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When Ethan came outside the next morning I shook myself off and ran over to him, trying to restrain myself from showering so much affection on him.
第二天早上伊森出来的时候，我抖了抖身子，跑向他，努力不让自己对他倾注太多的感情。
He stared at me. “Why are you still here, huh, boy? What are you doing here?”
他盯着我。“你怎么还在这儿，嗯，孩子？你在这儿干什么?”
I followed him into the barn, where he let a horse I’d never seen before out into the yard.
我跟着他进了谷仓，他把一匹我从未见过的马牵到院子里。
Naturally, the dumb animal didn’t react when he saw me—just gazed at me the way Flare used to, no comprehension registering.
很自然，这只哑巴动物看到我时没有反应——只是耀斑以前那样盯着我看，完全没有理解我是谁。
I’m a dog, you idiot! I marked the yard while Ethan gave the horse some oats.
我是条狗，你这个白痴!伊森给马喂燕麦时，我在院子里做标记。
“How are you doing today, Troy? You miss Jasper, don’t you? You miss your pal Jasper.”
“你今天过得怎么样，托伊?你想贾斯帕，是吗?你想念你的朋友贾斯帕。”
Ethan was talking to the horse, which I could have told him was a complete waste of time.
伊森在和那匹马说话，要是可以的话，我可以告诉他这完全是浪费时间。
He stroked the horse’s nose, calling him Troy and mentioning the name Jasper more than once,
他抚摸着马的鼻子，叫他托伊，还不止一次提到贾斯帕这个名字，
though when I went into the barn the donkey wasn’t there, just his smell.
不过当我走进牲口棚时，那只驴不在那里，只有气味还在。
Jasper’s scent was particularly strong in the trailer.
贾斯帕的气味在拖车中特别强烈。
“That was a sad day, the day I had to take Jasper in.
“那是悲伤的一天，那天我不得不收留贾斯帕。
He lived a good long time, though. Forty-four is pretty old for a little donkey.”
不过他活了很长时间。四十四岁对一头小毛驴来说已经很可以了。”
I felt sorrow in Ethan and nuzzled his hand.
我感受到了伊森的伤心，用鼻子碰了碰他的手。
He regarded me absently, his mind somewhere else.
他心不在焉地看着我，但心思在别的什么地方。
He gave Troy a final pat and went back into his house.
他临走前拍了拍托伊，然后回到了房子里。
A few hours later I was sniffing around the yard, waiting for Ethan to come out to play, when a truck swung up into the driveway.
几个小时后，我在院子里嗅来嗅去，等着伊森出来玩，这时一辆卡车开上了车道。
As soon as it stopped I recognized it as the one I’d seen in the parking lot of the dog park,
车一停，我就认出那是我在狗狗公园停车场看到过的那辆车，
and the man who eased himself out of the front seat was the same policeman I’d smelled who’d been probing the bushes with the pole and noose,
那个慢慢从前排座位上下来的人，就是我闻到过的那个警察，那个用杆子和套索在灌木丛里搜寻的警察，
which he now grabbed from the back of the truck.
现在他从卡车后面抓起了杆子和套索。
“You won’t need that!” Ethan called, stepping outside.
“你不需要用那个工具!”伊森边喊边走了出去。
I turned from the man and went wagging over to my boy.
我转过身去，向伊森摆动尾巴。
“He’s really cooperative.”
“他很好相处。”
“Just wandered up last night?” the policeman replied.
“它是昨晚才出现在这附近的吗?”警察回应道。
“That’s right. Look at the ribs on the poor animal. You can tell he’s a purebred, but someone sure hasn’t been treating him right.”
“是的。看看着孩子都瘦成什么样了。可以看出它是一只纯种狗，但肯定没有人好好照顾它。”
