一隻狗的遺囑
The Last Will & Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill
我是席爾丹尼‧安伯倫．奧尼爾（家人、朋友和熟識我的人通常叫我伯萊明）。因年老的的拖累與疾病纏身的沉重負擔，我感受到自己的生命將走到盡頭，因此在這裡將自己的遺囑埋藏在主人的心中。直到我死後，主人才會發現這份遺囑就藏他在心靈一隅。在他孤寂想起我的時候，便會恍然察覺到這份遺囑。我期望他能將之深記在心頭，當作是對我的紀念。
I,Silverdene Emblem O’Neill (familiarly known to my family,friends & acquaintances as Blemie),because the burden of my years and unfirmities 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 suddebly know of this testament, and I ask him to inscribe it as a memeorial to me .
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.
所以，除了愛和忠誠，我沒有什麼值錢的東西可以留下來。我將這僅有的留下給所有愛過我的人，特別是我的男主人和女主人，我知道他們對我的哀悼會最深。
There is nothing of value I have to bequeath except my love and 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.
我祈求我的男主人和女主人能永遠記得我，但是不要為我悲傷太久。在有生之年，我一直在努力撫慰他們的憂愁時刻，為他們的幸福增添歡樂的理由；一想到我的死將給予他們的悲傷，就讓我痛苦萬分。
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 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.
我要讓他們知道，從來沒有一隻狗的生活像我一樣的快樂（這完全歸功於他們對我的愛與關懷）。而今，我已眼盲、耳聾、腳也瘸了，連嗅覺也失去了靈敏，即使有隻兔子就在我的鼻下，我可能也不知道，這讓我的自尊陷入病態而惶恐的屈辱之中。
Let them remember that while no dogs has ever had a happier life(and this 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.
我感覺生命似乎在嘲弄我的苟延殘喘。在還沒有病到對自己和所有愛我的人造成負擔之前，我該說再見了。
I feel life is taunting me with having over-lingered my welcome. it is time I said good-bye, before I become too sick a burden on myself and on those who love me.
我的悲傷不在死亡，而是在於離開深愛的人。狗不像人一樣害怕死亡，我們將死亡視為生命的一部份，而不是摧毀生命的怪異、可怕的東西。誰能預知死後的世界呢？
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 ?
我寧願相信那是一座天堂樂園。在那裡，每個人都永遠年輕、精神飽滿；每一天都洋溢著歡笑。時時刻刻都能像用餐時候一樣充滿恩典。
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.
在每個漫漫長夜，有無以計數的壁爐燃燒著永不熄滅的柴火，讓人踡縮著身體，望著火焰眨眼，而恍惚進入夢境，回憶起在麈世裡的美麗時光，以及男主人和女主人的呵愛。
Where in the long evenings there are a million fireplaces with logs forever burnings, 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.
即便是對我這樣的狗來說，那樣的期待也奢侈了一點。但是死後的世界至少會有平靜，那是一定的。讓我衰老疲倦的身心獲得平靜和安息，而且在我至愛的土地上長眠。或許，這是最好的結果。
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 the best.
最後，我有一個誠摯的請求。我曾經聽過女主人說：「伯萊明死後，我不會再養別的狗了。我是如此地愛牠，我再無法愛別的狗了。」 現在，我要懇求她，因著對我的愛。請再養一隻狗！不再飼養別的狗，對於要保有對我的記憶並不會有太多的助益，我所希望的是，這個家庭會因為曾經擁有我，而從此無法過著沒有狗的生活。
One last request, I earnestly make. I have heard my Mistress say,”When Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much I could never love another one.” 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 !
我從來不是那種氣量狹窄、嫉妒心很強的狗，我一直認為大部份的狗都是善良的。
I have never had a narrow, jealous spirit. I have always held that most dogs are good.
我的接班人可能無法像我年輕時一樣有教養、有禮貌、或是那麼的優秀、漂亮。所以，我的男主人和女主人千萬不可以強求。但我相信牠一定會盡力配合，而即使牠有一些無法避免的缺點，也會因為常被拿來與我相比，而使人們對我的記憶常保如新。
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.
我把我的頸圈、皮帶、外套和雨衣留給牠。這些東西穿戴在他身上，或許不能如我一般出色，不像我會引起眾人的讚嘆，但是我可以再一次確定，牠一定會極盡所能讓自己看起來不會像隻粗笨的土狗。
To him I bequeath my collar and leash and my overcoat and 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.
在這農場上，牠也許可證明自己在某方面足以和我匹敵。我猜想，至少和這幾年的我相比，牠跑得的速度可以更接近長耳大野兔。為了他，我要在這裡祝福牠在我的老家過得幸福快樂。
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.
親愛的男主人和女主人，這是我告別的最後一番話。
One last word of farewell, dear Master and Mistress.
每次你們到墳前來看我時，請回憶我與你們長久相伴的幸福日子，懷著遺憾但是快樂的心情對自己說：「這裡躺著愛我們和我們所愛的朋友。」
Whenever you visit my grave,say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long, happy life with you : “Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved.”
不管我的睡眠有多沈，我都會聽見你們的呼喊，即使是死神施展所有力量也無法抑止我搖尾表示感激之心。身為一隻狗，我唯一能做到就是永遠愛你們。
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.
尤金.奧尼爾 1888-1953
Eugene O'Neill 1888 - 1953
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