纪录片《狗狗秘闻》 01狗是很棒的动物

We have an extraordinary relationship with dogs.

我们与狗狗存在着非常特殊的关系

We love them like no other animal on the planet.

我们爱它们胜过地球上其他任何动物

What makes our relationship so special, is perhaps the dog's

可能是因为狗狗懂得分辨我们的情绪

ability to be able to read our emotions so effectively.

这使得它们与我们的关系变得特别

They've been around longer than any other pet.

狗比其他宠物 都更早遍及全球

There are now eight million dogs living in the UK alone.

现在光是英国 就有800万条狗

The dogs are wonderful.

狗是很棒的动物

We've got over 400 breeds across the world

全世界范围 有超过400种狗狗

and every one of them has something special about them.

其中的每一种都有其特别之处

But only now are we beginning to

但直到现在我们才开始明白

realise just how important that relationship could be.

这种关系有多么地重要

New research is revealing ever more

一项新的研究让我们对人与狗之间

intricate connections between human and dog.

的复杂沟通关系有了新的认识

Without that initial starting phase of dog domestication¹,

如果没有完成对狗的驯化

civilisation² just would not have been possible.

人类也就不可能进入文明社会

So why do we love an animal that was once a fearsome predator³?

我们为何爱上曾经是可怕肉食者的狗呢

This fire-breathing dragon

这条曾经的喷火龙(喻凶猛的狗)

has turned into a human friend.

现在已经变成了人类的朋友

Could they in some ways be

他们是否在某些方面上

more intelligent than even our closest relative?

比某些与我们最相近的物种更具智能呢

Suddenly, there were dogs

出人意料的是 有些狗

doing something that not even chimps⁴ could do.

甚至能完成黑猩猩都无法完成的的事

And in the future, what impact might dogs have on all our lives?

而在将来 狗又会对我们人类有什么影响呢

They're going to help us

它们将能帮助我们

tackle some of the most dangerous diseases of our time,

研究一些当代最危险的疾病

diseases that are killing⁵ millions of people every year.

这些疾病每年夺走数百万人的生命

1 domestication   

n.驯养，驯化

参考例句：

• The first was the domestication of animals. 第一个阶段是驯养动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In northwestern China, there is no evidence for endemic domestication of any animals. 在中国西北，没有任何当地动物驯化的迹象。 来自辞典例句

2 civilisation   

n.文明，文化，开化，教化

参考例句：

• Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
• This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

3 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

4 chimps   

（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。