I don't know if you've noticed,

不知你们是否已经注意到，

but there's been a spate of books that have come out lately contemplating or speculating on the cognition and emotional life of dogs.

近来陆续出版了很多新书是关于猜测和解读狗的认知和情绪的。

Do they think, do they feel and, if so, how?

狗是否会思考，它们能否感知， 如果有，是怎样做到的？

So this afternoon, in my limited time, I wanted to take the guesswork out of a lot of that by introducing you to two dogs,

那么今天下午， 在有限的时间里，我想通过介绍你们认识两条狗来做与其有关的一些猜想。

both of whom have taken the command "speak" quite literally.

这两条狗都真正懂得“说话”的意思。

The first dog is the first to go, and he is contemplating an aspect of his relationship to his owner, and the title is "A Dog on His Master."

让第一条狗先来吧，他想要对他和主人的关系做一个分析，标题是 “狗与主人。”

"As young as I look, I am growing older faster than he.

“我看起来很年轻，但我比他更容易变老。

Seven to one is the ratio, they tend to say.

比率是七比一， 他们这样说到。

Whatever the number, I will pass him one day and take the lead, the way I do on our walks in the woods, and if this ever manages to cross his mind,

无论是什么数字，总有一天我会超越他成为主导，就像我们在林间散步那样，如果这个念头会在他脑中出现，

it would be the sweetest shadow I have ever cast on snow or grass."

它会是我在雪地或草地上投下的最甜蜜的影子。

Thank you.

谢谢你们。

And our next dog speaks in something called the revenant, which means a spirit that comes back to visit you.

下一只狗说的事情叫做亡灵，意思是一个亡魂回来探望你。

"I am the dog you put to sleep, as you like to call the needle of oblivion, come back to tell you this simple thing: I never liked you."

“我是被你送进沉睡的狗，而你喜欢把它叫做遗忘之针，我回来是为了告诉你 这个简单的事实：我从来都没有喜欢过你。“

"When I licked your face, I thought of biting off your nose.

“当我舔着你的脸，我想咬掉你的鼻子。

When I watched you toweling yourself dry, I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.

当我看见你用毛巾擦干身子，我想在瞬间扑过去阉割你。

I resented the way you moved, your lack of animal grace, the way you would sit in a chair to eat, a napkin on your lap, a knife in your hand.

我讨厌你走动的样子，因为你缺乏动物的优美，你坐在椅子上吃东西的模样，膝上盖着餐巾，手里握着餐刀。

I would have run away but I was too weak, a trick you taught me while I was learning to sit and heel and, greatest of insults,

我宁愿跑开，但我实在太软弱，你教会我一个诡计，当我学着坐和蹲的时候，最大的侮辱，

shake hands without a hand.

是没有手却要握手。

I admit the sight of the leash would excite me, but only because it meant I was about to smell things you had never touched.

我承认看见皮带会让我兴奋，但这只因为它意味着我可以去嗅闻你从未触及的东西。

You do not want to believe this, but I have no reason to lie: I hated the car, hated the rubber toys, disliked your friends, and worse, your relatives.

你不会相信，但我没有理由撒谎：我讨厌汽车，讨厌橡皮玩具，不喜欢你的朋友，更不喜欢你的亲眷。

The jingling of my tags drove me mad.

玎玲响的标签促使我发狂。

You always scratched me in the wrong place." "All I ever wanted from you was food and water in my bowls.

而你，为我搔痒总是挠错位置。““我只想从你那里得到食物和水放进我的碗里。

While you slept, I watched you breathe as the moon rose in the sky.

当你睡着的时候，我看着你呼吸，月亮在天空中升起。

It took all of my strength not to raise my head and howl.

我用尽了所有的力量才没有抬起头来嚎叫。

Now, I am free of the collar, free of the yellow raincoat, monogrammed sweater, the absurdity of your lawn,

现在，我摆脱了衣领，摆脱了黄色雨衣，摆脱了印有字母组合的毛衣，摆脱了你草坪的荒谬，

and that is all you need to know about this place, except what you already supposed and are glad it did not happen sooner,

就是你所需要知道的这个地方的一切，除了你那些假想的，庆幸它没有早点儿发生，

that everyone here can read and write, the dogs in poetry, the cats and all the others in prose."

这里的每个人都可以阅读和写作，狗在诗歌中，猫和所有其它的动物在散文中。"

Thank you.

谢谢你们。