第2321期:Saved by cuteness

Save the gorilla! Protect tigers! Help the giant kangaroo rats! You've probably heard the first two slogans but maybe not the last one. We're often keen to support the conservation of animals like gorillas and tigers but less sympathetic to creatures like rats. Are our stereotypes affecting which animals we choose to protect?拯救大猩猩！ 保护老虎！ 帮助巨型袋鼠！ 您可能听说过前两个口号，但可能没有听过最后一个。 我们常常热衷于支持对大猩猩和老虎等动物的保护，但对老鼠等动物却不太同情。 我们的刻板印象是否会影响我们选择保护哪些动物？

Researchers have looked at the impact of 'warmth' – that's the perceived intentions, and 'competence' – the skill that different species appear to have. It's suggested that people are very keen to protect 'companions', such as dogs or monkeys, who score highly in warmth and competence. 'Predators', such as tigers or bears, score highly in competence but low in warmth. They are said to inspire awe and fear, and this means that while some people are keen to protect them, others hunt them. Animals seen as prey, like cows, rabbits, and pigs, generated more indifference, while people are prepared to actively harm those seen as low-warmth and low-competence 'pests', such as rats, mice, and fish.研究人员研究了“温暖”（即感知意图）和“能力”（不同物种似乎拥有的技能）的影响。 这表明人们非常热衷于保护“同伴”，例如狗或猴子，它们在温暖和能力方面得分很高。 “掠食者”，例如老虎或熊，在能力方面得分很高，但在温暖方面得分较低。 据说它们会激发敬畏和恐惧，这意味着虽然有些人热衷于保护它们，但另一些人却在猎杀它们。 被视为猎物的动物，如牛、兔子和猪，产生了更多的冷漠，而人们则准备积极伤害那些被视为低热情和低能力的“害虫”，如老鼠和鱼。

However, this might not be the full story. National Geographic Magazine asked their readers which animals were the most important to save. Four of the top five fit the companion or predator types – elephants, tigers, whales and polar bears. But the most popular animal to save was the bee. It seems that apart from concerns around warmth and competence, people are aware how species can impact the wider ecosystem and value bees as pollinators.然而，这可能不是故事的全部。 《国家地理》杂志询问读者哪些动物最值得拯救。 前五名中有四种属于伴侣或捕食者类型——大象、老虎、鲸鱼和北极熊。 但最受欢迎的动物是蜜蜂。 似乎除了对温暖和能力的担忧之外，人们还意识到物种如何影响更广泛的生态系统，并重视蜜蜂作为传粉媒介的价值。

According to some reports, 27,000 species are becoming extinct every year. How do zoos and conservation projects decide which animals to support? One factor is the importance of an animal to the wider ecosystem, but this can lead to some difficult choices. Phys.org reports that in Australia, koalas are much less important to the ecosystem than some lesser-known animals such as woylies. However, they also suggest a solution to this issue. To conserve cute animals, such as koalas, it's important to protect their entire habitat – and this can save a wide range of species. It could be that many animals can be sheltered by koalas' cuteness.
据一些报告称，每年有 27,000 个物种灭绝。 动物园和保护项目如何决定支持哪些动物？ 其中一个因素是动物对更广泛的生态系统的重要性，但这可能会导致一些困难的选择。 Phys.org 报道称，在澳大利亚，考拉对生态系统的重要性远不如一些鲜为人知的动物（例如考拉）。 然而，他们也提出了解决这个问题的方法。 为了保护考拉等可爱的动物，保护它们的整个栖息地非常重要 - 这可以拯救多种物种。 考拉的可爱可能可以庇护许多动物。

词汇表

conservation （动植物或资源的）保护
warmth 温暖，热情
competence 能力
species 物种
companion 伴侣，同伴
predator 掠食者
awe 敬畏
hunt 捕猎
prey 猎物
harm 伤害
pest 害虫，有害的动物
concern 关心的事情，担忧的事情
wider ecosystem 更广泛的生态系统
pollinator 授粉者
extinct 灭绝
woylie 毛尾袋鼠
habitat 栖息地
shelter 提供庇护