不忍心把宠物狗丢在家中？机器骨头有妙用

I hate saying goodbye to my dogs; the two of them look longingly with their big dopey eyes as I close the door and leave for work. It’s enough to break a grown man’s heart.

我讨厌和家里的狗狗们说再见。每当我要出门工作时，它俩的大眼睛就会眨巴眨巴地直盯着我看，足足会让一个成年人心碎一地。

That’s where GoBone comes in. A Kickstarter toy designed by PulsePet to give your dog attention and playtime when you’re not home, the GoBone is an autonomous bone that rolls around your house during the day just so your dog can chase it and chew it whenever he’s feeling playful.

众筹网站Kickstarter上的GoBone正是PulsePet为此量身打造的玩具产品。当你离家时，GoBone能关怀你家狗狗，陪它玩耍。GoBone是一款自动机器骨头，能在你家滚上一整天，这样不管你家狗狗什么时候想玩耍，都能追它咬它。

While the GoBone looks more a cross between a remote-control car and a broom than a bone, it seems to get the job done. Two large, rubber wheels help GoBone glide over any flooring surface, and a crude tail keeps the toy moving when Fido inevitably flips it over.

虽然GoBone看起来更像遥控车和扫把的混合体，而不像骨头，但它似乎能完成陪伴宠物狗的任务。两个大大的橡胶轮能在任何室内地板表面滑行，一条简略的尾巴能让它被狗狗甩翻时保持运转。

The folks at PulsePet say dogs fall in love with the toy since it’s not only something they can chase around all day, but also because you can also cram it full of treats or cover sections in peanut butter. The toy’s software can also be tailored to your dog’s age, size and activity level to ensure it keeps your dog engaged without running him ragged.

PulsePet公司里的人表示，狗狗们都爱上了这款玩具，因为它们可以整天都追着GoBone跑，而且你还可以在里面塞满好吃的或者在槽缝里涂点花生酱。GoBone的软件还可以根据你家狗狗的年龄、体型、活动量进行个性化配置，确保它不至于跑得疲惫不堪。

When your dog does eventually catch the GoBone, it automatically shuts down so he can chew it to its heart’s content. And when your dog is tuckered out and puts the toy down, it will start back up again and roll away.

要是你家狗狗抓到GoBone了，它就会自动停下来，让狗狗可以尽情地咬它。要是你家狗狗累了，放下GoBone，它就会再次启动滚走。

A smartphone app lets you take control of the GoBone when you’re home so you can use it to play with your dog, record video without leaving the GoBone app, schedule times when the GoBone should be active and view your pet’s overall activity. So if your pooch has a particularly large paunch, the GoBone might be able to help him or her shed some pounds.

在家时，你可以通过智能手机应用控制GoBone，和狗狗一起玩，用它录制视频，安排GoBone的活跃时间，查看宠物所有的活动情况。因此，如果你家狗狗有点大腹便便的话，GoBone或许还能帮它甩掉几斤肉。

PulsePet also wisely chose to make the external pieces of its robo-chew toy replaceable, so when your pup annihilates the GoBone’s wheels, you can swap them out for a new pair.

PulsePet机智地将该机器咀嚼玩具的外层做成可替换的设计，你家狗狗要是把GoBone轮子咬烂了，你可以换对新轮子。

Here’s the thing, though. While one of my dogs is playful and would likely love the GoBone, my other dog is so skittish she’s afraid of her own shadow. I’m not exactly sold on the fact that my anxious dog would enjoy having a robo-monster zooming around the house when I’m not home. All of that is to say that the GoBone probably isn’t for every dog out there.

然而，还可能出现这样的情况。我家里有两只狗，一只很爱玩，它可能会很喜欢GoBone，但另一只很容易受惊，连自己的影子都害怕。我并不觉得，我不在家时，这只不安的狗狗会喜欢家里有一台噌噌跑的机器怪物。所以说，可能不是每只狗都适合GoBone。

There’s one other caveat: Since a Kickstarter campaign is funding the GoBone, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever be able to buy one. The company is, however, planning to begin mass production of the toy in September.

另外，提醒一下，由于GoBone的资金来源于Kickstarter网站上的筹款运动，因此还不能保证你能买到这项产品。但PulsePet公司计划9月开始大批量生产GoBone。

So far, PulsePet has raised $24,000 of its $60,000 goal with 29 days to go before the fundraising period ends. If you pledge $300 to back the GoBone, the company says it will send you one and a second to a needy shelter pup. |

PulsePet的目标是筹到6万美元，目前已经筹到了2.4万美元，距离截止日还有29天。如果您承诺给予GoBone300美元的资金支持，公司表示将送出两根GoBone，一根给您，另一根给有需要的流浪狗。

Vocabulary

tuckered out: 极其疲倦的，筋疲力尽的

annihilate: 毁灭，彻底击败

skittish: 易受惊的

caveat: 警告，告诫