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现如今，打开手机和电脑，大量小猫小狗的图片、动图和视频在社交网络上扑面而来。这些毛茸茸的小宠物，正以势不可挡的速度占领现代人的生活。吸猫、吸狗成瘾已成为当代年轻人最喜闻乐见的病，沉迷其中的你，有没有想过到底是谁在逗谁呢？🤭  Reigning cats and dogs As pet ownership booms, a troubling question rears its head: who owns whom? “喵星人”、“汪星人”统治地球 如今养宠物的人越来越多，一个问题也随之而来：到底谁才是谁的主子？！ sth rears its (ugly) head if sth unpleasant rears its head or rears its ugly head, it appears or happens （讨厌的事情）出现，发生 文中涉及到一些术语，先列出来供大家参考～ （根据大家精读的目的，这个部分可以很重要，也可以略过～毕竟有些词是很少用滴！不必花费太多时间记忆这些单词～） Homo sapiens /ˌhɒməʊ ˈsæpienz/ n.智人〔现代人的学名〕，缩写H. sapiens bovid /ˈbəʊvɪd/ n.牛科动物 equid /'ekwid/ n.马科动物 canid /'kænid/ n.犬科动物 canine /ˈkeɪnaɪn/ adj. connected with dogs 犬的；似犬的 n. ( formal ) a dog 犬 felid /'fiːlɪd/ n.猫科动物 feline /ˈfiːlaɪn/ adj. 猫似的；猫科动物的 She walks with feline grace. 她步履轻盈。 n. ( formal ) 猫；猫科动物 rodent /'rəʊd(ə)nt/ n. 啮齿动物〔如老鼠、兔子〕 Pomeranian /,pɔmə'reiniən/ 博美犬 French bulldog 法国斗牛犬 rescue dog 搜救犬 working dog 工作犬 internal-combustion engine 内燃机 正文开始啦！ [1]There is a range of theories about how Homo sapiens came to rule the planet. Opposable thumbs, cranial size, altruism and cooking all played a part, but central to the naked ape’s success was its ability to dominate other species. Bovids, equids and, in particular, canids, were put to work by H. sapiens; felids always took a slightly different view of the matter, but were indulged for their rodent-catching talents. 【第一段】指出人类统治地球的原因有很多，其中最重要的一点在于人类能够统治其他物种。 a range of a number of people or things that are all different, but are all of the same general type 一系列 a range of services 一系列服务 The drug is effective against a range of bacteria. 这种药对一系列细菌有效。 注意积累同类表达～ Opposable thumbs 对生拇指，与其他手指相对的大拇指，作用在于：1.便于抓握； 2.让手的动作更加复杂化，适应制作工具及劳动生产；3.灵活的手极大地增加了人类脑容量。 cranial size 颅骨尺寸 altruism 利他主义 The Naked Ape，《裸猿》是英国德斯蒙德·莫利斯创作的人类行为学著作，首次出版于1967年。莫利斯在《裸猿》中从性、抚育、探索、搏斗、进食、安适等方面探讨了人类的种种生物行为，不仅角度新颖，而且有着许多非常独到的见解。德斯蒙德·莫利斯说，在193种猿猴中，只有一种猿猴全身赤裸，他们自诩为“智人”，实际却是“裸猿”。 Opposable thumbs, cranial size, altruism and cooking all played a part, but central to the naked ape’s success was its ability to dominate other species.除了play a part, central to的用法之外，这一句的组句方式和句式也值得学习，灵活组句可使译文更加灵动～ [2]As humanity has got richer, animals’ roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and bandits meant less demand for dogs for protection; the internal-combustion engine made horses redundant; modern sanitation kept rats in check and made cats less useful. No longer necessities, domestic animals became luxuries. Pet-keeping seems to kick in en masse when household incomes rise above roughly $5,000. It is booming. 【第二段】指出随着人类越来越富裕，动物的角色发生了变化，开始成为越来越多人的家中宠物。 hold/keep sth in check to keep sth under control so that it does not spread or get worse 控制；制止 除此之外，注意这一句其他小词的用法！比如make和mean，是不是简约而不简单～ kick in ( informal ) 1. to begin to take effect 开始生效（或见效） Reforms will kick in later this year. 改革将于今年下半年开始见效。 2. ( also ˌkick ˈin sth ) ( both NAmE ) to give your share of money or help 捐献；捐助；缴付 en masse /‚ɒn 'mæs ;͵ɑn ˋmæs / adv. 1. if people do something en masse, they do it together 一起，全体 The management team resigned en masse. 管理层全体辞职了。 所以，kick in en masse 连起来意思差不多就是“养宠物开始成为一种大众爱好”啦～ [3]The trend is not a new one. Archaeologists have found 10,000-year-old graves in which dogs and people are buried together. Some cultures—such as in Scandinavia, where canines have long been both working dogs and companions—have kept pets for millennia. But these days the pet-keeping urge has spread even to parts of the world which have no tradition of snuggling up on a comfy chair with a furry creature. 