养宠物的真正好处

近日，狗伤人相关事件引发关注，持续发酵。

🤔️小作业：

1. What is the author's attitude toward the claimed health benefits of pet ownership?

a) Highly skeptical

b) Generally supportive

c) Completely dismissive

d) Indifferent

a) Pets have a positive impact on cardiovascular health.

b) Pet owners tend to be more social.

c) Pet owners usually have attributes linked to good health.

d) Pets help in stress reduction.

无注释原文：

The Real Benefits of Pet Ownership

From: The Wall Street Journal

Oct. 27, 2017

It's referred to as “the pet effect.” Some researchers have proposed that having a pet bestows a dazzling array of health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Others have claimed that pets can combat stress, relieve depression and enhance self-esteem, and that their company makes children more empathetic. “Pet therapy” is widely practiced in hospitals and facilities for the elderly.

Until fairly recently, many animals were seen as harmful—carriers of parasites and disease. But now they're considered part of a healthy lifestyle. While most people probably don't acquire a pet because they think it will make them live longer, they might believe it will be a kind of panacea for modern living.

The problem is that these claims about the benefits of pet ownership don't always hold up to scientific scrutiny. Some early studies did show that dog owners were generally in better shape than those without dogs, but a recent analysis of the health records of more than 40,000 California residents by the Rand Corp., working in conjunction with the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that these differences can be attributed to other characteristics of pet owners. Owners are more likely to be white, married and homeowners—attributes that are all linked to good health.

Rather than pets making people healthy, it's more likely that healthy people choose to own pets. Anyone with a hint of declining health will think twice before going out to get a dog. (They may choose a cat instead. Several studies indicate that cat owners have poorer-than-average health. There is no reason to believe that cats make people sick; it's more likely that less healthy people choose cats for companions, given that they require far less work than a dog.)

The Rand study also cast doubt on the fact that children raised alongside pets become more empathic, acquire better social skills or have higher self-esteem. Once the many other advantages enjoyed by pet-owning families were factored in, these differences disappeared.

Children whose parents have spare cash to spend on education, have stable jobs and live in a house with a yard to play safely all outperform their less fortunate peers on measures of health and behavior. These same factors make it more likely that parents will add a pet to the family. Caring for a pet may teach children responsibility, but it doesn't necessarily make them better people.

Even if pets don't make us healthier, or better, they do earn their keep in other ways. For one, they can have a strong calming effect. Studies have shown that interacting with a dog can improve a person's mood. Stroking a dog results in a surge of oxytocin and endorphins—hormones that promote bonding and feelings of well-being.

These hormonal effects are generally short-lived, but in the same way that people in long-term relationships tend to be healthier than those who live alone, the effects may accumulate over time. Still, as every pet owner knows, a relationship with an animal isn't just about snuggling. For every relaxing moment on the couch, there is a frustrating one: the dog that won't come back when called, the cat that scratches the drapes. This ongoing stress may explain why pet owners aren't ultimately healthier than those who live without them.

Of course, pet ownership can change human behavior in ways that could improve our health. Logically, a dog that needs to be exercised daily ought to improve the owner's health. However, studies suggest that most owners don't walk their dogs with sufficient vigor to improve their cardiovascular fitness. (This is good news for dogs, for whom the daily walk is not so much a workout as a chance to catch up on sniffing for signs of other dogs in the neighborhood, which requires a leisurely pace.) Other aspects of the walk may provide more benefits. Recent studies have shown that regular exposure to green spaces lowers stress in itself.

People who walk their dogs in public places may have noticed another manifestation of the “pet effect”—that having their dog nearby brings them into conversation with passersby. Research has confirmed that this is a real effect, applying to men and women alike. In a 2015 study published in the journal Anthrozoös, a young man walking around a shopping precinct with a friendly Labrador retriever by his side was able to persuade one woman in three to part with their phone numbers, compared with less than one in 10 when he was on his own.

This aura of trustworthiness may be the true power behind the “pet effect.” A 2015 study published in PLOS One surveyed almost 2,000 residents in Nashville, San Diego and Portland, Ore., and found that pet owners were more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than those without pets. Dog owners met other owners on walks, of course, but cat owners also bonded with one another through mutual offers to watch each others' pets while they were on vacation. Pets help build communities, breaking down barriers between people and paving the way for us to build networks of friendships.

