宠物秘史

译/李丹璇 审订/周亚莉

宠物秘史

译/李丹璇 审订/周亚莉

A Secret History of Pets

Humans have kept animals as pets since ancient times and now， here are some of the extraordinary facts about our reverence and affection for all kinds of creatures—furry， fishy， feline，equine and canine in all societies and throughout history.

c.1拉丁语circa的缩写，相当于around，为“左右”“大约”的意思。10000 BC

In what is now Israel， a puppy is buried cradled in the hand of a human.It’s the earliest clear evidence we have that humans and dogs.

c.7500 BC

A cat resembling an African wildcat2非洲野猫。野猫的一个亚种。一些野猫约于1万年前在中东被驯养，成为家猫的祖先。is buried with a human on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This early evidence suggests that cats were fi rst domesticated in the Fertile Crescent3新月沃地，或称肥沃新月，指西亚两河流域及其毗邻的地中海东岸的一片弧形地区。(where the African and Eurasian continents meet) and later brought as pets to Cyprus and Egypt.

c.3000 BC

Ancient Egyptian paintings depict house cats which were fi rst allowed into homes to hunt mice after the Egyptians invented the idea of storing grain indoors. Cats， which were sacred in Egypt， are depicted in many statues.

AD 168–190

Chinese Emperor Ling Ti falls so in love with his dogs that he gives them the rank of senior court officials.This allows them to eat the fi nest food available， sleep on oriental rugs and have special bodyguards.

c.AD 500–1500

Pets are not uncommon in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance but they are kept for the most part by wealthy households. Near the end of this period the word “pet” is introduced into English.

1369

Zhu Yuanzhang， known as China’s Hongwu Emperor， establishes a porcelain company that produces tubs for gold fi sh.The shape of the modern goldfish bowl evolved from these tubs but they weren’t healthy environments for fi sh.

1493

On his return from South America the explorer Christopher Columbus brings Queen Isabella of Spain a pair of Cuban Amazon parrots.

1542–1567

Before she is forced to abdicate4abdicate退位，逊位。her throne Mary Stuart (Queen of Scots) surrounds herself with an entourage5entourage（统称）随从人员，随行。of tiny dogs dressed in blue velvet6velvet丝绒，天鹅绒。suits.According to legend， when she was beheaded in 1587 a tiny pet dog was hiding inside Mary’s dress.

1768

The royal governor7governor统治者，管辖者，总督。of Britain’s Virginia colony keeps 28 red birds(most likely cardinals) in cages. By the late 1800s， birds are the most popular indoor pet in America. Canaries won’t achieve most-favoured cage-bird status until the Thirties.

c.1860

The fi rst commercially prepared dog food is introduced in England.

c.1870

World famous actress Sarah Bernhardt loses her pet tortoises in a fi re.

1877

English author Anna Sewell publishes Black Beauty， one of the best-selling books of all time. Her sympathy for working animals led to kinder treatment.

1910

Country Life Magazine tells readers that it’s more affordable to get around by car than horse. However miniature horses， including the stubborn Shetland pony， will go on to become popular pets for rich kids in the Twenties.1931

German Shepherds Judy， Meta and Folly become the first dogs for the blind in Britain. Their new owners are veterans who were blinded during the First World War.

1944

Susan， a Pembroke corgi， is given to the future Queen as a gift for her 18th birthday from her father King George VI. Even today all of the Queen’s many corgis and dorgis (which are across between corgis and dachshunds8达克斯猎犬，俗称腊肠犬。) are descended from Susan.

1947

Sylvester and Tweety， who will become one of the most notable comedy duos in animation history， make their fi rst appearance together in the Warner Brothers cartoon Tweetie Pie9美国家庭喜剧短片，曾获1948年奥斯卡最佳动画短片奖。.

1950s

Women go nuts10go nuts痴迷，变得疯狂。for tiny dogs. Some even dye their miniature poodles to match their clothes.

1956

British author Dodie Smith’s novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians11达尔马提亚狗，俗称斑点狗。turns the spotted breed into a sensation.Sadly many new owners later abandon their dogs at animal shelters.

1957

The Soviet Union fi res a dog， Laika12世界上第一只太空狗。，into space on the Sputnik 2.

1967

The TV show Star Trek airs an episode called “The Trouble With Tribbles”， starring fuzzy guinea piglike rodents who make trilling noises that irritate Klingons. The Tribbles begin having babies like mad and they eat nearly all the ship’s supplies13supplies（军队或探险队等的）补给。.The episode makes a point about the dangers of introducing non-native species， such as when rabbits were released in Australia in 1859141859年，英国人托马斯·奥斯汀（Thomas Austin）在澳大利亚放养兔子，导致当地自然环境严重破坏。.

1975

Jason， the fi rst Blue Peter15英国儿童节目。cat， plays the part of the Cheshire Cat in the Christmas production of Alice In Blue Peter Land. He sounds strangely similar to the show’s presenter John Noakes.

1978

The animated film Watership Down spurs an interest in keeping rabbits as pets.

1984

The European Union bans the sale of wild-caught Mediterranean tortoises， stamping down on16stamp down on镇压，打压。the tortoise-as-pet fad.

1988

Australian Wally Cochran breeds the first Labradoodle—a cross between a poodle and a Labrador retrie-ver—as a way to create a dog that won’t aggravate17aggravate使严重，使恶化。its owner’s allergies18allergy过敏反应。.

1990

The fi rst Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is released， sparking a terrapin boom.

2005

The city of Rome bans the giving away of goldfish and other animals as prizes at carnivals.

