来源：《今日心理学》
原文刊登日期：2021年5月4日
本文适合英语二考生
It appears that gazing into the eyes of a dog can boost the delightful feel-good hormone oxytocin, according to a report in the publication Science. Plus, the dogs feel a surge in oxytocin, too. The enduring bond between humans and dogs is similar to that of a mother and her infant. The researchers suggest that this form of communication arose early in the domestication of the dog and then helped shape the relationship between dogs and humans.
发表在《科学》(Science)杂志上的一篇报告称，凝视狗狗的眼睛似乎可以增加令人愉悦、感觉良好的催产素。此外，狗也会感受到催产素的激增。人类和狗之间持久的纽带类似于母亲和她的婴儿之间的纽带。研究人员认为，这种交流形式出现在狗驯化的早期，然后帮助形成了狗和人之间的关系。
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, a protein-like particle that facilitates communication between neurons. Its primary domain appears to be the amygdala, a part of the brain believed to be involved in controlling fear, stress, social interactions, love, empathy, and the bonding with and acceptance of others.
催产素是一种神经肽，一种蛋白质样的粒子，促进神经元之间的通信。其主要产生区域似乎是杏仁核，这是大脑的一部分，被认为与控制恐惧、压力、社会互动、爱、同理心以及与他人的联系和接纳有关。
Who wouldn’t want more love and less fear?
The researchers conducted two experiments, each involving a total of 60 dogs and their humans—divided into long-gazers and short-gazers. The dogs were largely Western breeds—golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, poodles, and the like. The first experiment also involved wolves living in shelters. The results of both experiments showed that oxytocin levels rose in the urine of humans on the receiving end of long gazes from their dog companions. Moreover, oxytocin levels also rose in the long-gazing dogs, the researchers reported, but not in the urine of the short-gazing dogs and their humans. Wolves showed no interest in gazing into the eyes of their human companions.
研究人员进行了两项实验，每一项实验共涉及60只狗和它们的人类伙伴——分为长时间注视者和短时间注视者。这些狗大多是西方品种——金毛寻回犬、拉布拉多寻回犬、贵宾犬等等。第一个实验也涉及关在笼子里的狼。这两项实验的结果都表明，当狗狗长期凝视人类时，人类尿液中的催产素水平会上升。此外，研究人员报告称，长时间注视的狗的催产素水平也有所上升，但短时间注视的狗和它们的主人的尿液中却没有。狼对凝视人类同伴的眼睛毫无兴趣。
However, researchers not involved in these experiments say that the conclusion was overdrawn, given the small sample size and the failure to recognize that the manifestations of oxytocin, and other neuropeptides, are often culturally determined and context-dependent. Many dogs will not hold the gaze of their human companions, no matter how tight their bond.
然而，没有参与这些实验的研究人员说，由于样本量小，而且没有认识到催产素和其他神经肽的表现通常是由文化决定的，并且依赖于环境，因此结论被夸大了。许多狗不会紧盯着它们的人类同伴，不管人狗间的关系有多紧密。
There is little if any evidence that early dogs were desired for their puppy-like charm and reduced aggression. In fact, the opposite is more likely true. As the first domesticated animal, by thousands of years, dogs played essential roles in the survival of their people. They had to adapt to human, not wolf, society and serve as beasts of burden, guards, hunters, sacrifices to the spirits, and food for the starving.
几乎没有证据表明人们喜欢早期的狗是因为它们像狗崽儿一样的魅力和较少的攻击性。事实上，情况可能正好相反。几千年来，狗作为第一种被驯化的动物，在人类的生存中起着至关重要的作用。他们必须适应人类而不是狼的社会，充当驮畜、守卫、猎人、亡灵祭品和饥民的食物。