MyBestFriendArnold
佚名/Anonymous
IrecentlylostmybestfriendArnoldinanautomobileaccidentwhilemovingmyfamilytoournewhomeinArizona.Arnoldwasan8-month-oldpotbellywhotaughtmesomuchaboutlove,devotionandcompanionship.Iamdevastatedbyhisloss,butthankGodforblessingmewiththejoyofhavingArnoldforhisshortlife.
Arnolddidn』tknowhewasapig—hethoughthewasjustanothermemberofourfamily—modelinghisbehaviorthroughobservingme,mywife,mytwodaughtersandourbeagles.Hewasconvincedhewaslovedbyall;andhewas,evenwhenhewasornerytryingtojustgetourattention.
HelovedtosleeponyourlapasyousatonthecouchwatchingTV.Hedidn』tcareifhegrewtoweigh45lbs,hestillexpectedyoutohoisthimontoyourlapatprecisely8:00pmeveryeveningwherehewouldfallfastasleepwithinsecondsaftersnugglinghiswetnosebetweenyourneckandshoulder.Ifyoudidn』trespondtohisinitial「honks」lettingyouknowitwashisnaptime,hewouldbumpyourlegswithhisnoseuntilyoupickedhimup.Withhisweightasitwas,youcouldn』tholdhimalleveningashepreferred,soyouhadtoslidehimoffontothecouchnexttoyouwherehewouldsleepforhourswithallfourlegsandhisnosestickingstraightupintheair.Hewouldsnoreaslongashecouldfeelyounexttohimbutwouldimmediatelywakeupifyoutriedtoleavethecouch.Wehadhoursoffunbalancingobjectslikeasaltshakeronhisf?latnosewhilehesleptsoundly.
Arnoldhelpedmeinallmychoresaroundourf?iveacresinthecountry.Justbeingthereatmyfeet,interestedinwhatIwasdoingmadeeventhemostmundanetasksenjoyable.Whenhewasoutroamingandforagingandyouwouldcallouthisname,hewouldcomerunningattopspeed,honkingthewholewayuntilhegotclosetoyouwherehewoulddodgeyou,zigzaggingaroundbeforesettlingdownandcalmlywalkinguptoyouwithhistailwaggingasiftosay「hah,got-cha.」
MywifeandtwodaughtersbegantosaythatArnoldandIweresoclosethathehadbecomethesonthatIneverhadinourfamily.ItseemedthatwecouldnolongerhaveanykindofconversationinourfamilyorwithourfriendswithoutArnoldbeingamaintopic.TheneighborhoodkidswouldmakeappointmentstocomevisitArnoldandcouldn』twaittocomeoverandplaywithhim.
Arnoldwentmosteverywherewithus—Pet』sMart,Wal-Mart,birthdayparties,andChristmasvacationtoGrandma』s.Helovedridinginthecar/shoppingbasketandwasabighiteverywherehewent.Arnoldhadbecomesuchanimportantpartofourlifethatwhenwefoundoutthatourfamilywouldhavetomovetoanotherstate,weinsistedthatthecontractonournewhousebecontingentonthehomeowners』associationapprovalofArnoldinwritingbeforewewouldagreetopurchasinginourprestigiousneighborhood.
Onthedayweleftouroldhometown,wehadagoing-awaylunchwithourfriendsfromchurch.EveryonetherejusthadtogoouttothetruckwhereArnoldandallourotherpetswereandsaygoodbye.Arnoldtrustedmetotakecareofhimandgethimtohisnewhome.Tragically,alongtheway,thewindblastfromasemiknockedourtrailersoutofcontrolandpushedourtruckoffa40』bridge.WelostabigpartofourfamilythatdaywhenourpetsArnold,SweetiandLeannawerekilled.IfeelterriblefornotbeingabletoprotectArnoldthewayhetrustedmeto.However,IwillbeforevergratefulforthefondmemoriesofhimwhichIwillcherishforever.
