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

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.

1 attorney   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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   

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。