2 Ground Rules for Dogs

CHAPTER 2 Ground Rules for Dogs Mom met us at the door with Marco in her arms. He was sleeping, which is one of the few things he can do. "Did you have nice—" Mom started, but then she interrupted herself. "What is that dog doing here with you?" "She's Evie's puppy, Bella," I said. "The one Dad, Penny, and I first spotted at Man's Best Friend. You've heard me talk about her." I was holding Bella's leash with one hand,

第二章 狗狗的基本规则 妈妈抱着马可在门口接我们。 他正在睡觉，这可是他少数会做的事之一。 “你们玩得——”妈妈刚开口，就停住了话头。 “你怎么把一只狗带回来了？” “她是伊维的小狗贝拉，”我说。 就是我和爸爸、佩妮第一次在“人类好伙伴”店里见到的那只。 你听我说起过她的。 我一只手牵着贝拉的牵引绳，

and I reached for Marco's hand with the other. Babies have grabby hands, and I like when Marco puts all his fingers around one of mine and squeezes tight. "Hold it right there, Stel," Mom said. "You know the rule." The rule is: You have to wash your hands before you touch the baby. Penny and I had gotten more rules when Marco was born. Parents don't tell you this before you get a baby brother or sister, but they get a bit stricter when the baby comes home. "Double washing this time since you've touched a dog," Mom said. "And I still need to know what that dog is doing here." "She didn't have anywhere else to go," I explained. "Evie and her parents are going to England until Tuesday, and the lady who was

另一只手伸过去牵马可的小手。 小宝宝总爱抓东西，我超喜欢马可把整只小手绕着我的手指紧紧攥住的感觉。 “站在那儿别动，斯黛尔，”妈妈说。 “你知道规矩的。” 规矩就是：碰小宝宝之前必须洗手。 马可出生后，我和佩妮多了好多新规矩。 有了弟弟妹妹之前，爸妈不会告诉你这些，宝宝回家后，他们会变得更严格哦。 “这次要洗两遍，因为你摸过狗狗了，”妈妈说。 “我还是得问清楚，这只狗为什么会在这里。” “她没有别的地方可去呀，”我解释道。 伊维和她爸妈要去英国，下周二才回来，原本答应帮她

supposed to watch Bella had an emergency." "Stella," Mom began. "I know you like this dog and you want to do a favor for your friend, but you can't volunteer our house without asking first." "But but but I can't break my promise to Evie! Then Bella will have to go to the kennel. And besides, Grandma said it would be okay." "Mother," Mom said. "We have a brand- new baby here." Mom was using the same voice she uses when she's explaining something to Penny and me. "What if the dog jumps up and scratches him?" "She wouldn't do that," I broke in. "She's a little dog, Elaine," Grandma added. "How high do you think she can jump?" Mom made a noise that sounded like

照看贝拉的阿姨突然出了急事。 “斯特拉，”妈妈开口说。 “我知道你喜欢这只小狗，也想帮朋友的忙，但你不能不先问我们就把狗狗带回家呀。” “可是、可是、可是我不能对伊维失信呀！ 那贝拉只能送去宠物寄养场了。 再说了，奶奶说没问题的。” “妈，”妈妈说。 “我们家里刚添了小宝宝呀。” 妈妈这会儿用的语气，和平时给我跟佩妮讲道理的时候一模一样。 “万一狗狗跳起来抓伤他怎么办？” “她才不会那样呢，”我插嘴说。 “她是小型犬，伊莱恩，”奶奶补充道。 “你觉得她能跳多高呀？” 妈妈发出了一声听起来像是

harrumph. "You shouldn't have made a decision like that without asking me first. I don't want to worry about a dog on top of three kids." "I'll take care of the dog," Grandma said. "You don't have to worry about it."

不满的哼声。 “你怎么能不先问我就自作主张呢。 我已经要照顾三个孩子了，不想再为一只狗操心。” “我来照顾这只狗，”奶奶说。 “你不用为它操心。”

"You're leaving on Sunday. Who's going to take care of the dog the two days after that?" "I will," I said. "I'm in charge of her." "A little responsibility is good for a kid," Grandma added. "Trust me." At that moment, Bella moved toward Mom's feet and began sniffing them. Dad once told me that sniffing is a dog's way of shaking hands. But I guess Mom didn't know that, and she jumped back as if Bella was about to bite her. Which, by the way, Bella would NEVER do. Marco's eyes popped open and his forehead wrinkled the way it does when he's about to start screaming. Mom jiggled him gently up and down. "It's all right, baby. It's all right. I won't let it near you." "Bella's a girl," I said. "Not an "it." And

“你周日就要走了。 那之后两天谁来照顾这只狗呢？” “我来照顾，”我说。 “我会对她负责的。” “让小孩子担点小责任是好事呀，”奶奶补充道。 “相信我。” 就在这时，贝拉走到妈妈脚边，开始嗅来嗅去。 爸爸之前跟我说过，嗅一嗅是狗狗打招呼握手的方式。 可妈妈不知道这个呀，她一下子跳开，好像贝拉要咬她似的。 说真的，贝拉绝对绝对不会做这种事的。 马可猛地睁开眼睛，额头皱了起来，这可是他要大哭的前兆。 妈妈轻轻上下晃了晃他。 “没事啦，宝贝。 没事没事。 我不会让它靠近你的。” “贝拉是女孩子哦，”我说。 才不是什么“它”。 而且