爸爸在车道门口立着一块“BewareofDog”的牌子，但其实我家里根本不存在这种叫做“dog”的生物。在我的童年里，倒是曾经有一只清心寡欲的乌龟住过我家，没多久却又不知所终。
Wedidn’thaveadog, butmyfather, apracticalman, decidednottoremovethe “BewareofDog” signthatthehouse’spreviousownershadleftonthedriveway[1] gate. Weweretransplants[2] twiceover—heandmymotherhadcomefromTaiwantotheUnitedStates; hisnow-expandedfamilyoffivehadmovedfromNewEnglandtoLosAngeles—andhere, afterallthosemilestraveledandpaycheckssaved, wewouldmakeourhome. Dadfounditsensibletohavestrangersbelievingthatacreatureofinstinctwasstandingguard.[3]
WhatIreallywanted, though, wasapuppy[4]. Ibotheredmyparentsaboutittonoend[5], thinkingthatthesignshouldreflectsomeaspectofreality—ifnotthebewarepart, thenatleastthedog. Somyfathermusthavefiguredhe’dgottenabreakwhen, oneday, whileinthecarreturningfromaswimminglesson, mybrothersandIspottedatortoisecrawlingalongthesidewalk.[6] Weclambered[7] outandgatheredaround. Hewasaboutthesizeofadinnerplate. Aslow-moving, noiseless, virtuallymaintenance-free[8] animal, appearingonourwayhome. Myfatherlookedskyward. Itmusthavebeenwilled[9]. Hegraspedtheshellatthreeandnineo’clock, likeasteeringwheel, andsetthecreatureinthebackofthestationwagon.[10]
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