隨身英語
The ugly-cute phenomenon – what is our obsession with ugly pets? “又丑又可愛” 現象——我們?yōu)槭裁窗V迷于長得丑的寵物？
大多數時候，我們都喜歡更加美麗的事物。那么，為什么在美國的加利福尼亞地區(qū)每年都會舉辦 “世界最丑狗狗” 比賽呢？為什么我們又會選擇養(yǎng)育那些與完美的外表相去甚遠的寵物？本文介紹人類與這些既丑又惹人憐愛的寵物之間復雜的歷史和情感關系。
詞匯：animal appearance 動物的外觀
In a world that favours beauty, from aesthetically pleasinginterior design to an attractive physical appearance, why are we suddenly fawning over goofy-lookingpets, particularly dogs, with exaggerated features? There's been a pet paradigm shift– perfection is out, anddroopyeyes are in. What's going on?
First, we must understand our attraction to cuteness. Human babies are pretty helpless, so there had to be an evolutionary adaptation to ensure we looked after them. According to Konrad Lorenz's "baby schema" theory, infantilefeatures like big eyes, big heads and soft bodies trigger the instinct to protect our offspring. When animals have similar traits, we think they're "in need of our companionship or care," causing "the rush of warm emotion that is the cutenessresponse," says Joshua Dale, co-editor of 'The Aesthetics and Affects of Cuteness'.
During the Victorian era, dog shows were all the rage, and with them came selective breedingfor cuteness rather than health or functionality. This led to a rise in flat-facedbreeds with squashed snoutsand bulgingeyes like bulldogs and pugs - a reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These breeds remain very popular today. The French Bulldog became the most popular dog in the US in 2022, according to the American Kennel Club. Rowena Parker, lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, believes this is partly driven by social media influencers. "The ugly-cute thingis very fashionable," she says. Despite the growing love for these dogs, there are ethical concerns. Many flat-faced breeds suffer from breathing difficulties and skin infections.
A testament to the pet paradigm shift is the World's Ugliest Dog Contest, held in California since the 1970s. In a line-up of pooches with lopsidedears, snaggled teethand patchyfur, who will be the loveable underdogthat tugs on our heartstringsthis year?
詞匯表
aesthetically pleasing 審美上令人愉悅的
fawn over 過度贊揚
goofy-looking 看起來滑稽可笑的
exaggerated features 夸張的五官
paradigm shift 根本性的變化
droopy 耷拉著的
infantile 嬰幼兒的
cuteness response 對可愛事物的本能反應
all the rage 風靡一時
selective breeding 選擇性繁育
flat-faced 臉部扁平的
squashed snouts 扁平的口鼻部位
bulging 鼓起的，隆起的
beauty is in the eye of the beholder 情人眼里出西施，對美的看法因人而異
the "ugly-cute thing" “又丑又可愛的東西”
lopsided 向一側傾斜的
snaggled tooth 不整齊的牙齒
patchy （毛發(fā)）斑駁的
underdog 不被看好的人，弱勢者
tug on the heartstrings 觸動心弦，激發(fā)情感
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. According to the article, there's been a 'pet paradigm shift'. What is the change in our pet preferences?
2. According to Konrad Lorenz's "baby schema" theory, what happens when we see infantile features like big eyes?
3. True or False? Humans have a nurturing response to animals with baby-like traits.
4. Which dog breeds became popular during the Victorian era and remain popular now?
5. What is a downside of breeding flat-faced dogs?
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Minimalist home decor is _______ this year.
all the rage ugly-cute bulging exaggerated
2. The relatives _______ the newest baby at the family reunion.
fawned over fawning over fawn overed fawns over
3. The team, considered the _______, surprised everyone by winning the game.
infantile underdog snaggled tooth aesthetically pleasing
4. The flowers needed watering because they looked ________.
snaggled bulging droopy squashed
5. Charity ad campaigns aim to _______ to encourage donations.
selective breed shift cuteness response tug on the heartstrings
答案
1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。
1. According to the article, there's been a 'pet paradigm shift'. What is the change in our pet preferences?
The change in our pet preferences is that we are now fawning over goofy-looking animals.
2. According to Konrad Lorenz's "baby schema" theory, what happens when we see infantile features like big eyes?
According to Konrad Lorenz's "baby schema" theory, when we see infantile features, it triggers the instinct to protect our offspring.
3. True or False? Humans have a nurturing response to animals with baby-like traits.
True. When animals have similar traits to babies, we think they're "in need of our companionship or care," causing "the rush of warm emotion that is the cuteness response".
4. Which dog breeds became popular during the Victorian era and remain popular now?
During the Victorian era, flat-faced breeds with squashed snouts and bulging eyes like bulldogs and pugs became popular.
5. What is a downside of breeding flat-faced dogs?
The downside of breeding flat-faced dogs is that many suffer from breathing difficulties and skin infections.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Minimalist home decor is all the ragethis year.
2. The relatives fawned overthe newest baby at the family reunion.
3. The team, considered the underdog, surprised everyone by winning the game.
4. The flowers needed watering because they looked droopy.
5. Charity ad campaigns aim to tug on the heartstringsto encourage donations.
