这是一篇奇文，因为它是一篇法庭辩护词，作者是当时接触的演讲家和辩论家。辩词的撼人之处在于拿出人类兽性的一面与狗人性的一面做对比，引起法官们对狗的感激和同情，以及对杀狗人的强烈憎恶。这不仅是一篇辩护词，也是一篇优秀的讲演稿，更是对人性的呼唤……

最后作者靠这篇奇文打动了陪审，并因此赢得了胜利。既然是奇文，那就奇文共欣赏吧！

George Graham

The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom 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 cloud 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

A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may 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 from encounter with the roughness of the world. He will guard 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 journeys through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him 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 the grave will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

狗的赞歌

在这个世界上，一个人最好的朋友可能会攻击他，变成敌人；他用爱心培养的女儿也可能会不知感恩。那些和我们最亲近的人、我们信任他们，把自己的幸福和名声都托付于他们，他们都有可能会舍弃忠诚而背叛我们。一个人所拥有的金钱可能会丢失，金钱也许会在他最需要的时候从他的身边飞走。一个人的名望更会仅仅因为某一次考虑不周的行为而瞬间丧失殆尽。有些人在我们成功时，随时都会跪倒在我们的面前以示尊敬，而当我们遭遇失败时，也有可能会第一个恶毒地向我们扔石头。在这个自私的世界上，对于一个人来说，惟一绝不自私的朋友，惟一永不背弃他的朋友，惟一从不忘恩负义的朋友，就是他的狗。

不管主人是贫穷或富贵，病弱或健康，狗都会守护在主人的身旁。即使是寒风凛冽，大雪纷飞之时，他都愿意躺在冰冷坚硬的地面上，仅仅为了能靠近主人。哪怕主人没有任何食物喂养他，他仍会舔主人的手，为他抚平在这个冷酷世界上受的创伤。他忠诚地守卫着熟睡的主人，俨然这个穷主人就是一位王子。当之人所有的朋友都掉头而去，他却义无返顾。当主人失去所有的财富，名誉扫地，他对主人的爱依然如天空运行不息的太阳一样永恒不变。

假若因命运的捉弄，主人被世人抛弃、无家可归时，忠心耿耿的狗也总是形影不离，对于敌人，保护主人免遭危险，除此之外别无他求。当人生的舞台最后一场戏落幕，死神将主人抱在怀中，尸体埋葬在冰冷的地下时，纵使所有的朋友都各奔前程，而这只高贵的狗却独自守卫在墓旁。它头埋于两个爪子之间，眼睛里虽然充满哀伤，却仍机警地守护着。即使阴阳两隔，仍然忠贞不渝。