一只狗的遗嘱

一只狗的遗嘱（中英文对照）

The last will and testament of an extremely loved dog By Eugene O’neill

I, silverdene emblem O’neill (familiarly known to my family, friends &acquaintances as Blemie), because the burden of my years and infirmities is heavy upon me, and I realize the end of my life is near, do hereby bury my last will and testament in the mind of my Master. He will not know it is there until after I am dead. Then, remembering me in his loneliness, he will suddenly know of this testament, and I ask him to inscribe it as a memorial to me.

我叫席尔维丹?安伯伦?欧尼尔，而家人、朋友和熟识我的人，都叫我伯莱明。衰老给我带来的负担，和恶魔般的疾病让我承受的痛苦，都让我认识到自己已走到生命的尽头。因此，我将把最后的情感和遗嘱埋葬于主人的心中。直到我死之后，他才会蓦然发现，这些情感和遗嘱就埋藏在他心灵的一隅。当他孤寂时，或许会想起我，或许会在看到这份遗嘱的那一瞬间，他会感受到这份感情的沉重。我期望他将此铭记于心，当作是对我的纪念。

I have little in the way of material things to leave. Dogs are wiser than men. They do not set great store upon things. They do not waste their days hoarding property. They do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the objects they have, and to obtain objects they have not.

我可以遗留的东西少得可怜。其实我们比人更聪明，不会将乱七八糟的东西藏在仓库里，不会把时间浪费在储藏金钱上，更不会为保持现有的或得到没有的东西，扰乱自己的睡眠。

There is nothing of value I have to bequeath except my love and my loyalty. These I leave to all those who have loved me, especially to my Master and Mistress, who I know will mourn me the most.

除了爱和信赖，我没有任何值钱的东西可以留给他人。我将这些留给所有爱过我的人，尤其是我的男主人和女主人，我知道，他们会为我的离去献上最深切的哀悼。

I ask my Master and my Mistress to remember me always, but not to grieve for me too long. In my life, I have tried to be a comfort to them in time of sorrow, and a reason for added joy in their happiness. It is painful for me to think that even in death I should cause them pain.

希望我的主人能将我牢记在心，但并不要为我悲伤太久。在有生之年，我竭尽所能为他们孤寂而悲伤的生活增添欢欣和喜悦。一想到我的死会给他们带来悲伤，我便痛苦不已。

Let them remember that while no dog has ever had a happier life (and this I owe to their love and care for me), now that I have grown blind and deaf and lame, and even my sense of smell fails me so that a rabbit could be right under my nose and I might not know, my pride has sunk to a sick, bewildered humiliation.

我要让他们知道，没有任何一只狗曾像我这样快乐地生活，这都得归功于他们对我的关爱。如今我老得又瞎又聋又瘸，昔日灵敏的嗅觉也丧失殆尽，即使一只兔子在我鼻子下恣意走动，我也浑然不觉。尊严在病痛和衰老之中已经消失，这是一种莫名的耻辱，生命似乎也在嘲弄我的无力。

I feel life is taunting me with having over-lingered my welcome. It is time I said goodbye, before I become too

sick a burden on myself and on those who love me.

我知道，应该在病到成为自己和爱我的人的负担之前，与大家道别。

It will be a sorrow to leave them, but not a sorrow to die. Dogs do not fear death as men do. We accept it as part of life, not as something alien and terrible which destroys life. What may come after death, who knows?

我的悲伤来自即将离开我所爱的人，而非死亡。狗并不像人一样惧怕死亡，我们接受死亡为生命的一部分，而非一种毁掉生命的恐怖灵异事件。有谁能知道死亡之后又是什么呢？

I would like to believe that there is a Paradise. Where one is always young and full-bladdered. Where all the day one dillies and dallies. Where each blissful hour is mealtime.

我宁愿相信那里是天堂。在那里，每个人都青春永驻，美食饱腹。在那里，每天都有精彩和有趣的事情发生。我们在任何时刻都可以享受美味食物。

Where in the long evenings there are a million fireplaces with logs forever burning, and one curls oneself up and blinks into the flames and nods and dreams, remembering the old brave days on earth and the love of one’s Master and Mistress.

