美国国家公共电台 NPR 10 Years After She Went Missing, A Black Lab Is Returned To Her Owners

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

A dog named Abby is back from the dead. Abby, a black lab mix, wandered away from her home in Apollo, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, ten years ago. Abby's owner Debra Suierveld and her children looked for their dog but couldn't find her, accepted her loss¹ and had her declared deceased. But ten years later, they got a phone call from an animal shelter². Debra Suierveld joins us now from Apollo, Pa. Thanks so much for being with us.

DEBRA SUIERVELD: Thank you.

SIMON: What did they say at the animal shelter?

SUIERVELD: Well, the Allegheny Animal Rescue called me. And they said, we have your dog. And I said that's impossible. And she said, well, we have your dog. It's a female³ black lab mix. And I also have a black lab mix at home. And she said wait a minute. We ran the chip. We have her dog. Her name is Abby. I was like, Abby? I said, I haven't seen Abby for ten years. So I was pretty shocked.

SIMON: How is Abby adjusting⁴ to life back with you? I mean, on top of everything else, it's been 10 years since she's been in that house. And your daughter, I gather, was - what? - 12 years old, right?

SUIERVELD: That's correct, yes. She settled⁵ right in. I'd say the first night - I have other dogs. And they were all lying in the family room like they'd been spending the last few years together.

SIMON: Now may I ask. The daughter, who was not even a teenager when Abby left...

SUIERVELD: Correct.

SIMON: ...Does Abby remember her? Does she remember Abby?

SUIERVELD: Well, that's to be seen. My daughter is at Miami University in Ohio. So she plans to come home. I think she said the weekend of the 22nd. That'll be a big reunion. She's excited. Abby was her favorite dog. Carly trained her and showed her tricks, and she still does them.

SIMON: Oh.

SUIERVELD: Yeah, it's crazy.

SIMON: When you called up Carly and said - I'm going to guess here - you won't believe this but...

SUIERVELD: (Laughter) She started laughing. And she was laughing so hard that I - by the end of the laugh, she was crying. She's like, I can't believe it. So yeah, she's real excited.

SIMON: Well, it's possible that more than one person knew that she was a great dog and took care of her and hoped that this reunion might happen someday.

SUIERVELD: I wouldn't be surprised. I mean - and I don't blame them for keeping her because she's just such a sweetheart. I just wish they had checked her for a chip because we would have had her back so much sooner.

SIMON: Yeah. Debra Suierveld from Apollo, Pa. - thanks so much.

SUIERVELD: Oh, thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA'S "DIRT")

1 loss   

n.损失，遗失，失败，输，浪费，错过，[军]伤亡，降低

参考例句：

• His death was a great loss to the country.他的逝世对这个国家是一大损失。
• Because of the continued loss,the factory closed down.由于连续亏损，工厂关闭了。

2 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

3 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

4 adjusting   

n.调节（作用）；校准；调整；调制v.（改变…以）适应，调整，校正( adjust的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Adjusting your tie is often a sign of nervousness. 调整自己的领带通常是心情紧张的迹象。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Paul smooth the comforter, adjusting it carefully about his father's neck. 保罗展开围巾，小心地盖到父亲的脖子周围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 settled   

a.固定的；稳定的

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled without acrimony. 没有唇枪舌剑，这场纠纷就解决了。
• a settled way of life 安定的生活方式