與小狗阿紅散步的日子

本文作者吉姆·康拉德(Jim Conrad，1947~)是一個博物學家兼自由作家。他游歷過40多個國家，對大自然尤為鐘愛。本文是寫給青少年的散文故事，文字優美，風格清新，不乏對自然與人生的思考，讓人不禁羨慕作者的恬淡愜意以及他與大自然的親近。

Red Dog on the Porch 門廊上的阿紅

Red Dog was special.

He was not one of those dogs who ran howling into the wind with other dogs. He just loved walking with me. Sometimes， on the gravel1) road， he walked so close that his bright red fur brushed against my leg.

\"Red Dog，\" I'd say， \"each morning when we meet for the first time， why do you always look so glad?\"

Of course， Red Dog never did reply with words. If he wanted to say something， he spoke with his eyes， or the bend in his tail. However， since we were friends， that was enough.

At night， Red Dog slept on the front porch. Lying there， dreaming dreams of long summer days and endless walks， his night-world filled up with the moon and stars， hoot owl2) hoots， and ghostly white fogs that crept silently into the fields.

Between dreams， I think that Red Dog must have awakened， raised his head， and looked around. Maybe then he became a little lonely. And probably he wondered why I got to sleep inside， but he had to sleep on the porch ...

But， you see， Red Dog lived in a time when country dogs such as he were not allowed inside their masters' homes. In those days， most people didn't even believe that dogs had feelings， though I did.

Yes， during those days when we walked in the fields and woods， Red Dog and I helped one another see things in special ways. Weedy roadsides were like museums and the fields of corn and beans around us were like circuses3) with many rings4).

阿紅是條特別的狗。

它不是那種跟別的狗一起在風中瘋跑狂叫的狗兒，它只喜歡陪我散步。有時候，走在碎石小路上，它緊緊挨著我，紅亮亮的皮毛蹭著我的腿。

“阿紅呀，”我總會說，“每天早晨咱倆一見面，你為什么看起來總是那么高興呢？”

當然，阿紅從來沒有用語言回答過我。如果它想“說”什么，它就用眼睛“告訴”我或者搖搖尾巴。不過，因為我們是朋友，那樣就足夠了。

晚上，阿紅睡在前門廊。它躺在那兒，夢見悠長的夏日和沒有盡頭的散步，它的夜晚充滿了月亮和繁星、貓頭鷹咕咕的叫聲以及鬼鬼祟祟鉆進田野里的幽靈般的白霧。

我想阿紅一定會從夢中醒來，抬頭四處張望。也許那時的它會感到有點兒孤單，也許它很好奇為什么我睡屋里而它必須睡門廊……

可是你瞧，在阿紅生活的時代，像它這樣的鄉下狗還不準進主人的屋。那些歲月里，大部分人甚至還不相信狗也有感情，雖然我相信。

是啊，在一片片田野和樹林中散步的那些日子里，我和阿紅幫助彼此以獨特的方式觀察事物。雜草叢生的道路兩旁就像一座座博物館，而我們周圍的玉米地和大豆田就像擁有很多圓形場地的馬戲場。

Mysteries 神秘

In Red Dog's life， no mystery was greater than that of the house.

Though Red Dog could romp5) in any field or woods， or take a nap beside any road or ditch6)， never could he enter the house. The only place I ever went without him was into the house. If I came outside wearing clothes different from those I had worn when I entered the house， Red Dog would look at me in amazement.

\"Red Dog，\" I'd say， \"do you think that when I go inside the house I become someone else? Do you think that inside the house I travel to other worlds， or do magical things? When you stand beside the screen door hearing voices and music on the radio， do you think that inside I'm having a party with elves and gnomes?

Sometimes I laughed when I thought about what Red Dog must have imagined as he sat outside the screen door. Yes， what went on inside Red Dog's mind was my favorite mystery.

Once I thought about letting Red Dog come inside—just for a few moments—so I could watch his face as he looked around.

But， I never did.

