John Rendall and Ace Bourke, two young Australians, walked into the pet section in Harrods in London. To their surprise, they found a cute lion cub for sale. This was in 1969, when having a lion as a pet was not yet illegal. The cute little cub looked sad and lonely in the cage, and Ace and John longed to see him looking happier. They decided to buy him and give him the best life they could. They named him Christian.
John Rendall 和 Ace Bourke，兩名年輕的澳洲人，走進倫敦哈洛德百貨的寵物部門。令他們驚訝的是，他們發現了一隻待售的可愛幼獅。這是 1969 年，當時養獅子作為寵物尚未違法。籠中的可愛幼獅看起來既傷心又孤單，Ace 和 John 很希望看到他看起來快樂些。他們決定買下他，並且盡全力給他最好的生活。他們給這隻幼獅取名叫 Christian。
Christian was a friendly beast, and soon became a local celebrity. He loved to ride in the men's car and play with them. He was loving by nature, and liked to place his paws on their shoulders, licking their faces. A firm bond developed between them, and Ace and John saw him as more a family member than a pet. Christian was obviously smart, as well as gentle with everyone he met, whether they were humans or animals.
Christian 是一頭友善的動物，很快成為當地的名人。他喜歡搭他們（John 和 Ace）的車子，也喜歡和他們一起玩耍。他有著充滿愛的天性，也喜歡把他的手掌搭在他們（John 和 Ace）的肩上，舔他們的臉。他們之間發展出一段堅定情誼，而且 Ace 和 John 更把他看成一個家庭成員，而不只是一隻寵物而已。Christian 顯然十分聰明，而且對他遇到的每個人都很溫和，無論他們是人或動物。
As he grew, however, it became clear that the city was not a suitable home for a lion. The two men felt that they might have to be parted from their friend. In the end, they contacted George Adamson. He was a well-known conservationist who knew how to rehabilitate lions in their natural habitat. Adamson helped create a pride for Christian, who began a new life on the plains of East Africa.
然而隨著他成長，這座城市就愈發明顯不是一個適合獅子的家園。兩人覺得他們可能必須得和他們的朋友分開。最後，他們聯繫了 George Adamson。他是一位知名的保育人士，知道如何讓獅子在自然棲息地復育。Adamson 幫 Christian 建立了一個新獅群，他（Christian）開始在東非平原上展開新的生活。
A year later, Ace and John were eager to see their old friend again. Although they had been warned of the danger, they decided to travel to Kenya. They were nervous that the now adult lion might not remember them, or could even attack them. At first, Christian approached John and Ace slowly. As soon as he saw his two old roommates, he leapt excitedly towards them. Just as he used to do in London, he stood on his hind legs and wrapped his front legs around their shoulders, licking their faces. Ace and John were full of joy at the happy reunion. The young lion even introduced them to other members of his pride.
一年後，Ace 與 John 渴盼能再見到他們的老朋友。雖然他們已經收到危險的警告，但他們仍決定前往肯亞。他們很擔心，現已成年的獅子可能不記得他們，或甚至可能攻擊他們。起初，Christian 慢慢地接近 John 與 Ace。當他一認出他的兩位老室友時，他興奮地跳向他們。就像他以前在倫敦常做的那樣，他用後腿站著，用前腿抱住他們的肩膀，並舔著他們的臉。Ace 與 John 在這歡樂的團聚中充滿喜悅。這隻年輕的獅子甚至把他們介紹給他獅群內的其他成員認識。
Years later, videos of the touching event were put online. They have since been viewed by millions of people. Many have been moved to tears by the warmth Christian showed to his old friends, and surprised that a fierce predator could develop such a close bond with human beings. Though cruelty towards animals still happens every day, Christian's story reminds us that we share our world with many other thinking, feeling creatures that deserve our respect. It also reminds us that love can go beyond any bounds.
幾年後，這則感人事件的影片被放到網路上。它們（影片）從那時起就被數百萬人觀看。許多人都因為 Christian 展示給他老朋友的熱情而感動落淚，而且很訝異一隻兇猛的掠食性動物會跟人類發展出這麼緊密的關係。雖然對動物的殘酷行為仍然每天都在發生，Christian 的故事提醒了我們，我們跟許多其他會思考、有感覺的生物一起共享這個世界，他們也值得擁有我們的尊重。它也提醒我們愛能夠超越任何界線。
