佚名/Anonymous

The doctors sent my mother home to die. A fifteen-year survivor of breast cancer, she had suffered two heart attacks when advanced cancer was found in her lung.

Mom had struggled to raise three daughters while holding a full-time job, yet worked hard to maintain a cozy home for her family. Growing up, I knew only two things about my mother:She had an iron will, and she loved nature. During her days of illness, she told me a third:“I’ve had a miserable life.”

My dad was a difficult man to live with, but my mom did not complain, probably because she could not put words to her own need. But when it came clear that because of her progressive deterioration, my dad regarded her as a burden, she and I decided that she would move to my home.

I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements. I changed my work schedule, found transportation, an oncologist, cardiologist, hospice care, medical equipment, a caregiver and bather. My plan for Mom’s final days was simple:she would live with love, and die with grace. Upon her arrival, after an exhausting five-hour trip, Mom was examined by the home health-care nurse. The nurse took me aside and asked,“How long do you think your mother has?”

“Two, maybe three months.”I said.

The nurse looked at me sadly.“Adjust your thinking,”he said.“She has a few days, maybe a week. Her heart is weak and unstable.”

My home, small and comfortable, was a heaven to four cats and a retriever. The animals had the run of my house.

We installed the electric hospital bed and oxygen machine, which frightened the cats from the bedroom. I’d moved their furniture, and they were peeved. The retriever, on the other hand, an immature dog with bad habits, was excited by all the changes in the house. He jumped up, barked and shed more profusely than usual.

He is Otto who was not afraid of the hospital bed, the oxygen machines or the medical smells. Nor was he afraid of the frail woman who had scolded him. Otto jumped onto the foot of Mom’s hospital bed, and stayed.

He was not startled by the nurses. He did not interfere when Mom was fed, nor when she was transferred from bed to commode and back. Whether the disturbance was from changing her bed or because of bathing, he simply waited to resume his post. With the exception of eating and using the litter box, Otto never left Mom’s room.

Days passed, and Mom started to rally.“Not unusual,”I was told,“a rally is often a sign of imminent death.”

I grieved. But Otto would not give her up so easily. He used her improved condition to reposition himself from the foot of her bed to her side. Her thin fingers found his soft coat. He leaned into her body, as if clinging to the threads of her will to live. Though weak, she caressed the dog and would not allow me to take him.

Days turned into weeks and Mom continued to fight. Once, after the nurses had gone for the day, I heard the sound of Mom’s voice coming from her room. I found her with the head of the bed raised. Otto was tucked into the crook of her elbow, listening adoringly as she read from the newspaper. I will forever cherish the memory of Mom’s face with Otto’s paw, claws retracted, caressing the side of her chin.

Eventually, using a walker, Mom began to take walks through the house. She was trailed by oxygen tubing and Otto. Where she rested, Otto rested. Where she moved, Otto shadowed. It seems I had forgotten my Mom was a mother. Somehow, Otto knew, and during those days he became her dog child, giving her life purpose.

Exactly three years have passed since then. The hospital bed and oxygen machine are long gone. The medicines and nurses are gone, too. But Mom’s still here. And so is Otto. And so is the bond that united them in days of sickness. When we saw the oncologist a while ago, he patted himself on the back.“I can’t believe it, Lula,”he said.“I can’t find your cancer and your heart is strong. When your daughter brought you to me, I thought you were a ship that had sailed.”We let the doctor think what he likes, but Mom gives the credit to Otto.

Thankfully, my mother has put off dying, and Otto continues to share his gift of love-a medicine more potent than any drug a doctor could prescribe.

医生让母亲在家中度过生命的最后几天。母亲患乳腺癌已有15年了，并且在发现晚期肺癌期间，她还并发过两次心脏病。

母亲做着一份全职工作，含辛茹苦地养大了三个女儿，她还尽力为家人创造一个温馨的家庭。从小到大，我只知道有关母亲的两个特点：她的意志像铁一样坚强，并且，她非常热爱大自然。患病期间，她又告诉了我第三点：“我的一生很悲惨。”

父亲是一个难以相处的人，但母亲从来没有抱怨过，也许是因为她无法用语言完全表达出来吧。但当母亲的病情恶化时，在父亲眼里，她显然是个累赘。于是，我和母亲都决定，母亲搬来和我一起住。

我利用三个星期的时间来安排一切。我更改了工作表，联系运输公司、肿瘤专家、心脏病专家、晚期病人护理机构，联系购买医疗器械，寻找能帮助她洗澡的护理人员。对于母亲最后的日子，我的安排很简单：让她生活在爱中，优雅地离开人世。

