The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn't anything more that could be done, that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.
男人非常傷心父泳。他知道貓余下的日子不多了犹菇。醫(yī)生說已經(jīng)沒得治了肤舞，他只能把貓帶回家，并盡可能地讓他在剩下的時間里過得舒服些野来。
The man stroked the Cat on his lap and sighed. The Cat opened his eyes, purred and looked up at the Man. A tear rolled down the Man's cheek and landed on the Cat's forehead. The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look.
男人把貓放在腿上，嘆了口氣。貓睜開眼睛榛做，呼嚕呼嚕地叫著痊末，抬眼看了看男人蚕苇。一滴眼淚從男人的臉頰邊滑落，落在了貓的額頭上凿叠。貓有點不高興地看了他一眼捆蜀。
"Why do you cry, Man?" the Cat asked. "Because you can't bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?" The Man nodded "yes".
“你哭個什么啊，伙計幔嫂？”貓問道辆它，“因為你無法承受將要失去我的念頭？因為你認為永遠都沒有什么能代替我履恩？”男人點了點頭锰茉。“是啊切心§”
"And where do you think I'll be when I leave you?" the Cat asked. The Man shrugged helplessly. "Close your eyes, Man," the Cat said. The Man gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told.
“那么你認為我離開你以后片吊，會到什么地方去了呢？”貓問道协屡。男人無望地聳了聳肩俏脊。“閉上眼睛吧肤晓，伙計爷贫，”貓說。男人疑惑地看了他一眼补憾，但還是聽話地閉上了眼睛漫萄。
"What color are my eyes and fur?" the Cat asked. "Your eyes are gold and your fur is a rich, warm brown," the Man replied.
“我的眼睛和毛皮是什么顏色的？”貓問盈匾√谖瘢“你的眼睛是金色的，你的毛皮是濃郁而溫暖的褐色的削饵⊙沂荩”男人回答道。
"And where is it that you most often see me?" asked the Cat. "I see you...on the kitchen windowsill watching the birds...on my favorite chair...on my desk lying on the papers I need...on the pillow next to my head at night." "Then, whenever you wish to see me, all you must do is close your eyes," said the Cat.
“那你最常在什么地方見到我呢窿撬？”貓問启昧。“我經(jīng)常見到你……在廚房地窗臺上看鳥……在我最喜歡的椅子上……躺在桌子上我需要用的文件上……晚上睡在我腦袋邊的枕頭上尤仍◇锝颍”“那么，無論什么時候你想見我宰啦，你只要閉上你的眼睛就可以了苏遥。”貓說赡模。
"Pick up that piece of string from the floor--there, my 'toy.'" The Man opened his eyes, then reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. "Now take each end of the string in one hand," the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“把地上的那段繩子撿起來——那里田炭，我的‘玩具’±旄蹋”男人睜開眼睛教硫，伸手撿起了繩子。繩子大約有兩英尺(約0.6米)長辆布，貓曾經(jīng)能夠玩著繩子自娛自樂一玩就是幾個小時瞬矩。“現(xiàn)在用兩只手捏住繩子的兩端锋玲【坝茫”貓命令道。男人照做了惭蹂。
"The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together," the Cat said. The Man complied.
“你左手捏著的那端就是我的出生伞插，而右手的那端就是我的死亡「盍福現(xiàn)在把兩端連在一起∶奈郏”貓說道舀瓢。男人又照做了。
"You have made a continuous circle," said the cat. "Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?" The Man inspected the string and then shook his head "no".
“你做出了一個連貫的圓圈耗美，”貓說京髓，“這個繩子上的任意一點同其他點有什么不同嗎？比繩子的其他部分更好或者更差嗎幽歼？”男人審視著那根繩子朵锣，然后搖了搖頭谬盐〉樗剑“沒有》煽”
"Close your eyes again," the Cat said. "Now lick your hand." The Man widened his eyes in surprise.
“再次閉上你的眼睛皇型，”貓說，“現(xiàn)在舔舔你的手砸烦∑唬”男人驚訝地睜大了眼睛。
"Just do it," the Cat said. "Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, think about all the pieces of string."
“照我說的做吧幢痘，”貓說唬格。“舔舔你的手颜说，想想我在所有我熟悉的地方购岗，想想所有的繩子∶欧啵”
The Man felt foolish, licking his hand, but he did as he was told. He discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn't, he opened his eyes. The Cat's eyes were closed. The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
要舔自己的手喊积，男人覺得很蠢，不過他還是照做了玄妈。他發(fā)現(xiàn)了貓所知道的秘密——舔爪子能讓你平靜下來乾吻，并讓你能夠思考得更加清楚。他繼續(xù)舔著拟蜻，他的嘴角開始上翹绎签，好多天來第一次露出了微笑。他等待著貓叫停酝锅，可是沒等到诡必，于是他睜開了眼睛。貓的眼睛已經(jīng)閉上了屈张。他摸了摸貓溫暖的褐色皮毛擒权，可是貓已經(jīng)去了袱巨。
The Man shut his eyes hard as the tears poured down his face. He saw the Cat on the windowsill, then in his bed, then lying across his important papers. He saw him on the pillow next to his head, saw his bright gold eyes and darkest brown on his nose and ears. He opened his eyes and through his tears looked over at the circle of string he still held clutched in his hand.
男人用力地閉上了眼睛，淚如泉涌碳抄。他看到貓蹲在窗臺上愉老，然后是他的床上，然后躺在他的重要文件上剖效。他看到貓在他腦袋邊的枕頭上嫉入，看到他明亮的金黃色的眼睛還有鼻子和耳朵上深褐色的毛發(fā)。他睜開眼睛璧尸，透過淚水看向他依然捏在手里的繩圈咒林。
One day, not long after, there was a new Cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white...very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.
不久以后的某一天，他的膝上有了一只新的貓咪爷光。她是一只可愛的白色花斑貓——與之前那只他深愛的貓是那么的不同垫竞，然而又是那么的相同。