在每个漫长的夜晚，都有无数永不熄灭的壁炉，那些燃烧的木柴一根根卷曲起来，闪烁着火焰的光芒，我们百无聊赖地打着盹，进入甜蜜的梦乡。梦中会再现我们在人间的英勇时光，以及对主人的无限眷恋。

I am afraid that this is too much for even such a dog as I am to expect. But peace, at least, is certain. Peace and a long rest for my weary old heart and head and limbs, and eternal sleep in the earth I have loved so well. Perhaps, after all, this is best.

对我们来说，要预知死亡的日期，的确是一件很困难的事情。但是，死亡前的平静和安详却一定是有的。给予衰老疲倦的身心一个安详而长久的休憩之所，让我在人世间得以长眠。我已经享受到充裕的爱。这里，将是我最完美的归宿。

One last request, I earnestly make. I have heard my Mistress say, “[bold]when Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much I could never love another one[/bold].”

我还有一个诚挚的祈求，我曾听到女主人说：“伯莱明死后，我再也不会养别的狗了。我是如此地爱他，这种感情无法再倾注到别的狗身上。”

Now I would ask her, for love of me, to have another. It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog again. What I would like to feel is that, having once had me in the family, she cannot live without a dog.

如今，我要恳求她，再养一只狗吧！把对我的那些爱给他。我相信，即使再养别的狗，你们也不会因此而遗忘我。我希望能够感受到，这个家庭一旦有了我之后，便无法再生活在没有狗的日子里。

I have never had a narrow, jealous spirit. I have always held that most dogs are good.

我决不是那种心胸狭窄、嫉妒心强的狗。我一直认为大部分狗都是善良的。

My successor can hardly be as well bred or as well mannered or as distinguished and handsome as I was in my prime. My Master and Mistress must not ask the impossible. But he will do his best, I am sure, and even his inevitable defects will help by comparison to keep my memory green.

我的接班人应该像我年轻时一样，有良好的行为举止，又是那样的杰出和帅气。我的主人，你千万不要勉强他做无法办到的事情。但他会尽全力把一切事情做到最好，一定会的！当然，他也会有一些无法避免的缺陷，别人总会拿这些缺陷跟我做比较，这有助于他们对我的回忆常葆如新。

To him I bequeath my collar and leash and my overcoat and my raincoat. He can never wear them with the distinction I did, all eyes fixed on me in admiration; but again I am sure he will do his utmost not to appear a mere gauche provincial dog.

把我的颈圈、皮带、外套和雨衣遗留给他。以往大家总会带着赞叹的眼光看着我穿戴这些东西，虽然他穿戴起来无法像我那样英姿飒爽，但我深信，他一定竭尽所能地不会把自己表现得像个笨拙、没见过世面的狗。

Here on the ranch, he may prove himself quite worthy of comparison, in some respect. He will, I presume, come closer to jackrabbits than I have been able to in recent years. And for all his Faults, I hereby wish him the happiness I know will be his in my old home.

在这个牧场上，他也许会在某些方面，值得和我媲美。我想，至少在追逐长耳朵大野兔这件事上，他一定会表现得比我衰老时优秀。但我依然希望他在我的老家过得幸福快乐。

One last word of farewell, dear Master and Mistress.

亲爱的男主人和女主人，下面是我道别前最后一个请求。

When you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your heart at the remembrance of my long, happy life with you: “here lies one who loved us and whom we loved.”

无论何时，如果你们到我的坟前看我，借助我与你们相伴一生的快乐记忆，请以满怀哀伤而欢欣的口吻对你们自己说：“这里埋葬着爱着我们和我们所爱的朋友。”

No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail. I will always love you as only a dog can.

不管我睡得有多沉，依旧可以听到你们的呼唤，所有的死神都无法阻止我对你们欢快地摇摆尾巴的心意。