Guide dogs in China have a working life of 10 years. They are also extremely rare, with only a few hundred in the entire country. That’s what makes the passing of the very first one to work in Jiangsu Province all the more poignant.
中国导盲犬的工作寿命为10年。而且数量极为稀少，全国仅数百只。这使得第一个在江苏省工作的人的去世更加令人心酸。
On 20 November, Ding Zhiqiang, a blind masseuse from Changzhou, announced through his WeChat Moments and video account that his guide dog, Zhuang Zhuang, who had been with him for 10 years and 10 months, had left this world.
11月20日，常州盲人按摩师丁志强通过朋友圈和视频宣布，陪伴他10年零10个月的导盲犬壮壮离开了这个世界。
As the first guide dog in Jiangsu, Zhuang Zhuang (壮壮) came to Changzhou in February of 2012, officially retiring in August of 2021. Zhuang Zhuang then continued to live in Ding’s home, becoming good friends with his successor, Odie.
作为江苏第一只导盲犬，壮壮于2012年2月来到常州，并于2021年8月正式退休。随后，壮壮继续住在丁家，与继任者欧弟成为好朋友。
Ding lost his sight due to retinal detachment when he was 6 years old. At the age of 8, he went to Nanjing School for the Blind to study. He worked hard to go to college and study acupuncture and massage.
6岁时，丁某因视网膜脱离双目失明。 8岁那年，他到南京盲人学校读书。他努力考上大学，学习针灸和按摩。
Upon graduation, he returned to his home town of Changzhou to engage in massage work for the blind, before going on to open a parlour of his own.
毕业后，他回到家乡常州从事盲人按摩工作，之后又开了一家自己的按摩店。
By chance, he learned about the China Guide Dog Base in Dalian, the largest such training centre in the country that is also one of only two in China recognised by the International Guide Dog Federation.
一次偶然的机会，他了解到位于大连的中国导盲犬基地，这是国内最大的导盲犬训练中心，也是中国仅有的两个获得国际导盲犬联合会认可的训练中心之一。
With the mentality of giving it a try, he applied. At the end of 2012, Ding became one of the very lucky few to receive notice that he could go to Dalian to begin 1 month of training. Thereafter, Zhuang Zhuang officially became Ding’s eyes on the world.
抱着试一试的心态，他申请了。 2012年底，丁某成为极少数收到通知可以前往大连开始为期1个月训练的幸运儿之一。从此，庄庄正式成为丁氏眼中的世界。
In February of 2013, after flying from Dalian to Shanghai, a reporter for the Yangtze Evening News accompanied them to the Metro and a high-speed train. With their arrival in Changzhou, Jiangsu so too welcomed its first guide dog.
2013年2月，从大连飞往上海后，扬子晚报记者陪同他们乘坐地铁和高铁。随着它们抵达常州，江苏也迎来了第一只导盲犬。
Choking up on camera, Ding said in the farewell video to his best friend, “Zhuang Zhuang is the first guide dog in Jiangsu. He has now completed his mission and will leave us soon. I will say goodbye to everyone on his behalf”. Zhuang Zhuang was 14 years old.
丁在镜头中哽咽地在告别视频中向最好的朋友说道：“壮壮是江苏第一只导盲犬，它现在已经完成了使命，即将离开我们。我会代表它和大家告别。”壮壮那年14岁。
