Verdict -- vicinity A strange balance The verdict was in:

奇怪的平衡裁决下来了：

Marcus was guilty of threatening the lives of several endangered vertebrate animals. His sentence:six months, part-time work in a veterinary hospital.

因为威胁了几只濒危 脊椎动物的生命, 马库斯被判有罪.他被判在一家兽医 医院兼职半年.

In the legal vernacular, he had to pay his dues to animals. On the verge of tears,

用法律术语来讲, 他得 为动物受一点儿苦.马库斯都到了掉泪的 边缘,

Marcus thanked the judge with a vibrant handshake For not sending him to the home for boys.

他用力地与法官握手, 感谢他没有把 自己送进收容所.

That place was a verifiable hellhole And Marcus vibrated with relief

那是个可以核实的 地狱般可怕的地方, 他如释重负地颤抖着,

That he wouldn't have to verify that version of reality in person. Working in an animal hospital would be a breeze!

因为他不必亲自到那里 去证实这种形式的现实在动物医院工作 就容易多了!

It wasn't that easy. Being in the vicinity of small animals had always made Marcus nervous,

事情没有那么简单.周围有小动物总是 让马库斯紧张,

That's why he had liked to kill them. Now he had to save every viable vessel that entered the hospital.

这就是他喜欢杀 它们的原因.现在是只要进了医院, 每一根有希望救活的 血管他都要救.

The veterinarians were quite versatile and, While they had tried to veto having to work with a renowned animal killer,

兽医们多才多艺, 尽管他们曾极力反对过 和一个臭名昭着的 动物杀手一起工作,

They accepted his punishment as a due reward. It was no longer the animals versus Marcus.

他们还是把马库斯 的受罚看成了 罪有应得.马库斯与动物不再 是冤家对头了,

And that was a relief to them as well. Via this new arrangement, activity at the hospital decreased rapidly.

这对于他们来说 也是一种解脱.通过这种新的安排, 医院的活动很快 就减少了.

The veterinarians became bored and they began to forget their versatility. When a cat came in that had fallen from a 10-meter vertical cliff,

兽医们变得无聊起来, 他们的多种技能 也开始退化了.后来有只从10米高的 垂直悬崖摔下来的 猫来这儿看病,

They couldn't save it! They began to lose their viability

他们竟然救不了它!他们开始失去生存能力

And animal hospital business declined even more. When Marcus completed his six-month term, everyone was relieved.

而动物医院的生意 变得更加萧条.当马库斯完成六个月 的刑罚时, 大家都解脱了.

Marcus was relieved to be free And the doctors were relieved to know

马库斯得到解脱 是因为他自由了, 医生们得到了解脱 则是因为他们知道

That there would soon be an increase in business.

医院的生意很快 就会好起来.