VOA新闻杂志2022--Do Pigs Like Music? Belgian Researchers Want to Know

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Do Pigs Like Music? Belgian Researchers Want to Know

Scientists in Belgium are investigating a farmer's claim that different kinds of music affect the behavior of his pigs.

Piet Paesmans first noticed the reaction when his son started singing a song in the family's animal shelter. The farmer said the sows, or adult female pigs, seemed excited by the sound and started shaking their little tails.

"I thought this was too good to pass up, we should try that with the other pigs too," Paesmans told Reuters from his farm.

Paesmans has since created a list of songs to play at different times of the day. He uses energetic music when he wants the pigs to be active and lullabies at the end of the day. Lullabies are quiet, slow songs.

"Jolly dance songs are the biggest hits," Paesmans said. He said that the pigs even appear to dance to the music.

He does not play rock and roll music for the pigs. "Rock music is too strong, they don't like it," the farmer observed.

The farmer described his observations to a team of researchers. The team then secured 75,000 euros of financing to investigate the claims.

Sander Palmans is the research project organizer. He said not much is known about pigs' reaction to music. But he said that Paesmans' experience fits with existing knowledge about the effects of sounds on animals.

"There is without a doubt an effect of specific noises on animals," he said. "So it's really possible that music can have the same effect," Palmans added that music could help ease boredom¹, which has been linked to tension in animals.

The findings could be useful for the farming industry. Meat quality is affected² by stress in animals, Paesmans said.

"A top athlete needs to be completely fit physically³, but also mentally. And that's just the same for pigs...It's really important for the quality of the meat."

The results of the research are expected by the end of the year.

Words in This Story

jolly –adj. full of fun or joy

excited –adj. very enthusiastic and eager

doubt –n. a reason for disbelief

specific –adj. relating to or being an example of a certain kind of thing

boredom –n. the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest

athlete –n. a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

1 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。