【第三段】指出人类养宠物的历史已久，不过在当下，这股潮流也席卷了一些以前并没有这个传统的地区。 Some cultures—such as in Scandinavia, where canines have long been both working dogs and companions—have kept pets for millennia. 这个句子的主干是Some cultures have kept pets for millennia，这也提醒我们，写长句子没问题，但是千万不要顾前不顾后哦！要注意主谓的搭配与一致性！ the pet-keeping urge urge这个词是不是很好地概括了我们“想要拥有”的那种心理～（小编：啊，我什么时候才能有猫啊！） snuggling up on a comfy chair with a furry creature 看看这句话，是不是特别有画面感？人家不说“养宠物的传统”，就要说你们以前居然不想“和毛绒绒的小猫咪依偎在舒服的椅子上”！ [4]In parts of Asia where people used to regard the best place for man’s best friend as not the sofa but the stewing-pot, along with some onions and a pinch of seasoning, and where cats were made into tonics, norms are changing fast. The South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, has a rescue dog, and the mayor of Seoul has promised to shut down dog butchers. China, where dogs were once rounded up and slaughtered on the ground that keeping pets was bourgeois, has gone mad for cutesy breeds like Pomeranians, whose wolfish ancestors would have swallowed them whole for elevenses. Traditionalists attending the annual dog-meat festival in Guangxi now find themselves under attack by packs of snarling animal-lovers. 【第四段】指出过去亚洲一些地区会吃猫肉、狗肉，但现在风气已经不一样了。 tonic /'tɒnɪk ;ˋtɑnɪk / n. 1. [ C ]a drink that you have as a medicine to give you more energy or strength when you feel tired 补药，滋补品 A lot of people need a tonic at the end of the winter. 很多人冬末需要进补。 2. [ C ]usually singular ]something that makes you feel happy and full of energy 使精神振奋的东西 A weekend by the sea was the perfect tonic. 在海边过一个周末绝对可以调整身心。 3. [ C ]a liquid that you put on your hair or skin to improve it and make it more healthy 护发液；护肤液 a herbal skin tonic 草本爽肤水 这个单词倒是可以积累一下～ 这段第一句也太……狠了。在亚洲一些地区，人们觉得对于人类最好的朋友来说，最好的归宿不是沙发而是……炖锅，可以加点洋葱，再配一把调味品…… round sb/sth ←→ up 1. if police or soldiers round up a particular group of people, they find them and force them to go to prison逮捕 Thousands of men were rounded up and jailed. 成千上万的人被捕入狱。 2. to find and gather together a group of people, animals, or things集拢，把…聚集起来 See if you can round up a few friends to help you! 想办法找几个朋友帮帮你呀！ His dog Nell started to round up the sheep. 他的狗内尔开始把羊群赶到一起。 cutesy /ˈkjuːtsi/ adj. ( informal ) too pretty or attractive in a way that is annoying or not realistic 矫揉造作的；忸怩作态的 elevenses /ɪˈlevnzɪz/ 美 n. [ U ] ( old-fashioned ) ( BrE ) ( informal ) a very small meal, for example biscuits with tea or coffee, that people sometimes have at about eleven o'clock in the morning （上午十一时左右吃的）午前茶点 snarl /snɑːl/ CET6+ TEM8 (snarling,snarled,snarls) 1. V-I When an animal snarls, it makes a fierce, rough sound in its throat while showing its teeth. (动物) 露齿嗥叫 He raced ahead up into the bush, barking and snarling. 它向前冲进了树丛，又吠又嗥叫的。 2. N-COUNT Snarl is also a noun. 露齿嗥叫 With a snarl, the second dog made a dive for his heel. 伴着一声嗥叫，第二条狗扑向了他的脚后跟。 3. N a vicious growl, utterance, or facial expression 咆哮; 嗥叫; 作嗥叫状 4. V to speak or express (something) viciously or angrily 咆哮地 在讲动物的文章里，用snarling这个词来描述动物爱好者，就很微妙🐶 China, where dogs were once rounded up and slaughtered on the ground that keeping pets was bourgeois, has gone mad for cutesy breeds like Pomeranians, whose wolfish ancestors would have swallowed them whole for elevenses.这一句的组句方式也非常值得学习～另外也要注意这句的主干结构是China has gone mad for cutesy breeds.