正文
主人为汪星人举办奢华婚宴
When pet owners dress up their dogs in miniature white dresses and tiny tuxes, some believe the barks that signal 'I do' reveal true puppy love.
当主人们为自己的狗狗精心打扮,给它们穿上迷你白色婚纱和燕尾服时,有些人相信,这时候狗狗的叫声就是在表达象征真爱的那三个字——“我愿意”。
These animal lovers say their pooches can feel real longing for other pets, but experts aren't so sure. Most people agree a wedding is just for fun or charity when the groom is drooling and the bride's gown needs tailoring for her tail. After all, 'you may now lick the bride' doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
这些动物爱好者表示,他们的狗狗能够感觉到其他宠物的真实渴望,但专家对此却不那么肯定。不过,大部分人都承认,当“新郎”在流口水,“新娘”的礼服需要给尾巴留个小洞时,举行一场婚礼只是为了好玩或慈善事业。毕竟,在证婚人说“你现在可以舔你的新娘”时,并不代表狗狗们会这么做。
The doggy nuptials are gaining attention as Valentine's Day approaches and people find new and unique ways to pamper their pets.
狗狗的婚礼同情人节的庆祝方式一样引人注目。如今,人们找到全新和与众不同的方式来宠爱自己的宠物。
'Pet marriage or weddings are for people,' said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
美国动物行为研究学会(American College of Veterinary Behaviorists)执行理事兼德州农工大学兽医学院(Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine)教授邦妮•比弗(Bonnie Beaver)博士表示,宠物婚礼是为人办的。
Owners host weddings because it makes them feel good, she said, though most get planned for dogs instead of cats. People can't know what dogs are thinking, but studies have shown they do experience emotion, Beaver said.
比弗表示,主人主持婚礼因为这会让他们感觉很好,虽然为狗筹划的婚礼比猫多。人们并不清楚狗狗的感受,但有研究表明,狗狗会有些情感上的体验。
'Fear is a classic example,' she said. 'But we don't know if they experience it as you or I would.'
她说:“恐惧是最典型的一种体验,但我们并不知道它们体验到的恐惧是否与你我在婚礼场合体验到的一样。”
'The weddings are for the dogs,' said Adina Slotsky, the owner and CEO of Hollywood Pet Parties. Though birthday parties, dubbed 'barkdays,' are much more popular, she said.
好莱坞宠物聚会(Hollywood Pet Parties)老板兼总经理艾迪娜•斯洛特斯基(Adina Slotsky)说:“这些婚礼是为狗狗举办的。”但她也表示俗称“狗叫日”(barkdays)的狗狗生日派对,通常更受欢迎。
When owners plan doggy nuptials, they can go all out. There are groomsmen and bridesmaids of every breed, flowers, music and a reception with food both people and pooches can enjoy, ranging from apple slices to baby back ribs with spinach.
主人们为狗狗筹划洞房花烛夜可谓是无所不用其极:品种各异的“伴郎”和“伴娘”、鲜花、音乐和可供主人和狗狗享用的婚宴美食,从苹果片到菠菜小肉排应有尽有。
All pet weddings move quickly because of short animal attention spans. With all the distractions, dogs spend lots of time on leashes.
由于狗狗很难长时间集中注意力,所有宠物婚礼总是很短。由于“诱惑”太多,大部分时间狗狗是被皮带拴着的。
A simple wedding costs about $300, Slotsky said. But it can easily grow to thousands of dollars if guests are plentiful, the venue is top-notch, the food is extravagant, a band plays and a florist creates centerpieces, she said.
斯洛特斯基表示,一场简单的婚礼大约需要300美元。但如果出席婚礼的“宾客”种类繁多,婚礼地点豪华,食物品质高端,且还有乐队演奏和花卉作为装饰的话,价格就会涨到动辄几千美元。
The most lavish pet wedding took place in New York in 2012 when Baby Hope Diamond, a fluffy white Coton de Tulear, married a poodle named Chilly Pasternak as a charity fundraiser.
最奢华的宠物婚礼莫过于2012年的“纽约大婚”,一只名叫宝贝•希望•钻石(Baby Hope Diamond)的白色图莱亚尔绒毛犬,和一只名叫寒寒•帕斯捷尔纳克(Chilly Pasternak)的卷毛狗喜结连理。这场婚礼同时也是一场慈善筹款活动。
Everything was donated, and guests spent up to $10,000 for a table of ten.
所有东西都捐了出去。宾客为一桌10人花费高达一万美元。
It was a ceremony for the ages, complete with limos, a $6,000 designer dress, a sushi chef, mixologist to create 'puptails,' florist, orchestra, wedding planner and parking valets. Ellen DeGeneres' pet food company furnished a dog food buffet.
这可谓是一场“世纪婚礼”,豪华轿车、新娘6000美元的定制婚纱、一名寿司师傅、调制“狗尾酒”的调酒师、花卉装饰品、管弦乐队、婚礼策划师以及泊车员一应俱全。除此之外,艾伦•德杰尼勒斯(Ellen DeGeneres)宠物食品公司还提供了一顿狗粮自助餐。
The event raised $158,187.26 for the Humane Society of New York and earned a place in Guinness World Records for the most expensive pet wedding.
这场婚礼为纽约动物保护协会(Humane Society of New York)筹集了158187.26美元的善款,并作为最昂贵的宠物婚礼打破了吉尼斯世界纪录。
One thing pet owners don't have to worry about is divorce. But because animals have unique personalities just like people, there is no guarantee two animals will get along, Beaver said.
比弗表示,主人不需要担心的事就是宠物离婚的问题。但因为动物和人一样也有独特的个性,没人能保证“夫妻俩”能和睦相处。
No studies show pets like or love one another, but 'it is very common for two or more individual animals to spend a great amount of time together and show signs of stress if separated,' she said.
她说:“没有研究显示,宠物喜欢或爱另一半,但两只或者两只以上单身的动物会花大量时间呆在一起且如果分开便会表现得很焦虑,这种状况很常见。”
But some stick by the belief that dogs love, including Carol Bryant, co-founder of Wigglebutt Warriors, the fundraising division of dog health website Fidose of Reality.
但仍有人相信狗狗之间有爱,比如狗狗健康网站Fidose of Reality筹款部门的卡罗尔•布莱恩特(Carol Bryant)。他也是Wigglebutt Warriors的创始人之一。
'I do believe that dogs can love and be in love with each other,' said Bryant, whose cocker spaniel married another dog for a company fundraiser.
布莱恩特表示,他相信狗狗能爱,且会爱上对方。为了给一家公司筹集资金,他的可卡犬嫁给了另外一只狗。
Vocabulary
tux: 燕尾服
pooch: 杂种狗
nuptial: 婚礼
pamper: 宠爱
top-notch:一流的
centerpiece:(放在桌子中间的)装饰品
nuptial:(文或谑)结婚,婚礼
reception:正式的欢迎场合,宴会
baby back ribs:猪排骨
limo: 豪华轿车
mixologist: 酒吧调酒师
buffet: 自助餐