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《狗的颂辞》及其故事梗概

祖述宪

       1870年，美国密苏里州沃伦斯堡的伯登家一个叫作“老鼓”的心爱猎犬，因进入邻居霍恩斯比的领地被他所枪杀。伯登立即将霍恩斯比告上法庭。开庭审判很快成为当地历史上最离奇的新闻，双方都决心打赢这场官司。经过多次上诉，案子最终送到密苏里州最高法院。时任参议员的维斯特，在终审陪审团前所作的《狗的礼赞》，为伯登赢得了这场官司，并获得了50美元赔偿。他的演说辞也成为一篇关于狗的美德的经典美文。本文是根据庭审见证人对乔治·格雷厄姆·维斯特演说所作的记录的前半部分，后一部分已佚。人们常说的“一个人的最忠实的朋友是他的狗”，即来源于维斯特的演说。本译文用雕像的碑文题目A Tribute To The Dog。

       在沃伦斯堡商会的主持下，通过美国爱狗人士的努力，1958年9月23日，伯登家老鼓的雕像矗立于约翰逊县法院前的草坪上，永垂不朽。

Old Drum

Died 1870 - Warrensburg, Missouri

      网上有根据Eulogy on The Dog文题译出的《狗的礼赞》。下面是我根据美国网站原文所作的新译文。附英文原文。

狗的颂辞

 

乔治·格雷厄姆·维斯特

       陪审团诸位先生：在这个世界上，一个人最好的朋友也可能同他反目成仇。他用至爱亲情哺育长大的儿女也可能忤逆不孝。我们最亲密和最深爱的人，就是我们把幸福和声誉相托的那些人，也可能背叛我们的信任。一个人所拥有的金钱，在最急需的时候可以消失得无影无踪。一个人的名望可能因其举止考虑失当，在瞬间一落千丈。在我们成功时，那些向我们卑躬屈膝阿谀奉承的人，或许就是在我们处于失败的困境里，首先落井下石的家伙。在这个充满自私自利的世界上，一个人所能够拥有的绝对无私的朋友，就是他的狗——才是永远不离不弃，不会忘恩负义的朋友。

       陪审团诸位先生：一个狗，不管主人富有还是贫穷，健康还是疾病缠身，都会跟在他的身旁；无论寒风刺骨、大雪纷飞，只要是在主人身旁，狗都愿意躺在冷冰冰的地上。哪怕主人两手空空、一无所有，狗也会亲吻他的手，为他舔去人世艰辛带来的创痛。狗守护着贫儿主人安然入睡，仿佛他像王子一样。当他的朋友都离他而去，狗却一如既往。当主人财富散尽、默默无闻，狗对他的爱仍然像天上的太阳运行一样，恒久如常。要是命运把主人逐出家园，孤苦伶仃，这忠诚的狗依然会陪护主人，克服艰险，抵御仇敌，除此别无奢求。当人生最后一幕降临，死神夺去了主人的生命，他的遗体被埋葬在冰冷的地下时，所有其他亲友都统统离去，你只能发现这个高贵的狗依旧守卫在他的墓旁。它的头伏在两个前足之间，眼里充满悲伤，但仍然睁得大大的，机警地坚守，忠贞不渝，直至死亡。

A Tribute To The Dog

George G. Vest

        Gentlemen of the jury, the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us---those who we trust with our happiness and our good name---may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its clouds upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world---the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous---is his dog

       Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.

George Graham Vest (1830-1904)

Johnson County Circuit Court

Warrensburg, Missouri