The same effect may account for much of the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapies, with the animal drawing the patient into relaxed conversation with the human therapist.

Pets make people happy, and bring people together. Does it really matter if they don't have the power to prolong our lifespans?

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为华尔街日报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

The Real Benefits of Pet Ownership

From: The Wall Street Journal

Oct. 27, 2017

It's referred to as “the pet effect.” Some researchers have proposed that having a pet bestows a dazzling array of health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Others have claimed that pets can combat stress, relieve depression and enhance self-esteem, and that their company makes children more empathetic. “Pet therapy” is widely practiced in hospitals and facilities for the elderly.

有一种效应叫“宠物效应”。一些研究人员指出，养宠物能给健康带来很多明显好处，比如降低胆固醇、降低血压以及减少罹患心血管疾病的风险等等。其他一些人还声称，养宠物的人能更好应对压力、缓解抑郁并增强自信，而且在宠物的陪伴下，儿童会更有同情心。“宠物疗法”在老年医院和养老中心也得到广泛应用。

bestow /bɪˈstəʊ/ 表示“授予；给予；赠给”，英文解释为“To bestow something on someone means to give or present it to them.”举个🌰：The United States bestowed honorary citizenship upon England's World War II prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill. 美国授予了二战期间的英国首相温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士荣誉公民的称号。

dazzling /ˈdæz.əl.ɪŋ/  1）表示“光彩夺目的，靓丽的；令人眼花缭乱的”，英文解释为“extremely attractive or exciting”如：dazzling good looks 靓丽的容貌，a dazzling smile 灿烂的微笑，a dazzling performance/display 精彩的表演/展示。

2）表示“（光线）刺眼的，耀眼的，眩目的”，英文解释为“A dazzling light is so bright that you cannot see for a short time after looking at it.”如：a dazzling white light 一道刺眼的白光。

array /əˈreɪ/ 表示“（尤指非常有吸引力、令人赞赏并常以特定的方式排列的）一系列，一批，大量，大群”，英文解释为“a large group of things or people, especially one that is attractive or causes admiration or has been positioned in a particular way”举个🌰：There was a splendid array of food on the table. 满桌子都是美味佳肴。

cholesterol /kə'lɛstərɔl/ 表示“胆固醇”，英文解释为“Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease.”如：a dangerously high cholesterol level. 危险的高胆固醇水平。

cardiovascular /ˌkɑːdɪəʊˈvæskjʊlə/ 表示“心血管的”，英文解释为“Cardiovascular means relating to the heart and blood vessels.”举个🌰：Smoking places you at serious risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. 吸烟会严重增加罹患心血管和呼吸道疾病的风险。

self-esteem /ˌself.ɪˈstiːm/ 表示“自尊”，英文解释为“belief and confidence in your own ability and value”举个🌰：The compliments she received after the presentation boosted her self-esteem. 发言后得到的赞誉增强了她的自尊感。

empathetic /ˌem.pəˈθet.ɪk/ 表示“表示同情的；有同感的，产生共鸣的”，英文解释为“having the ability to imagine how someone else feels”如：a kind and empathetic friend 一个善解人意的朋友。

Until fairly recently, many animals were seen as harmful—carriers of parasites and disease. But now they're considered part of a healthy lifestyle. While most people probably don't acquire a pet because they think it will make them live longer, they might believe it will be a kind of panacea for modern living.

直到不久前，许多动物还因为携带寄生虫和各种疾病被视为对人有害。而现在，人们认为饲养动物是健康生活方式的一部分。虽然大部分人不会为了追求长寿而养宠物，但他们可能相信这将是现代生活的一剂灵丹妙药。

parasite /ˈpærəˌsaɪt/ 表示“寄生植物；寄生动物；寄生虫”，英文解释为“a plant or animal that lives on or in another plant or animal and gets food from it”。

panacea /ˌpæn.əˈsiː.ə/ 表示“（能解决一切问题的）万能之计，灵丹妙药”，英文解释为“something that will solve all problems; something that will cure all illnesses”举个🌰：Technology is not a panacea for all our problems. 技术并非灵丹妙药，不能解决我们的一切问题。

The problem is that these claims about the benefits of pet ownership don't always hold up to scientific scrutiny. Some early studies did show that dog owners were generally in better shape than those without dogs, but a recent analysis of the health records of more than 40,000 California residents by the Rand Corp., working in conjunction with the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that these differences can be attributed to other characteristics of pet owners. Owners are more likely to be white, married and homeowners—attributes that are all linked to good health.

