我们为什么热衷撸狗？

My family doesn't own a camera anymore.
我们家再也不用相机了。
My daughter takes all of our pictures with her smart phone.
我的女儿用智能手机拍下的图片成了我们全部的家庭照片。
Knowing that her Dad is still "old school"
还好她知道我这个父亲是个“老古董”
she will from time to time run off prints of these pictures
她偶尔也会把一些照片打印出来
and let my son put them in an old fashioned photo album.
让我儿子把照片放进老派的相册里。
They made me one just the other day.
几天前他们才为我制作了一本相册。
As I was looking through it, however, I noticed something.
可是，当我翻看相册时，我发现了某样东西。
Far outnumbering the pictures of me, my daughter, my sons, and our extended family were the pictures of our dogs.
比起我的照片，我女儿的照片，我儿子的照片，还有其他亲朋好友的照片，我们家的狗的照片在数量上要多得多。
It seemed like almost every page was full of happy, furry faces.
相册的每一页上似乎都能看到它们毛茸茸的，带着幸福表情的小脸。
It made my heart smile as I flipped through them.
当我翻看这些相册的时候，我在心里绽放了笑容。
It made me glad to know that I have lived most of my life in the company of dogs.
原来我一生大部分的时光都是在狗狗的陪伴中度过的，知道这一点让我很高兴。
What is it about dogs?
狗狗们到底有什么魔力？
We allow them on our couches and even in our beds.
我们纵容它们霸占家里的沙发，甚至践踏床铺。
We clean up after them when we take them for walks.
带它们出去散步，还得跟在后面收拾。
We vacuum up their fur.
我们为它们吹洗毛发。
We wipe off their drool .
我们为它们擦掉口水。
We tolerate their bad breath.
我们忍受它们嘴里的臭味。
We pay vet bills and buy new shoes when they chew up our old ones.
我们花工资供养它们，如果它们咬坏了我们的鞋子，我们也会默默的买一双新的。
We enjoy their slurps and snuggles .
它们吃饭的声音，它们亲昵的依偎都让我们感到喜悦。
We feed them our food when they don't want to eat theirs.
当它们不愿意吃狗粮的时候，我们会把自己的食物供奉给它们。
We talk to them and hug them and confide in them.
我们跟它们说话，拥抱它们，对它们倾吐自己的秘密。
We welcome them into our homes and into our hearts.
我们敞开家门欢迎它们，更敞开心扉让它们住进我们心里。
Why do we love them so?
是什么让我们如此喜爱犬类？
Maybe it is because they love us so.
也许是因为它们如此的爱着我们。
Their love and loyalty are unconditional.
它们对我们付出了无条件的爱和忠诚。
They accept us as we are and want to spend all of their days with us.
它们接受我们本来的样子，希冀着每时每刻都和我们在一起。
They cry and howl when we leave home and jump for joy when we return.
当我们出门的时候，它们会悲伤哭嚎，当我们回家的时候，它们会喜悦的蹦蹦跳跳。
They shower us with love, attention, and affection whether we deserve it or not.
它们对我们表达了满满的爱意和关注，无论我们是否值得它们这样付出。
They make us want to be the people they already think we are.
它们想让我们变得更好，而在它们眼中，我们已经那么好了。
They are and forever will be a glorious gift.
它们是我们被赐予的礼物，永远都是。
May we always cherish them and embrace the lessons they teach.
愿我们永远珍惜它们，愿我们铭记它们给我们的启示。
May we all learn to love as freely and unconditionally.
愿我们都能向它们一样去爱，无条件的，自由的去爱。
May we all make our lives a gift of joy just as they do.
愿我们和它们一样，把每一天都当做充满喜悦的礼物。