365个英语简短小故事- 59. Putting Bunny to Sleep

Jim and Alicia had two dogs – Bugs¹ and Bunny. They were both 15 years old. Bunny was dying. Bugs was still healthy. They were brother and sister, and had been together since birth. They had never been separated for longer than a couple of hours.

Jim and Alicia weren’t sure what to do. The vet² had told them that Bunny was in pain, and might continue to suffer for as long as another year. This was unacceptable to both Jim and Alicia. So, putting Bunny to sleep now, instead of letting her suffer, was not an issue. However, what to do about Bugs? The vet said Bugs was still healthy. He could last another two to three years. But how long, they wondered, would he last without his sister?

Bunny had always been Bugs’s “big sister”; she was confident and assertive³. Bugs was rather timid. He didn't mind when his sister bossed him around; she was also there for him when he was feeling anxious. Bugs followed Bunny everywhere. And whenever Bunny decided⁴ to sleep, Bugs always curled up next to her, whether he was sleepy or not.

Jim and Alicia both arrived at the same conclusion without very much discussion. When they took Bunny to the vet so that she could be put to sleep, Bugs went, too.

 

1 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

3 assertive   

adj.果断的，自信的，有冲劲的

参考例句：

• She always speaks an assertive tone.她总是以果断的语气说话。
• China appears to have become more assertive in the waters off its coastline over recent years.在近些年，中国显示出对远方海洋的自信。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。