问题在于，这些养宠物有益的说法并不总经得起科学研究的推敲。一些早期研究确实显示养狗的人通常比不养狗的人的健康状况更好，但与加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校(University of California, Los Angeles)合作的兰德公司(Rand Corp.)最近分析了超过4万名加州居民的医疗记录指出，这种健康状况的不同可能是由宠物饲养者其他方面的特征决定的。白种人、已婚人士以及拥有自己房产的人更可能养宠物，这些都是和良好的健康状况相关。

scrutiny /ˈskruːtɪnɪ/表示“细看，仔细审查；监视”，英文解释为“the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it”举个🌰：His private life came under media scrutiny. 他的私生活开始受到媒体的密切关注。

表示“结合；联合；同时发生”，英文解释为“the situation in which events or conditions combine or happen together”，in conjunction with 连同，共同；与…协力，举个🌰：There is a team of writers working in conjunction (with each other) on the book. 有一个作家小组在合作撰写这部书。

表示“特性，特质，属性”，英文解释为“a quality or feature, especially one that is considered to be good or useful”举个🌰：What attributes should a good manager possess? 一名优秀的经理应该具备哪些素质？

作动词，attribute sth to sb/sth 表示“把…归因于…；认为…由…生产；认为…是…所为”，英文解释为“to say or think that something is the result or work of something or someone else”举个🌰：The doctors have attributed the cause of the illness to an unknown virus. 医生们认为这种疾病是由一种未知的病毒引起的。

Rather than pets making people healthy, it's more likely that healthy people choose to own pets. Anyone with a hint of declining health will think twice before going out to get a dog. (They may choose a cat instead. Several studies indicate that cat owners have poorer-than-average health. There is no reason to believe that cats make people sick; it's more likely that less healthy people choose cats for companions, given that they require far less work than a dog.)

要说宠物让人们变得健康，不如说健康人群更可能选择养宠物。但凡觉得身体有点走下坡路的人在养狗前都会三思。（他们最终可能选择养猫。若干研究表明，养猫的人健康状况低于平均水平。倒不是说养猫会让人生病，更可能的情况是身体较差的人通常会选择猫作为陪伴，因为与养狗所需的精力相比养猫要省心得多。）

hint /hɪnt/ 作名词，1）表示“暗示，提示，示意”，英文解释为“something that you say or do that shows what you think or want, usually in a way that is not direct”举个🌰：He's dropped (= given) several hints to the boss that he'll quit if he doesn't get a promotion. 他已经向老板暗示了好几次，如果不获得升职他就会辞职。

2）表示“建议”，英文解释为“a piece of advice that helps you to do something”举个🌰：Could you give us a hint about how to do this exercise, please? 你能不能给我们一些关于如何做这个练习的建议？

3）表示“很少量”，英文解释为“a very small amount of something”举个🌰：There's just a hint of brandy in the sauce. 调味汁中只有很少的白兰地。

作动词，表示“暗示，示意”，英文解释为“to suggest something in an indirect way, but so that someone can guess your meaning”举个🌰：What are you hinting at? 你在暗示什么？

The Rand study also cast doubt on the fact that children raised alongside pets become more empathic, acquire better social skills or have higher self-esteem. Once the many other advantages enjoyed by pet-owning families were factored in, these differences disappeared.

至于有宠物陪伴成长的儿童更具同情心、能获得更好的社交技能且自信心更强的说法，兰德公司的研究也提出了质疑。一旦把拥有宠物的家庭所具备的其他优势考虑进来，宠物导致了上述差异之说也就站不住脚了。

表示“对…怀有疑虑，对…表示怀疑”，英文解释为“to make something seem uncertain”举个🌰：Witnesses have cast doubt on the accused's innocence. 证人们对嫌疑人是否清白表示怀疑。

Children whose parents have spare cash to spend on education, have stable jobs and live in a house with a yard to play safely all outperform their less fortunate peers on measures of health and behavior. These same factors make it more likely that parents will add a pet to the family. Caring for a pet may teach children responsibility, but it doesn't necessarily make them better people.