坐了五个小时的车，疲惫不堪的母亲到家了。她立刻接受了家庭护士的检查。护士把我叫到一边，问：“你觉得你的母亲还能坚持多久呢？”

我说：“两个月，也可能是三个月。”

护士悲伤地看着我，“你要有思想准备，”他说，“她只有几天的生命了，最多一个星期。她的心脏很衰弱，而且不稳定。”

我这个小而舒服的家，是四只猫和一只狗的天下。

我们安装好医用电动病床和氧气装置之后，那些猫吓得都不敢进卧室了。他们很不高兴，因为我还挪动了他们的用具。对于家里的一系列变化，那只还未成熟并有着坏习惯的狗显得很兴奋，他跳着，叫着，毛也掉得比平时多。

他叫奥托，只有他对医用病床、氧气设备和医药气味无所畏惧。他也不害怕病**那个虚弱的女人，尽管她曾经呵斥过他。奥托会跳上母亲的床尾，并待在那里。

他也不害怕护士。当护士给母亲喂饭，或母亲去洗手间时，他很安静，也不捣乱。不管是给母亲换床还是洗澡出现混乱时，他都只是等着回到自己的岗位。除了吃食和大小便，奥托决不离开母亲的房间。

日子一天天过去了，母亲的病情开始有些好转。但别人告诉我：“这很正常，这种好转一般是死亡前的回光返照。”

我很伤心，但奥托没有轻易地放弃母亲。借着母亲病情好转的机会，他从床尾挪到了母亲的身边。母亲用消瘦的手指抚摸着他柔软的皮毛。他斜靠在母亲的身上，似乎要抓住她的求生欲望。尽管母亲很虚弱，但仍然爱抚着他，不让我抱走。

几个星期过去了，母亲仍在和病魔作斗争。有一次，当护士们完成一天的工作离开时，我听到母亲的房间里有声音。我发现她的床头升了起来。奥托依偎在她的臂弯里，敬慕地听她读报纸。奥托用爪子抚摸着母亲的脸，这一幕令我永生难忘。

最终，母亲可以借助助行器在屋子里来回走动了，她的身后跟着奥托，还拖着氧气管。她停下休息，奥托也在那里休息。不管她走到哪里，奥托都寸步不离。我似乎忘记了她也是一位母亲，但奥托明白。这些日子以来他一直是母亲的狗宝宝，并让她有了生活的目标。

转眼间，三年过去了，医用病床和氧气装置都已经撤了，所有的药物都停了，护士也离开了。但母亲和奥托还在，重病期间他们建立起来的那份情感依然存在。

不久前，我们去看了肿瘤医生，他非常满意地说：“卢拉，简直难以置信，你的癌细胞一点儿也找不到了，而且你的心脏也变得强壮了。当年你的女儿带你来看病时，我还认为你已经走到生命的尽头了。”随便医生怎么去想，母亲认为这全是奥托的功劳。

非常幸运的是，母亲最终摆脱了死亡的阴影，奥托也仍然继续陪伴着母亲。他给予母亲的爱，是比医生的处方更有效的灵丹妙药。

心灵小语

动物的感情世界很单纯，这使它们能毫无保留地付出爱，哪怕放弃自我而配合人的心情……

词汇笔记

complain[k?'plen]v.抱怨；诉苦；投诉

例 Don’t complain the food.不要抱怨食物。

oxygen['ɑksid??]n.氧；氧气

例 Oxygen is one of the basic elements of the air.

氧是空气的基本元素之一。

credit['kr?dit]n.存款；贷款；荣誉；信任

例 My account isn’t in credit.我的银行账目没有存款。

potent['potnt]adj.（药等）效力大的；强有力的；有说服力的

例 He will be a potent ruler.

他将是有权势的统治者。

小试身手

母亲做着一份全职工作，含辛茹苦地养大了三个女儿，她还尽力为家人创造一个温馨的家庭。

译________________________________________

不管是给母亲换床还是洗澡出现混乱时，他都只是等着回到自己的岗位。

译________________________________________

几个星期过去了，母亲仍在和病魔作斗争。

译________________________________________

短语家族

He is Otto who was not afraid of the hospital bed.

be afraid of：害怕；担忧

造________________________________________

My mother has put off dying.

put off：延期；阻碍做某事；（停车）让某人下；使分心

造________________________________________