Love is something eternal （永恒的）

—Vincent van Gogh

愛是永恒的——文森特·梵高

Dad brought him home from a fishing trip in the mountains， full of cockleburs and so thin you could count every rib.

“Good gracious，” Mom said. “He’s filthy（骯臟的）！”

“No， he isn’t！ He’s Rusty.” said John， my eight-year-old brother.“Can we keep him？ Please ...Please ... Please.”

“He’s going to be a big dog，” Dad warned， lifting a mud encrusted （硬殼覆蓋的） paw （爪子）. “Probably that is why he was abandoned.”

“What kind of dog？” I asked. It was impossible to get close to this smelly creature.

“Mostly German shepherd，” Dad said. “He’s in bad shape， John. He may not make it.”

John was gently picking out cockleburs.

“I’ll take care of Rusty. Honest， I will.”

Mom gave in， as she usually did with John. My little brother had a mild form of hemophilia. Four years earlier， he’d almost bled to death from a routine tonsillectomy. We’d all been careful with him since then.

“All right， John，” Dad said. “We’ll keep Rusty. But he’s your responsibility （責任）.”

“Deal！”

And that’s how Rusty came to live with us. He was John’s dog from that very first moment， though he tolerated （容許） the rest of us.

John kept his word. He fed， watered， medicated and groomed the scruffy-looking animal every day. I think he liked taking care of something rather than being taken care of.

Over the summer， Rusty grew into a big， handsome dog. He and John were constant companions （伴侶）. Wherever John went， Rusty was by his side. When school began， Rusty would walk John the six blocks to elementary school， then came home. Every school day at three o’clock， rain or shine， Rusty would wait for John at the playground.

“There goes Rusty，” the neighbor would say. “Must be close to three. You can set your watch by that dog.”

Telling time wasn’t the only amazing thing about Rusty. Somehow， he sensed that John shouldn’t roughhouse （打鬧） like the other boys. He was very protective. When the neighborhood bully taunted （辱罵） my undersized brother， Rusty’s hackles rose， and a deep， menacing growl came from his throat. The heckling ceased after one encounter. And when John and his best friend Bobby wrestled（摔跤）， Rusty monitored their play with a watchful eye. If John were on top， fine. If Bobby got John down， Rusty would lope （輕跳著奔跑） over， grab Bobby’s collar （衣領） and pull him off. Bobby and John thought this game great fun. They staged fights quite often， much to Mother’s dismay.

“You’re going to get hurt， John！” she would scold （訓斥）. “And you aren’t being fair to Rusty.”

John didn’t like being restricted（限制）. He hated being careful and being different. “It’s just a game， Mom. Shoot， even Rusty knows that. Don’t you， boy？” Rusty would cock his head and give John a happy smile.

In the spring， John got an afternoon paper route. He’d come home from school， fold his papers and take off on his bike to deliver them. He always took the same streets， in the same order. Of course， Rusty delivered papers， too.

One day， for no particular reason， John changed his route. Instead of turning left on a street as he usually did， he turned right. Thump！...Crash！...A screech of brakes ... Rusty sailed through the air.

Someone called us about the accident. I had to pry John from Rusty’s lifeless body so that Dad could bring Rusty home.

“It’s my fault，” John said over and over. “Rusty thought the car was going to hit me. He thought it was another game.”

“The only game Rusty was playing was the game of love，” Dad said. “ You both played it well.”

John sniffled （抽噎）. “Huh？”

“You were there for Rusty when he needed you. He was there for you when he thought you needed him. That’s the game of love.”

“I want him back，” John wailed （痛苦）. “My Rusty’s gone！”

“No， he isn’t，” Dad said， hugging John and me， “Rusty will stay in your memories forever.”

And he has.

