Some researchers have proposed that having a pet bestows a dazzling array of health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Others have claimed that pets can combat stress, relieve depression and enhance self-esteem, and that their company makes children more empathetic. 

一些研究人员提出，养宠物会给人的健康带来很多益处，如降低胆固醇、降低血压和降低患心血管疾病的风险。另一些人认为，养宠物能对抗压力、缓解抑郁、增强自信，让人更有同情心。

Until fairly recently, many animals were seen as harmful—carriers of parasites and disease. But now they're considered part of a healthy lifestyle. While most people probably don't acquire a pet because they think it will make them live longer, they might believe it will be a kind of panacea for modern living.

直到最近，还是有许多人认为有些动物是有害的，因为它们携带了寄生虫和疾病。现在，有的人认为宠物是健康生活方式的一部分。大多数人不是出于健康考量而养宠物，但他们可能相信养宠物将成为现代生活的“灵丹妙药”。

The problem is that these claims about the benefits of pet ownership don't always hold up to scientific scrutiny. Some early studies did show that dog owners were generally in better shape than those without dogs, but a recent analysis of the health records of more than 40,000 California residents by the Rand Corp., working in conjunction with the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that these differences can be attributed to other characteristics of pet owners. 

问题是，这些关于养宠物好处的说法并不总是经得起科学检验。一些早期研究确实表明，养狗者的身体状况通常比没有养狗的人好，但兰德公司与加州大学洛杉矶分校合作，最近对四万多名加州居民的健康记录进行的分析表明，这些差异可以归因于宠物主人的其他特征。

Rather than pets making people healthy, it's more likely that healthy people choose to own pets. Anyone with a hint of declining health will think twice before going out to get a dog. (They may choose a cat instead. Several studies indicate that cat owners have poorer-than-average health. There is no reason to believe that cats make people sick; it's more likely that less healthy people choose cats for companions, given that they require far less work than a dog.)

与其说是养宠物让人健康，不如说是健康的人更喜欢养宠物。身体欠佳的人在养狗前都会三思而后行。他们可能会选择一只猫。几项研究表明，猫主人的健康状况比平均水平差。猫会让人生病这种说法似乎不可信；可能性更大的情况是，身体欠佳的人选择猫作为伴侣是因为猫比狗需要的工作少得多。

The Rand study also cast doubt on the fact that children raised alongside pets become more empathic, acquire better social skills or have higherself-esteem. Once the many other advantages enjoyed by pet-owning families were factored in, these differences disappeared.

有宠物陪伴长大的孩子更具同理心与自尊心，在社交方面表现更好，兰德公司的研究还对此表示怀疑。一旦将这些养宠物的家庭享有的其他优势纳入考量范围，这些差异就消失了。

Children whose parents have spare cash to spend on education, have stable jobs and live in a house with a yard to play safely all outperform their less fortunate peers on measures of health and behavior. These same factors make it more likely that parents will add a pet to the family. Caring for a pet may teach children responsibility, but it doesn't necessarily make them better people.

父母工作稳定，住房条件好，有多余的资金投入在教育上，这些父母的孩子，在健康和行为方面都优于处于劣势的同龄人。这些同样的因素使父母更有可能给家里添一只宠物。照顾宠物可能教会孩子负责任，但这并不一定能让他们成为更好的人。

词汇小结：

• bestows：授予，献给

• cardiovascular：心血管的

• self-esteem：自尊（心）

• empathetic：移情作用的；同感的（等于 empathic）

• parasites：寄生虫

• panacea：万全之计，万灵药

• in conjunction with：与…一起

译：Gleen

材料来源：The Wall Street Journal*配图取自网络，仅供学习分享使用，侵删