第1674期:Do animals have emotions?

When you encounter animals, do you wonder what they’re thinking? Seeing a newborn lamb or a cute puppy might stir up happy emotions in us, but what are they thinking? Does the look on their face and how they behave indicate how they’re feeling – or are they feeling nothing at all?

当你遇到动物时，你想知道他们在想什么吗？看到一只刚出生的小羊或一只可爱的小狗可能会在我们心中激起快乐的情绪，但他们在想什么？他们脸上的表情和他们的举止是否表明他们的感受——或者他们根本没有任何感觉？

Humans have a complex range of emotions, but it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside the heads of animals, mainly because they can’t verbalise their feelings. Perhaps it’s pets we think we understand most – as they are the animals we spend a lot of time with and therefore get to know best. Some of us own dogs because they are good companions, are loyal and seem to connect with us. We might even think they love us, although love could just be a human emotion. Professor Kim Bard, an expert in comparative developmental psychology from the University of Portsmouth, told the BBC: “We have a few studies now that actually show, scientifically… that [some] dogs will respond with empathetic concern when their owner – but not a stranger – pretends to cry.” The empathetic ability of cats, however, is harder to work out.

人类的情绪范围很复杂，但很难说出动物脑袋里在想什么，主要是因为它们无法用语言表达自己的感受。也许我们认为我们最了解的是宠物——因为它们是我们花很多时间陪伴的动物，因此最了解它们。我们中的一些人养狗是因为它们是好伙伴、忠诚并且似乎与我们有联系。我们甚至可能认为他们爱我们，尽管爱可能只是一种人类情感。朴茨茅斯大学比较发展心理学专家金巴德教授告诉 BBC：“我们现在有一些研究实际上表明，科学地......陌生人——假装哭。”然而，猫的移情能力更难锻炼。

Other non-domesticated animals might have feelings too. Giraffes and whales, for example, are known to experience grief when someone in their group dies. Farm animals we often eat, such as cows and chickens, are also believed to experience pain, joy and other emotions. Their wellbeing is now taken into consideration more. And in the UK, new legislation means all vertebrate animals and crustaceans will be recognised in law as sentient beings. It’s believed even tiny creatures like insects might have emotions as well. Research is beginning to show they experience a wide range of feelings. Writing for BBC Future website, Zaria Gorvett says “they can be optimistic, cynical, or frightened, and respond to pain just like any mammal would.”

其他未驯养的动物也可能有感觉。例如，众所周知，长颈鹿和鲸鱼在其群体中有人死亡时会感到悲伤。我们经常吃的农场动物，如牛和鸡，也被认为会经历痛苦、快乐和其他情绪。他们的福祉现在被更多地考虑在内。在英国，新立法意味着所有脊椎动物和甲壳类动物都将在法律上被视为有情众生。据信，即使像昆虫这样的微小生物也可能有情感。研究开始表明他们会体验到各种各样的感受。 Zaria Gorvett 为 BBC Future 网站撰稿说：“它们可以是乐观的、愤世嫉俗的或害怕的，并且像任何哺乳动物一样对疼痛做出反应。”

Dr Barbara J King, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, told the BBC: “If we understand the profound depths of emotions animals can feel, this should make us question the existence of zoos and slaughterhouses around the world, and rethink those systems.” It does seem all creatures feel emotion, but what is not clear is do they feel the same way as us?

威廉玛丽学院人类学名誉教授芭芭拉·J·金 (Barbara J King) 博士告诉 BBC：“如果我们了解动物可以感受到的深远情感，这应该会让我们质疑世界各地动物园和屠宰场的存在，以及重新考虑这些系统。”似乎所有的生物都有情感，但不清楚的是它们是否和我们有同样的感受？

词汇表

stir up 激起（情感）
emotion 情感，情绪
feel 感觉
a range of 各种，不同的
verbalise 用语言表达
feelings 情感，感情
companion 同伴，伙伴
connect with 与…合得来，情感相通
empathetic 有同感的，通人情的
concern 担忧
experience 感受，体会
grief 悲痛，悲伤
pain 疼痛，痛苦
joy 喜悦
sentient 有感知能力的
optimistic 乐观的
cynical 持怀疑态度的
frightened 害怕的