their bodies more rounded and their coats softer to the touch.
无论何时何因 对于没有孩子的家庭来说
The result is a perfect child substitute whenever,
这样的狗狗无疑是最佳替代品
and for whatever reason, a human infant is absent.
这种狗狗有着婴儿般的体重
These pets weigh the same as babies
并可当做婴儿抱在怀里
and are held like babies.
照顾狗狗与照顾婴儿
The interactions with these dogs contain
有着极多的相似之处
many of the elements of ordinary maternal care.
人们在两者身上倾注了同样多的感情
And the intensity of the loving involved is similar.
当主人跟狗狗说话时
And when these owners talk to their dogs,
他们的语调就像哄婴儿那般高声细气
even the high-pitched voice is the same.
根据外貌需要培育狗狗
Breeding dogs for their appearance
最早可以追溯到古中国
may go back as far as ancient China,
但直到十九世纪末
but it wasn’t until the late 19th century
这种风气才开始盛行
that it really took off,
因为对于当时的新兴中产阶层来说
as dogs became a stylish status symbol
狗是一种追赶潮流的象征
for the new middle classes.
人们纷纷饲养时髦的狗
The trend for fashionable dogs
由此滋生了一股展览名犬的风潮
was matched by a growing passion for dog shows,
其中最为著名的当属克鲁夫茨名犬展
the most famous of which was Cruft’s.
克鲁夫茨名犬展
地点：皇家农业厅
展会为每一个犬种
Strict rules were developed
都制定了严格的理想体征标准
about the ideal physical features for each breed on show
而饲主则努力展示狗狗的完美体态
and the breeders strove to create evermore perfect examples.
克鲁夫茨左右了大众对于狗狗的审美观
Cruft’s honed in on the popular appeal of the domestic dog
并在接下来的几年里风靡全国
and stayed a national obsession for years to come.
谁将摘得桂冠
Who’s it going to be?
他指向了
He’s pointing
那只黑色标准贵宾犬
to the black standard poodle.
但到了二十世纪七十年代
But by the 1970s,
科学家们开始对
scientists were becoming uneasy
赛狗展的某些方面感到反感
about some aspects of the dog show circuit.
地平线
人类自认在干预犬类繁衍上很有作为
There’s a sinister side to dog breeder’s desire
地平线 1975
缺陷制♥造♥计划
不过 这样的行为也有危害的一面
to show off how clever he is at meddling with genetics.
牛头犬就是一个典型的例子
The bulldog is a classic example.
它那又皱又扁的脸
Its crumpled, squashed face
是长年选择性培育的结果
took years of selective breeding to achieve.
缩短它鼻子的本意是
The intention being to shorten the nose
使其能够畅快呼吸
to enable the animal to breathe
鼻子贴近牙齿 离猎物也更近一些
at the same time as clinging onto its quarry with its teeth.
但牛头犬脸上的皱褶
But the folds on a bulldog’s face
使它很容易染上皮肤病
make it prone to skin disease.
实际上它经常会呼吸困难
It in fact often does have difficulty breathing.
有时由于下颚过于突出
And sometimes its lower jaw sticks out so far
它无法♥正♥常咀嚼
it can’t bite properly.
吉娃娃被饲主归类为玩具狗
Chihuahuas are classified by breeders as toy dogs.
这恰如其分地反映了它们的作用
It’s a very apt description of how they treat them.
为了看起来更吸引人
They’ve been bred to have disproportionately
它们被培育出大大的脑袋和眼睛
big heads and eyes to make them look more appealing.
兽医专家 菲利斯·克罗夫特指出
A veterinary expert, Dr. Phyllis Croft…
令人遗憾的是 扩大吉娃娃的头骨
Regrettably, it’s become very fashionable
已经成为一种时尚
to exaggerate this skull shape
很多吉娃娃的头骨顶端
and many Chihuahuas even have skull bones
甚至没有完全闭合
which have not actually met on the top of the head.
从观赏的角度来看
And this is considered quite a good point
这一点也值得反思
from the showing point of view.
科学家怀疑为改善外表的选择性培育
Scientists suspected that selecting for appearance
以及为保持血统纯正的近亲交♥配♥
and limiting the gene pool to pure-bred dogs
都会增加基因突变的风险
could be increasing the risk of genetic abnormalities.
在二十世纪七十年代早期地平线节目播出后
And since that early Horizon aired in the 1970s,
这一问题甚至变得更具争议性
the issue has become even more controversial.
犬 这一物种正在分崩离析
The dogs are falling apart
纯种狗的悲歌♥ 2008
而遗传问题
and the number of genetic problems
正以骇人的速度疯狂增长
are increasing at a frightening pace.
