疫情期间，最好的朋友是宠物

》》》》》》》》一键领取入口《《《《《《《

You see them in numerous social media posts. You've probably seen more of them since COVID-19 brought quarantines, social distancing, isolation, loneliness and far worse for some of us.

你在无数的社交媒体上见过它们。疫情发生后，你可能有了更多和它们相处的时间。

They are our furry, feathered and faithful companions who have stuck with us through it all. Electronic images we share of them cross the globe, providing comfort to humans.

它们就是人类毛茸茸的忠诚的朋友。我们互相发送宠物的照片寻求慰藉。

The pandemic has amplified this trend as we gush about a new "buddy" in our lives or collectively mourn the passing of a companion who has crossed the "rainbow bridge" to pet heaven.

疫情让我们收获了新伙伴，或者哀悼去世的宠物。

I had cats and dogs growing up — and birds, snakes, fish, a guinea pig and turtles, too — but I kind of evolved into more of a "cat person". My wife Dee is more of a "dog person".

我养过猫、狗、鸟、蛇、鱼、荷兰猪和乌龟。不过我还是更喜欢猫，而我的太太更喜欢狗。

But we both love animals, so there's no conflict. This year, we find ourselves separated, in different countries, with travel difficult or impossible. My constant companion at home is now a black-and-white shorthair cat named Mei Mei, or "Little Sister", who has been with us for seven years.

我们都喜欢动物，所以在养宠物方面没有争议。今年我们因为疫情分居两个国家，所以我在北京家里的伙伴就是一直黑白相间的短毛猫“妹妹”，我们已经一起生活了七年。

We got her as a tiny kitten, the only female in the litter of a market cat named Mimi, who was owned by Jian, a kind merchant on Wulumuqi Lu in Shanghai. Jian is known as the "Avocado Lady" and beloved by expats for carrying hard-to-find foods from around the world.

“妹妹”的母亲叫“咪咪”，是上海乌鲁木齐路一家商户的猫。“妹妹”是一窝里唯一的母猫。这户商家被亲切称为“牛油果女士”，因为她可以帮上海的外籍人士找到世界各地难以找到的美食。

The tiny female kitten was being pushed away from her mother's milk by her bigger brothers. When we got her, she weakly lapped up milk formula we fed her the first few days from the palms of our hands.

“妹妹”太瘦小，被强壮的兄弟们挤出去无法喝奶。我们收养它的时候，它就舔我们放在手心里的奶粉。

I always call Mei Mei the Shanghai market kitty who grew up to move to the capital, and, indeed, she did. She is a talker with a brassy personality who sits on her "cat tree" on our glassed-in balcony to survey her domain. There usually are several dark red marks on my forearm where her claws have drawn blood while she was playing with me. I don't mind.

我总是说“妹妹”生于上海菜市场，长大后移居到北京。它喜欢站在阳台上巡视自己的地盘。我的前臂上总是有很多被它抓出的血印，不过我不介意。

Dee, my wife, who is in Panama, now has a cat and a dog that she inherited at the house where she's staying.

我太太现在巴拿马居住，从房主那里继承了一猫一狗。

Friday, a sleek black cat that Dee named on Black Friday, the marketing holiday, is a sweet kitty that loves hugs and kisses but is a fierce warrior who has no fear of the snakes or crabs she finds in the yard. Taco the Beach Dog is a typical friendly mutt that loves nothing better than for Dee to take her for a dip in the Pacific Ocean.

黑猫的名字叫“星期五”，喜欢拥抱和亲吻，不过也勇于面对院子里的蛇和螃蟹。狗的名字叫“墨西哥卷饼”，非常友好，就喜欢被带到沙滩上刨坑。

While the pandemic is mostly under control in China despite some outbreaks, Friday and Taco have been a great comfort to Dee as Panama, like many countries, continues to go through stages of quarantine and travel limitations to slow the spread of COVID-19.

这一猫一狗是我太太在巴拿马的慰藉。虽然中国疫情得到了控制，但是巴拿马还在继续实行隔离和旅游限制。

Dee tries to bring other stray neighborhood dogs into the fold. Her latest project is a skinny young dog, black with white feet, that she has named Miss Scout after a character in the classic Harper Lee novel and movie To Kill a Mockingbird. I can't object — Dee's big heart is one of the things I love the most about her. Miss Scout is still skittish but Dee won't give up.

我太太还尝试收留社区里的其它被困住的狗。她最近收留了一只骨瘦如柴的黑狗，有着白色的脚。这只狗被命名为“斯科特小姐”，源自小说《杀死一只知更鸟》。我太太的胸襟很大，我也是我最爱她的一点。这只狗依然怕人，但我太太还在努力。

We hope to see each other before too long, but for now, we share the antics of our respective furry companions when we talk on WeChat each night. It's not like being there in person, but it helps.

我们夫妻俩希望尽快相见，不过我们现在每晚视频聊天时，都会分享各自宠物的照片。虽然不是亲自看到，但也聊胜于无。