VOA文化艺术2024--Guinness World Records Investigates ‘World's Oldest Dog’

Guinness World Records Investigates ‘World's Oldest Dog’

　　Guinness World Records said on Tuesday that it has suspended and was re-examining its "world's oldest dog" record. The publishing company had given the record to a Portuguese¹ dog named Bobi, which died in October of last year.

　　The move follows criticism from veterinarians who raised doubts about the dog's age.

　　Bobi was a kind of dog called a Rafeiro do Alentejo. He spent his life in a village in Portugal. Guinness World Records said the animal lived for 32 years and 165 days. It broke a record held since 1939 by an Australian cattle-dog that died at 29 years and five months.

　　Bobi was declared the world's oldest dog in February.

　　Rafeiro do Alentejo are traditionally used to watch sheep. They have a normal life expectancy² of 12 to 14 years.

　　Guinness World Records (GWR) said the review into Bobi's record was ongoing³. The company added that it would re-examine evidence, seek new evidence, and reach out to experts and those linked to the application.

　　"While our review is ongoing, we have decided⁴ to temporarily pause applications on both the record titles for oldest dog living and (oldest dog) ever until all of our findings are in place and have been communicated," the spokesperson said.

　　Bobi's owner, Leonel Costa, said in a statement on Tuesday that after his dog's death, "an elite⁵ within the veterinary world...tried to give people the idea that Bobi's life story was not true."

　　Costa said some veterinarians were unhappy because he said Bobi's long life came from the dog eating "human food," which he said was often suggested by those in the field.

　　"Everything would be different if we had said he (Bobi) ate pet food," Costa said, adding that all requirements requested by the GWR were met.

　　Costa said GWR has not reached out to him.

　　No action has yet been taken about any record holders⁶, the publisher said. It added that any action would be decided by the review's outcome⁷.

　　Before his death, Bobi still loved walks but had become calmer, Costa told Reuters. His hair, or fur, was thinning, his eyesight had worsened, and he needed to rest more than in earlier years.

　　Words in This Story

　　veterinarian – n. a person who is trained to give medical care and treatment to animals: an animal doctor

　　application – n. a formal and usually written request for something (such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan)

　　pause – n. a temporary stop: a period of time in which something is stopped before it is started again

　　title –n. the state of being the champion, best or top rated in some group or sport

　　elite – n. a successful and powerful person

　　pet – n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure

1 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

6 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

7 outcome   

n.结果，出口，演变

参考例句：

• The outcome of the experiment is in the lap of the gods.实验结果尚难预料。
• The outcome of the war is hard to foretell.战争胜负难以预卜。