Not Your Everyday Pet!

Not Your Everyday Pet!

Yes, it’s a 1)meerkat, exactly what you expect to find under a 2)duvet in North Hamptonshire.

Sue: And Matthew’s an early riser, gets him (meerkat) up puts him in bed with me. And we have about half an hour 3)cuddle every morning, so...good 4)bonding.

Q: Is he still 5)dozy 1 when he has his cuddle in the morning?

Sue: Oh, yes. Once he’s woken up he wants to get up have some breakfast, 6)freshen up like the rest of us.

Q: Does he 7)groom 2 you?

Sue: He does sometimes, yes, yes. If I scratch him or Matthew brushes him with a little toothbrush, he grooms 3 with his teeth so...

Q: Matthew brushes him with a little toothbrush?

Sue: Oh yes, yes, it’s a little grooming 4 session.

Matthew: Brushing is actually obviously beneficial for him and it’s a bonding, part of the bonding process.

The truth is life with Merlin (meerkat) is a bit 8)prolonged, he might only be nine inches long but he’s 9)ruling the roost with Sue and Mathew.

Sue: Everything we do we have to consider him. Every single thing you put down you have to consider: Can Merlin get to it? Is it bad for him? Also, going out, it’s fine to go out for a certain amount of time but you can’t leave him on his own for long, and if we want to stay away a night, we normally have to arrange for somebody to come in. You can’t just feed him and water him, you have to spend time with him, so... he’s effectively my baby, so... I can’t put it into words. I mean I could still take all day off and just play with him and watch him given the opportunity ‘cause he’s just wonderful.

Q: He’s effectively your baby, you know what people are going to say, don’t you?

Sue: What that he’s a 10)surrogate child? Well maybe he is.

Matthew: In theory, Merlin would accept an addition to the house as part of the group, uh...

Q: He wouldn’t get all funny and scratchy with her, a baby?

Matthew: It would be trial and error to some extent. But we think that because Merlin sees myself and Sue as the 11)alpha male and female, it’s our position within the group to breed, so if we were to produce a youngster it would smell of us, he would associate it with us, and in theory he would accept it as part of the group.

Man: Why do people like strange pets, Esmond, do you think?

Esmond: I think people like anything that’s unusual and the more unusual, the better. I think anyone likes looking at something that’s precious for them and knowing this is rare, this is very very rare, at the end of the day...

Q: What is that? Is that a kind of 12)snob 5 value thing? Or what?

Esmond: It is, but we all have it and none of us can deny it. That’s why some of us buy 13)Armani and Versace because it’s...it’s snob value. It’s just the fame, buying a kitten from Esmond Gay, people have said, it’s the same as wearing Versace: I’ve got a kitten from Esmond Gay, I wear Versace...

14)Llamas look haughty 6 and have a reputation for 15)shirtiness, they come on all ladylike but they can quickly turn to 16)spitting, biting and showing you their bottoms.

Q: She’s got quite a 17)snooty look about her, hasn’t she?

Female Owner: Yes, all llamas have, it’s their appeal: their big eyes, their 18)aloof 7 look. We always think they’re a bit like cats in that if they want to know you, they’ll come and talk to you. If they don’t want to know they won’t: they’ll turn their bottom to you and so you know...

Q: Do you think she can take you or leave you or do you think she loves you?

Female Owner: No, she doesn’t love us.

Male Owner: No, they haven’t got the affection a dog’s got; so, they’re much more 19)akin 8 to a cat. They...they know you and use you because you’re useful: you provide them with feed, comfort and they in turn provide a degree of companionship and something that you can take out for walks—that’s really different.

注释：
1) meerkat [5miEkAt] n. 海岛猫鼬，也称蒙哥，生长在南非中央高原的卡拉哈迪沙漠的穴居肉食哺乳动物。
2) duvet [5du:vei] n. <法> 用羽毛， 绒毛等制成的棉被
3) cuddle [5kQdl] n. 拥抱    
4) bonding [5bCndiN] n. 亲密关系形成，尤指因经常交往所形成的关系
5) dozy [5dEuzi] a. 想睡的  
6) freshen up使精神饱满，梳洗一番
7) groom [^ru:m] v.  整饰，梳理，梳洗    
8) prolonged [prE5lCNd] a. 延长的，拖延的
9) rule the roost  支配，做领袖
10) surrogate [5sQrE^it] n. 代理，代用品
11) alpha [5AlfE] a. （动物群中）居统治地位的
12) snob value  在势利人眼中的价值，虚荣价值
13) Armani and Versace意大利的服饰品牌
14) llama [5lB:mE] n. 羊驼，与骆驼有亲缘关系，家养的南美反刍哺乳动物，主要价值在于柔软如絮的毛，并用作役畜。
15) shirtiness [5FE:tinis] n. [英俚]坏心情
16) spit [spit] v. 吐唾沫
17) snooty [5snu:ti] a. 傲慢的，自大的，鄙视别人的
18) aloof [E5lu:f] a. 孤零的，冷淡的
19) akin [E5kin] a. 类似的

