第35章 鹦鹉多莉Dolly
勒妮·森迪 /Renée Sunday
When my son was small, we purchased a lovely pearl cockatiel as a pet. We named her Dolly because she had orange dots on each side of her face like a doll.
Dolly grew in our hearts with her endearing and loving ways. She loved to sing and whistle and always looked for someone to scratch her little head. Dolly and I were especially close, and each time she heard my voice she let out a long, shrill wolf-whistle. It was our own greeting. Although we loved her very much and knew she was special, we did not yet realize quite how special she was.
One day, we were saddened when we found out that our friends’ little daughter, Shayna, was stricken with leukemia. Shayna's parents were devastated; she was just four years old. Wanting to help my friend, I began to visit Shayna at the local children's hospital each time she underwent her chemotherapy. There was little I could do other than cheer her up and be by her mother's side. Each night, I prayed for Shayna's cure.
Several weeks later, my family lost our beloved Dolly when her cage was left open and she got outside. We searched the neighborhood diligently but to no avail. Our pet was gone, and we had to face the fact that such a delicate little bird could not possibly survive the wild for very long.
F ive days passed with no sign of Dolly. We lost hope of ever f inding her, and we missed her so very much.
That evening I received a phone call from Shayna's mother.
“I think we've found Dolly,” she said.
“You've found Dolly?” I could hardly believe it, “Where? Are you sure it's her?”
“Orange dots either side of her face, right?”
“That's Dolly!”
“I'll tell you the story when I see you. Come over now.”
Their house was f ive miles away, and I drove over immediately, hoping with all my heart that it really was Dolly.
When I arrived, if I couldn't believe my eyes, I certainly believe my ears because when the bird heard my voice she let out a long wolf-whistle... It was my sweet little bird!
My friend explained what had happened.
“I've been out most of the day, but our baby-sitter told us that Shayna was in the backyard. She was just sitting quietly, since she doesn't have much energy these days, when she saw a small bird in a tree. She told me she had been feeling a little lonely and had said, ‘Look at the pretty bird. Wouldn't it be nice if it came down to see me?’ Of course, it was Dolly, although Shayna didn't know. And the bird f lew directly to Shayna, landing on her shoulder and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Shayna was ecstatic.”
My friend continued, “Our baby-sitter saw that the bird was domesticated and managed to tempt her into an old cage we had in the garage-she was going to f ind a home for her.
“I got home in time to tuck Shayna into bed, and she told me the whole story. I was stunned. I knew how upset you'd been about Dolly.”
I was silent, trying to take it all in. I was grateful to see my lovely bird again, but there was more. I knew something that neither Shayna nor her mother knew. After watching that poor child suffer so much, and praying for her every day, I had f inally asked God for a sign that Shayna would be healed. I considered it miraculous that we had really found Dolly again, but that He had sent our simple little bird to rest on Shayna's shoulder seemed truly wondrous. I took it as His promise, and I felt in that moment that Shayna would recover.
Today, Shayna is thirteen years old and cancer free. Dolly is getting on in years for a bird, but we see to it that she lives a life of luxury because it was through her that we were all given the greatest gift-the gift of hope.
