這是一篇辯護詞。事情發生在一八七零年的美國密囌裏州的沃倫斯堡。波登與杭斯貝兩位先生是鄰居又是朋友。一天晚上，波登養的一隻名叫"老鼓"的狗跑到隔壁杭斯貝家的後院中，不幸被杭斯貝開槍打死，波登悲憤難平，提起控告。這樁狗的官司由地方法院一直打到了最高法院。終審時，參議員佛斯特代表波登向陪審團朗誦了一篇名為《狗的禮讚》的辯護詞。陪審團的法官們被這篇千古難尋的奇文深深地感動，最終宣判波登勝訴，以被告賠償500美元（當時的500美元相當於目前的5000美元）而結案。
由於此案在當時引起了轟動，影響面很廣，故而成為世界著名的法律案件之一。同樣，佛斯特的這篇《狗的禮讚》，把犬對主人最樸素、最純真、最珍貴的感情表達得淋漓盡致，感人肺腑，因而以其強烈的感染力成為全球養狗愛好者喜愛的經典篇章，倍受推崇，萬人爭頌，其影響力至今不衰。當地還把此文刻在了為"老鼓"建立的紀念碑上，聞名於世。
狗的禮贊：
在這個世界上，一個人的好友可能和他作對，變成敵人；他用慈愛撫養的兒女也可能變得不孝；那些我們最親近的人，我們用全部幸福和名譽所癡信的人，都可能會背棄我們的信任。一個人所擁有的金錢很可能會在他最需要的時候插翅飛走；一個人的聲譽可能會斷送在他考慮欠周的一瞬間。那些在我們成功時來屈膝奉承的人，很可能就是當失敗的陰雲籠罩在我們頭上時，向我們投擲第一塊陰險惡毒之石的人。在這個自私的世界上，一個人唯一毫不自私的朋友，唯一不拋棄他的朋友，唯一不忘恩負義的朋友，就是他的狗。
不論主人是貧窮還是富貴、健康還是病弱，狗都會守在主人的身旁。只要能靠近主人，不管地面冰涼堅硬，寒風凜冽，大雪紛飛，它會全然不顧地躺在主人身邊。哪怕主人無食餵養，它仍會舔主人的手和主人手上因抵禦這個冷酷的世界而受的創傷。縱然主人是乞丐，它也像守護王子一樣伴隨著他。當他所有的朋友都掉頭離他而去時，它卻堅定不移地跟隨主人。當主人的財富消失、聲譽掃地時，它對主人的愛仍如天空中運行不息的太陽一樣，永恒不變。假若因命運的捉弄，它的主人變成一個無家可歸的流浪者，這只忠誠的狗只求陪伴主人，有難同當，對抗敵人，此外毫無奢求。當死神奪去主人的生命，屍體被埋葬在寒冷的地下時，縱使所有的親友都各奔前程，而這只高貴的狗卻會獨自守衛在墓旁。它昂首於兩足之間，眼裏雖然充滿悲傷，卻仍機警地守護墓地，忠貞不渝，直到死亡。
Eulogy of The Dog
– George Graham Vest in 1870 at the old courthouse in Warrensburg, MO during a trial about the shooting of a farmer’s dog named "Old Drum" by a neighbor.
Gentlemen of the jury, the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us---those who we trust with our happiness and our good name---may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its clouds upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world---the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous---is his dog.
Gentlemen of the jury, a man s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friend less and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his grave side will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death. |
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