小狗阿紅的生活中，沒什么會比我的房子更神秘的了。

盡管阿紅可以在任意一塊地或一片樹林中撒歡，可以在所有的馬路或溝渠旁打盹，但它卻從來不可以踏進我的房門。我唯一沒有帶它去過的地方就是屋里。假如我進屋換一身別的衣裳出來，阿紅就會驚奇地盯著我。

“阿紅呀，”我說，“你是不是覺得我走進屋里就變成另外一個人啦？你是不是以為我在屋里去了別的世界旅行，或者施展了魔法？你在紗門外，聽著收音機里飄出的歡歌笑語，會不會認為我正在里面和小精靈、小矮人聚會呢？”

想到阿紅坐在紗門外可能會有的胡思亂想，我有時會哈哈大笑。沒錯，阿紅腦子里想的事最讓我浮想聯翩。

我曾經考慮過讓阿紅進來——只進來一小會兒——好讓我瞧瞧它左顧右盼的表情。

但我從來沒有這樣做過。

Emergency! 緊急情況！

\"Red Dog!\" I yelled， \"what are you doing?\"

Fluttering7) their wings and screaming in terror， four baby robins8) cowered9) helplessly in the grass before Red Dog. Their mother flitted10) above them screaming and snapping her wings in the air， but she was too afraid of Red Dog to do anything else.

Red Dog's eyes laughed at what he thought was a funny game. His wet， pink tongue dangled11) from a broad dog-smile. Then， as if to say that he really liked to meet young birds， he planted a generous tongue-lick upon one of the nestlings. The lick sent the baby bird tumbling12) backwards in the grass.

\"Aooouuuuuuuuu ...!!!\" Red Dog howled.

Thinking that Red Dog was trying to eat her baby， the mother robin had overcome her fear， dropped from the sky， and dug her sharp claws into Red Dog's scalp13)!

Yelping14) more from surprise than from being hurt， Red Dog escaped around the corner of the house， his tail crooked15) between his legs.

\"Red Dog，\" I called， laughing， \"today you have discovered that certain things are not to be played with16)!\"

And then the brave mother robin dropped toward my own scalp and I， too， yelping more from surprise than from being hurt， escaped around the corner of the house.

“阿紅！”我大喊，“你在做什么？”

四只小知更鳥拍打著翅膀，驚恐地尖叫著，在阿紅面前的草叢里無助地縮成一團。它們的媽媽在它們上空盤旋，一面尖叫一面猛拍翅膀，可它太怕阿紅了，別的什么也做不了。

阿紅雙眼含笑，把這看作一場有趣的游戲。它濕乎乎的粉色舌頭從咧開的大嘴中耷拉出來。然后，似乎為了表示一下它確實喜歡見到小鳥兒，它慷慨地用舌頭舔了舔其中一只雛鳥。雛鳥被舔得踉蹌一步，向后跌倒在草叢里。

“嗷嗚……”阿紅吼了一聲。

知更鳥媽媽以為阿紅想要吃掉它的寶寶，戰勝了自己的恐懼，從空中俯沖而下，將尖利的爪子狠狠抓進阿紅的頭皮！

阿紅倒不至于被弄疼，但是被嚇得汪汪直叫，夾著尾巴逃到了屋子的拐角處。

“阿紅啊，”我邊笑邊喊，“今天你發現了吧，有些東西可是不能捉弄的！”

接著，勇敢的知更鳥媽媽又朝我的頭頂俯沖過來，我也被嚇得哇哇亂叫地逃到了屋子的那個拐角。

Hound Dog 獵犬

As if he had every right to be there， the old hound dog rushed into our backyard and sniffed at everything he found. When he saw how empty Red Dog's food dish was he frowned at us in a way that said we should have had food waiting for him.

Red Dog and I could not believe that any dog could be so rude!

His ears and jowls17) hang so loosely that every step he took his face shook and made sloppy18) sounds. He stank19) and drooled20). His huge feet were caked21) with mud from wandering all night in the fields.

And in his eyes there was the look of being lost.

I was so used to Red Dog's good manners， dignified appearance and self confidence that as I watched the old hound I felt queasy22). Even Red Dog seemed half afraid and half ashamed. Quivering， he sneaked23) around to stand behind me.

\"Red Dog，\" I said， \"he's run away from that 'coon hunter we heard last night in Bryant's Woods. I'll see if the owner's name is on his collar24) ...\"

Holding out my hand， I walked toward the old hound.

