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NPR 09-28:Teaching a Bad Dog New Tricks我的宠物情缘

时间：2008-06-20 06:58:50

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As a work-obsessed bachelor, Chicago lawyer David Buetow feared his life was empty. So he got a dog named Duncan. Now, Buetow believes that Duncan helped him grow into a better, more mature person.

From NPR news, this is weekend edition, I am Liane Hansen.

I believe in mystery.
I believe in family.
I believe in being who I am.
I believe in the power of failure.
And I believe normal life is extraordinary.
This I Believe.

Today's This I Believe essay was sent to us by Chicago attorney1 David Buetow. He was a lifelong bachelor. Then a couple of years ago, Buetow got a dog. An explanation is in order. Here is our series curator, independent producer, Jay Allison.

David Buetow wrote his This I Believe essay as a valentine to his chocolate Labrador retriever Duncan. After becoming a dog owner, Buetow realized that having Duncan had changed his approach to life, and even changed his beliefs. Here is David Buetow with his essay for This I Believe.

I believe in my dog. I believe in the way he lives his life and I try to emulate2 him. I strive3 to gain his level of happiness in the simplest things. Like the way he approaches each meal with endless appreciation4 and even joy. While I struggle to decide what to eat from full cupboards and lament5 what I don't have. He circles the floor excitedly anticipating the very same meal in the very same portion at the very same time everyday.

I believe in how he lives in the present. As my day feels with stress, crowded commutes6 and endless deadlines. I think of Duncan home alone. His day was probably boring. But he is ready to move right past it once we were together. I believe in his egalitarian treatment of everyone despite race, creed7 or appearance. He never prejudges. Before I had him, I considered myself street smart, avoiding eye contact with people I didn't know, or didn't think I wanted to know. Running through Chicago neighborhoods with Duncan has changed all that. Now each time people smile at us, I smile back. And if Duncan stops to say hello, I stop and greet them too. I never had a dog before. I got Duncan at the urging of a friend who had probably grown as tired as my bachelor behavior as I had. My long work nights and weekends always ended with the lonely run, a bourbon or two, or a phone call to someone I don't really listened to. All I talked about was me and what was wrong with my life. My friends stopped asking me out because I was either at work or talking about work. I had dates with women who would mistakenly think I was loyal to them but I never returned their calls or thanked them for the cookies they left on my doorstep.

I was what some people would call "a dog"--a bad dog. Not one person depended on me nor I upon them. One Sunday I woke up at noon, and I suddenly noticed how silent my house was and my life was. I realized I couldn't expect any valuable relationship until I created one first. So I got Duncan.

All of a sudden, where no one depended on me, he did. It was extreme detox from selfishness. Let me out, feed me, clean up after me, watch me sleep. I found that I actually like being relied upon. When I realized that I can meet his needs, I also realized he met mine. I believe in the nobility of Duncan's loyalty8 and his enthusiasm. Every time I come in the door, he is waiting to greet me with glee. Now, when my girlfriend comes over, I get up and runs to the door to greet her like I learned to do from my dog.

David Buetow with his essay for This I Believe. Buetow recently gave us the news that his girlfriend is now his fiancee. And as you now understand he credits Duncan with that transition9. We hope you'll consider our invitation to write about the beliefs that guide you life at npr.org/thisibelieve. You can find information about submitting your essay and see all the essays from the past two and a half years. For This I Believe, I am Jay Allison.

Jay Allison is co-editor with Dan Gediman of the book This I Believe, the personal philosophies of remarkable10 men and women. You can hear the next This I Believe essay a week from tomorrow on All Things Considered. Washington lawyer, Yolanda Yang shares her thoughts on forgiveness, a quality she's had to practice frequently with her father.

Support for This I Believe comes from Prudential Retirement11.
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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 attorney qOlyE     
n.（业务或法律事务上的）代理人，辩护律师
参考例句：
  • He acted as attorney for me.他充当我的律师。
  • The attorney for the union accused the Mayor of playing politics.工会的律师谴责市长在这次罢工中耍阴谋。
2 emulate tpqx9     
v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿
参考例句：
  • You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
  • You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。
3 strive vtow8     
vi.努力，奋斗，力争
参考例句：
  • Don't strive merely for quantity of production.在生产中不要单纯地追求数量。
  • The scientists strive for a breakthrough in cancer research.科学家们力争在癌症研究方面有个突破。
4 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
5 lament u91zi     
n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹
参考例句：
  • Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
  • We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。
6 commutes 3547de72fa26e075391aeef6adf7f98a     
上下班路程( commute的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • She commutes from Oxford to London every day. 她每天上下班往返于牛津与伦敦之间。
  • Barbara lives in Oxford and commutes. 芭芭拉住在牛津，通勤往来。
7 creed uoxzL     
n.信条；信念，纲领
参考例句：
  • They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
  • Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。
8 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
9 transition 7nOwT     
n.转变，变迁，过渡
参考例句：
  • Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.青春期是童年与成年之间的过渡时期。
  • They all support a peaceful transition.他们全部都支持和平过渡。
10 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
11 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休，退职
参考例句：
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

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