再次提醒，我们在翻译时，如果写出了很长的句子，也要注意前后都照顾到，千万不要把主语谓语奇奇怪怪地搭配在一起哦～ dog-meat festival in Guangxi 广西的狗肉节 find themselves under the attack by 这个结构也可以学习一下～ [5]The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food-waste-recyclers, fed with the scraps that fall from their masters’ tables. Pet-food shelves groan with delicacies crafted to satisfy a range of appetites, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic or suffer from sensitive digestion; a number of internet services offer bespoke food, tailored to the pet’s individual tastes. 【第五段】指出宠物生意的增长要比宠物数量还快，因为人们在宠物身上花的钱越来越多了。 （小编看了看，觉得现在的狗子过得和我差不多了！） food-waste-recycler 这个表述是不是特别精准地描述了狗子以前在家里的地位！ scraps FOOD 食物 [ plural ] pieces of food that are left after you have finished eating 吃剩的东西，残羹剩饭 My mother fed the dog on scraps to save money. 我母亲为了省钱，用吃剩的东西喂狗。 table/kitchen scraps 残羹剩饭/厨房泔脚 bespoke /bɪˈspəʊk/ 美 /bɪˈspoʊk/ adj. [ usually before noun ] ( especially BrE ) ( formal ) 1.( NAmE usually also ˌcustom-ˈmade ) ( of a product 产品 ) made specially, according to the needs of an individual customer 订做的 bespoke software 订制的软件 a bespoke suit 一套订做的衣服 SYN tailor-made 2.making products specially, according to the needs of an individual customer 专做订货的 a bespoke tailor 做订做衣服的裁缝 注意这一段 crafted to/bespoke/tailored to都可以表示定制的含义哦！可以积累一下～ [6]In the business this is called “pet humanisation”—the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to—in America—Bella, Lucy and Max. It is evident in the growing market for pet clothing, pet grooming and pet hotels. It is evident in the demand for breeds such as the French bulldog, which, tellingly, looks a bit like a human baby. 【第六段】指出现在人们开始倾向将宠物当作家庭成员，这体现在宠物名称，不断增长的宠物服装、宠物美容、宠物旅馆行业以及某些受青睐犬种的特征等方面。 这一段连用了三次this/it is evident的句式，看来英语中的排比结构用好了，效果也是不错的！ [7]People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that canines have evolved those irresistible “puppy-dog eyes” precisely to manipulate human emotions. It has worked. The species that once enslaved others now toils to pay for the care of its pets, which lounge on the sofa waiting to be taken to the grooming salon. Sentimental Americans often refer to themselves not as cat-owners but as the cat’s “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one further, describing themselves as cat “butlers”, pandering to every feline whim. Watch a hapless dog-walker trailing “his” hound, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and you have to wonder: who’s in charge now？ 【第七段】指出有人认为宠物仍然是在为人类服务，但一项新研究却表明，狗狗为了惹人怜爱，甚至进化出了“小狗眼”！ The species that once enslaved others now toils to pay for the care of its pets, which lounge on the sofa waiting to be taken to the grooming salon.这句话写得太有意思啦！曾经奴役其他品种的人类现在居然开始为付宠物的护理费用努力工作，而宠物们反而像主子一样懒洋洋地躺在沙发上，等着主人送它们去美容沙龙！😂 toil /tɔɪl ;tɔɪl / v. 1. to work very hard for a long period of time 长时间地苦干，辛苦劳作[+ at ] I’ve been toiling away at this essay all weekend. 我整个周末都在埋头写这篇文章。 2. to move slowly and with great effort literary 吃力地慢行，跋涉[+ up/through/along etc ] They toiled slowly up the hill. 他们吃力地慢慢爬上了山。 lounge v. [ always + adv/prep ] 1. to stand, sit, or lie in a lazy or relaxed way 懒洋洋地站[坐，躺]着 Nathan was lounging on the grass bank outside the cottage.内森正懒洋洋地躺在小屋外的草堤上。 cat “butlers”，是不是就类似中文里的“铲屎官”😂 hapless/ˈhæpləs/ adj. [ only before noun ] ( formal ) not lucky; unfortunate 倒运的；不幸的 the hapless victims of exploitation 受到剥削的不幸牺牲品 Watch a hapless dog-walker trailing “his” hound, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess 这句对“铲屎官”也非常有画面感～让人感觉真的好惨一铲屎官！ 文章读完啦，你还觉得你是在“吸猫”“撸狗”，不是主子们在陪两脚兽玩嘛！😂😂😂 今天的精读到这里就结束啦～ 有问题欢迎在评论区提问 我们下期再见👋 翻译如做菜，煎炒炸煮、油盐酱醋 样样有学问，处处需琢磨 |
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