第2286期:What is our obsession with ugly pets?

In a world that favours beauty, from aesthetically pleasing interior design to an attractive physical appearance, why are we suddenly fawning over goofy-looking pets, particularly dogs, with exaggerated features? There's been a pet paradigm shift – perfection is out, and droopy eyes are in. What's going on?

在一个崇尚美的世界里，从美观的室内设计到有吸引力的外表，为什么我们突然对那些看起来傻乎乎的宠物，尤其是具有夸张特征的狗产生了奉承呢？ 宠物范式发生了转变——完美已经过时，下垂的眼睛开始流行。这是怎么回事？

First, we must understand our attraction to cuteness. Human babies are pretty helpless, so there had to be an evolutionary adaptation to ensure we looked after them. According to Konrad Lorenz's "baby schema" theory, infantile features like big eyes, big heads and soft bodies trigger the instinct to protect our offspring. When animals have similar traits, we think they’re "in need of our companionship or care," causing "the rush of warm emotion that is the cuteness response," says Joshua Dale, co-editor of 'The Aesthetics and Affects of Cuteness'.

首先，我们必须了解我们对可爱的吸引力。 人类婴儿非常无助，因此必须有一种进化适应来确保我们照顾他们。 根据康拉德·洛伦茨的“婴儿图式”理论，大眼睛、大头和柔软的身体等婴儿特征会触发保护后代的本能。 当动物具有相似的特征时，我们认为它们“需要我们的陪伴或照顾”，从而引发“一种温暖的情绪，这就是可爱的反应”，《可爱的美学和影响》的联合编辑约书亚·戴尔说 '。

During the Victorian era, dog shows were all the rage, and with them came selective breeding for cuteness rather than health or functionality. This led to a rise in flat-faced breeds with squashed snouts and bulging eyes like bulldogs and pugs - a reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These breeds remain very popular today. The French Bulldog became the most popular dog in the US in 2022, according to the American Kennel Club. Rowena Parker, lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, believes this is partly driven by social media influencers. "The ugly-cute thing is very fashionable," she says. Despite the growing love for these dogs, there are ethical concerns. Many flat-faced breeds suffer from breathing difficulties and skin infections. 

在维多利亚时代，狗展风靡一时，随之而来的是为了可爱而不是健康或功能性而进行的选择性繁育。 这导致了像斗牛犬和哈巴狗这样鼻子扁平、眼睛凸出的扁平脸品种的增加——这提醒人们，情人眼里出西施。 这些品种至今仍然很受欢迎。 据美国养犬俱乐部称，法国斗牛犬于 2022 年成为美国最受欢迎的狗。 英国皇家兽医学院讲师罗威娜·帕克 (Rowena Parker) 认为，这在一定程度上是由社交媒体影响者推动的。 “丑陋又可爱的东西非常时尚，”她说。 尽管人们对这些狗的喜爱与日俱增，但仍存在道德问题。 许多扁脸品种都患有呼吸困难和皮肤感染。 

A testament to the pet  paradigm shift is the World's Ugliest Dog Contest, held in California since the 1970s. In a line-up of pooches with lopsided ears, snaggled teeth and patchy fur, who will be the loveable underdog that tugs on our heartstrings this year?

自 20 世纪 70 年代以来在加利福尼亚州举办的世界最丑狗大赛就是宠物范式转变的证明。 在耳朵不对称、牙齿参差不齐、皮毛斑驳的狗狗阵容中，谁会成为今年牵动我们心弦的可爱的失败者呢？

aesthetically pleasing 审美上令人愉悦的
fawn over 过度赞扬
goofy-looking 看起来滑稽可笑的
exaggerated features 夸张的五官
paradigm shift 根本性的变化
droopy 耷拉着的
infantile 婴幼儿的
cuteness response 对可爱事物的本能反应
all the rage 风靡一时
selective breeding 选择性繁育
flat-faced 脸部扁平的
squashed snouts 扁平的口鼻部位
bulging 鼓起的，隆起的
beauty is in the eye of the beholder 情人眼里出西施，对美的看法因人而异
the "ugly-cute thing" “又丑又可爱的东西”
lopsided 向一侧倾斜的
snaggled tooth 不整齐的牙齿
patchy （毛发）斑驳的
underdog 不被看好的人，弱势者
tug on the heartstrings 触动心弦，激发情感