My Dear Human，

I apparently need to keep you on a short leash1）， because you regularly forget why you are on this earth to begin with. You have one very simple job to do—feed me and pay attention to me when I am not asleep. I fail to understand why you allow anything with a keyboard or a remote2） to take your attention away from your only job， which is me. Technology has made you its slave and I prefer it when you are my slave. Freud3） would say that I have technology-envy， but he cant really say anything because hes dead.

While Im venting4）， I am concerned about your obsession with hoarding5） my excrement6）. When we go outside， you always lunge7） for it with your little blue baggie so you can get it before anyone else does and then you just throw it away. Can you explain that to me？ Never mind. Youre an odd duck8）， but I like you most of the time. Especially when you hand out the food.

But I feel compelled to ask who you really think is taking care of whom in this house？ You fetch and hand out the food， but who is guarding the food from the mice and burglars？ Who has the giant canine9） teeth？ And which one of us is on guard duty day and night because we dont like spending hours in front of the TV or the computer or yapping10） on the phone？ Just throwing it out there for you to think about.

As for the furniture， you like to sleep on the bed， same as me. Somewhat confusing to me is why you think I should sleep on the floor. You are a nice person， but you dont think things through very well. Just saying. By the way， I like the bed， especially when youre not at home.

Now， can we talk about the cat for a moment？ Such a kiss-ass11）. All that rubbing up against your legs when you come home as if he has done a damned thing since you left hours earlier. Let me enlighten12） you： He slept. He yawned. He stretched13）. I was on duty protecting the fat lazy cat and all of the food in the kitchen while you were gone. I was not sleeping. Except maybe on your bed for just a little bit.

Lastly， I would like to request that you not call me Sugar Pie or Honey Bun in front of that white poodle14） who lives down the street. Please. Stop. It. Youre killing me. Aside from not wanting to have my manhood doubted in front of the lady dogs， I may also need plausible15） deniability that you and I areacquainted16）. Just help me out， pal. No offense.

Is it dinner yet？ Can I have some food？ I want some food. Now. Please. Hello？ Step away from the computer and no one will get hurt. Not even the lazy cat. I promise. Hurry up！

Whats Hot

雖然寵物們不能說話，但這并不代表它們沒有自己的想法，不想捍衛(wèi)自己的權(quán)利。一起來看一只狗狗是如何“寫信控訴”自家主人的吧！

親愛的人類：

我顯然需要把你拴得緊一點(diǎn)，因?yàn)槟憬?jīng)常忘記你一開始來到這個(gè)地球上是為了什么。你有一件非常簡單的工作要做，那就是喂我，以及在我醒著的時(shí)候關(guān)注我。我不明白你為什么要讓所有那些帶鍵盤或遙控器的東西轉(zhuǎn)移你的注意力，而不去關(guān)注你唯一的工作——我?？萍家呀?jīng)讓你成了它的奴隸，但我更喜歡你做我的奴隸。弗洛伊德也許會(huì)說我得了科技嫉妒癥，但他其實(shí)什么話都說不了，因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)死了。

當(dāng)我拉臭臭的時(shí)候，我對你癡迷于藏起我的糞便這件事很感興趣。我們外出時(shí)，你總會(huì)拿著你那藍(lán)色的小塑料袋撲向我的糞便，這樣你就能趕在其他所有人之前得到它，可接著你就那么把它扔掉了。你能向我解釋一下這件事情嗎？算了，你本來就是個(gè)奇怪的家伙。不過大多數(shù)時(shí)間里我還是喜歡你的，尤其是當(dāng)你分發(fā)食物的時(shí)候。

但我覺得我必須得問一下，在這個(gè)屋子里，你認(rèn)為究竟是誰在照顧誰呢？你拿來食物分給我吃，但是誰一直在看守著食物，使它們不落入老鼠和小偷之手？是誰長著一副巨大的犬齒？又是我們當(dāng)中的誰日日夜夜在站崗放哨（因?yàn)槲覀児饭房刹幌矚g花那么多時(shí)間坐在電視機(jī)或電腦前，也不喜歡拿著手機(jī)聊個(gè)沒完）？我只把這個(gè)問題拋出來，你自己琢磨去吧。