儿子小时候，我们给他买了只宠物——一只可爱的珠灰色澳洲鹦鹉。它的脸颊两侧有橘黄色的斑点，像个洋娃娃，因而我们叫它多莉。
多莉很招人喜爱，大家都很珍爱它。它喜欢唱歌、吹口哨，还特别喜欢让人挠她的小脑袋。多莉和我最为亲近，每次听到我的声音，它就吹出一声长而尖的挑逗口哨——这是我们之间独有的打招呼方式。我们都喜欢多莉，也知道它和别的鸟儿有所不同，但始终不能确定它到底特别在哪里。
一天，获悉朋友的小女儿谢娜得了白血病，我们都十分难过。谢娜的父母濒临崩溃，要知道，她才四岁啊。为了帮助朋友，每次谢娜接受化疗时，我都去儿童医院看望她。我帮不上忙，能做的也只是逗小谢娜开心，并陪她妈妈一起面对痛苦。每晚，我都为谢娜祈祷。
几个星期后，我们失去了心爱的多莉，因为鸟笼没关上，它飞走了。我们四处寻找，但一无所获。失去了宠物，我们只好面对现实，如此脆弱的小鸟在野外是活不了太久的。
五天过去了，多莉还是踪迹全无。我们对它的归来不再抱希望了，但特别想念它。
一天，傍晚时分，谢娜的妈妈打来电话。
“我想，我们找到多莉了。”她说。
“你们找到了多莉？”我简直不敢相信，“它在哪里？你确定是它吗？”
“脸的两侧有橘黄斑点，对吗？”
“对，那就是多莉！”
“见了面再告诉你详细情况，现在快过来吧。”
我们两家相隔五英里。我立即开车前往他们家，满心希望那确实是多莉。
到了她家，我惊呆了，就算不敢相信自己的眼睛，我肯定相信自己的耳朵，因为那只鸟一听到我的声音，就吹出一声长而尖的挑逗口哨……这的确是我那可爱的鸟儿。
于是，我的朋友就给我讲述了事情的经过。
“那天，我差不多整天都没回家，保姆说谢娜在后院。这些日子，她很虚弱，也只是静静地坐着。但自从她看到树上的一只小鸟后，情况就不同了。当时，谢娜告诉我，她有些孤独，还说‘瞧那只漂亮的鸟儿，要是它飞下来看看我该多好啊！’当然，谢娜并不知道那只鸟是多莉。不一会儿，鸟儿径直向谢娜飞去，落在她的肩头，还在她脸上亲了一下，谢娜高兴极了。”
朋友继续说道：“保姆发现那只鸟是驯养过的，就设法把她引诱进了我们放在车库的一个旧鸟笼里——她想给它找个家。”
“为安顿谢娜睡觉，我按时回到家。她跟我讲了事情的全部经过，我真不知道怎么办才好。我知道，你们为了多莉的事伤透了脑筋。”
我没有说话，努力思量着所发生的一切。再次看到心爱的多莉，我的内心充满了感激，我知道，不仅如此，有些事情是谢娜和她妈妈所不明白的。自从看见这个可怜的孩子受这种苦，我每天都为她祈祷，后来，我祈求上帝让我看到小谢娜能痊愈的征兆。能找到多莉，我已经觉得很不可思议了，而更让我吃惊的是，上帝让我们这只小鸟停歇在谢娜的肩头。我认为这是上帝的许诺，因此，我当时就觉得谢娜定会恢复健康。
如今，谢娜已经十三岁了，不再受癌症的折磨。多莉也步入了鸟的老年时期，我们让它过着舒适的生活。正是多莉，使我们得到了最大的恩惠——希望。
记忆填空
1.Dolly and I were especially_______, and each time she heard my_______she let out a long, shrill wolf-whistle. It was our_______ greeting. Although we loved her very much and knew she was_______ , we did not yet realize quite_______special she was.
2.When I arrived,_______ I couldn't believe my eyes, I certainly believe my_______because when the bird heard my voice she let out a long wolf-whistle... It_______my sweet little bird!
3.I was_______ , trying to take it all in. I was grateful to see my lovely bird_______, but there was_______ . I knew something that neither Shayna_______her mother knew.
佳句翻译
1.失去了宠物，我们只好面对现实，如此脆弱的小鸟在野外是活不了太久的。
译_______________________________________________________________
2.我立即开车前往他们家，满心希望那确实是多莉。
译_______________________________________________________________
3.我没有说话，努力思量着所发生的一切。
译_______________________________________________________________
短语应用
1.One day, we were saddened when we found out that our friends’ little daughter, Shayna, was stricken with leukemia.
f ind out：找出；发现；查明；了解
造_______________________________________________________________
2.There was little I could do other than cheer her up and be by her mother's side.
other than：除了，除……之外
造_______________________________________________________________