从健康和行为等标准来看，相比条件差的孩子，那些父母有额外教育开支、有稳定工作、住房有可供安全玩耍的庭院的孩子全都表现更好。这些因素也是父母更可能在家里养宠物的原因。照顾宠物或许能让儿童学会承担责任，但并不意味着孩子会因此成为更好的人。

outperform /ˌaʊt.pəˈfɔːm/ 表示“超过，胜过；比…做得好”，英文解释为“to do well in a particular job or activity compared to others of a similar type”举个🌰：The company has consistently outperformed its rivals this season. 这一季，这家公司的表现一直优于竞争对手。

作动词，表示“仔细看，端详；费力地看”，英文解释为“to look carefully or with difficulty”举个🌰：When no one answered the door, she peered through the window to see if anyone was there. 没有人开门，她就费力地透过窗户朝里望去，看是否有人在。

作名词，表示“同龄人；同辈；同等社会地位（或能力）的人”，英文解释为“a person who is the same age or has the same social position or the same abilities as other people in a group”

Even if pets don't make us healthier, or better, they do earn their keep in other ways. For one, they can have a strong calming effect. Studies have shown that interacting with a dog can improve a person's mood. Stroking a dog results in a surge of oxytocin and endorphins—hormones that promote bonding and feelings of well-being.

即使宠物不会让我们变得更健康或更好，但在其他方面还是有很多好处的。比如，宠物能带来强大的安抚作用。研究发现，和狗互动能够改善人的心情。抚摸狗能促进催产素和内啡肽——提高亲密感和幸福感的荷尔蒙——的分泌。

表示“交互，交流，交往；互相作用，互相影响”，英文解释为“to communicate with or react to”举个🌰：Her teacher says that she interacts well with the other children. 她的老师说她与别的孩子相处得很好。

stroke /strəʊk/ 作名词，表示“中风”，英文解释为“a sudden change in the blood supply to a part of the brain, sometimes causing a loss of the ability to move particular parts of the body”

作动词，表示“轻抚，抚摸”，英文解释为“to move a hand, another part of the body, or an object gently over something or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure”举个🌰：Stroke the dog if you want, he won't bite. 想摸这条狗就摸，它不会咬人的。

1）作动词，表示“急剧上升；飞涨；剧增”，英文解释为“If something surges, it increases suddenly and greatly, after being steady or developing only slowly.”举个🌰：The company's profits have surged. 公司的利润激增。

2）作名词，表示“剧增”，英文解释为“A surge is a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly.”举个🌰：An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash. 突然出现的电压剧增导致电脑死机。

🎬电影《雷神2：黑暗世界》（Thor: The Dark World）中的台词提到：But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her. 但她体内涌动的能量太大 她撑不住的。

oxytocin /ˌɑːk.sɪˈtoʊ-/ 表示“催产素”，英文解释为“a hormone that helps with labour (= the process of pushing out a baby) and helps women and female mammals to produce milk.”

endorphin /enˈdɔː.fɪn/ 表示“内啡呔”，英文解释为“a chemical naturally, released in the brain to reduce pain, that in large amounts can make you feel relaxed or full of energy”

hormone /ˈhɔːməʊn/ 表示“激素；荷尔蒙”，英文解释为“a chemical substance produced in the body or in a plant that encourages growth or influences how the cells and tissues function; an artificial substance that has similar effects”，如：growth hormones 生长激素。

These hormonal effects are generally short-lived, but in the same way that people in long-term relationships tend to be healthier than those who live alone, the effects may accumulate over time. Still, as every pet owner knows, a relationship with an animal isn't just about snuggling. For every relaxing moment on the couch, there is a frustrating one: the dog that won't come back when called, the cat that scratches the drapes. This ongoing stress may explain why pet owners aren't ultimately healthier than those who live without them.

这些荷尔蒙效应通常持续时间不长，但就像处在长期关系中的人往往比独居的人更健康一样，这些有利效应会随着时间推移逐渐累积。不过，每个养宠物的人也都知道，你和“小祖宗”之间并不是总是深情依偎的关系。每当你靠在沙发上放松时，总会有一些让人抓狂的情况：唤狗狗不过来，猫总爱挠窗帘。这些持续不断的压力或许能解释为什么养宠物的人最终没有比不养宠物的人更健康。