爸爸結束了叢山中的釣魚之旅后，把它帶回了家，當時它身上沾滿蒼耳子，瘦骨嶙峋，每一根肋骨都清晰可數(shù)。

“天啊，”媽媽說?！八K了！”

“它一點也不臟！它叫魯斯蒂。”我8歲的弟弟約翰叫喚著?！拔覀兛梢允樟羲鼏?？求你們了……答應我吧……拜托了?！?/p>

“它將會是一只大型犬，”爸爸抬起它的一只被泥巴包裹的爪子，提醒著我們?！盎蛟S這也是它被遺棄的原因?！?/p>

“這狗是什么品種？”我問。這小家伙臭氣熏天，讓人難以靠近。

“應該是德國牧羊犬，”爸爸說?！八眢w狀況很差，可能活不下來?！?/p>

約翰輕輕地把它身上的蒼耳子拔下來。

“我會照顧魯斯蒂的，我保證?！?/p>

媽媽妥協(xié)了，她對約翰一向如此。我的弟弟有輕微的血友病。四年前，他因為一次常規(guī)的扁桃體切除手術差點失血過多而死。從那以后，我們對他都細心照料著。

“好吧，約翰，”爸爸說?！拔覀兪震B(yǎng)魯斯蒂。但是你必須對它負責?！?/p>

“沒問題！”

于是，魯斯蒂和我們一起生活。盡管它也很聽我們的話，但從最初那一刻起它就只屬于約翰。

約翰說到做到，每天給這只臟兮兮的動物喂食，喂水，并給他藥物治療和清潔梳理。我認為他喜歡照顧其他人或物而不是被照顧。

夏天過后，魯斯蒂長大了，變得英俊帥氣。他和約翰形影不離。不論約翰去哪，他都如影隨行。新的學斯開始了，魯斯蒂陪伴著約翰走過六個街區(qū)到達小學，然后回家。在約翰上學期間，魯斯蒂每天三點鐘都會在操場等著他放學，不管天晴還是下雨。

“魯斯蒂的到來一定是在接近三點鐘的時候，”附近的人說?！澳憧梢愿鶕?jù)它來設置手表時間?！?/p>

通報時間不是魯斯蒂唯一神奇的事。不知通過什么方式，他感受到約翰不應該像其他男孩子一樣打鬧。他非常注意保護約翰。當附近的惡霸譏諷我矮小的弟弟時，魯斯蒂會怒豎頸毛，從喉嚨里發(fā)出威懾且低沉的咆嘯。從這以后，再沒有人敢欺負約翰了。當約翰和他最好的朋友鮑比摔跤時，魯斯蒂會在旁邊非常警惕地監(jiān)控。如果約翰占上風，那就沒事。如果鮑比將約翰摔倒，魯斯蒂會大步跑過去，咬住鮑比的衣領，將他拉開。鮑比和約翰覺得這個游戲很有趣，經(jīng)常進行摔跤比賽，但媽媽卻為此很驚慌。

“你會受傷的，約翰！”媽媽訓訴著說。“并且對魯斯蒂不公平。”

約翰不喜歡受限制。他討厭做什么事都要小心翼翼，討厭被與眾不同地對待?！皨寢?，這只是一個游戲而已。哎呀，連魯斯蒂都知道。是不是啊，伙記？”魯斯蒂抬起頭，對約翰開心一笑。

春天的時候，約翰獲得一個下午送報的活兒。他放學回家，把報紙折疊，騎著自行車去送報。他總是在同樣的街道按同樣的順序派發(fā)報紙。當然，魯斯蒂也跟著一起派發(fā)。

有一天，約翰無緣無故地改變了路線。他往常都是沿街道左轉，然而這次他向右轉了。砰…哐…一陣刺耳的剎車聲…魯斯蒂被撞飛到空中。

有人打電話告訴了我們這場事故。我必須把約翰從魯斯蒂的尸體上抱開，爸爸才能將魯斯蒂帶回家。

“都是我的錯，”約翰不停地說?！棒斔沟儆X得那輛車要撞我。它以為這是另外一個游戲?！?/p>

“魯斯蒂唯一玩的游戲是愛的游戲，”爸爸說?！澳銈儌z在其中都玩得很好?！?/p>

約翰抽噎著?！笆裁?？”

“當魯斯蒂需要你的時候，你在它身邊。當它認為你需要它的時候，它也守候在你身邊。這就是愛的游戲?！?/p>

“我想要它回來，”約翰痛哭地說?！拔业聂斔沟僮吡?！”

“它沒有走，”爸爸抱著我和約翰說，“魯斯蒂會永遠留在你們的記憶里?！?/p>

是的，魯斯蒂永遠活在我們心中。

Questions：

1. How did Rusty look like when he first arrived at John’s home？

2. Why did the rest of the family give in to John’s requirement？

3. How was the relationship between Rusty and John？

4. What resulted in Rusty’s death？