欢迎来到2008年克鲁夫茨名犬展的现场
Welcome to Cruft’s Best in Show 2008!
原因很简单
The cause is very simple.
这场展会是攀比性质的
It is competitive dog showing.
这就是问题的罪魁祸首
That is what has caused the problem.
对于我来说 赛展上的那些狗
When I watch Cruft’s what I see in front of me is
就是一群异形
a parade of mutants.
马克·埃文斯
皇家防止虐待动物协会 首席兽医
这是一场花哨畸形的选美比赛
It’s some freakish, garish beauty pageant
实际上对动物的身心健康毫无益处
that has nothing frankly to do with health and welfare.
狗展体现了人们对美的一种痴迷
The show world is about an obsession about beauty
有一种观念很荒谬
and there is a ridiculous concept
就是狗的美丑要以人的标准来定义
that is how we should judge dogs.
“选美冠军”就是说这条狗
“Best in Breed” means you happen to be closest
碰巧最接近评定标准上的描述
to this thing that’s written on a piece of paper
这种狗就应该长成这个样子
is what you should look like.
这种评比不考虑狗的性情
Takes no account of your temperament,
也不考虑它作为宠物是否适合
your fitness for purpose potentially as a pet animal.
这种评比对我来说毫无意义可言
And that to me just makes absolutely no sense at all.
巨型雪纳瑞犬获得2008年度的选美冠军
The Giant Schnauzer, best in show for 2008.
恭喜
Well done.
科学家记录下经过几年的纯种培育后
Scientists were able to document the physical changes
狗狗身上所发生的体征变化
that had taken place after years of pedigree breeding.
一百年前的达克斯猎犬与今日的形态差别很大
A hundred years ago, the Dachshund looked very different.
如今的达克斯长着更短的腿
Today’s dogs have much shorter legs.
早期牛头梗的头骨形状
The original shape of the Bull Terrier’s head
与图中右侧的现代牛头梗大相径庭
was markedly different to today’s dog on the right.
这是内部形态变化示意图
And this is how the change looks from the inside.
这些体征变化
And it seems that such physical changes
能够导致严重后果
can have severe consequences.
如今 很多查理士王小猎犬的头骨
Many Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
都难以容下它们的大脑
now have skulls too small for their brains.
这就好比把十码的脚
The brain is like a size ten foot
克莱尔·路斯布里奇博士
动物神经学家
塞进六码的鞋子
that’s been shoved into a size six shoe.
根本塞不进
It doesn’t fit.
最后就会引发神经损伤
And the result can be neurological damage.
大概十八个月前它就开始抓痒
The scratching started about 18 months ago.
我很伤心
Really really sad.
育犬协会的官员和培育员
Kennel Club officials and dog breeders insisted
坚称问题的严重程度被过分夸大了
that the scale of the problems had been exaggerated.
我们登记的绝大部分狗狗
The vast majority of dogs that we register,
杰夫·桑普森博士
育犬协会 遗传学统筹员
每年有二十五万多只
we register over 250,000 dogs a year,
这些狗狗都会过上健康快乐长寿的生活
the vast majority of those will live long happy healthy lives.
但到2008年
But by 2008,
纯种犬培育引起的争议日益激烈
the controversy over pedigree dog breeding had become so great
英国广播公♥司♥决定采取对策
that the BBC decided to act.
BBC明年将停止放送克鲁夫茨名犬展
Cruft’s will not be shown on the BBC next year,
这是自1966年来的第一次停播
for the first time since 1966,
这一决定立刻引起一片争议
following a dispute over whether to allow
关于是否该让某些特定的纯种犬参加赛展
certain breeds of pedigree dogs into the competition.
人工培育争议虽多
In all the debate around breeding,
然而有个事实显然被人们忽略了
it’s easy to forget the main reason
那就是我们自己也会养狗
that most people have dogs in their lives at all
它们是我们的良朋益友
to be faithful companions.
在大多数文明和各个时代中
Throughout the ages and in most cultures,
狗狗都忠诚地陪在我们身旁
dogs stand loyally by our side,
安慰我们 亲近我们
offering us comfort, friendship
甚至陪我们玩些游戏
and even the odd party trick.
说话呀
Speak!
人类驯化了很多动物
But why is it that of all the animals
可是为什么
humans have domesticated,
只有狗狗成了我们最好的朋友呢
it’s dogs that have become our best friends?
我一早睁开眼就看见它和拖鞋都在那了
She’s there with my slippers first thing in the morning.
它是这个家的一部分 它就是我的家人
She’s part of the family. She is the family.
原因之一就是狗狗似乎有着
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