表示“积累；积聚；积攒”，英文解释为“to collect a large number of things over a long period of time”举个🌰：As people accumulate more wealth, they tend to spend a greater proportion of their incomes. 人们积累了更多财富后，他们的花费占收入的比重也往往会增加。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述疫情期间房价上涨的文章中提到：Professionals who have carried on working from home but cut back on their spending have accumulated cash to splash. 那些改换成在家中继续工作但减少了开支的专业人士则积攒了可大笔支出的现金。

对比：

📍amass 表示“（尤指大量）积累，积聚”，英文解释为“to collect sth, especially in large quantities”举个🌰：He amassed a fortune from delivering newspapers.他靠送报纸积累了一笔财富。

📍rack up表示“大量获得（利润）；严重遭受（损失）；（体育中）多次赢得（比赛）”，英文解释为“If a business racks up profits, losses, or sales, it makes a lot of them. If a sportsman, sportswoman, or team racks up wins, they win a lot of games or races.”

snuggle /ˈsnʌɡ.əl/ 表示“（使）依偎，紧贴，蜷伏；舒适地偎依，躺下”，英文解释为“to move yourself into a warm and comfortable position, especially one in which your body is against another person or covered by something”举个🌰：The children snuggled up to their mother to get warm. 孩子们紧紧地偎依在母亲身边取暖。

scratch /skrætʃ/ 表示“抓；搔；擦；划”，英文解释为“to cut or damage a surface or your skin slightly with or on something sharp or rough”举个🌰：Be careful not to scratch yourself on the roses.当心不要被玫瑰刺扎伤。

drape /dreɪp/ 作动词，表示“将（衣服、织物等）悬挂，披”；be draped in/with sth 表示“被…蒙住，被…盖住”，英文解释为“to be loosely covered with a cloth”举个🌰：The coffins were all draped with the national flag. 所有灵柩上都覆盖着国旗。作名词，drapes 通常复数，表示“（厚布制成的）帷，幕，窗帘”，英文解释为“heavy curtains made with thick cloth”

Of course, pet ownership can change human behavior in ways that could improve our health. Logically, a dog that needs to be exercised daily ought to improve the owner's health. However, studies suggest that most owners don't walk their dogs with sufficient vigor to improve their cardiovascular fitness. (This is good news for dogs, for whom the daily walk is not so much a workout as a chance to catch up on sniffing for signs of other dogs in the neighborhood, which requires a leisurely pace.) Other aspects of the walk may provide more benefits. Recent studies have shown that regular exposure to green spaces lowers stress in itself.

当然，养宠物能改变人类的行为，进而改善我们的健康状况。就逻辑而言，每天遛狗应该能改善主人的健康。而研究显示，大多数宠物主人遛狗时的锻炼强度并不足以改善他们的心血管健康。（这对狗来说是个好消息，因为每天遛狗对它们来说不是锻炼，而是趁机嗅嗅看附近有没有其他狗的气味，狗需要悠闲地溜达才能进行这种“嗅察”。）遛狗在其他方面可能有更多好处。近期研究发现，定期接触绿地能够降低狗的压力水平。

vigour /ˈvɪɡ.ər/ 1）表示“体力；精力；活力”，英文解释为“strength, energy, or enthusiasm”举个🌰：They set about their work with youthful vigour and enthusiasm. 他们带着年轻人的活力与热情开始了工作。

2）表示“（思想、观点等的）气势，力量”，英文解释为“strength of thought, opinion, expression, etc.”举个🌰：He gave his side of the story with vigour. 他充满激情地从自己的角度讲述了这件事。

表示“（身体）锻炼，训练”，英文解释为“a period of physical exercise”如：a light workout 运动量小的锻炼。

sniff /snɪf/ 1）表示“（吸着气）嗅，闻”，英文解释为“breathe air in through the nose in order to discover or enjoy the smell of sth”如：sniffing the fresh morning air 吸着早晨的新鲜空气。

2）表示“抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）”，英文解释为“to breathe air in through your nose in a way that makes a sound, especially when you are crying, have a cold, etc.”举个🌰：We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。

People who walk their dogs in public places may have noticed another manifestation of the “pet effect”—that having their dog nearby brings them into conversation with passersby. Research has confirmed that this is a real effect, applying to men and women alike. In a 2015 study published in the journal Anthrozoös, a young man walking around a shopping precinct with a friendly Labrador retriever by his side was able to persuade one woman in three to part with their phone numbers, compared with less than one in 10 when he was on his own.

