英语PK台 第693期:一只猫教会我如何去爱

 Ugly the cat

《流浪猫丑丑》
Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.
我所住公寓大楼的每个人都认识“丑丑”。丑丑是住在这里的一只流浪公猫。丑丑喜欢这世界上的三件事：打架、吃垃圾，还有爱（如果可以这样说的话）。
The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural 1 angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. 
这三件事再加上流浪在外的生活方式，对丑丑产生了很大的影响。首先，他只有一只眼睛，另一只也差点被弄瞎，同一侧的耳朵也不见了。他的一只左脚显然也受过严重的伤，而且恢复得不太好，走起路来一瘸一拐，似乎总是在转弯。
Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, and even his shoulders. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction: "That's one UGLY cat !!"
丑丑是一只身上带有条纹的深灰色虎斑猫 ，但他的头部、颈部，甚至肩膀上到处都是伤口。每当有人看到丑丑时，他们的反应都是一样的：“那只猫真丑！”
All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction.
当他试图进入某户人家时，孩子们都会被警告不要去碰他，成年人会向他投掷石块，并用水管喷水驱赶他。当他不肯离开时，人们还会关上门夹他的爪子。可面对这些，丑丑的反应总是相同的
If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky 2 body around your feet in forgiveness.
当你将水管对准他时，他会站在那里不动，任凭你把他全身淋湿，直到你放弃并离开。当你向他投掷东西时，他会将自己瘦长的身体卷缩在你的双脚上，告诉你他原谅了你。
Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically 3 and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love.
每当他看到孩子们时，都会跑过去，疯狂地喵喵叫，用头碰撞孩子们的手，乞求他们的爱抚。
If you ever picked him up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings 4, whatever he could find.
当你抱起他时，他就会马上开始舔你的衬衫、耳环，他能从你身上找到的都逃不过他爱的亲昵。
One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbours' dogs. They did not respond kindly 5, and Ugly was badly mauled. I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life was almost at an end.
一天，丑丑向邻居家的几条狗表达爱意。但他们并没有做出善意的回应，丑丑受到了粗暴的对待，伤势很重。我试图冲上去帮他。但，当我到达他倒下的地方时，看上去丑丑的悲惨一生已快走到了尽头...
As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing 6 and gasping 7, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought.
我把他抱起来，试图把他带回家。此时，我可以听到他吃力的喘息声，同时能够感觉到他在挣扎。我想，这件事一定给他的身心造成了重创。
Then I felt a familiar tugging 8, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring.
然后，我感觉到耳边有一种熟悉的拖拽感。丑丑在如此痛苦中，而且显然已挣扎在死亡边缘，可还是在努力舔着我的耳朵。我将他紧紧抱入怀中，他用头碰撞着我的手掌，然后他那只金色的眼睛转过来瞅着我。此时，我可以清晰地听到他发出的满足的咕噜咕噜声。
Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion 9. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain. 
即使在最痛苦的时候，这只伤痕累累的丑丑猫要的依然只是一点点爱抚，或许只是一些同情。那一刻，我觉得丑丑是我见过的最美丽、最可爱的生命。他从来没有试图咬我或抓我，从来没有试图远离我，也从来没有以任何方式挣脱我的怀抱。丑丑只是抬头望着我，用眼睛告诉我，他完全信任我能够缓解他的痛苦。
Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed 10 little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly.
我还没来得及走进家门，他就已经长眠在我的怀里。之后，我呆呆地坐在那里，抱了他很久，心里思考着——这样一只满身伤痕，而且身体还有残缺的小流浪猫，是如何改变了我对拥有一颗纯真心灵、以及如何用尽全力、真实地去爱的理解。
Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.
关于给予与同情，我从丑丑身上学到了很多东西，比起阅读上千本书籍、听无数讲座、或是观看大量脱口秀特别节目都要多得多。我会永远为此心存感激。他的伤痕累累给我留下了内心的伤疤。是时候让我继续前行，学会真正地去深爱，为我关心的人付出我的所有。
Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me; I will always try to be Ugly.
许多人想要更加富有、更加成功、更加受人喜爱、更加美丽。但对我而言，我会一直努力成为“丑丑”。