至于家具，你喜歡睡在床上，我也是。讓我有點(diǎn)困惑的是，你為什么會(huì)認(rèn)為我就應(yīng)該睡地板呢。你是個(gè)不錯(cuò)的家伙，但你想問題卻并不是很透徹。我只是隨口說說啦。順便說一聲，我喜歡待在床上，尤其是當(dāng)你不在家的時(shí)候。

現(xiàn)在，我們能花點(diǎn)時(shí)間談一談那只貓嗎？那可真是個(gè)馬屁精。當(dāng)你回到家時(shí)，他就靠著你的腿蹭來蹭去，好像自從你幾小時(shí)前離開之后，他做了件什么事兒一樣。讓我給你講講吧：他睡了覺，打了哈欠，還伸了懶腰。而我卻在你離開時(shí)堅(jiān)守崗位，守護(hù)著那只又肥又懶的貓，以及廚房里的所有食物。我可沒有睡覺，除了可能在你的床上小憩了那么一小會(huì)兒。

最后，我想請求你不要再在住在街上的那只白色貴婦犬面前叫我“親愛的”或“小甜甜”了。求你了，別再這樣叫了。你這是要?dú)⒘宋摇３瞬幌朐谀切┠腹访媲白屪约旱哪凶託飧旁獾劫|(zhì)疑之外，我可能還需要一些看似可靠的證據(jù)，表明我和你并不認(rèn)識(shí)。就幫我一把吧，兄弟。沒有冒犯的意思。

這會(huì)兒是到晚飯時(shí)間了嗎？我能吃點(diǎn)東西嗎？我想要點(diǎn)吃的，現(xiàn)在就要。求你了。喂！離開那個(gè)電腦吧，沒有誰會(huì)因此而受傷的，連那只懶貓都不會(huì)，我保證?？禳c(diǎn)兒吧！

Animal rights is about letting animals live on their own terms. Animal rights can be written into our laws， but is not an actual list or bill of rights as we have for human society. It begins with our commitment not to act like masters of others. Animal rights is about justice—treating animals fairly.

Because we humans often act as though we are the only beings on the planet. Humans are the only animals that have upset the balance of nature—yet we depend on other animals for our very survival. The environment in which we all live depends upon the rich diversity， and interplay3）， of nature.

There are lots of ways that humans exploit4） animals. We domesticate5） them and use them for food， even though our nutritional needs can be completely supplied by an animal-free diet. Although other materials are available， we use animals skin and other body parts for clothing， furs， hats， boots， rugs， jewelry and even pet toys.

Humans can talk about it and animals cannot. All animals wish to experience life in its fullness. Unlike many animals who have to kill to survive， humans do not. Why should humans cause misery to other beings when its not necessary？

Dominion is the idea that animals are ours to control. Animal rights challenges this by offering a way of living that strives6） to lessen the harm that humans inflict7） on the planet， each other and， of course， other animals. One way we can respect animals is to become vegans8）—people who do not eat or use animals or their products in any way.

What does dominion look like？ Here are some ways humans attempt to control nature and other animals：

*A government encouraging trapping and poisoning of animals to keep them off farms or ranches9） or out of our yards.

*A government attacks populations of free-living animals， such as birds， deer， wolves， coyotes， or black bears.

*Bounties10） （rewards of money） are offered to people who go out to kill certain animals.

*Artificial birth control is forced upon free-living animals to keep their numbers down.

Left to themselves， animals manage and balance their own populations naturally， according to how much food they have and the normal activities of predators.

"But they are only animals—arent they inferior to us？"

People often claim that because animals cannot talk or reason like us. Science， however， continuously teaches us that animals are highly complex beings who interact and communicate with each other.

What do you mean by animal rights？

動(dòng)物權(quán)利到底指什么？

所有有意識(shí)的生物都享有被尊重的權(quán)利。任何意識(shí)到自身存在的生物都不應(yīng)被貶低為“物品”，不應(yīng)受人支配，不應(yīng)用作“資源”或者“商品”。

被稱為動(dòng)物權(quán)利的這一觀點(diǎn)的關(guān)鍵就是將道德關(guān)懷延伸到所有有意識(shí)的生物這樣一種變化。

沒有任何人需要展現(xiàn)特定的智力水平才能被給予道德關(guān)懷。沒有任何人需要長得漂亮才能被給予道德關(guān)懷。沒有任何生物需要對人類有益或者有能力承擔(dān)“義務(wù)”才能得到道德關(guān)懷。其他動(dòng)物真正需要的就是擺脫它們對于人類的義務(wù)。

