英语杂谈：47 Pet Tax Deduction

Kattle you are gonna be famous.

To pet owner Donna Hill, "She is just as much a part of my family as any child is to another family. Kattle is her everything. You can't beat the unconditional¹ love. The same from Roxy's owner Jeremy Bret. She's our baby. She is cute but expensive. The first month we had her, I mean, we spent almost in the range of 2000 dollars.
Both Roxy and Kattle also go part time to doggy day care. Their days here, something their owners could eventually deduct² on their taxes.

To have a tax credit would be a great thing. A great thing to some maybe, totally crazy to others.
At a time when Congress is dealing³ with reforming health care, saving jobs, and sending more troops to Afghanistan, a Michigan Congressman⁴ is proposing this, the HAPPY Act. An acronym⁵ for humanity and pets partnered through the years. Pet owners could deduct up to 3500 dollars in expenses. Only 150 less than parents deduct for children. The only thing not included : the cost to buy or adopt the animal.

The question still is who would qualify for this? What if your pet,is, say, penny here, a dumbo rat. Would you get the full tax credits? What the bill specifies⁶ is for domesticated⁷ animals but legislature might wanna be a little bit more specific about exactly what that means.

The way it is now supplies for your bald python, your bearded dragon or gerbil or hamster would qualify. Really ? A lot of pet owners will want tax breaks, even though he owns pinfold pets. John Couch here thinks this bill is bull. The way I look at it is, if they can't afford the pet they shouldn't have the pet. He worries about hoarding⁸ animals just to get a break. I don't think we should be, you know, paying people to keep pets. Back at Dogs all day, owner Anita Williams likes the concept of a tax credit. People may look at it as a luxury. She is skeptical⁹ though that it'll actually happen. I like it I think it's a long shine ,but something Roxy's dad , "definitely give it a chance " , and Kattle's mum, "I buy a lot of things for ..." hope it will go from a long shot to the newest law. "Bye, thank you."
 

1 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

2 deduct   

vt.扣除，减去

参考例句：

• You can deduct the twenty - five cents out of my allowance.你可在我的零用钱里扣去二角五分钱。
• On condition of your signing this contract,I will deduct a percentage.如果你在这份合同上签字，我就会给你减免一个百分比。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

6 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 hoarding   

n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。