By Barbara J。Crocker
My grandmother became a widow in 1970.Shortly after that，we went to the animal shelter to pick out a puppy to keep her company。Grandma decided on a little terrier that had a reddish brown spot above each eye。Because of these spots，the dog was promptly named Penny。
Grandma and Penny quickly became very attached to each other，but that attachment grew much stronger about three years later when Grandma had a stroke。Grandma could no longer work，so when she came home from the hospital，she and Penny were constant companions。
After her stroke，it became a real problem for Grandma to let Penny in and out because the door was at the bottom of a flight of stairs。So a mechanism using a rope and pulley was installed from the back door to a handle at the top of the stairs。Grandma just had to pull the handle to open and close the door。If the store was out of Penny's favorite dog food，Grandma would make one of us cook，Penny browned beef with diced potatoes in it。I can remember teasing my grandmother that she loved that dog better than she loved her family。
As the years passed，Grandma and Penny became inseparable。Grandma's old house could be filled to the brim with people，but if Grandma went to take her nap，Penny walked along beside her and stayed by her side until she awoke。As Penny aged，she could no longer jump up on the bed to lay next to Grandma，so she laid on the rug beside the bed。If Grandma went into the bathroom，Penny would hobble along beside her，wait outside the door and accompany her back to the bed or chair。Grandma never went anywhere without her faithful companion by her side。
The time came when both my grandmother and Penny's health were failing fast。Penny couldn't get around very well，and Grandma had been hospitalized several times。My uncle and I lived with Grandma，so Penny was never left alone，even when Grandma was in the hospital。During these times，Penny sat at the window looking out for the car bringing Grandma home and would excitedly wait at the door when Grandma came through it。Each homecoming was a grand reunion between the two。
On Christmas Day in 1985，Grandma was again taken to the hospital。Penny，as usual，sat watching out the window for the car bringing Grandma home。Two mornings later when the dog woke up，she couldn't seem to work out the stiffness in her hips as she usually did。The same morning，she began having seizures。At age fifteen，we knew it was time。My mother and aunt took her to the veterinarian and stayed with her until the end。
Now the big dilemma was whether to tell Grandma while she was still in the hospital or wait。The decision was made to tell her while she was in the hospital，because when we pulled up at the house，the first thing Grandma would look for was her beloved Penny watching out the window and then happily greeting her at the door。Grandma shed some tears but said she knew that it had to be done，so Penny wouldn't suffer。
