「《纽约客》精读 」选取The New Yorker杂志的片段，介绍文章背景、精讲单词、词组和句式。这是一个固定栏目，更新频率为每周两次。「狗狗特辑」将不定期出现。
本期选段来自Snapshot of a Dog, 发表于1935年的《纽约客》，作者James Thurber（1894-1961）。他是位宝藏作者，为《纽约客》工作和供稿长达二十多年。很多人都看过《白日梦想家》（The Secret Life of Walter Mitty）这部电影，实际上电影就是由James Thurber的同名短篇小说改编。他一生不仅写了很多书、短篇故事、寓言、童话，还是位漫画家，为《纽约客》画过很多经典的封面和插图。只可惜，他童年因意外失去了左眼视力，到了1940年代视力衰退，漫画作品减少，到了1952年就几乎全盲。
James Thurber本人
Snapshot of a Dog这篇文章是James Thurber回忆自己家狗狗Rex的故事，文章写作时狗狗已经去世25年了。Rex是一只牛头㹴，健壮又坚韧。文中描写它曾和另一只狗子打架，Rex死死咬住对方的耳朵不放，任由围观群众想各种方法使它们分开都无果。两只狗子挡在车道上，最后竟惊动了消防部门。Rex虽然擅长跳跃、打架, 却有着温和脾性，还非常有原则。10年的狗生中，从没咬过人, 从没追逐或是杀死过松鼠，也从不会跟在汽车后面乱吠，仿佛有一套自己的处世哲学。
选段是文章结尾部分，写了Rex弥留之际的情景。时隔四分之一世纪，作者回忆起Rex, 仍是历历在目，笔调内敛而深情。狗生最后时刻，Rex保持着一贯的坚强和尊严与死神搏斗，等到最后一位主人归家，以口鼻轻触主人手掌，而后去世。
James Thurber设计的《纽约客》封面图
There was in his world no such thing as the impossible. Even death couldn't beat him down. He died, it is true, but only, as one of his admirers said, after "straight-arming the death angel" for more than one hour. Late one afternoon, he wandered home, too slowly and too uncertainly to be the Rex that had trotted briskly homeward up our avenue for ten years. I think we all knew when he came through the gate that he was dying. He had apparently taken a terrible beating, probably from the owner of some dog that he had got into a fight with. His head and body were scarred. His heavy collar with the teeth marks of many a battle on it was awry; some of the big brass studs in it were sprung loose from the leather. He licked at our hands and, staggering, fell, but got up again. We could see that he was looking for someone. One of his three masters was not home. He did not get home for an hour. During that hour the bull terrier fought against death as he had fought against the cold, strong current of Alum Creek, as he had fought to climb twelve-foot walls. When the person he was waiting for did come through the gate, whistling, ceasing to whistle, Rex walked a few wobbly paces toward him, touched his hand with his muzzle, and fell down again. This time he didn't get up.
Words
1. straight-arming the death angel
straight-arm v.
伸直手臂防御（对手）或移开障碍物
ward off (an opponent) or remove (an obstacle) with the arm straight
这个词常见于美语，比较口语化，多用在非正式场合。这个词也很形象，伸直手臂地防御、抵抗，说明Rex与死神斗争时很勇敢。
2. trot briskly homeward
trot v. 小跑
run at a moderate pace with short steps
briskly adv. 轻快地
in an active, quick, or energetic way
3. heavy collar with the teeth marks of many a battle on it was awry
many a: a large number of
awry adj. 出错的，坏掉的，非正常的
from the usual or expected course
go awry或turn awry
表示「变坏了」、「出问题了」
e.g. A dish goes awry. 菜变质了。
4. bull terrier
bull terrier 牛头㹴
牛头㹴
terrier 㹴犬 ，最初是用来消除在地上和地下的害虫（老鼠、野兔、狐狸等）的犬类。
terrier，从词根上看就与土地有紧密关系，
拉丁语词根terra: earth
5. some of the big brass studs
brass n. 黄铜
a yellow alloy of copper and zinc 铜与锌的合金
stud n. 钉饰
a large-headed piece of metal that pierces and projects from a surface, especially for decoration
带钉饰的项圈
6. touched his hand with his muzzle
muzzle n. 动物口鼻区域
the projecting part of the face, including the nose and mouth, of an animal such as a dog or horse
muzzle也可以指动物戴的口套
口套
Phrases
1. too slowly and too uncertainly to be the Rex that had trotted briskly homeward up our avenue for ten years
(Rex游荡回家) 缓慢且不决，完全不像那个十年来都沿着街道、轻快小跑回家的Rex
2. big brass studs in it were sprung loose from the leather
spring loose 松垮地弹出来
大大的黄铜钉从项圈皮革上松垮地弹出
3. walk a few wobbly paces
wobbly adj. 摇摇晃晃的
tending to move unsteadily from side to side, weak and unsteady
摇摇晃晃地走了几步
Sentences
1. During that hour the bull terrier fought against death as he had fought against the cold, strong current of Alum Creek, as he had fought to climb twelve-foot walls.
这句话语言不难，但很动人。作者在看到Rex与死神斗争的时刻， 联想到了它曾经做过的两件事：在Alum Creek的激流中游泳、攀爬12英尺的高墙。
文章的前面提到，游泳曾是Rex最喜爱的娱乐，Alum Creek也是它第一次下水的地方，逆流而上时努力拼搏的样子一直印在作者脑海里。12英尺的高墙，对于Rex来说太高了，但它却一直在尝试，直到家人把它带回家，否则它不会放弃攀爬。
这两件事和面对死亡的时刻，放在一句话中呈现，正好体现了勇敢与坚定贯穿着Rex的狗生。文至结尾，呼应前文回忆这两件事，正好让一篇故事里的元素不再孤立，它们相互映衬显得Rex的形象更鲜活、深刻。
James Thurber画的小狗插图
PS: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 也是发表在《纽约客》的短篇作品，之后找机会来做一期精读。
电影《白日梦想家》海报
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