宠物的重要性——养宠物的六大好处

译/李艺

宠物的重要性
——养宠物的六大好处

译/李艺

The Importance of Pets—6 Benefits of Owning a Pet

I think that one of the most enriching and delightful experiences in life is to own a pet. An animal which you nurture and take care of by yourself or with the help of your family is bound to be an almost never ending source of joy and happiness， a creature which will be very grateful to you and who will amaze you with its tricks and personality. But why is having a pet so important and what are the benefits of having a pet around your house ?

Here I want to talk to you about the many benefits of having a pet and how these animals can have a very positive overall impact on your life despite the financial cost and the time it will take“away” from you. Even though having a pet involves additional cleaning， spending，doctor appointments and time， there are many rewards which can be taken from the whole experience you gain when you decide to get a pet. So what are these reasons why having a pet is so bene fi cial ?

1. Responsibility. When you get a pet you will—without a doubt—have to take care of a creature which will depend entirely on you. The life or death of another being will be in your hands and this alone will make you a more responsible person. You will need to always keep a watchful eye on your pet and this will boost your ability to control other tasks. Effectively having a pet makes a person more responsible，the level of commitment and care of the owner will inevitably re fl ect on their pet.

2. Managing time. Having a pet is not something that you can do without having to give it a significant amount of your time. This usually means that you will have to make room in your schedule for your little friend something which will put your time managing skills to the test. Having a pet and getting organized around it is a good exercise to develop time managing abilities.

3. Nurturing. One of the best benefits of having a pet is that you will understand that living beings have needs and that these needs have to be taken care of. You will become a more nurturing and caring person and this will most likely re fl ect on other aspects of your life. It is not a coincidence that many great parents are also great pet owners who are very caring and loving of the living creatures around them.

4. Emotional link. The act of actually grooming and petting your little friend will create a great emotional link between you which will last for both of your life times. You will always remember the times you spent together and you will remember that special bond that you created and that made you so happy.

5. Better health. Most people who have pets enjoy better health than those who don’t. Active pet owners who care and play with their pets enjoy an additional dose of exercise while all pet owners who have strong relationships with their pets also have strong bonds that lower their stress rates and therefore prevent various types of illness related with these conditions.

6. Learning about life. It is very important for people to know that nothing is eternal and that both humans and animals live and die. Having a pet helps people understand the cycle of life and how everything we have is bound to end someday. Dealing with life and death is one of the most difficult tasks in life and owning a pet prepares individuals to deal with the harsh emotional events in life. People who have owned several pets during their life time deal better with emotional trials and better endure emotional losses in their lives. So these are some of the most important reasons why I believe everyone should have a pet at least once in their life time. Not only do pets increase responsibility， time management skills and improve health but they also help us learn about life and death and they teach us about bonding and nurturing. So if you have been thinking about buying a pet for you and your family and you have the time and money available then you should absolutely get one， it is almost certain that you will not regret it! ■

我想生命中最充实且愉悦的经历之一，便是拥有一只宠物。亲自或和家人一起喂养和照料小动物必将是无穷欢乐与幸福的源泉。这个小生命将会感恩于你，将会使出它的小花招和小性子来逗你开心。然而，为何养宠物如此之重要？家有宠物的好处到底有哪些？

这里我想谈谈养宠物的诸多好处，以及养宠物如何在花钱又费时的同时，又能对饲养者的生活产生积极全面的影响。虽说养宠物涉及额外的清理、就诊等时间支出与金钱开销，但是一旦决定做此事，你将从中获得丰厚的回报。那么养宠物的诸多好处有哪些呢？

一、责任意识。当你养了宠物，毫无疑问，你就得去照料一个完全依赖于你的生命。这个生命将生死都交与你，仅凭这点你就会变得更有责任感。你需要随时随地关注它，这也将提升你处理其他任务的能力。养宠物得法会让人更具责任意识，主人的付出与关爱程度势必反映在其喂养的宠物身上。

二、时间管理。养宠物需要倾注大量的时间。这通常意味着你不得不专门安排时间来照顾你的小伙伴，这将是对你时间管理能力的考验。养宠物的同时把周围收拾得井井有条，是对时间管理能力不错的锻炼。

三、养育之道。养宠物最大的好处之一是让你明白任何生命都是有所需求的，而且这些需求应该被关照。你会更懂养育之道且更富同情心，而这些变化也极有可能反映到你生活的其他方面。很多了不起的父母同时也很擅于养宠物，这绝非巧合，因为他们懂得体贴关爱其周遭的生命。

四、情感维系。为宠物梳理毛发和给予它爱抚将在你们之间建立起美好的情感连接，这样的情感会在你们各自的生活中得以延续。你将永远铭记你们共度的时光，还有那份由你创造的、令你开心不已的特别的牵念。

五、改善健康。相较那些不养宠物的人，大多数养宠物的人都拥有更健康的体魄。活泼好动的主人爱宠物并和它们一块儿玩耍，运动量更大，同时，所有与宠物关系亲密的主人其自身压力也可得以减轻，进而预防压力导致的各类疾病。

六、学会生活。世间没有永恒之物，无论人还是动物都有生有死，明白这一点非常重要。养宠物能够帮助人们理解生命的轮回，明白现在所拥有的一切终将在某一刻终结消逝。应对生死是生命中最为艰难的课题之一，养宠物能让人准备好面对生命里残酷的别离。一生中养过多个宠物的人，能更好地处理各类情感考验，在面对失去的情感时，也会更为坚韧。

这就是为什么我认为每个人至少应该养一回宠物。养宠物不仅仅能增强责任感，提高时间管理水平并改善健康状况，还能帮助我们认知生死，教会我们情感的维系和培养。所以，如果你一直在考虑要为自己和家人买一只宠物，而且你还有闲有钱的话，一定要养一只，我敢肯定你不会后悔!□

（译者曾获第五届“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛优秀奖）