VOA慢速英语--疫情期间 人们与宠物的关系发生了变化

From VOA Learning¹ English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pets have only become more important. They have added enjoyment² and humor³ to lives lived indoors⁴. And they keep us company.

However, as more people are still working from home because of health restrictions⁵, the animals they keep are introducing new problems too. But first, let's talk about the good side.

For many dogs, the quarantine may seem perfect. Their humans are around all the time, or as we say, 24/7. So, there might be more time for walks and more treats. Sleeping on the bed at night? Not a problem.

Cats, however, are more complex. Many cats are already experts at social distancing and may be hoping for the pandemic to end soon. They may need more "me time."

Then again, some other cats may have changed during the pandemic. They may want more attention. For example, take Kate Hilt's cat named Potato. Potato loves to interrupt Zoom⁶ work calls by jumping on Hilt's lap.

Hilt is a technology advisor⁷ in the Washington, D.C. area. She told the Associated Press that she has found a way to solve the problem. She puts the cat on her lap before the call. This way, Potato is already asleep during her work call.

Dogs, however, are used to having all the attention and may not want to share it with their owner's computer. Olivia Hinerfeld is a student at Georgetown University Law School. Her dog, Lincoln, gets upset about the attention she gives to her video conference calls. To get that attention back, Lincoln drops his dirtiest, smelliest toy ball into her lap during her work calls.

Speaking of cats, Learning English writer and English teacher Alice Bryant says her cat is not very affectionate. But having a cat during the pandemic provides her and her boyfriend with humor and entertainment.

"We make up funny songs for everything the cat does. For instance⁸, she likes to go in and out of rooms a lot. So, my boyfriend made a song about that. When I'm cooking and she's hanging out in the kitchen with me, I sometimes sing cat songs to her."

For dogs and cats, the pandemic has been a chance to teach humans a thing or two about themselves.

Candace Croney is a professor of animal behavior at Purdue University in the state of Indiana. She told the Associated Press that, during the pandemic, our pets are "around us now 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's quite a lot."

Croney has learned⁹ new things from her pets during the pandemic. She said she has learned more about how they interact¹⁰ with each other. Extra time with her dog and cat has also taught her how to better understand them. She adds that she finds this "funny." These are the things she tells others to do. It took a pandemic for her to take her own advice.

Not all the changes during the pandemic have been good.

Some pets may be becoming even more dependent¹¹ on their owners. Take for example, Learning English's Ashley Thompson and her dog Dublin. For those who have seen Let's Learn English, you may remember Dublin. Ashley says that Dublin has changed in one big way during the pandemic.

"Dublin no longer knows how to be left alone at home. Thankfully, I don't leave the house much these days except to take him on walks. But if he ever does get left behind, I'm pretty sure he barks nonstop."

Veterinarians and owners report some pets are being given medicine for anxiety. Other pets are being put on diets because of too many treats. Some are not getting enough exercise in parks because their owners are avoiding public places.

Kursten Hedgis is an herbalist in Decatur, Georgia. She explores how plants can treat illness. She told the AP that her dog Bitsy misses attention from other humans on their walks.

She said her dog would get upset "because no one would talk to him or pet him." People would stay socially distanced from him.

Hedgis added that trips to the doctor have been "really scary" for the rescue dog because of the face masks and lack of touch.

However, Hedgis and other pet owners say their animals provide emotional¹² support to their humans. As humans begin to return to work and vaccines¹³ become available, this year likely will bring a test of those relationships and new behaviors.

Croney, the animal behavior expert, said she worries what will happen when she returns to work—and not only for her pets.

"I'm starting to worry a little bit for me," she admits. "I'm becoming a little co-dependent on my animals."

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.

Words in This Story

quarantine –n. to be separated from people in an effort to prevent the spread of disease¹⁵

treat –n. something that tastes good and is not often eaten

interrupt –v. to do something that causes someone from speaking or doing what they were doing

lap –n. the area between the knees and hips¹⁴ of a person who is sitting down

affectionate –adj. feeling or showing a great liking¹⁶ for a person or thing

entertainment –n. amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game, etc.

interact –v. to talk or do things with people

veterinarian –n. a doctor for animals

anxiety –n. a feeling of nervousness or worry

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

3 humor   

n.(humour)幽默，诙谐

参考例句：

• He is distinguished for his sense of humor.他以其幽默感著称。
• American humor is founded largely on hyperbole.美式幽默主要以夸张为基础。

4 indoors   

adv.(在)室内，(在)户内

参考例句：

• Because of the coldness of the weather we stayed indoors.我们因天气寒冷呆在家里。
• It is very cold outside,you'd better come indoors across the board.外面很冷，你们所有人最好都进屋。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 instance   

n.例，例证，实例

参考例句：

• Can you quote me a recent instance?你能给我举一个最近的例子吗？
• He's a greedy boy,yesterday,for instance,he ate all our biscuits!他是个贪吃的孩子――比如，他昨天把我们的饼干都吃了！

9 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

10 interact   

vi.相互作用，相互影响，互通信息

参考例句：

• All things are interrelated and interact on each other.一切事物互相联系并相互作用。
• The policeman advised the criminal to interact with the police.警察劝罪犯与警方合作。

11 dependent   

adj.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者

参考例句：

• He has a mother completely dependent on him.他有一个完全靠他赡养的母亲。
• The country is dependent on foreign aid.这个国家靠外援生存。

12 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

13 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

14 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

16 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。