TED演讲 第4期:抑郁的狗 强迫症的猫(4)

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I was in Thailand to do some research.  我在泰国做一些研究。

I met a monkey named Bonus, and when Bonus was a baby, he was attacked by a pack of dogs, and they ripped off both of his legs and one arm, and Bonus dragged himself to a monastery², where the monks³ took him in.  我碰到一只猴子名叫布鲁纳，在布鲁纳很小的时候被一群狗攻击了，它们扯掉了他的双腿和一条手臂，然后布鲁纳把自己拖到了一个寺院，一个和尚把他带了进去。

They called in a veterinarian, who treated his wounds.  把他交给兽医治疗伤口。

Eventually, Bonus wound up at an elephant facility, and the keepers really decided⁴ to take him under their wing, and they figured out what he liked, which, it turned out, was mint Mentos and Rhinoceros⁵ beetles⁶ and eggs.。 最后布鲁纳去了一个大象收容所，饲养员决定把他留下，还发现他喜欢薄荷味曼妥思、独角仙和蛋。

But they worried, because he was social, that he was lonely, and they didn't want to put him in with another monkey, because they thought with just one arm, he wouldn't be able to defend himself or even play. 但他们很担心，因为他喜社交却也很孤独，他们不想把他跟其他猴子放在一起，。因为他们觉得，一只手臂的它根本无法自卫，甚至根本不能一起玩耍。

And so they gave him a rabbit, and Bonus was immediately a different monkey. was extremely happy to be with this rabbit.  然后，他们就给了它只兔子，。它很喜欢跟这只兔子腻在一起。

They groomed⁷ each other, they become close friends, and then the rabbit had bunnies, and Bonus was even happier than he was before, and it had in a way given him. 它们帮彼此梳毛， 成为了很亲密的朋友，然后这只兔子生了宝宝，而布鲁纳比之前更快乐，这给了他早晨起床的动力。

A reason to wake up in the morning, and in fact it gave him such a reason to wake up that he decided not to sleep. 实际上动力太足他干脆不睡了。。

He became extremely protective of these bunnies, and he stopped sleeping, and he would sort of nod off while trying to take care of them. 他对兔宝宝有极强的保护欲，他不睡觉了。结果在照顾兔宝宝时坐着打瞌睡。

In fact, he was so protective and so affectionate with these babies that the sanctuary⁸ eventually had to take them away from him. 实际上他的保护欲太强，收容所不得不把它们分开。

Because he was so protective, he was worried that their mother might hurt them.  因为他保护欲过强甚至担心兔妈妈会伤害它们。

So after they were taken away, the sanctuary staff worried that he would fall into a depression, and so to avoid that, they gave him another rabbit friend.  所以当兔宝宝被拿走后，收容所的员工们担心它会沮丧，为了避免这样，又给了他另外一直兔子朋友。

My official opinion is that he does not look depressed⁹.  我的专业意见是 它看起来完全不消沉。

So one thing that I would really like people to feel is that you really should feel empowered to make some assumptions about the creatures that you know well. 所以 有一件事我很想让很多人知道，你们其实被赋予了准确猜测你所熟悉的动物的能力。

So when it comes to your dog or your cat or maybe your one-armed monkey that you happen to know, if you think that they are traumatized or depressed, you're probably right.  所以， 当你自己的狗狗或猫，又或者你认识的独臂猴。如果你觉得它们有创伤或消沉的话，你八成是对的。

This is extremely anthropomorphic, or the assignation of human characteristics onto non-human animals or things. 他们可以被极端拟人化。即是说，其他生物或事物被赋予人类的特点。

I don't think, though, that that's a problem.  但我不觉得这是问题。

I don't think that we cannot anthropomorphize.  我们别无他法，只能拟人化。

It's not as if you can take your human brain out of your head and put it in a jar and then use it to think about another animal thinking.  因为你不可能把人脑从脑袋里取出来。再放到一个罐子里用来思考其他动物的思维。

We will always be one animal wondering about the emotional experience of another animal.  我们永远会是一个动物好奇另外一个动物的精神体会。

So then the choice becomes, how do you anthropomorphize well?  所以我们的选择是， 把拟人做得贴切。

Or do you anthropomorphize poorly?  还是做得糟糕？

And anthropomorphizing poorly  而糟糕的拟人实在太常见了。

It may include dressing¹⁰ your corgis up and throwing them a wedding, or getting too close to exotic wildlife because you believe that you had a spiritual connection.  装扮你的威尔士矮脚狗，让它们结婚，或跟野生动物靠的太近。因为相信自己和它们灵魂相连什么的。

There's all manner of things.。Anthropomorphizing well, however, I believe is based on accepting our animal similarities with other species. 要拟人得贴切我认为是基于接受我们跟其他物种的相似之处。

And using them to make assumptions that are informed about other animals' minds and experiences. 然后再用来做一些假设，使我们更了解其他动物的思维和经历。

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