在公共场合遛狗的人可能已经发现了“宠物效应”的另一种表现方式：牵着狗更容易和路人开启一段对话。研究证实这种效应真实存在，对男女均适用。知名动物期刊《Anthrozoös》2015年刊登的研究显示，一名年轻男子牵着一条友好的拉布拉多犬在购物区散步，他在与女性攀谈后得到电话号码的几率为三分之一，而他一个人时的成功几率不到十分之一。

manifestation /ˌmæn.ɪ.fesˈteɪ.ʃən/ 表示“表现；显现”，英文解释为“appearance”也可以指“显示；表明”，英文解释为“a sign of something existing or happening”举个🌰：Unlike acid rain or deforestation, global warming has no visible manifestation. 不同于酸雨和森林砍伐，全球变暖并没有明显可见的表像。

passerby / passer-by /ˌpɑː.səˈbaɪ/ 表示“（尤指在不寻常之事发生时经过某处的）过路人，行人”，英文解释为“someone who is going past a particular place, especially when something unusual happens”，注意复数形式 passersby.

precinct /ˈpriːsɪŋkt/ 1）表示“管辖区；（尤指）警区，选区”，英文解释为“a division of a city or a town, especially an area protected by a particular unit of the police or a division used for voting purposes”举个🌰：The voter turnout in most precincts is expected to be high. 大多数选区的选民参选率预计都会很高。

2）表示“（建筑物等的）周围区域；（尤指由围墙围成的）院落，场地”，英文解释为“the area that surrounds a building or place, especially one with a wall around it”举个🌰：A tunnel entrance was found within the precincts of the prison camp. 监狱院落里发现了一个地道入口。

表示“寻回犬”，英文解释为“A retriever is a kind of dog. Retrievers are traditionally used to bring back birds and animals that their owners have shot.”

📍The Labrador Retriever, often abbreviated to Labrador, is a breed of retriever-gun dog from the United Kingdom that was developed from imported Canadian fishing dogs. 📍拉布拉多犬或称拉布拉多拾猎犬是一种中大型犬类，天生个性温和、活泼、没有攻击性和智商高，是适合被选作导盲犬或其他工作犬的狗品种，跟黄金猎犬、哈士奇并列三大低攻击性犬类之一。

part /pɑːt/ 表示“（尤指不情愿地）放弃，舍弃”，英文解释为“to give something to someone else, especially when you do not want to”举个🌰：I was going to give away her old baby clothes, but I couldn't bring myself to part with them. 我原打算把她旧的婴儿服送人，但就是舍不得。

This aura of trustworthiness may be the true power behind the “pet effect.” A 2015 study published in PLOS One surveyed almost 2,000 residents in Nashville, San Diego and Portland, Ore., and found that pet owners were more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than those without pets. Dog owners met other owners on walks, of course, but cat owners also bonded with one another through mutual offers to watch each others' pets while they were on vacation. Pets help build communities, breaking down barriers between people and paving the way for us to build networks of friendships.

这种可信赖感可能是“宠物效应”背后真正的力量。PLOS One 2015年刊登的一项研究对纳什维尔、圣地亚哥和俄勒冈州波特兰近2,000名居民做了调查，调查发现，养宠物的人比不养宠物的人更容易结识邻居。狗主人在遛狗时能认识其他狗主人，而养猫的人通过互相帮忙照看猫（比如猫主人休假的情况）也能认识其他人。宠物有助于建立邻里连接，打破人与人之间的隔阂，提供了建立友谊的途径。

aura /ˈɔːrə/ 表示“气氛；氛围；气质”，英文解释为“a feeling or particular quality that is very noticeable and seems to surround a person or place”。

The same effect may account for much of the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapies, with the animal drawing the patient into relaxed conversation with the human therapist.

这类效应可能也是动物协助疗法卓有成效的主要原因。有动物作陪，病人和治疗师能更轻松地展开交谈。

Pets make people happy, and bring people together. Does it really matter if they don't have the power to prolong our lifespans?

宠物让我们感到开心，拉近人与人的距离。所以就算它们无法让我们更长寿，那又有什么大不了？

prolong /prəˈlɒŋ/ 表示“延长，拖延”，英文解释为“to make something last a longer time”举个🌰：We were having such a good time that we decided to prolong our stay by another week. 我们过得非常愉快，决定再多呆一个星期。

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