英文之窗：热爱宠物的英国人

每天带狗早晚各遛半小时的报酬是10英镑，而在餐馆洗6小时碗的报酬是20英镑。所以能找到遛狗的活儿，是许多留英学生的梦想。

英国的许多家庭都养宠物。若有动物被虐待，当地的动物协会就会找上门提出批评，严重的还会被送上法庭。

英国一对夫妇被告上法庭并被判罚款数千英镑，原因是他们的狗由于他们的疏忽在寒夜中冻饿而死。

一只出生才两天的小姆指猴被狠心的妈妈遗弃，因为这位妈妈想尽快改嫁。那么，小猴子的命运如何呢?

这个可爱的小生灵被一个动物爱好者收养。养小猴子并不比养婴儿容易，每隔两小时就要用橡皮管给它喂奶。

在动物爱好者的精心养护下，小姆指猴健康成长且极富探索精神，不久屋子的每个角落都留下了它的“足迹”。这位收养者说，等猴子再大一些，就可以送它入动物园了。

难怪英国的动物不怕人，难怪动物、人类与自然在这里能达到美好和谐的统一。

在英国沃瑞克大学学生宿舍区，野鸭天鹅会跑到宿舍的玻璃窗前用嘴猛敲玻璃，

向人要食吃。有的大学生们会定期去喂它们，尤其是在冬天。他们说，“冬天天冷，野鸭一定要吃饱了才能健康过冬。”

英国人爱狗成痴，为了伺候爱犬费尽了心机，其中就包括“让狗接受良好教育”。

看看那些随主人上街的狗的行为举止，就能大致判断它的受教育程度。

那些受过“高等教育”的，通常目不斜视尾随主子行进，姿态高傲，对于沿途的各种事变都泰然处之，而不会市井小民般围观起哄。即使遇见同类异性，充其量也只是以目传情点头致意，没有主人的首肯绝不会在街头求爱。

狗主人每天不能忽略的功课是带狗散步，如果自己忙，就得花钱雇人带狗遛弯。

每天带狗早晚各遛半小时的报酬是10英镑，而在餐馆洗6小时碗的报酬是20英镑。所以能找到遛狗的活儿，是许多留英学生的梦想。

（EAR MUFFS FOR DOGS）

SIR-As a new shooting season opens, it is opportune to draw attention to what seems to me to be an unfair andunfeeling situation.

It is well established that any form of shooting is damaging to the ears and most game shots now wear ear defenders or ear- plugs to 2diminish the risk of this common sports injury.

Many who have not done so have shot themselves quite deaf. Some of those who are not shooting but stand near the guns-wives, loaders and dog handlers, for example-are now wise enough to protect their hearing.

Although I understand that very little research has been carried out on the subject of the effect of gunfire on dogshearing and that there is no scientific evidence to support a view one way or the other, I am concerned that attention should be drawn to the possible harm being inflicted on gundogs.

It should not be beyond the wit of man to devise some means of protecting a dog's hearing, which we know to be more sensitive than a human’s.

Here, then, is a challenge for some inventor. It would need to be a device that would not irritate the dog while it sat wait- ing and could easily be removed before the dog was sent off to the3)retrieve.

Sir JOSEPH NICKERSON

August 13,1988 Rothwell, Lincs