成为丑丑 Trying to be 'Ugly' · 潇雨

本期主播：潇雨 本期文章：Trying to be Ugly 录制地点：湖南 Trying to be Ugly By Lewes Everyone in the apartment complex knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love. The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long age been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped-typed, expect for sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. ”That’s one UGLY cat!” All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirt him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness. Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever pick him up he would immediately begin suckling on you shirt, earrings, whatever he could find. One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor’s huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment I could hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly’s sad life was almost at an end. Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation in my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greastest pain, that ugly battled-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain. Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will be always try to be Ugly. 【附：译文】 成为丑丑 我所住的这幢公寓里的每一个人都知道丑丑。丑丑是一只住在这里公猫。他爱做三件事：打架、吃垃圾和我们口中所说的爱。 融合着这件事的在外生活影响着丑丑的人生。先说明一下，丑丑只有一只眼睛，另外一边已是一个深深的洞，同一边的耳朵也没了，他的左脚看上去已经断了很久了，愈合之后腿弯成了了一个不自然的角度，这让他看上去好像总是在转弯似的。它的尾巴断了很久了，只留下那一点点残根。 如果不是头上、脖子上的痂，甚至是肩上厚厚的黄色的痂，丑丑会是一只有着深灰色条纹的虎斑猫。每当人们看到丑丑时，总会有同样的反应。“那只丑猫！” 所有的孩子都被警告不要去碰丑丑；在丑丑想进到人们家中去时，大人们朝他扔石头，用水管往他身上浇水或喷他，或是把他的爪子卡在门上让他动不了。而面对这些，丑丑都会有同样的反应。如果你朝他喷水，他就站在那儿，让你喷到他全身湿透直到你停下来。如果你朝他丢东西，他就会蜷缩起自己瘦长的身躯，盘起腿，请求你的原谅。 每当他跟在孩子们后面，他总是跑着，疯狂地叫着，用头撞击孩子们的手已乞求他们的怜爱。你一抱起他，他就会像婴儿一样吮吸着你的衬衫，耳环及任何他能找到的东西。 一天，丑丑向邻居家的爱斯基摩犬们示好，而他们并没有以礼相待，丑丑被他们狠狠地欺负了。我待在公寓里，能听到他的惨叫，我冲了出去试着去救他。当我到了丑丑躺着的地方时，很显然丑丑的悲惨人生已走到了尽头。 丑丑躺在一片湿湿的地上，他的后腿和后背已不成样子，皮也被扯了下来。当我抱起他带回家时，我听到了他那急促的呼吸声，我能感觉到他在挣扎。我想，那真的伤了他很重。 接着，我耳边有种熟悉的感觉，处在痛苦之中，奄奄一息的丑丑努力试着舔我的耳朵。我抱着他更贴近我点，他用头顶着我的手掌，他用那只仅存的金色眼睛望着我，我听到了他发出的快乐的呼呼声。身处如此大的痛苦之中，那只饱受创伤的猫只是在恳求一点点情感，或许是一些怜悯， 在那一刻，我觉得丑丑是世上最美丽最可爱的生物，他未曾试图想要咬我，抓我或尽力挣脱我。丑丑他只是看着我，相信我能够抚平他的伤痛。丑丑在我到家里之前死在了我的怀中，但之后，我还站着久久地抱着他，我想着丑丑这样一只残废的流浪动物却能够改变我对纯洁与爱之意义的看法。比起一千本书，一千场讲座，一千集脱口秀特别节目，丑丑教会了我爱与怜悯，我会对此永远心存感激。他身上留下创伤，而我则是在内心，我也应该学着对我所关心的人和事付出真心真爱。 很多人想变得更富有更成功，更招人喜欢，更美丽，而对我来说，我想一直像丑丑那样有一颗美丽的心。 垫乐： 1. 久石譲 - さんぽ 2. 久石譲 - 风になる 3. つじあやの - 風になる 《猫的报恩》原声大碟 主播：| 制作，发行： 文字及垫乐归作者或版权方所有 图片源于网络 微信公众号：为你读英语美文 官方新浪微博：@为你读英语美文 荔枝FM , PODCAST搜索【为你读英语美文】收听