, I sometimes had accidents on the floor. The lady of the house always cleaned up after me. She was also the first to notice that I walked with my head held high and light steps, just like a princess. I knew she really loved me.)

男主人鲍勃在海边上夜班，下班后才回家。他们去“绿山”接我的那天早上，他刚刚下班——难怪他们来得那么早！(The man of the house, Bob, worked the night shift on the coast and only came home after his shift ended. The morning they picked me up from Green Hill, he had just gotten off work—no wonder they arrived so early!)

 

家里那个还在读大学的男孩子叫本（Ben）也很喜欢我。他会带我出去散步，不过他从来不清理我在屋里留下的“意外”。相反，他只会往上面盖一张纸巾了事。(The boy named Ben who was a college student back then liked me too. He took me for walks, though he never cleaned up my indoor accidents. Instead, he would just toss a paper towel over the mess.)

 

鲍勃总觉得我有点笨，因为我的表现不像他们的上一只德国牧羊犬阿灵顿（Arlington），也因为我小时候营养不良。其实，我只是不在乎罢了！我是公主，可不是普通的狗。阿灵顿是个男孩子，公主才不会像他那样行事呢。我就是我，独一无二的小黑公主！鲍勃后来也渐渐爱上了我，尽管他还是会跟别人说我不太聪明。随他去吧！我反而庆幸他们没给我安排太多任务。被人低估其实挺不错的——既能享受所有的宠爱，又不用干任何活儿！（Bob always thought I was a little slow because I didn't act like Arlington, their previous German shepherd, and because I lacked good nutrition as a puppy. In truth, I just didn’t care! I was a princess, not an ordinary dog. Arlington was a boy, and a princess wouldn't dare act the way he did. I am my own dog! Bob eventually learned to love me, even though he still told people I wasn't very bright. Whatever! I was glad they didn't give me many responsibilities. Being underestimated isn't so bad after all—you get all the love without any of the chores!）

 

等我长大到可以去户外活动时，我认识了家里的另一只狗——哈皮（Happy）。她胖乎乎的，长着一身黄毛。她的狗窝在车库里，而且她很少去别的地方。虽然院子里装了隐形电子围栏，但哈皮根本不需要戴电击项圈，因为她太爱这个家了，绝对不会离开。听说她是阿灵顿一手训练出来的——真让人服气！（When I grew old enough to go outside, I met Happy, the family's other dog. She was plump and had a yellow coat. Her kennel was in the garage, and she rarely went anywhere. Even though the yard had an invisible fence, Happy didn’t need a shock collar because she loved the house too much to ever leave. I heard she was trained by Arlington—go figure!）

 

虽然我从未见过阿灵顿，但我总是听到他的名字，因为我们都是德国牧羊犬。他曾是鲍勃的最爱，在把哈皮彻底训练好之后就去世了。当初他们安装隐形围栏，其实是为了另一只名叫玛吉（Maggie）的母寻血猎犬，她总是想方设法逃跑。后来鲍勃要去阿拉斯加工作一年，玛吉又太调皮，女主人一个人实在管不住，只好把她送给别人收养了。至于我呢？小公主被留了下来！哈哈！（Although I never met Arlington, I heard his name constantly since we were both German Shepherds. He had been Bob’s favorite and passed away right after Happy was fully trained. They originally installed the invisible fence for another dog named Maggie, a Bloodhound girl who was always trying to escape. She was eventually rehomed because Bob had to go to Alaska for a year, and Maggie was too naughty for the lady of the house to handle alone. And me? The princess was chosen to stay! Haha!）

和哈皮不同，我在外面总是被拴着牵引绳。有时候，看到我们受到不同的待遇，我也会觉得有点难过。这又是鲍勃的主意，他担心我太头脑简单，会跑丢。偶尔，我确实会挣脱牵引绳，因为我对院子外面的世界充满了好奇。不过，在被抓回来几次之后，我就放弃了。（Unlike Happy, I was always kept on a leash outside. Sometimes I felt sad that we weren't treated the same. Again, it was Bob's doing; he worried I was too simple-minded and would run away. Occasionally, I did slip my leash because I was curious about the world beyond our yard. After getting caught a few times, though, I gave up.）

