【英语时差8,16】犬类强迫症

It’s a behavioral disorder¹ related to anxiety, and scientists estimate that it affects two percent of the dog population. Any range of odd, unexplainable repetitive behaviors may indicate the presence of the disease. This includes excessive licking, but also tail chasing, chewing with an empty mouth, and barking repetitively without any change in volume or intonation². It’s a serious problem that may not only interfere³ with the human-animal bond, but that can lead to physical problems for the dog. For example, dogs who lick themselves raw are prone⁴ to infection, and some dogs with this disorder will quit eating or drinking. Because the problem is tied to anxiety and stress, one thing you don’t want to do is punish your Ruffy, which will only increase his stress and worsen the problem. Also, the longer the problem goes ignored, the more difficult it is to treat. See a veterinarian who works with animals with behavioral your problems. Behavior modifications⁵ such as stabilizing⁶ the environment, interacting consistently, redirecting the animal’s behavior, and increased exercise benefit some dogs. Also, at present, research is being conducted to find out whether dogs with this disease will respond to a drug called a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, which has been successful in treating obsessive-compulsive behavior in humans.

1 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

2 intonation   

n.语调，声调；发声

参考例句：

• The teacher checks for pronunciation and intonation.老师在检查发音和语调。
• Questions are spoken with a rising intonation.疑问句是以升调说出来的。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

5 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句