\"Aooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...!\" On legs that could not carry him fast enough， the sad-looking dog shot into the cornfield， his eyes ablaze25) with fear， his pitiful howls sounding as if they came from something dying. Only when he was deep inside the cornfield did he quiet down.

\"I'm glad that this happened， Red Dog，\" I said. \"Every day we should remember that the lives you and I share are very special， and that at any moment things could change. Today we must live every second as if tomorrow our own lives will become like the life of that poor old hound.

那只老獵犬沖進我家后院，見什么嗅什么，好像這是它的地盤一樣。看見阿紅的狗食盆空空如也，它沖我們皺皺眉頭，那個樣子簡直是在說我們本應該預備好食物等它來的。

阿紅和我都難以相信天底下竟有如此粗魯的狗。

它的耳朵和下巴上的肉都松松垮垮地下垂著，每走一步，臉皮就抖一下，還發出哀嚎的叫聲。它淌著口水，臭氣熏天。由于在田野里游蕩了一整夜，它四只大爪子裹滿了泥巴塊。

而且，從它眼里可以看到“我迷路了”的神情。

我太過習慣阿紅的彬彬有禮、高貴自信，此時看著這只老獵犬，覺得有點惡心。就連阿紅仿佛也對它半是害怕，半是害臊，哆哆嗦嗦地偷偷溜到了我背后。

“阿紅呀，”我說，“它是從我們昨晚在布萊恩樹林里聽說的浣熊獵人那兒逃跑的。我來瞧瞧它項圈上有沒有主人的名字……”

我伸出手，走向老獵犬。

“嗷嗚……”一臉悲戚的老獵犬拖著跑不快的腿沖進玉米地，它雙眼充滿恐懼，發出仿佛瀕臨死亡的哀嚎。直到沖到玉米地深處時，它才安靜下來。

“我很高興發生了這件事，阿紅，”我說道，“每一天我們都應該牢記你我共度的生命是多么特別，也要記得世事瞬息萬變。我們必須好好度過今天的每分每秒，就好像我們的生命明天就會變得跟那只可憐的老獵犬一樣。”

1.gravel [#712;ɡraelig;vl] n. 砂礫，礫石

2.hoot owl: 【鳥】森號鳥，一種發出鷹叫的貓頭鷹

3.circus [#712;s#604;#720;k#601;s] n. (圓形的)馬戲場

4.ring [r#618;#331;] n. (馬戲團的)圓形表演場

5.romp [r#594;mp] vi. 喧鬧地玩耍

6.ditch [d#618;t#643;] n. 溝；明溝；壕溝

7.flutter [#712;fl#652;t#601;(r)] vt. (鳥等)振(翼)，拍(翅)

8.robin [#712;r#594;b#618;n] n. 【鳥】歐亞鴝，俗稱知更鳥

9.cower [#712;ka#650;#601;(r)] vi. 蜷縮；抖縮；畏縮

10.flit [fl#618;t] vi. (鳥、蝙蝠等)輕快地飛；(鳥)振翼

11.dangle [#712;daelig;#331;ɡl] vi. 垂著擺動；懸垂

12.tumble [#712;t#652;mbl] vi. 跌倒；滾下

13.scalp [skaelig;lp] n. 【解】頭皮

14.yelp [jelp] vi. (因痛楚或興奮等而)尖聲急叫，叫喊

15.crook [kr#650;k] vt. 使彎曲，使成鉤形

16.play with: 擺弄；玩弄

17.jowl [d#658;a#650;l] n. (牛、羊等的)頸垂肉

18.sloppy [#712;sl#594;pi] adj. <口> 感情脆弱的；過于傷感的

19.stink [st#618;#331;k] vi. 發出惡臭，有異味

20.drool [dru#720;l] vi. (口水等)流出嘴巴

21.cake [ke#618;k] vt. 加塊結物于……上；使結塊

22.queasy [#712;kwi#720;zi] adj. (想)嘔吐的，(感到)惡心的

23.sneak [sni#720;k] vi. 偷偷地走，溜

24.collar [#712;k#594;l#601;(r)] n. (狗等的)頸圈

25.ablaze [#601;#712;ble#618;z] adj. 閃耀，發光