有好几次，家里的男孩本看我总是被拴着，而哈皮却能自由奔跑，觉得我很可怜。他解开我的牵引绳陪我玩，我便跟着他四处狂奔。然而，每次我们玩追逐游戏，最后我都忍不住要逃离他的掌控，他就会很生气，发誓再也不解开我的绳子了。（A few times, Ben—the boy in the house—felt sorry for me being tied up while Happy roamed free. He unclipped my leash to play, and I ran around with him. Every time we played chase, I could not help buy run off for fun and then Ben would get angry and swore he would never let me off the leash again.）

 

有一次，其实完全是哈皮的错！我本来安安静静待在院子里挺满足的，但哈皮非要怂恿我跟她一起往外跑。我当时年纪太小，不懂事，就跟着她去了。我们一起沿着街道狂奔，一路上我还试图跟路人打招呼。哈皮就在旁边看着，巴不得我闯祸。后来我听到女主人在喊我，就想回家，结果哈皮挡住了我的去路。我觉得她是故意的，因为她根本不喜欢我。就像本说的那样，哈皮真是个坏家伙。本还说我笨，这点我可不同意——我当时只是年纪小而且好奇罢了。(Once, it was actually Happy’s fault! I was perfectly content staying in the yard, but Happy urged me to run off with her. Too young to know better, I followed her lead. We ran down the street together, and I tried to greet people along the way. Happy just watched, hoping I would get into trouble. When I heard my lady calling me, I tried to go home, but Happy blocked my path. I think she did it on purpose because she didn't like me. Just like Ben said, Happy was bad. Ben also said I was stupid, which I disagree with—I was just young and curious.)

 

哈皮去世后，我成了家里唯一的狗。我有了自己的门廊、院子里的专属狗屋，还有车库里的狗笼。只要家人在家，就会陪我玩，把我照顾得无微不至。我太喜欢在尤金的生活了！（After Happy passed away, I became the only dog in the house. I had my own porch, my own doghouse in the yard, and my kennel in the garage. My family played with me whenever they were home and took wonderful care of me. I loved my life in Eugene!）

后来，他们带我搬到了温泉镇（Warm Springs）。那是一段很长的车程，但我顺利撑过来了！（Then, they moved me to Warm Springs. It was a long drive, but I made it!）

温泉镇是个非常广阔的地方，一切都是崭新的——就连对我的家人来说也是如此。他们买下了一块10英亩的地产，上面有三栋老房子。最里面那栋住着一个正准备搬走的租客。另外两栋房子里堆满了前任房主留下的垃圾，而且因为水井泵坏了，既没有电也没有自来水。（Warm Springs is a huge place, and everything was brand new—even to my family. They bought a 10-acre property with three old houses. The house farthest back was occupied by a renter who was in the process of moving out. The other two were full of trash left by the previous owner, and there was no electricity or running water because the well pump was broken.）

 

搬来的第一天，他们不得不雇人清理场地，并卸下那辆巨大的U-Haul搬家卡车。这花去了半天时间，接着他们又忙着打电话联系通水通电。在此期间，我们四个——鲍勃、他的妻子、他的小姨子还有我——住在一家名叫“罗斯利奥”（Rose Leo）的汽车旅馆里。那地方很小，但至少有水有电。我们在那里住了三天，我觉得还挺舒服的。（On our first day, they had to hire people to clean up the property and unload the big U-Haul truck. That took half the day, followed by calls to get the power and water connected. In the meantime, the four of us—Bob, his wife, his sister-in-law, and I—stayed at the Rose Leo Motel. It was a tiny place, but at least it had water and electricity. We stayed there for three days, which suited me just fine.）

在温泉镇的第一天，我就挣脱了牵引绳去侦察周围的环境。既然大家都是初来乍到——而且我注意到连鲍勃看起来都有些茫然——我觉得自己有责任去探索一番。（On our very first day in Warm Springs, I slipped out of my leash to scout the area. Since we were all new here—and I noticed even Bob looked uncertain—I felt it was my duty to explore.）

