养狗:中国中产阶级的时尚

Talk about a dog's life, pampered¹ pooches step this way. Beijing is the place to be. Dogs clipped, primped, washed and dried. Here, it's the owners who go to obedience² school, these people pay almost a thousand US dollars a month to learn how to properly care for their pets. Dogs are hot in Beijing, a symbol of a new affluent³ middle class.

She is just like my own daughter. I have two more dogs at home. They're my sons. I call them daughter and sons.

Yes, pets as surrogate children, even surrogate husbands. 23-year-old dog owner, Qin Lu, certainly thinks her dog makes some more loyal partner. She's spending 1,300 Yuan, that's almost 200 US dollars a month, sending her dog to this training school. Think about it, almost half her monthly salary as a secretary.

Personally, if I have a dog, I want to give it the very best of everything. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a dog.

Before we get too sentimental⁴ though, other dogs in China have a far more grisly fate, many still destined⁵ for the dinner table, dog meat, a popular delicacy⁶. But appetites are changing. What was once for the eating is now for the treating. Beijing alone is home to more than a million dogs. Owners spend an average 25 dollars a month on pets. Do the math. Dogs are big business. Ning Wei runs this obedience school on the outskirts⁷ of Beijing.

It has been open for almost three years. There are many dogs. And now we are opening another branch.

As their owners embrace everything western, so too, are the dogs. Ning Wei's specializing in producing a new breed of bilingual puppies. Yes, dogs that understand Chinese and now English.

Sit, sit, sit. This is Mars, still a little puppy as you can see. I'm gonna do a test now see if it understands both in English and Chinese. Effectively, if its Chinese is better than my English, and its English is better than my Chinese. If you know what I mean. OK. Mars, Woshou, Woshou. Good job, good job That's shake hands. Now we will ask it in English. Mars, shake hands, shake hands. Yeah, good job, good job.

Yes, if you need any reminding, this is the Chinese year of the dog. Stan Grant, CNN, Beijing.

New Words and Expressions

pampered adj. treated with excessive indulgence 过分娇惯的
pooch n. [Slang] a dog <美俚>狗, 杂种狗
primp v. To dress or groom⁸ with meticulous⁹ or excessive attention to detail. 精心打扮, 装饰
surrogate n. A person or an animal that functions as a substitute for another, as in a social or family role 替代者
sentimental adj. Appealing to the sentiments 感伤的，引起伤感情绪的
grisly adj. gruesome 恐怖的, 可怕的, 令人毛骨悚然的

1 pampered   

adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lazy scum deserve worse. What if they ain't fed up and pampered? 他们吃不饱，他们的要求满足不了，这又有什么关系？ 来自飘（部分）
• She petted and pampered him and would let no one discipline him but she, herself. 她爱他，娇养他，而且除了她自己以外，她不允许任何人管教他。 来自辞典例句

2 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

3 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

4 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

5 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

6 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

9 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。