Feline Companionship and Compassion for the Dying 　

A two-year-old cat named Oscar at a New England, USA nursing home seems to be able to predict and now provides comfort and companionship to those who are about to depart this world. Oscar has so far presided over the passing of 25 people in the nursing home, which he does by curling up next to a patient in her or his final hours. Because of his accuracy, the nursing home staff now calls family members as soon as they see Oscar settling down in a patient’s bed. They know that this usually means the person has less than four hours remaining.

美国新英格兰一家赡养院中，有一只名为「奥斯卡」的两岁猫咪似乎能预知哪些人即将离世，并会在病人临终前陪伴安慰他们。到目前为止，奥斯卡已「送走」了赡养院里的二十五位病人，他会在病人临终的最后数小时蜷伏在他们身边。由于他的准确度很高，现在赡养院的工作人员只要看到奥斯卡在某位病人的床边安坐下来，便会立即通知病人的家属，他们知道这种情形通常意谓着病人的生命已剩下不到四小时了。

Oscar is better at predicting the time of departure than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno, an expert on care for the terminally ill who treats patients at the nursing home. His warm and purring presence for some people has meant the difference between loving companionship and passing away alone.

在这家赡养院工作的晚期病人照护专家琼.德诺医生（Dr. Joan Teno）表示，奥斯卡比赡养院的工作人员更能准确预测病人辞世的时间。对某些人而言，奥斯卡来到身边，发出喵喵低鸣声，爱心陪他们走完最后一程，这和独赴黄泉是完全不同的。

Most families are grateful for the advance warning. They see it as a chance to be able to say goodbye to their loved one. They also appreciate Oscar’s kind company.

大部分的病患家属都很感激这种预警，让他们有机会和所爱的人道别，他们也很感谢奥斯卡的爱心陪伴。

Oscar recently received a wall plaque from a local hospice agency that now hangs in the nursing home, publicly commending his “compassionate hospice care.” A poignant essay describing the cat’s unique role was also published in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

奥斯卡最近荣获一面由当地一家安宁机构所颁赠的奖牌，如今正悬挂在赡养院的墙上，以公开表扬他「充满爱心的看护」。最近一期的《新英格兰医学期刊》也刊登了一篇感人肺腑的文章，记述这只猫所扮演的独特角色。