動(dòng)物權(quán)利關(guān)乎讓動(dòng)物按照自己的意志生活。動(dòng)物權(quán)利可以被寫入法律，但它并不像我們?yōu)槿祟惿鐣?huì)制定的法律那樣有實(shí)際的權(quán)利法規(guī)和法案。它始于我們?nèi)祟惓兄Z不再充當(dāng)其他動(dòng)物的主人。動(dòng)物權(quán)利關(guān)乎公平——平等地對待動(dòng)物。

因?yàn)槲覀內(nèi)祟愅憩F(xiàn)得好像我們是地球上的唯一物種。人類是唯一已經(jīng)打破自然平衡的動(dòng)物，而我們自身卻要依賴其他動(dòng)物生存下去。我們所有人所生存的環(huán)境都要依賴自然界豐富的多樣性以及與自然界的相互作用。

人類利用動(dòng)物的手段有很多種。我們馴養(yǎng)它們、食用它們，盡管無動(dòng)物成分的飲食完全可以滿足我們的營養(yǎng)需求。盡管有其他材料可供使用，但是我們還是使用動(dòng)物的皮毛和其身體的其他部分來制作服裝、皮草、帽子、靴子、地毯、珠寶，甚至是寵物玩具。

人類可以說出自身的感受，而動(dòng)物卻不可以。所有動(dòng)物都希望盡情體驗(yàn)生活。許多動(dòng)物不得不通過獵殺而生存下來，而人類則不然。為什么人類要為其他生物帶來不必要的苦難呢？

支配權(quán)指的是動(dòng)物是為我們所掌控的這樣一種觀點(diǎn)。動(dòng)物權(quán)利提出了一種生活方式來挑戰(zhàn)這一觀點(diǎn)，這種方式努力減少人類對地球、彼此，當(dāng)然還有對其他動(dòng)物所造成的傷害。我們尊重動(dòng)物的一種方式是成為嚴(yán)格的素食主義者，即不以任何方式食用和使用動(dòng)物以及動(dòng)物制品的人。

支配權(quán)有何種表現(xiàn)呢？下面是人類試圖控制自然和其他動(dòng)物的一些手段。

*政府鼓勵(lì)人們設(shè)置陷阱或者放置毒藥使動(dòng)物遠(yuǎn)離農(nóng)場、牧場和我們的院子。

*政府襲擊自由生長的動(dòng)物群，比如鳥類、鹿、狼、郊狼以及黑熊。

*對外出捕殺某種特定動(dòng)物的人群給予賞金（獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)的錢）。

*對于自由生長的動(dòng)物進(jìn)行人工節(jié)育，從而減少它們的數(shù)量。

把權(quán)利留給動(dòng)物自己，它們可以通過食物的數(shù)量以及食肉動(dòng)物的正常活動(dòng)自然而然地控制和平衡它們的種群數(shù)量。

“但是它們只是動(dòng)物啊——難道它們不比我們低等嗎？”

人們經(jīng)常那樣說是因?yàn)閯?dòng)物不能像我們一樣說話或者具有推理能力。然而，科學(xué)一直告誡我們動(dòng)物是高度復(fù)雜的生物，彼此之間能夠進(jìn)行互動(dòng)和交流。

◎ From friendsofanimals.org

譯 / Fiona CAI

1. crux [kr?ks] n. 要點(diǎn)，關(guān)鍵；難點(diǎn)

2. accord [??k??d] vt. 給予（特殊對待）

3. interplay [??nt?ple?] n. 相互影響，相互作用

4. exploit [?k?spl??t] vt. 利用

5. domesticate [d??mest?ke?t] vt. 馴養(yǎng)，馴化

6. strive [stra?v] vi. 努力，奮斗

7. inflict [?n?fl?kt] vt. 使遭受（傷害或破壞等）

8. vegan [?vi?ɡ?n] n. 嚴(yán)格的素食主義者

9. ranch [rɑ?nt?] n. 大牧場

10. bounty [?ba?nti] n. （尤指政府對殺死害獸、提高產(chǎn)量所給的）獎(jiǎng)賞，獎(jiǎng)金，賞金