读者文摘:狗的秘密生活(3)（在线收听）

When I'd shot ducks over the river before, I had to wait for the current to bring the bodies to shore.

以前我在河上射鸭子时，不得不等待水流把鸭子带到岸上。

This time was different. With the smell of the powder still in the air, the dog was off the bank in a great leap.

这一次情况不同，火药味儿还没有散，这只狗猛地从岸上跳了下来，

He hit the water swimming, his shoulders pumping as he churned the surface in a straight line to the dead duck.

在水里游来游去，拍打着四肢，径直向鸭子游去。

He took it gently in his mouth, turned, and swam back.

它把鸭子轻轻地含在嘴里，转身往回游。

Climbing the bank, he put the duck by my right foot, then moved off a couple of feet and sat.

它爬到岸上，把鸭子放在我的右脚旁，然后挪开几英尺，坐了下来。

It was fully light now, and I could see that the dog had a collar and a tag.

现在光线完全好了，我看到那只狗身上有一个项圈和一个标签。

I petted him—he let me, in a reserved way—and pulled his tag to the side to read it.

它让我摸它——以一种含蓄的方式——把它的标签扯到一边读起来。

"My name is Ike."

“我叫艾克。”

That's all it said. No address. No owner's name.

写着就这些，没有地址，没有主人的名字。

狗的秘密生活

"Well, Ike"—his tail wagged—"I'd like to thank you for bringing me the duck."

“好吧，艾克”——它摇了摇尾巴——“我想谢谢你帮我把那只鸭子带过来。”

And that was how it started.

事情就是这样开始的。

For the rest of the season, I hunted the river early every morning.

接下来的一年四季，我每天一大早就去河边打猎。

I'd cross the bridge and start down the river, and Ike would be there.

过桥，下河，艾克就在那里。

By the middle of the second week, I felt as if we'd been hunting with each other forever.

第二个星期的中间几天，我觉得我们好像会永远在一起打猎。

When the hunting was done, he'd trot back with me until we arrived at the bridge.

打猎结束后，到桥头的这段路它会和我一起小跑。

There he would sit, and nothing I did would make him come farther.

它会坐在那儿，无论我做任何事，它都不会走远。

I tried waiting to see where he would go, but when it was obvious I wasn't going to leave,

我试着等着看它会去哪里，但显然我不会离开，

he merely lay down and went to sleep.

它只是躺下睡着了。

Once I left him, he crossed the bridge and then hid in back of a building to watch.

有一次我离开了它，它穿过桥，躲在一座楼的后面看。