Lucky For Some
I’m very good at my job. Everyone says so. It’s my caring nature that makes me so good at looking after the blind. I take my responsibilities very seriously. And I’m popular. I mean, most Guide Dogs only have one master all their lives, and I’m onto my fifth already! Lucky’s the name, and I am lucky too. Four accidents I’ve been in, and never a scratch on me.
None of them were my fault! I’m very highly trained. I know exactly what to do in any emergency. It’s a pity they don’t train humans to the same standard. Take that bus driver, for example. He was supposed to stop. Just by where we tried to cross there was a sign clearly saying BUS STOP. How was I to know he was on his way back to the depot?
Owner number two was the headstrong type. Thought she knew better than me. Alright, I know we shouldn’t have been on that pier in the first place, but anyone can take a wrong turning. I tried to warn her, but would she listen? Just strode off so confidently I thought, well, she must know what she’s doing. And I jumped in to save her, just like a good dog should, but she kept fighting me off. As if she thought I was trying to drown her.
Number three was another stubborn type. In dangerous places like station platforms we are supposed to keep between our master and the edge, but would he have it? No, he liked to have me on his other side, and when it comes down to it, a good dog does what his master tells him. I am a very good dog. I am also courteous, and when I see a lady coming along loaded down with parcels and dragging a litter of children I move out of her way, politely. Only we were rather near the edge and the train just coming in. It was all very unfortunate, not to say messy, but at the enquiry I was completely exonerated.
I’m afraid people were not quite so understanding after number four. I admit, the rules say one should wait for the road to be clear before leading one’s owner across – but have you seen the traffic nowadays? You’d be stuck on the kerb forever. You have to take your chance, but it needs perfect trust between owner and dog.
That’s what went wrong last time. I had a feeling there was trouble coming when I saw that visitor she had. I recognized him from my time with number three. I don’t know what he told her, but the next time we went out I could tell he’d really managed to undermine her confidence in me. And the middle of a main road with a truck bearing down on you is no place to start having doubts! If only she’d stuck with me, instead of panicking and trying to run back, we’d have been fine. As it was, she nearly got us both run over.
After that there were some who pointed the finger at me. There was even a suggestion that I should be Put Down, but my trainer still had faith in me. He said I was the best he’d ever trained, and I could not be held responsible for circumstances beyond my control. So they’ve given me another chance.
I’m fine, you see, as long as nothing makes me nervous, and I’m only nervous if my owner is. That’s why they haven’t told my new owner anything about me. They’ve sent me right away, into the country, where there’s no busy roads and railways and suchlike hazards. I’m not likely to meet anyone I know, either. So far it’s gone really well. He’s a nice old gentleman, tall, white hair, very distinguished. And he does just as he’s told, unlike some.
This evening I thought I’d take him back along the canal, as a treat. It’s lovely and peaceful here, and the towpath’s nice and dry, except for a bit of mud under the bridge we’re just coming to. Have to move him right up to the edge, ‘cos the arch is higher there. Dear me, he’s taller than I thought.
Duck, you fool!
Oops
阿福的告白
其实我的工作是干得挺不错的，认识我的每个人都这么说。我想这是因为我天性善良而且有同情心，所以可以照顾好失明的人。我对自己的职责还是相当认真的，而且我也是很受欢迎的哦。我的意思是，对于大多数导盲犬来说，他们的一生中可能只有一个主人，而我现在这个主人都已经是第五任了！我的名字叫做阿福，而我也确实蛮有福气的。要知道我已经经历过四次事故了，但却连点皮都没有划花过呢。
虽说发生了这么多的事故，但可都不是我的错！要知道我是经受过严格的训练的，也很清楚该如何去应付所有的紧急情况。但可惜的是，他们并没有对人类做过严格训练，所以错不在我啊。就拿那个公交车司机来说吧，他本来是应该停车让我们先过的，因为在那个标志上明明写着“公车停”（应为“公共汽车站”，而阿福把它认成了“公车停”），而我也正因为看到了这个标志才会穿越马路的，哪知道他正是要到这个地方停车！
我的第二任主人则是个顽固的家伙，总认为自己比我懂得多。没错，我知道我们一开始就不该去码头的，可是每条狗都有可能转错弯嘛。我也有试着去警告过她的，但她听我的话了吗？她连理都不理，依然大无畏地一往无前。我想她一定知道她正在做什么吧，就没有再阻止她了。而当我就像一条好狗应该做的那样跳下水去救她的时候，她却不停地把我推开，好像认为我是要淹死她似的。
第三任主人又是个固执的家伙。在像火车站台这种危险的地方，我们导盲犬应该站在主人与站台的安全线之间。可是他肯吗？不行，他要我站在他的旁边。当自己的职责与主人的权威相冲突的时候，一条好狗应该听从主人的要求。我是一条好狗，所以我就只好听话站在了他旁边。我也是一只非常彬彬有礼的狗哦，所以当我看见一位女士拎着大包小包，拖着几个孩子向我这个方向走来的时候，为了不挡住她的路，我很有礼貌地向旁边退了几步。可是这时我们已经越过了安全线，而火车也刚好入站。那可真是太不幸了，更别提当时那血腥的场面了。但是在审讯之后，我可是被证明是完全无罪的。
我恐怕人们在听了我第四任主人的故事后会对我有所误会。我承认，条文上的确规定过，只有等路面交通状况畅通以后，导盲犬才可以牵引主人通过马路――但你也知道现在的交通状况吧？如果你要遵守这条规则，那你就只能永远站在街边等着了！你必须瞅准机会，迅速通过，但这可需要狗与主人之间有着绝对的信任。
在那次事故之后，有些人就开始对我横加指责了，甚至有人提议说要把我人道毁灭掉，但是我的训练师依然对我是信任有加的。他说我是他所培训出来的最好的导盲犬，而且我也不应该为我能力之外的事情负责任。因此他们又给了我一次机会。
要知道，只要没有什么东西让我觉得紧张，我是可以干得不错的，而只有在我的主人感到紧张时，我才会紧张的。我想这就是为什么他们没有把我以前的经历告诉我的新主人的原因吧。他们把我直接送了出去，送到了这个乡村，在这里没有繁忙的公路，火车等危险的东西，而我也不大可能会遇上我认识的人。所以到目前为止，一切都很顺利。我的新主人是位性格温和的老绅士，高高的个子，雪白的头发，看起来非常地高贵，而且跟其他人不同的是，他对我是言听计从的。
今天晚上我想带他从这条运河的小路上回家，作为对他的一次特别招待。这里风光秀丽，宁静舒服，而且这运河的纤道也修建得不错，也很干爽，除了我们要穿过的桥下有一点点泥泞。我真该带他从边上走的，因为那里的拱门要高一些。天啊，他可比我想象的要高啊。
快弯腰，你这个傻瓜！
噢……