在我們搬家到亞利桑那州的途中發生了交通意外，從此我失去了我最好的朋友阿諾德。阿諾德是一隻八個月大的寵物豬，是它令我更懂得愛，懂得投入和維繫情誼。它的離去令我傷心欲絕，不過我還是常感謝上帝賜予我與阿諾德相處的那段短暫卻快樂的時光。
阿諾德並不知道自己是一頭豬，它認為自己就是家庭中的一員，常常會觀察模仿我、我妻子、我兩個女兒以及家裡那隻小獵犬的舉動。它相信我們都愛它；的確，我們都愛它，即使它有時為了引起我們的注意，會耍些小性子。
當你坐在沙發上看電視時，它喜歡在你的大腿上打盹。它完全不顧自己已經重達45磅，依舊會期待每晚準時八點鐘時，你能把它抱起放在大腿上。它會用濕濕的鼻子依偎著你的脖子和肩膀，但片刻間就進入了夢鄉。如果最初它「哼哼」著提醒你它要睡覺，而你不理睬時，它就會用鼻子拱你的腿，直到你抱起它為止。它這麼重，你根本無法像它期待的那樣整夜抱著它，因此你得輕輕將它滑下放在旁邊的沙發上，接下來的幾個小時內它就會四蹄朝上、挺著鼻子呼呼大睡。當感覺到你在身邊時，它就會呼呼大睡，而你一想離開，它立馬就會醒來。我們常在它熟睡時，把鹽瓶那樣的小東西擺在它扁平的鼻子上，並使其保持平衡，一玩就是幾個小時。
在我們鄉下面積約五英畝的地盤上，無論什麼家務雜事，阿諾德都會給我幫忙。只要它徘徊在我腳旁，就算我正做著的活兒是世界上最平淡無聊的，也會因此而變得有趣。它在外面閒逛找食吃時，只要你一喊它的名字，它就會以最快的速度飛奔而來，一路上哼哼叫著，快到你跟前時又會捉迷藏似地躲來躲去，最後才安靜地走到你跟前，搖著小尾巴彷彿在說：「哈，我可找到你了。」
妻子和兩個女兒說，阿諾德跟我這麼親，簡直就像是我的兒子，那是我們家一直缺少的角色。無論是我們家還是和親戚朋友，只要聊起天來，話題好像都離不開阿諾德。鄰居家的小孩常會約好來看阿諾德，一來就要和它玩。
不管我們去哪兒，都會帶著阿諾德，寵物用品超市、沃爾瑪、生日聚會以及去奶奶家過聖誕節。他喜歡坐在車裡或是購物籃裡，而且所到之處總會引起一陣轟動。阿諾德已經成為我們家裡重要的一分子，所以當我們要搬到另一個州買房子時，我們都堅持要在合同裡附上街坊鄰居的聯合書面允諾，同意讓阿諾德在該區生活，這樣我們才會考慮在那些知名社區裡買房。
離開老家的那天，我們和教友一起吃了餞行午餐。在場的每個人都走到貨櫃車旁邊，跟裡面的阿諾德和我們的其他寵物告別。不幸的是，在路上一輛半拖車呼嘯而過，強烈的側風氣流使我們的拖車失控，貨櫃繼而被拋到四十英尺的橋下。那天家中成員損失慘重，我們的寵物阿諾德、甜甜和蓮娜都離開了我們。阿諾德如此地信任我，我卻沒法保護他，我真的很難受。不過，我將永遠珍藏和他一起的深情片段，感激他帶來的這段美好回憶。
記憶填空
1.Arnolddidn』tknowhewasa—hethoughthewasjustanotherofourfamily—modelinghisbehaviorobservingme,mywife,mytwodaughtersandourbeagles.Hewasconvincedhewasbyall;andhewas,evenwhenhewasornerytryingtogetourattention.
2.Hesnoreaslongashecouldfeelyoutohimbutwouldimmediatelywakeupifyoutoleavethecouch.Wehadoffunbalancingobjectslikeasaltshakeronhisflatnosewhileheslept.
佳句翻
1.他的離去令我傷心欲絕，不過我還是常感謝上帝賜予我與阿諾德相處的那段短暫卻快樂的時光。
2.言語是無法描繪這種關係的，只有親身經歷才能充分體會。
3.阿諾德如此地信任我，我卻沒法保護他，我真的很難受。
短語應用
1.Hewouldsnoreaslongashecouldfeelyounexttohimbutwouldimmediatelywakeupifyoutriedtoleavethecouch.
wakeup：醒來；振作起來
2.ItseemedthatwecouldnolongerhaveanykindofconversationinourfamilyorwithourfriendswithoutArnoldbeingamaintopic.
nolonger：不再