2006

New Zealand passes a law to ensure that all licensed dogs have a microchip inserted into the skin around their neck so they can be identi fi ed if they get lost. ■

自古，人类便将动物养作宠物。纵观历史，人类曾经饲养过毛皮动物、鱼类、猫科、马科和犬科等各类动物，不同社会都对动物心存敬畏与爱怜之情，以下便是与此相关的一些奇特事实。

公元前1万年左右

在今以色列境内，人们发现了一只蜷缩在主人手里的随葬小狗。这是表明人类与狗的特殊关系的最早明晰佐证。

公元前7500年左右

在地中海的塞浦路斯岛，人们发现了一只酷似非洲野猫的陪葬猫。这一早期证据表明，人类对猫的驯化发端于非洲与亚欧大陆交汇处的新月沃土地带；随后猫作为宠物，被引入塞浦路斯和埃及。

公元前3000年左右

自打埃及人萌发室内屯粮的想法，家猫就获准入室捕捉老鼠。古埃及画作对此有所描绘。在埃及，猫是神圣的，很多雕像中都有体现。

公元168年—190年

中国汉灵帝对狗情有独钟，以至为狗封官进爵，此举使狗得以享用美食，睡名贵地毯，还有专人服侍。

公元500年—1500年左右

欧洲中世纪及文艺复兴时期，宠物已是司空见惯，只是多由富有阶层饲养。文艺复兴末期，pet（宠物）一词被引入英语。

1369年

中国洪武皇帝朱元璋开办了瓷器厂，制造养金鱼的容器。现代鱼缸的形状便由此演化而来，但缸养并不适宜鱼类生存。

1493年

探险家克里斯托弗·哥伦布从南美回到西班牙，为西班牙女王伊莎贝拉带回一对古巴亚马孙鹦鹉。

1542年—1567年

苏格兰女王玛丽·斯图亚特被迫退位前，养的一群小狗穿着蓝色天鹅绒华服，伴随在她身边。相传，玛丽在1587年被斩首时，裙下还藏着一只小宠物狗。

1768年

英属殖民地弗吉尼亚的皇家总督宠养了28只红色鸟（很有可能是红衣凤头鸟）。19世纪末期，鸟成为最受美国人欢迎的室内宠物。直到20世纪30年代，金丝雀才成为人们最为青睐的笼养观赏鸟。

1860年左右

英国首次引入商业化狗粮。

1870年左右

一场火灾让世界著名女演员莎拉·伯恩哈特痛失爱龟。

1877年

英国作家安娜·休厄尔出版《黑骏马》，该书成为史上最畅销的书之一。她在书中展现出对役用动物的同情，使这些动物得到了更好的对待。

1910年

英国《乡村生活》杂志载文，倡导开车出门，这远比骑马更经济。尽管如此，20世纪20年代，像设得兰这种桀骜不驯的矮种马仍然深受富家子弟的垂青。

1931年

德国牧羊犬朱迪、梅塔和弗雷成为英国首批导盲犬。它们的新主人是在第一次世界大战中失明的退伍士兵。

1944年

英国国王乔治六世将一只名叫苏珊的彭布罗克威尔士柯吉犬送给爱女（即现任英国女王伊丽莎白二世）作18岁生日礼物。迄今，女王诸多的柯吉犬和多吉犬（柯吉犬和达克斯猎犬的杂交品种）都是苏珊的后代。

1947年

傻大猫与崔弟在华纳兄弟公司的卡通片《小鸟派》中首次一起亮相，成为动画史上最著名的喜剧搭档之一。

1950年代

女性痴迷小型犬。一些女性甚至给迷你贵宾犬染色以搭配自己的服装。

1956年

英国作家多迪·史密斯的小说《101只斑点狗》引发了饲养斑点狗的风潮。但令人难过的是，许多新晋主人随后就将狗狗弃至动物收容所。

1957年

苏联通过史普尼克2号人造卫星将小狗莱卡送入太空。

1967年

电视剧《星际迷航》中有一集叫“毛球族的麻烦”，主角是一种噬齿类动物——毛球，它们外形酷似豚鼠，制造出的噪音会惹怒克林贡人。毛球开始疯狂繁殖，几乎吃光了舰船上所有的食物。这集电视剧旨在告诉人们，引入外来物种有多么危险。1859年澳大利亚放养兔子一事即为佐证。

1975年

杰森是《蓝彼得》节目的第一只宠物猫，在圣诞节目《爱丽丝漫游蓝彼得记》中扮演柴郡猫。其声音与《蓝彼得》主持人约翰·诺克斯神似。

1978年

动画电影《瓦特希普高原》激发了人们饲养宠物兔的兴趣。

1984年

欧盟禁售野生地中海陆龟，打压了饲龟为宠的风潮。

1988年

澳大利亚沃利·科克伦培育出了首只拉布拉多德利犬，即贵宾犬和拉布拉多犬的杂交品种。其目的是培育出不会加重主人过敏症状的宠物狗。

1990年

《忍者神龟》第一部上映，引发人们饲养淡水龟的热情。

2005年

意大利罗马市禁止将金鱼和其他动物作为狂欢节奖品相互馈赠。

2006年

新西兰颁布法令，规定为所有登记在册的宠物狗颈部植入芯片，以便走失时确认身份。 □

（译者单位：西北师范大学外国语学院）

Most Famous Dogs in History (1)Laika, Soviet Space Dog

Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow， trained along with two other dogs for the Soviet space program in 1957. Eventually，she was selected as the sole occupant of the Sputnik 2， becoming the fi rst animal to orbit earth. At the time， the technology didn’t exist to de-orbit the spacecraft and return it to Earth safely， so Soviet of fi cials said that Laika was euthanized prior to oxygen depletion on the sixth day of orbit. It was revealed in 2002 that the dog actually died within hours of launch， due to overheating. In 2008， Soviet officials erected a small monument to Laika， near the military research facility where she was trained.