That night while still in the hospital，Grandma had a massive heart attack。The doctors frantically worked on her，but could not revive her。After fifteen years of loving companionship，Grandma and Penny passed away within a few hours of each other。God had it all worked out-Penny was waiting at door when Grandma came home。
1970年，爷爷去世，我奶奶成了寡妇。没过多久，我们和奶奶一起到动物保护所去，想在那里挑选一只小狗给奶奶作伴。奶奶决定要一只小猎犬。这小狗两只眼睛上面各有一块红褐色的斑点。因为这两个斑点，奶奶给小狗取名潘尼。
很快，奶奶就喜欢上潘尼了，潘尼也很喜欢奶奶。但三年后，奶奶中风，她和小狗就更加亲密。奶奶不能再像以前那样走来走去。所以她从医院回到家后，就和潘尼成了形影不离的伙伴。
奶奶中风之后，如何让潘尼自由出入成了一个难题，因为门在楼梯的下面。于是我们就请人给奶奶家里安装上一种带绳子和滑轮的装置。这种装置设在后门和楼梯上端的扶手上。奶奶只需要拉动扶手，就可以开门、关门。如果商店里潘尼喜欢吃的狗粮卖完了，奶奶会让我们给它做牛肉吃，牛肉要嫩煎，还要在牛肉里加上切碎的马铃薯。我还记得，有一次给奶奶开玩笑，说她爱那狗胜过爱家里人。
随着日子一天天过去，奶奶和潘尼再也分不开了。奶奶家的老房子会来很多人，但只要奶奶想小憩一会儿，潘尼就会跟着她，并且一直呆在她身边，直到奶奶醒来。随着潘尼一天天衰老，她不能再一跃跳上床躺在奶奶身旁，于是就躺在床附近的毯子上。如果奶奶洗澡，潘尼就一路蹒跚地跟着，然后在门外等奶奶，奶奶一出来，她就陪着奶奶回到床上躺着，或者陪奶奶到椅子上坐下。没有她的忠实伙伴在身边，奶奶哪里也不会去。
终于，奶奶和潘尼的身体迅速衰老下去。潘尼不能再四处走动，奶奶也住了好几次院。我就和我叔叔一起住在奶奶家里。潘尼从来没有被扔下不管，即使是在奶奶住院的时候。那几次奶奶住院期间，潘尼总在窗边向外望着，盼望来一辆车把奶奶送回来。只要奶奶真的坐车回来，它就赶快在门旁等候，非常兴奋。每次奶奶从医院回家都会上演她和潘尼盛大重聚的动人场景。
1985年圣诞节那天，奶奶再一次被送到医院。像往常一样，潘尼坐在窗边向外凝望，盼着那辆送奶奶回来的车出现。两天后的早上，潘尼醒来，发现自己好像伸展不开僵硬的臀部和后腿，而以前，她总是活动几下就可以舒展开筋骨。就在同一天早上，她开始出现癫痫症状。潘尼15岁了，我们明白，是时候了。我妈妈和婶婶一起带着它到兽医那里，在那儿陪着潘尼，直到它生命的最后一刻。
我们真是进退两难：奶奶还在住院，是现在告诉她，还是等等再说？随后，我们还是决定马上告诉奶奶。因为每次接奶奶出院回家，车停在门口的时候，奶奶第一个要找的就是潘尼。她想看见她爱的潘尼在窗边向外凝望，然后，潘尼会兴高采烈地在门边欢迎她回家。奶奶知道潘尼的事情以后，哭了。但她说，必须这样做，这样潘尼就可以免受折磨。
那天晚上，还是在医院，奶奶的心脏骤停。医生们火速抢救，但没有挽回奶奶的生命。15年相依相伴，奶奶和潘尼在几小时的时间里，相继去世。上帝安排的这一切——奶奶回家的时候，潘尼会在门旁等候。
词汇寻解
New Words
pulley n。滑车，滑轮
hobble n。跛行步态；束缚物；v。跛行；蹒跚；捆绊（马腿等）；妨碍；束缚
seizure n。捕获，夺取，捕获物
stiff adj。严厉的；呆板的；坚硬的；拘谨的；艰难的adv。彻底地；僵硬地
T
考考你
est Yourself
1.Multiple Choice Questions
1）……but that attachment grew much stronger about three years later when Grandma had a stroke。
A。附属B。依恋C。附件D。相关
2）The same morning，she began having seizures。
A。夺取
B。捕获物
C。癫痫
D。夺取
3）Two mornings……couldn't seem to work out the stiffness……as she usually did。
A。解决；确定
B。想出；制定出
C。计算
D。使筋疲力尽；耗尽
2.你知道关于grand的短语吗？写出下面两个短语的释义。
1）do the grand
2）grand right and left
3.写出grand的近义词（至少5个）。
4.写出下列关于brown的短语的释义。
1）（as）brown as a berry
2）browned off
3）do brown
4）do up brown
5）the brown
Keys：
1.1）B2）C3）A
2.1）do the grand[俚语]摆架子；装模作样
2）grand right and left“民间舞蹈”左右转圈舞
3.grand 的近义词有：
august，grandiose，imposing，magnificent，majestic，stately
4.1）（as）brown as a berry黝黑，晒黑了的；黑里透红
2）browned off[俚语]adj。生气的；厌烦的
例句：He was browned off with radio serials。他对收音机里的联播节目厌烦死了。
3）do brown[英国俚语、古语]使（某人）上当，欺骗；操纵
例句：do sb。Brown使某人上当
4）do up brown[美国口语]认真地做，把……彻底（或细心）地搞好，干得十全十美
例句：The dancing party was done up brown。舞会开得好极了。
5）the brown（英）黑压压的一大群飞鸟
例句：fire into the brown 向黑压压的鸟群开枪