最In的宝贝

是的，那正是一只海岛猫鼬，在北汉普顿郡，你通常可以在被窝里找到它。

苏: 马修习惯早起，然后把它抱起来放到我床上。每天早上我们拥抱温存半小时，增进感情。

问: 早上拥抱的时候它还是睡眼惺忪的吧？

苏: 噢，是的。它一旦醒过来就想起床吃早餐，梳洗一番，就跟我们大家一样。
问: 它替你梳洗吗？

苏: 它有时候会的。如果我给它搔庠或者马修用小牙刷给它梳理，它就会用牙齿来梳洗……

问：马修用小牙刷给它梳理？

苏: 是啊，那是一个短短的梳理时间。

马修: 很显然，这种梳理对它大有裨益，同时也是我们建立良好关系的一部分。

有了梅林，生活变得费神多了，尽管它只有九寸长，但却占据了苏和马修生活的大部分。

苏: 我们做任何事情都要考虑到它，做每一件事情你都要记得：对梅林有影响吗？是不是对它不利？比如外出，偶尔外出一段时间感觉很好，但是你不能让它独处很长时间。如果我们想在外面过夜，通常会安排人来到家里。你不能够只是给它喂食喂水，你还必须花时间陪它。所以它如同我的孩子，我无法用言语表达，我的意思是如果有机会，我可以用一整天的时间什么都不做，只陪它玩，看着它，因为它太好玩了。

问: 它如同你的孩子？你知道别人会怎么说吗？

苏：它是孩子的代替品？可能是吧。

马修: 从理论上讲，梅林会接受这个家庭加入新的成员。

问: 它会不会闹事或用爪子抓宝宝？

马修: 在一定程度上讲，那还要尝试过才知道，但是我们认为,梅林把我和苏看作是这个群体的雄性和雌性首领，我们当然也就有传宗接代的责任。如果我们生个小孩，小孩会有我们的气味，梅林就会把小孩跟我们联系起来，因此，从理论上说，它会把小孩当成家里的一员。

问: 为什么人们那么喜欢奇怪的宠物，埃斯蒙德，你是怎么看的？

埃斯蒙德: 我想人们喜欢与众不同的东西，越独特越好。我想，人都是喜欢看着自己用高价买来的东西，知道那是非常非常希罕，说到底……

问: 那是怎么回事？是因为他们虚荣心作怪吗？或者是其他什么原因？

埃斯蒙德: 是的，我们每个人都喜欢那样，谁也不能否认。为什么我们有些人买阿玛尼和范思哲的东西，就是因为虚荣心作怪。人们会说从埃斯蒙德·盖伊那买了只小猫，就和穿范思哲名牌衣服一样。我从埃斯蒙德·盖伊买了只小猫，我穿范思哲名牌……

羊驼显得很傲慢，因脾气暴躁而著名，它们一开始很温文尔雅，但是它们随时会翻脸，吐口水、咬人、屁股对人。

问:它总是摆出一副自命不凡的模样，是吗？

女主人: 是的，所有羊驼都这样，那是它们吸引人的地方: 大大的眼睛，冷酷的外表。我们总是想，这方面它们有些像猫，如果它们想了解你，它们会主动跟你交谈。如果它们不想了解，它们会用屁股对着你，因此你也知道……

问：你认为它能接受你们，或者会离开你们吗？还是它会爱你们？

女主人：不，它不爱我们。

男主人：不，它们没有狗所拥有的情愫，它们更像猫多一点。它们了解你，利用你，因为你有利用价值：你给他们提供食物和舒适生活，在一定程度上它们也是人的伴侣，你可以带它们去散步，另有一番情趣。