▸ 我们wǒ men家jiā的de猫māo脾气pí qi很大hěn dà，做zuò什么事shén me shì都有dōu yǒu自己的zì jǐ de条件tiáo jiàn。

Our cat has quite a temper — everything she does comes with her own conditions.

▸ 早上zǎo shang你nǐ叫jiào它tā，它tā不理bù lǐ你nǐ；除非chú fēi你nǐ拿出ná chū它tā最zuì爱ài吃的chī de鱼yú，它tā才cái会huì慢慢màn màn走过来zǒu guò lái。

Call her in the morning and she ignores you; only if you bring out her favorite fish will she slowly wander over.

▸ 它tā也yě不bù随便suí biàn喝hē水shuǐ，除非chú fēi水shuǐ是shì刚gāng换huàn的de，否则fǒu zé它tā一口yī kǒu都dōu不bù喝hē。

She's picky about water too — unless it's freshly changed, she won't drink a single sip.

▸ 想xiǎng让ràng它tā进jìn小xiǎo房间fáng jiān？除非chú fēi里面lǐ miàn有yǒu太阳tài yang，它tā才cái愿意yuàn yì进去jìn qù。

Want her to go into the little room? Only if there's sunshine inside is she willing to go in.

▸ 晚上wǎn shang我wǒ想xiǎng一个人yī gè rén睡shuì，可是kě shì除非chú fēi我wǒ关上guān shàng门mén，否则fǒu zé它tā一定yī dìng会huì跳tiào到dào我的wǒ de床上chuáng shàng。

At night I'd like to sleep alone, but unless I close the door, she will definitely jump onto my bed.

▸ 妈妈mā ma笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“除非chú fēi它tā饿è了le，否则fǒu zé它tā根本gēn běn不会bù huì看kàn你nǐ一眼yī yǎn。”

Mom laughed and said, "Unless she's hungry, she won't so much as glance at you."

▸ 昨天zuó tiān我wǒ试shì了le一个yī ge新xīn办法bàn fǎ：我wǒ坐在zuò zài沙发shā fā上shàng，不bù叫jiào它tā，也yě不bù看kàn它tā。

Yesterday I tried a new trick: I sat on the sofa, didn't call her, didn't even look at her.

▸ 没méi过guò几分钟jǐ fēn zhōng，它tā自己zì jǐ跳tiào到了dào liǎo我的wǒ de腿tuǐ上shàng，还hái叫jiào了le两liǎng声shēng。

Within a few minutes, she jumped onto my lap all by herself and even meowed twice.

▸ 我wǒ终于zhōng yú明白míng bai了le：除非chú fēi你nǐ不理bù lǐ它tā，它tā才cái会huì来lái找zhǎo你nǐ。

I finally got it: only if you ignore her will she come looking for you.

▸ 跟gēn猫māo住zhù在一起zài yī qǐ就是jiù shì这样zhè yàng：条件tiáo jiàn都是dōu shì它tā的de，答应dā ying的de都是dōu shì你nǐ。

That's life with a cat: the conditions are all hers, and the one agreeing is always you.

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