可惜，女士们误会了我的意图。她们以为我要逃跑，吓得惊慌失措。她们在后面拼命追我，甚至连新邻居也加入进来，想把我赶回院子里。她们根本不知道，我只是在为她们巡逻！最后，我自己走回了苹果树下，她们还以为是她们抓住了我。我根本不想去任何地方；我爱我的家人。我只希望有一天，他们能真正理解我。他们听不懂我的语言，这真让人头疼。（Unfortunately, the ladies misunderstood my intentions. They thought I was running away and panicked. They chased after me, and even the new neighbor joined in to herd me back onto the property. They didn’t realize I was just patrolling for them! I eventually walked back under the apple tree on my own, though they thought they had caught me. I didn't want to go anywhere; I love my family. I just hope that someday they truly understand me. It is hard when they don't speak my language.）

从那以后，我就一直住在温泉镇。有一段时间，女主人回尤金工作了。鲍勃也只是留下来把家里安顿好、让一切步入正轨后，就回了尤金。他的小姨子穆恩（Moon）留下来陪我。穆恩人特别好，把我照顾得无微不至。只要我吃完饭，她就会奖励我零食，而且去哪儿都带着我——甚至连去超市采购和去垃圾场倒垃圾也不例外。她是我最好的朋友，即使我现在已经是个老太太了，她依然把我当成公主一样宠爱。（I have lived in Warm Springs ever since. For a while, the lady of the house went back to Eugene to work. Bob stayed just long enough to set everything up and get the house running before returning to Eugene as well. His sister-in-law, Moon, stayed behind with me. Moon is so sweet and takes the best care of me. She gives me treats when I finish my food and takes me with her everywhere—even on grocery runs and trips to the dump. She is my best friend, and she still treats me like a princess, even now that I am an old lady.）

去年，鲍勃和他的妻子开着皮卡，拖着一个大拖车过来了。因为女主人准备退休了，他们把尤金的大部分家当都搬了过来。他们还带来了两只猫！大部分时间我并不介意它们，不过它们有时真的很烦人——尤其是辛奇（Singe）。默西（Mercy）还好，因为她什么都怕，但辛奇却以为自己是家里的老大。很明显，他不知道我才是这里的公主！（Last year, Bob and his wife arrived with a pickup truck and a large trailer. They moved most of their belongings from Eugene because Bob's wife was getting ready to retire. They also brought two cats! I didn't mind them most of the time, though they could be annoying—especially Singe. Mercy was fine since she was scared of everything, but Singe thought he was the boss of the house. Clearly, he didn't know that I am the princess!）

和这两只猫生活在一起真是一场大冒险，不过至少我知道，我依然是穆恩阿姨的最爱。她出门总是带着我，把那两只猫留在家里！哈哈哈！（Living with those two cats was quite an adventure, though at least I knew I was still Aunt Moon’s favorite. She took me everywhere and left the cats behind! Hahaha!）

现在，全家人终于团聚了。女主人五月份正式退休，他们把剩下的家具也都搬了过来。猫现在住到室外去了。我白天在户外玩耍，晚上回屋里的笼子睡觉。我依然是这个家里最棒的宠物！（Now, the whole family is finally together. Bob’s wife retired in May, and they moved the rest of the household here. The cats live outside now. I play outdoors during the day and sleep in my kennel inside at night. I am still the best pet in the family!）

有时候，辛奇会试图吸引鲍勃的注意，鲍勃就会把他抱起来。我不喜欢这样，所以我就会大声吠叫把他吓跑。其他时候，我就随他去了。毕竟，我可是只大狗，大人不记小人过。

（Sometimes Singe tries to get Bob’s attention, and Bob will hold him. I don't like that, so I bark to scare him off. Other times, I just let him be. After all, I am the big dog.）

 

人们总觉得我不太聪明，但我觉得是他们不懂我。我之所以那样做，完全是出于我自己的选择。当关键时刻来临时，我也可以化身为一头凶猛的恶狼。一天早上，我看到一只黑熊正朝房子走来。我二话不说朝他冲了过去，把他吓得落荒而逃！这就是我：黑色的德国牧羊犬，这个家的守护神。（People have always thought I wasn't very smart, but I think they are the ones who don't understand. I act the way I do because I choose to. When the moment calls for it, I can be a fierce wolf. One morning, I saw a black bear walking toward the house. I sprinted straight at him, and he got so scared that he ran away! That is who I am: the black German shepherd, the protector of the family.）

如果说有什么事是我真心希望家人能明白的，那就是——和他们玩追逐游戏，跟“离家出走”完全是两码事！（If there is one thing I truly wish my family knew, it is that playing chase with them is not the same thing as running away!）